By the Rev. Canon Molerly* 



153 



" the circuit of the close, together with the hospital of St. Nicholas, 

 might be granted to the mayor and city, in as large and ample a 

 manner as to the bishops, deans, and chapters thereof." This prayer 

 was granted in spite of a counter-petition from the inhabitants of 

 the close, and in September of that year the mayor and corporation 

 received a grant from the Parliament of the perpetual care, visitation, 

 inspection, patronage, and free disposition of the hospital : and the 

 mayor and any eight of the aldermen were fully empowered to 

 reverse the decisions of the master, and to appoint a new master, 

 when the place was vacant. On this (in 1658) Mr. Rivett resigned, 

 and the mayor for the time being, William Stone, was appointed. 



But three years after — in August, 1659, when things were 

 ripening towards the next year's settlement — the mayor and corpo- 

 ration were required to give up their new charter. They complied, 

 but John Ivey, senior, the mayor of the year, was sent to London 

 with a petition that the corporation might be allowed to keep the 

 hospital. This was granted, Ivey was continued in the mastership, 

 and his son, John Ivey, junior, continued as steward of the hospital. 



John Ivey had been mayor, and therefore master of St. Nicholas', 

 since the autumn of 1658. Immediately on succeeding to the latter 

 post, he had gone to law with Dr. Nicholas, the late warden, for 

 monies received by him in fines on leases, &c, and alleged to be due 

 to the hospital. To this Dr. Nicholas answered by the plea that 

 twelve years since he had delivered all the accounts into Rivett's 

 hands, and had since only received rents which were lawfully due 

 to himself. 



However, the tide was turning: at the end of May, 1660, the 

 King was brought back, and within the month (21st June) an order 

 was issued for Dr. Nicholas' restoration to his mastership. It was 

 signed by the same clerk of the Parliament who thirteen years 

 before had signed the order for Rivett's intrusion. 



Dr. Matthew Nicholas also had a fresh grant of the deanery of 

 St. Paul's, London, of which he had been made dean by Charles I., 

 but had never come into possession. He died in 1662, and was 

 succeeded by his son, John Nicholas, a young man of 23, who was 

 appointed by Bishop Henchman, He had been at Winchester and 



m 2 



