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Historical Account Of The Life Of William Of Wykeham.
that it was through his influence that they were removed ; but even he was so far from having any animosity against Wykeham , that he was , after this , honoured with many singular marks of his friendship and confidence . It appears , also , that in the same year Wykeham was known to have so much influence in the king ' s councils , that Pope Gregory XL wrote to him to facilitate an accommodation between Edward ancl the King of France .
But while he was most busied in affairs of state , and taken up in personal attendance upon the king , he was very sedulous in the discharge of his duties as a bishop of the church . The buildings belonging to the Bishop of Winchester were in his time very large and numerous ; besides a great number of granges , parks , and warrensthey had ten or twelve different castlesmanor houses , or places
, , of residence , properly accommodated for the reception of themselves and their retinue ; to all which they usually resorted by turns , living according to the custom of those times upon the produce of their owrt estates . These houses and buildings Wykeham ' s predecessor had suffered to become almost ruinous . Wykeham ' s first attention was to repair them ; which he effected in a manner worthy the
generosity of his spirit , and his skill in ARCHITECTURE . To supply himself with the best stone , in sufficient quantities , he purchased the use of the stone quarries , at Quarrer Abbey , in the Isle of Wight , which were formerly much in repute , though they have been now long neglected ; and he expended , in NEW BUILDINGS and REPAIRS , no less
than 20 , 000 marks , or 13 , 333 ! . 6 s . Sd . sterling , though he received for dilapidations no more than 1 , 662 ! . 10 s . The standing stock of the bishopric , which was delivered to . him , when he took possession of the bishopric , may now be mentioned as an object of curiosity : it consisted of 127 draught horses , 1556 head of black cattle , 3 8 . 76 wethers , 4777 ewes , and 3521 Iambs .
In the year 1373 the bishop held a visitation of his whole diocese , not only of the secular clergy in the several deaneries , but of the monasteries and religious bouses of every denomination ; all which he visited in person ; and the next year he sent his commissioners to reform the irregularities and abuses which he had discovered . Arhong the religious houses belonging to his bishopric , was the
hospital of the Iiol y Cross at Sparkfbrd , near Winchester ; of the foundation and abuses of which charity it is necessary to give some account , that Wykeham ' s zeal and steadiness in the work of reformation may be better understood ; it is hoped also , that these particulars will be found useful and entertaining , as records both of the vice and virtue of our ancestorsand a curious representation of their manners
, in a scene that has not often been drawn in popular books . The hospital of the Holy Cross was founded by Henry de Blois , Bishop of Winchester , and brother to King Stephen , about the year 1136 ; whose institution requires that thirteen poor men , decayed , and past their labour , should abide continually in the hospital , and be provided with clothing , bedding , food , and al ! other necessaries ; and
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Historical Account Of The Life Of William Of Wykeham.
that it was through his influence that they were removed ; but even he was so far from having any animosity against Wykeham , that he was , after this , honoured with many singular marks of his friendship and confidence . It appears , also , that in the same year Wykeham was known to have so much influence in the king ' s councils , that Pope Gregory XL wrote to him to facilitate an accommodation between Edward ancl the King of France .
But while he was most busied in affairs of state , and taken up in personal attendance upon the king , he was very sedulous in the discharge of his duties as a bishop of the church . The buildings belonging to the Bishop of Winchester were in his time very large and numerous ; besides a great number of granges , parks , and warrensthey had ten or twelve different castlesmanor houses , or places
, , of residence , properly accommodated for the reception of themselves and their retinue ; to all which they usually resorted by turns , living according to the custom of those times upon the produce of their owrt estates . These houses and buildings Wykeham ' s predecessor had suffered to become almost ruinous . Wykeham ' s first attention was to repair them ; which he effected in a manner worthy the
generosity of his spirit , and his skill in ARCHITECTURE . To supply himself with the best stone , in sufficient quantities , he purchased the use of the stone quarries , at Quarrer Abbey , in the Isle of Wight , which were formerly much in repute , though they have been now long neglected ; and he expended , in NEW BUILDINGS and REPAIRS , no less
than 20 , 000 marks , or 13 , 333 ! . 6 s . Sd . sterling , though he received for dilapidations no more than 1 , 662 ! . 10 s . The standing stock of the bishopric , which was delivered to . him , when he took possession of the bishopric , may now be mentioned as an object of curiosity : it consisted of 127 draught horses , 1556 head of black cattle , 3 8 . 76 wethers , 4777 ewes , and 3521 Iambs .
In the year 1373 the bishop held a visitation of his whole diocese , not only of the secular clergy in the several deaneries , but of the monasteries and religious bouses of every denomination ; all which he visited in person ; and the next year he sent his commissioners to reform the irregularities and abuses which he had discovered . Arhong the religious houses belonging to his bishopric , was the
hospital of the Iiol y Cross at Sparkfbrd , near Winchester ; of the foundation and abuses of which charity it is necessary to give some account , that Wykeham ' s zeal and steadiness in the work of reformation may be better understood ; it is hoped also , that these particulars will be found useful and entertaining , as records both of the vice and virtue of our ancestorsand a curious representation of their manners
, in a scene that has not often been drawn in popular books . The hospital of the Holy Cross was founded by Henry de Blois , Bishop of Winchester , and brother to King Stephen , about the year 1136 ; whose institution requires that thirteen poor men , decayed , and past their labour , should abide continually in the hospital , and be provided with clothing , bedding , food , and al ! other necessaries ; and