dnd §, No 95,, June 21. °58.) 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
489 
& 
apartment which contained a concealed closet . . . one 
of those refuges from the intolerant and persecuting 
spirit of other times, commonly called a ‘ priests’ hole.’ 
“ Here in those days, when papists were hunted down 
like noxious animals, and the external observance of the 
Romish ritual subjected its officiating ministers to the 
pains and penalties of felony, Catholic families were wont 
to secrete their domestic chaplains when the informer 
and the legal functionary were in search of their destined 
victims.” This house, and the adjoining estate, was long 
possessed by the family of Venables. In default of male 
heirs, the property and mansion of Woodcote descended 
to three sisters, one of whom, under the rustic title of 
Madam Venables, is still "remembered as ably supporting 
the dignity and formality of a lady of the manor of the 
olden time. 
The old family mansion of the Tichbornes of TicH- 
BORNE exhibited many of the characteristics of feudal 
times. On entering through a massy porch, a passage 
presented itself, with the buttery hatch on one side, and 
a row of open arches leading to the baronial hall on the 
other. A gallery ran round this venerable apartment. ... 
A wide chimney yawned on one side; and on the other, 
deeply embayed in the thickness of the wall, were two 
large windows, whose recesses, as was the fashion of 
former days, were frequently filled with implements of 
sylvan sport. At the farther end, a raised step led to the 
parlour, and a staircase of black oak conducted to the 
gallery and the various rooms with which it communi- 
cated. A complication of secret passages, apartments, and 
stairs; a court yard, surrounded by the offices; a chapel, 
and a moat; completed the picture of one of the halls of 
our forefathers .. . The old house at Hinton AMPNER 
was subjected to the evil report of being haunted, and 
Mr. Duthy adds, “that strange and unaccountable cireum- 
stances did occur there: for it was within the recollection 
of some then living, that the peace and comfort of a most 
respectable and otherwise strong-minded lady, at that 
time the occupant of the house, were essentially inter- 
fered with by noises and interruptions that to her ap- 
peared awful and unearthly, impressing on her mind a 
belief that they had their origin in something more than 
human agency. The lady’s brother, no less a personage 
than he for whom fate had in reserve the glorious tro- 
phies of the victory off St. Vincent, endeavoured in vain 
to penetrate the mystery. The gallant officer watched 
night after night, eager to detect the imposition which it 
was suspected was practised by the servants of the 
family; and although he heard the noises, and experi-~ 
enced the interruptions so frequently repeated, he was 
unable to ascertain their source, while he was compelled 
to acknowledge the reality of their existence. Indeed it 
was difficult to eradicate from the long harassed mind of 
the lady of the house, a belief in the existence of some 
super-human agency, or to convince her that the domes- 
ties of her family were the contrivers the artifices 
which so cruelly injured her peace of mind, and induced 
her to give up possession of the mansion; but afterwards, 
when the house was taken down, it became obvious how 
the mystery had been carried on. It was then discovered, 
that in the thickness of the walls were private passages 
and stairs not generally known to ewxist, which afforded 
secret means of communication; and, independently of 
that gloom and intricacy of arrangement pervading 
most old edifices, offered peculiar facilities for carry~ 
ing on without detection the mysteries of a haunted 
ouse, 
Fortunately we live in better times. The days, 
when priests were compelled by the severity of 
unjust laws to seek for hiding-places, and their 
friends for their protection under the necessity of 
raising and circulating idle stories of ghosts and 
haunted houses, are gone never to return; edu- 
cation and intelligence having superseded tyranny 
and bigoted intolerance. Henry Epwarps. 
EARLY MISSAL: ABP. RICHARD SCROPE. 
The following is a copy of a memorandum 
written by Dr. Harbin, librarian to the first and 
second Viscounts Weymouth at Longleat, de- 
scriptive of an early Missal, which had been lent 
to him by Mr. Thomas Fairfax, and which was 
remarkable for its pictures of Archbishop Scrope, 
and the allusions to his canonisation. Is it known 
whether this Missal is at present in existence ; 
and, if so, where ? A. Mr. 
“ Out of a MS. Missal on vellum 8%, written before the 
year 1445, as is evident from a note in the Kalendar, in 
y° month of August of that year, by a different hand. 
“This MS. was in the hands of Mt Tho® Fairfax of 
London, who lent it me, 1715, July 215. 
“ Among the illuminations or pictures of Saints in that 
book, is one of Richard Scrope, A. Br of York, in his pon- 
tificalibus, his mitre on his head, and his crozier in his 
hand; to whom one is represented kneeling, wt a labell 
round his head, on w! are these words: Sancte Ricarde 
Scrope ora pro nobis. Then follow some versicles and a 
prayer to him, viz. : 
«OQ Gemma lucis et virtutis, 
Laus et decus Senectutis, 
Eboraci gloria. 
Presul viz veritatis, 
Imitator paupertatis, 
Spernens mundi gaudia. 
O Ricarde Martyr Christi, 
Dira passus morte tristi, 
Ex magna Clementia 
Duc nos illuc quo ltaris, 
Tu qui tot opitularis, 
Mira cum potentia, 
Confer nobis relevamen, 
Mentis tolle nunc gravamen 
Tue precis gratia, 
Ut possimus te laudare 
Et laudando congregare 
In ceelesti patria.’ 
‘ Oratio. 
“Deus qui beatum Ricardum Presulem tuum et Mar- 
tyrem virtute constantie in sua passione roborasti, et 
gloriosissimo Martyri tuo Thome, per Martyrii palmam 
meritis coequasti: tribue nobis, quesumus, ejus gloriam 
celebrantibus prospera mundi despicere et nulla ejus ad- 
versa formidare. 
“¢ Amen,’ 
“ At the end of the book is another picture of St. 
Richard in his pontificalibus, his mitre on his head, his 
crozier in his left hand, and a small wind-mill held up in 
his right. 
“This St. Richard was no other than Richard Scrope, 
A. Br of York, who took up arms agt K. Henry IV. wth 
the Earl of Northumberland, for which crime they were 
both beheaded.” 
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