to their mother earth, the ground does not appear to be so crowded as I had been led to expect. This part of my subject brings me back to the history and associations of this interesting spot. It required but the easy transposition of a thought to bring before the mind's eye the diseased Crusader and the leprous monk of Worcester priory,* the objects of that benevolence which provided this retreat for them; the stolëd and shaven ecclesiastic chanting requiems on the very spot where I stood; and the matin bell of yonder nunnery calling the white sisterhood to their orisons.

The next mutation brought about by the altered circumstances of the times was to convert this infirmary into a hospital, that is, according to the ancient acceptation, a lodging for the destitute wayfarer; these were taken in, lodged and fed, at a time of our history when political economists had not in their wisdom thought of setting up an establishment where the mendicant has to work in a mill for two long hours after his scanty breakfast, and is then turned out, hungry and tired, upon the world's bounty. Henry the Eighth, in one of his capricious moments, thought proper not to dissolve this house, but gave the patronage to the Dean and Chapter, with whom it has remained ever since, except in the reign of James the First. The former monarch, we are told, once gave the revenues of a monastery to a gentleman for having moved his chair from before a fire, which was too warm for him, and from which he was too lazy to move himself. To a lady who had made a particular pudding for him he gave a large tract of very valuable

* Leland says " This ancient and fayre large chapell was first erected for monks, then infected, or should after be infected, with leprosie. After, it was changed to an hospitall, and there was a maister, fellowes, and poor folkes; but of the latter tymes it was turned to a free chapell, and beareth the name of St. Oswald, as a thing dedicated of ould time to him; and here were wont corses to be buried in time of pestilence, as in a public cemetery for Worcester." Davies, one of Stow's manuscript authors, reports St. Oswald to have been the founder of this hospital himself; but the leprosy was not known in England till long after Oswald's time; the small-pox also at that time was brought by the Crusaders into Europe, and seems to have been confounded with the leprosy.

abbey lands. And it is not improbable that through some similar freak a large proportion of St. Oswald's revenues also fell into private hands, occasioning much litigation, to which I shall refer by and bye. The introduction of the Reformation and of Poor Laws, having provided other means of relief for the destitute, this charity became a new foundation on the Protestant plan, for the support of aged men and women; to which was subsequently added a smaller charity hard by, endowed by Thomas Haynes, Esq., in the time of the second Charles. A great part of the lands however, which, in the time of Leland, had been "alienated and taken awaye," remained in private hands. Great exertions were made by Dr. Fell, the master (1631), to recover them, but with partial success. It was owing to the exertions of the late Mr. Godson, a few years ago, that the chief restoration was set on foot; that gentleman succeeding in raising the income from £300 to £2000, and the weekly stipend of 4s., formerly paid to the inmates, has been doubled. Thirty-eight suits for the recovery of houses and premises, of the estimated yearly value of £1991, were instituted; these premises being at the time let on leases, subject to fines on renewal, at a rental of £140. 6s. 8d. Of these thirtyeight suits the greater part has been pushed to a favourable issue, and a large fund of arrears has been accumulating. not know what legal obstacle remains in the way of settling this long pending suit, but it is reasonably expected that when the whole is adjusted to the satisfaction of the lawyers the amount of annual income will not be much short of £3000. The recipients now consist of sixteen men and twelve women, who have a coat and gowns every two years, with a regular supply of coals. It is highly gratifying to observe the scrupulous accuracy with which each inmate stacks up his little apportionment of coal in the rear of his comfortable dwelling, having separate compartments for that purpose. Their gardens, which are also on the allotment system, betoken a great deal of care and attention, and are justly a source of credit for the good management bestowed on them. I shall not readily forget the air of solid,

I do

undisturbed comfort and repose with which one old gentleman, who sat in the door of his tent, was looking on his little promising crops, as he "smoked his Broseley" with the cool complacency of an old veteran. If ever I was guilty of an envious thought it was at that moment. The same divisional plan is carried out also in their eating and drinking, there being no common refectory, but each is allowed to expend his weekly income in whatever food, and to eat it in whatever way, he chooses. I believe this to be by far the best plan, and to prevent a vast amount of grumbling. I happen to know an almshouse in a town in Dorsetshire,* where it was formerly the custom to buy weekly for the inmates a quantity of meat, which was cut up into portions and distributed by the Prior; but with the best intentions, he, poor fellow, like the man with the ass, was never, on any one occasion, known to carve to the satisfaction of his brethren, for alas! Prejudicata opinio obruit judicium. One old grumbler would declare that he could not be expected to thrive upon bones, without something adhering to them; a second would sit in a corner, quietly venting his wrath against the leanness of his portion, in tones like the mutterings of a distant thunder-storm; while a third would loudly protest that all the fat the animal had ever possessed was unquestionably concentrated in that particular cutting the Prior had maliciously awarded to him. At length the masters decided on an ingenious plan to end these disputes; and from having witnessed its efficacy I can confidently recommend it for universal adoption in similar cases. It was enacted that when the weekly aggregate of meat came from the butcher, the Prior, as before, should cut it into the required portions, after which each man, according to seniority, came and made a selection, but left the carver to be the last man. Now this plan ensured a just division, for the carver was particularly anxious to "make all things equal," knowing full well that, if any difference were apparent, the smallest allowance would infallibly be left for himself.

*Sherborne, the author's native place.

When the entire funds of St. Oswald's shall have accrued, it is the intention, I hear, to increase the number of inmates; and I cannot but think this course would be far preferable to that of giving additional pay to those who are already there : the amount now given seems to be quite sufficient to insure all necessary comfort, and the longevity of the persons who die here is so great as in some measure to be a guarantee that their wants, health, and personal comforts, have not been lost sight of. I am also glad to hear that the selection of candidates is now more carefully made, and that the portals of this retreat will henceforth be open to the decayed tradesman, and to those who, in the common phrase, "have seen better days."

While at St. Oswald's, I inspected the site of the White Ladies' nunnery, which, centuries ago, stood on the north side of the above-named cemetery. Three sides of the outer walls of the chapel still partially remain, and the positions of the windows and altar are still plainly visible. On the eastern wall is a monument to "Richard Blurton, gent.," dated 1667; the deceased was a relative of the Somers and Foley families. Perhaps some of my antiquarian readers can inform me how any monument could have been erected here at so comparatively recent a date, seeing that the nunnery was suppressed and the nuns dispersed in the time of Henry the Eighth. Was it afterwards used as a parochial chapel ?

At the western end is a descent of steps to an archway and vault, in one corner of which are distinct traces of two arches, now bricked up, which my attendant informed me were the entrances to subterraneous passages, one of which was said in old time to have led to the Cathedral, and the other to Hindlip. It is somewhat strange that Green, the historian, in opposition to Nash's statement, says that no indications of such openings could any where be traced, to authorise the conjecture. I have, however, no doubt of the fact, from my own observations as well at this spot as in several of the cellars in High Street, where distinct traces of such a passage still remain. Added to which, a good authority informs me that he remembers the late

Alderman Carden, in a conversation on the subject, mentioning that he himself had explored this passage in his younger days, now about eighty years ago, and actually penetrated through it as far as High Street.

This nunnery is said to have been founded by a Bishop of Worcester before the Norman conquest, for William of Malmesbury states that the mother of St. Wulstan took the veil at a house in Worcester, and this was the only nunnery ever built here. It was called "White Ladies" from the colour of the habit. The ancient cemetery is now an orchard, from which, I was informed, stone coffins and human remains had frequently been dug up, as also a variety of coins. The property is now held under the governors of a charity, founded by Queen Elizabeth, for the support of a blue coat school now kept in St. Swithin's parish. It is said to be from the garden of this house that a large pear tree in full fruit was removed and placed at the Cross when Queen Elizabeth visited this city, and from which she added to the city arms the black pear, in admiration, it is said, of the excellent government and order of the town, by which such beautiful and tempting fruit was preserved in so public a situation. Canon Fortescue is the present master; resident chaplain, the Rev. W. Hill.

66

St. Belen's.

HE antiquity of the church of St. Helen is spoken of by W all the local historians; so far back as the year 963 it was a profitable preferment," no less than eleven parochial chapels being at that time dependent on it; and in consequence of disputes between the priests of St. Helen and St. Alban concerning the parishes and the customs of their churches, Bishop Wulstan caused a scrutiny, the result of which was an affirmation that "there was no parish in the whole city of Wigracestre