100 AUBKET'S NATUBAL HISTOBY OP WILTSHIRE. 



belfry till y 8 tower was pulled down in 1724, in order to be rebuilt It was rebuilt accordingly, and 

 the bells were then new cast, with y assistance of Mr. Harington y 8 Vicar, who gave a new bell, on 

 which his name is inscribed, so as to make a peal of six bells. On these bells are the following inscrip- 

 tions: 1. Prosperity to this parish, 1726. 2. Peace and good neighbourhood, 1726. 3. Prosperity 

 to y Church of England, 1726. 4. William Harington, Vicar. A. R. 1726 (A. R. means Abraham 

 Rudhall, y e bell founder). 5. Has no inscription, but 1726 in gilt figures. 6. Jonathan Power and 

 Robert Hewett, Churchwardens, 1726." J. B.] 



Sir William Dugdale told me he finds that painting in glasse came first into England in King 

 John's time. Before the Reformation I believe there was no county or great town in England but 



had glasse painters. Old Harding, of Blandford in Dorsetshire, where I went to schoole, 



was the only countrey glasse-painter that ever I knew. Upon play dayes I was wont to visit his 

 shop and furnaces. He dyed about 1643, aged about 83, or more. 



In St Edmund's church at Salisbury were curious painted glasse windowes, especially in the 

 chancell, where there was one window, I think the east window, of such exquisite worke that 

 Gundamour, the Spanish Ambassadour, did offer some hundreds of pounds for it, if it might have 

 been bought. In one of the windowes was the picture of God the Father, like an old man, which 

 gave offence to H. Shervill, Esq. then Recorder of this city (this was about 1631), who, out of zeale, 

 came and brake some of these windowes, and clambering upon one of the pews to be able to reach 

 high enough, fell down and brake liis leg. For this action he was brought into the Starr-Chamber, 

 and liad a great fine layd upon him [500. J. B.] which, I think, did undoe him. [See a minute 

 and interesting account of Sherfield's offence, and the proceedings at the trial, in Hatcher's History of 

 Salisbury, p. 371-374. J. B.] 



There was, at the Abbey of Malmesbury, a very high spire-steeple, as high almost, they at 

 Malmesbury say, as that of St. Paul's, London ; and they further report, that when the steeple fell 

 down the ball of it fell as far as the Griffin Inne. 



The top of the tower of Button Benger is very elegant, there is not such another in the county. It 

 much resembles St Walborough's [St Werburg's] at Bristol!. [The tower of Sutton Benger 

 church, here alluded to, has a large open-work'd pinnacle, rising from the centre of the roof; a 

 beautiful and very singular ornament See the wood-cut in the title-page of the present volume. 

 J. B.] 



The priory of Broadstock was very well built, and with good strong ribbs, as one may conclude by 

 the remaines that are left of it yet standing, which are the cellar, which is strongly vaulted with 

 freestone, and the hall above it. It is the stateliest cellar in Wiltshire. The Hall is spatious, and 

 within that the priour's parlour, wherein is good carving. In the middle of the south side of the 

 hall is a large chimney, over which is a great window, so that the draught of the smoake runnes on 

 each side of the chimney. Above the cellars the hall and parlours are one moietie ; the church or 

 chapell stood on the south side of the hall, under which was a vault, as at St Faithes under Paules. 

 The very fundations of this fair church are now, 1666, digged up, where I saw severall freestone 

 coffins, having two holes bored in the bottome, and severall capitalls and bases of handsome Gothique 

 pillars. On the west end of the hall was the King's lodgemgs, which they say were very noble, and 

 standing about 1588. [Aubrey records some further particulars of Bradenstoke Priory ; a short 

 account of which edifice will be found in the third volume of the Beauties of Wiltshire. The Gentle- 



