300 THE ANTIQUITIES 



The solicitude expressed by the donor plainly shows her 

 piety and firm persuasion of the efficacy of prayers for the 

 dead ; for she seems to have made every provision for the 

 payment of the sum stipulated within the appointed time ; 

 and to have felt much anxiety lest her death, or the 

 neglect of her executors or assigns, might frustrate her 

 intentions. " Et si contingat me in solucione predicte 

 pecunie annis predictis in parte aut in toto deficere, quod 

 absit ; concede et oblige pro me et assignatis meis, quod 



Vice-Comes Oxon et qui pro tempore fuerint, 



per omnes terras et tenementa, et omnia bona mea mobilia 

 et immobilia ubicunque in balliva sua fuerint inventa ad 

 solucionem predictam faciendam possent nos compellere." 

 And again " Et si contingat dictos religiosos labores 

 seu expensas facere circa predictam pecuniam, seu 

 circa partem dicte pecunie ; volo quod dictorum religios- 

 orum impense et labores levantur ita quod predicto priori 

 vel uni canonicorum suorum super : hiis simplici verbo 

 credatur sine alterius honore probacionis ; et quod utrique 

 predictorum virorum in unam marcam argenti pro cujus- 

 libet distrincione super me facienda tenear. Dat. apud 

 Wareborn die sabati proxima ante festum St. Marci evange- 

 liste, anno regni regis Edwardi tertio decimo." l 



But the reader perhaps would wish to be better informed 

 respecting this benefactress, of whom as yet he has heard 

 no particulars. 



The Ela Longspee therefore above-mentioned was a 

 lady of high birth and rank, and became countess to 

 Thomas de Newburgh, the sixth earl of Warwick : she 

 was the second daughter of the famous Ela Longspee, 

 countess of Salisbury, by William Longspee, natural son 

 of king Henry II. by Rosamond. 



Our lady, following the steps of her illustrious mother, 2 



1 Ancient deeds are often dated on a Sunday, having been executed in 

 churches and church-yards for the sake of notoriety, and for the con- 

 veniency of procuring several witnesses to attest. 



2 Ela Longspee, countess of Salisbury, in 1232 founded a monastery at 

 Lacock, in the county of Wilts, and also another at Hendon, in the 

 county of Somerset, in her widowhood, to the honour of the Blessed 

 Virgin and St. Bernard. CAMDEN. 



