By the Rev. Canon Moberly. 



149 



one Mr. GefFe, who as he saith has a grant of the fee of it Eliz. 83, 

 but professeth good usage to your lordship, to the poor, aud to my- 

 self, that he may have free liberty to seize upon it. But our counsel 

 thinks his title weak, and therefore advises rather, because the state 

 of it is somewhat doubtful, to crave confirmation of it from the 

 king's majesty, which because the like in like case hath been lately 

 obtained with great grace and favour, especially by the motion of 

 the Earl of Northampton, for the hospital of Heytesbury, they 

 think it will be easy for your honour to procure the same for us, if 

 your lordship do like of such a course, whereunto we have no 

 argument to move your good honour, but that piety and pity which 

 do much adorn your true nobility. The profit of it besides the name 

 is small, but the prayers to God for your honour are many. It 

 hath stood about four hundred years; my government and cost 

 upon the house and the poor have been such as the strictest visitors 

 have ever approved. I do only now as duty bindeth acquaint your 

 honour with the cause, and shall be ready to go forward in it when 

 and howsoever your lordship will appoint ; and so rest, of all others 

 your honour's most bounden servant, G. B/ J 



Lord Pembroke must have assented to this petition : for we find 

 that he applied to Bishop Cotton for a long lease of the patronage 

 of the hospital, which the bishop granted him for forty-one years. 

 Not for nothing, we may be sure : this was an age when everything 

 was bought and sold. 



This having been done Mr. Bigge next visited London, bent on 

 bringing about the cession by Tipper and Dawe of their rights in 

 the hospital in favour of the new patron. This he effected by com* 

 pounding the suit now depending for 100 guineas, on which they 

 promised to pass on their right to Lord Pembroke. A note of the 

 transaction remains in Bigge's handwriting, thus : — "Dec. 2, 1609, 

 I have paid fifty -two pound ten shillings to Mr. Richard Frances at 

 his house in Watling Street, London 52 10 0 And fifty-two 



pounds ten shillings to Thomas Hill 



at the same time and place 52 10 0 



105 0 0" 



