Under this amiable young prince, the reformation A.D. proceeded without impediment.* One of the first acts 1547. in the new reign was to confer upon the king all chantries, free chapels, and colleges, which was done by the passing of an act, intituled, "An Act for "Chantries Collegiate;" whereby it was ordained First, That the king should have and enjoy all lands theretofore by any person given, to be employed wholly to the finding a maintenance of any anniversary+ or obit, or any light or lamp in any church. Secondly, That all fraternities and brotherhoods should be given to the king, with all the manors, lands, &c. Thirdly, That commissioners should be appointed to survey all the lay corporations, guilds, fraternities, and all the evidences and writings, &c. Fourthly,-And that the same commissioners should have power to assign and appoint (in every place where any guild or fraternity, or the priest or incumbent of any chantry in esse, by the foundation or first institution thereof, should have kept a grammar school, or a preacher) lands, tenements, and other hereditaments, of every such chantry, guild, or fraternity, to remain, continue, and be in succession to a schoolmaster or preacher for ever, for and towards keeping of a grammar school or It has been observed, that the young king Edward VI. greatly resembled Josiah: he gave, indeed, singular evidence of wisdom and piety far beyond his years. + Anniversaries were a sort of donations, for one or more year or years, to religious houses or the poor, for the good of the soul of the deceased. A.D. preaching, of and for such godly intents and purposes as the same commissioners or two of them should appoint. And that such commissioners should execute the commission to him or them directed, beneficially towards the deans, masters, wardens, and other ministers, and towards the poor people; and also towards the maintenance of piers, jetties, walls, or banks against the rage of the sea, havens, and creeks. And that the king should have all the goods, jewels, plate, ornaments, and other moveables of every such chantry to his use, &c. By virtue of the above act of parliament, commissioners were appointed to execute the orders thereby directed; and two such commissioners being nominated for the purpose of making due inquiries into the constitution of the guild of the Holy Trinity belonging to the town of Wisbech, these, with the alderman and churchwardens, met at Ely, when the following articles were proposed, to which the answers are annexed. The Articles. The answer to the articles concerning the Trinity gild 1548. of Wisbech, according to the articles sent from the king's highness' commissioners, and delivered by Thomas Crosse, chief constable, made by John Austyn, Henry Rose, churchwardens, Thomas Preston, curate of the township of Wisbech, within the county of Cambridge, as hereafter doth follow, by order: Imprimis, one fraternitie or brotherhood founded within the church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, in Wysbech aforesaid. Name:-The Trinitie Gyld. The names of priests or chaplains thereto belonging, as followeth : Mr. Henry Ogle, Schoolmaster. Sir Nicholas Myller.* Sir Thomas Cameron. Sir Robert Lynde. Item.The said fraternitie was founded by s'tenn devott persons in the 2d year of king Richard II. and also confyrmed by divers of the king's most noble progenitors, and also confyrmed by the king's highness, in the twentieth year of his most noble reign. Founded for a free school their, to educatt and bring up the youths; And to preach the word of God; And to celebrate other divine servis, praying for the king's majestie,† and for the preservation of this realme; And to relieve s'teyne poor people, as more plainly doth apere by the foundation, &c. The articles here break off abruptly. The next item is as follows: * It was usual in those days to prefix the title of "Sir" to the names of a certain description of ecclesiastics, instead of “Reverend." Curates, chaplains, vicars, or rectors were styled Sir, or Dominus, to distinguish them from masters of arts, or magistri. Nicholls' Anecdotes. "Majesty" was never used until the time of Henry VIII. "Grace" began about the time of Henry IV.; Excellent Grace," under Henry V, |