INNS of 
with him Robert Waleraa and others, came to the Tem¬ 
ple, where calling for the keeper of the treafure-houfe, as 
if he intended to fee his mother’s jewels, which were there 
kept, he gained admittance.to the houfe, broke open the 
coffers of different perfons who had placed their money 
there for fafety, and illegally took away one thoufand 
pounds. 
In the rebellion of Wat Tyler the Temple fuffered 
much, the property of the ftudents being plundered, and 
almoft every book and record deftroyed and burnt. This 
makes much of the hiftory of the Temple, after it became 
appropriated to the ftudy of the law, reft on tradition ; 
the general truth of the foregoing ftatement, however, as 
far as it refpedls that period, may be afcertained from va¬ 
rious circumftances. 
Soon after the damage committed by Wat Tyler, but 
at what particular period is not known, the ftudents in 
this feminary fo far increafed in number as to occafion 
their divifion into two feparate bodies, called the fociety 
of the Inner Temple, and the fociety of the Middle Temple, 
who had two halls, See. but continued to hold their houfes 
as tenants to the knights hofpitalers, till the general fup- 
preflion, in the reign of Henry VIII. and, after this event, 
for fome time, of the crown, by leafe. 
In the 6th year of the reign of James I. the whole of 
the buildings of the two Temples were granted by letters 
patent, bearing date at Weftminfter, 13th Auguft, by the 
name of Hofpicia et capitalia mejfuagia cognita per nomen de 
U Inner Temple ct le Middle Temple five Novi Temple, London, 
to fir Julius Coefar, knight, then chancellor and under- 
treafurer of the exchequer, fir Henry Montague, knight, 
recorder of London, William Towfe and Richard Dalton, 
efqrs. treafurers of the faid inns of court; and fir John 
Boyfe, knight, Andrew Grey, Thomas Farmer, Ralph 
Radcliff, and others, efqrs. then benchers of thefe houfes ; 
to have and to hold the faid manfions, with the gardens. 
Sec. and appurtenances, unto the faid fir Julius Caffar, 
fir Henry Montague, and the reft above-mentioned, their 
heirs and aftigns for ever, for lodgings, reception, and 
education, for the profeffofs and ftudents of the laws of 
this realm; yielding and paying to the faid king, his heirs 
and fucceffors, at the receipt of his exchequer, viz. for the 
matifion called the Inner Temple, the fum of ten pounds 
yearly, and for the Middle Temple ten pounds yearly 
alfo, at the feaft of St. Michael the archangel, and the 
Annunciation of our Lady, by equal portions, Sec. 
Of the ancient buildings, the only part at prelent re¬ 
maining is the church. This was founded by the tem¬ 
plars in the reign of Henry II. upon the model of that of 
the Holy Sepulchre at Jerufalem, (the general plan of all 
their churches,) and was confecrated in 1185, by Hera- 
clius patriarch of Jerufalem. The latter circumftance was 
formerly commemorated by an inl'cription over the little 
door next the cloifter, which was removed on the church 
being repaired fome years fince; but is accurately copied 
in Strype’s edition of Stowe’s Survey of London. It was 
in old Saxon capitals, engraved within a half circle, and 
not only denoted the year when the church was dedi¬ 
cated, Sec. as above, but to whom, viz. the bleffed virgin, 
and finilhed with the indulgence of fixty days pardon to' 
fuch, who, according to the penance enjoined them, re- 
forted there annually. 
Part of the firft Temple church, which ftood near 
Southampton-buildings, Chancery-lane, was difeovered 
about a century ago, on pulling down fome old houfes. 
It was buih of Caen ftone, and circular, like the prelent 
church. This church belongs in common to the two fo- 
cieties. It is a very beautiful fpecimen of the early Go¬ 
thic architecture; it has three aides running eaft and weft, 
and two crofs aides. The windows are lancet-ihaped, very 
antique, and the weltern entrance, which anfwers_ to the 
nave in other churches, is a fpacious round tower in imi¬ 
tation of the church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is fepa- 
rated from the choir, not by dole walls, but by a handl’ome 
fereen, which, however, has the deled: of obftruCting the 
Vol. XL No. 734. 
COURT. 69 
fight. It is fupported by fix pointed arches, each refting on 
four round pillars, bound together by a fafeia. Above each, 
arch is a window with a rounded top, with a gallery, and 
rich Saxon arches interfering each other. Without-fide 
of the pillars is a coniiderable fpace preferving the circu¬ 
lar form. On the lower part of the wall are fmall pilaf- 
ters meeting in pointed arches at top, and over each pil¬ 
lar a grotelque head. The choir is a large building of 
the fquare form, evidently erefted at another time. The 
roof is fupported by dight pillars of what is ufually called 
Suffex marble; and the windows on each fide, which arc 
three in number, are adorned with fmall pillars of the 
fame. On the outfide is a buttrefs between each. The 
entire floor is of flags of black-and-white marble. The. 
length of the choir is 83 feet, the breadth 60, and the 
height 34; it is unencumbered with galleries. The height 
of the infide of the tower is 48 feet, its diameter on the 
floor 51, and the circumference 160. The pillars of this 
tower (fix in number) are wainfcotted with oak to the 
height of eight feet, and fome have monuments placed 
againft them, which injures the uniformity of the plan. 
It is Angular that the fmall pillars, and the heads which 
ornament them, are not of ftone, but a compofition refem- 
bling coarfe mortar, which is very rotten, and from ne- 
gleft and damp, threatens (unlefs repaired) a very ipeedy 
demolition. 
The Temple church is principally remarkable (except¬ 
ing the fafliion of the edifice itlelf, which has a very un¬ 
common and noble afpeff) for the tombs of eleven of the 
knights templars. Eight of thefe have the monumental 
efligies of armed knights; the reft are coped ftones of 
grey marble. The figures confift of two groups, out of 
which five are crofs-legged ; the remainder lie ftraight. 
Each group is environed by a fpacious iron grate. In the 
firft are four knights, each of them crofs-legged, and three 
in complete mail, in plain helmets flatted at top, and with 
very long ftiields. One of thefe is known to have been 
Geoffry de Magnaville, created earl of Effex in 1148 ; the 
other figures cannot be identified either in this or the 
fecond group ; but three of them are conjectured by Cam¬ 
den to commemorate William earl of Pembroke, who died 
in 1219, and his fons William and Gilbert, likewife earls 
of Pembroke and marfhals of England. One of the ftone 
coffins alfo, of ridged fhape, is fuppofed by the fame anti¬ 
quary to be the tomb of William Plantagenet, fifth foil 
of Henry III. The drefs and accoutrements of thefe 
knights are extremely Angular; no two are alike, though 
all are armed in mail. Their pofition likewife is varied ; 
and there is ftill fufficient expreffion in the faces to (how 
that perfonal refemblance was aimed at, and in fome de¬ 
gree fuccefsfully. One figure is in a fpirited attitude, 
drawing a broad dagger: one leg refts on the tail of a 
cockatrice, the other is in the aflion of being drawn up, 
with the head of the monfter beneath. Another is bare¬ 
headed and bald, his legs armed, his hands mailed, his 
mantle long; and round his neck a cowl, as if, according 
to the common fuperftition of thofe days, he hacf defired 
to be buried in the drefs of a monk, left the evil fpirit 
Ihould take poffeflion of his body. On his lhield is a fleur 
de lys. The earl of Pembroke bears a lion on his fliield, 
the arms of that great family. The helmets of all the 
knights are much alike, but two of them are mailed. The 
Temple church contains fome few other ancient monu¬ 
ments, chiefly to the memory of eminent lawyers, as Plow- 
den, Selden, fir John Vaughan, Sec. and one’ of a bifliop 
in his epifcopal drefs, a mitre, and a crofter,- well executed 
in ftone. 
Tiie fuperior clergyman of the Temple church, fince 
the reign of Henry VIII. is called majltr, or cvflos, of the 
Temple, and is conftituted fuch by the king's letters pa¬ 
tent without inftitution orindudtion; there is befides a 
reader and lecturer. In Stowe’s time it had four ftipen- 
diary prielts, with a clerk, who had ftipends allowed them 
out of the poffefTions of the diffolved monaftery of St, 
John of Jerulalem. But the eftablilhmgnt was ftill greater 
T in 
