Canterburys Doom, Branch 1 · Evidence 1 · Letter 8
May is pleaſe Your Grace;
VNderſtanding from the Earle of Corke, that Your Grace hath intimated unto the Right Honourable the Lord Deputie your offence taken againſt a Tombe, lately built by his Lordſhip in the quire of Saint Patrikes Church neere this Citie NOTE.of Dublin, being informed that it ſhould be ſituate in the place, where the High-Altar anciently ſtood, and that it ſhould darken the Eaſt Window of the Quire: upon his Lordſhips earneſt requeſt unto mee, I have made bold to declare unto your Grace my knowledge thereabouts: which is, that the place where the Tombe is erected, is a ſpatious Arch, which in former times, as I conceive, ſerved for a paſſage into the Marie Chappell adjoyning, at the Eaſt end vvhereof the High Altar ſtood. This Arch was cloſed up and plaſtered, to keepe the winde, as I imagine, out of the Quire, Saint Marie Chapell being ſomevvhat decaied: upon the plaiſtering the Declalogue was fairely painted: theſe vvere done before my promotion to this See, or comming into this Kingdome. The windovves, which were of old ſomevvhat high over the Arch, are no way darkened by his Lordſhips monument, but remaine as they were formerly; and the monument is ſo wrought and contrived what in the Arch and the Wall, that vvith the grate before it, it doth not much diminiſh the length of the Quire. The Earle hath raiſed that end of the Quire three-ſteppes higher then it vvas, and hath paved it with faire hevven ſtones, being formerly a floore of earth, many times upon a freſh drovvned vvith water, where novv the Communion Table i… placed vvith more decency then in former times: And his Lordſhip is in hand to ſet up a faire skrine of timber, ſomewhat diſtant from the monument, ſo that it may take in ſome other monuments heretofore erected on either ſide in the which skrine the Decalogue ſhal befairely painted, and the Communion Table ſhall bee placed cloſe to the ſame, more decently then it hath beene: which being performed, the Quire will be much beautified, and the celebration of divine ſervice for ſight and audience better accommodated then heretofore: That Quire, (to omit the example of Chriſt-Church, the other Cathedrall Church in this Citie, and of Saint Paule,in London, if I bee not miſtaken) repreſenting in a leſſer modell the patterne of Weſtminſter Abbey, where there is a skrine encloſing ſome monuments, and a way on each hand to the Chappell adjoying. Your Grace may bee pleaſed alſo to underſtand, that the Earle obtained Licence to erect his Monument in that place by the unanimous conſent of the Deane and Chapter of that Church; and that they are Honourable perſonages whoſe memory is preſerved in that monument, the one being Lord Iuſtice, and Lord Chancellour of this Kingdome, the other principall Secretary of State, both Anceſtors to his moſt pious and Vertuous Lady lately deceaſed. And finally, Your Grace is intreated to take Your conſideration the meritts of this Noble Earle, his zeale for the advancement of true Religion, declared by his ſuppreſſing forreign juriſdictions and preſumptions, by building of Churches in ſeverall places, and erecting Schoole-houſes, and Almeſhouſes at his owne charge, beſides his publike workes for the common-Wealth, raiſing ſtructures of great ſtrength and expence in places of importance, and planting of Engliſh Colonyes, to the great ſecurity and ſettlement of Peace and civility within thoſe parts; all which conſidered hee may be juſtly deemed worthy of Honourable memory in the Church. Thus much, by opening the truth, I have written at the Earles requeſt, who is exceeding deſirous to purge himſelfe to Your Grace from giving any ſcandall to the Church, whereupon he hopeth to gaine Your Graces approbation of his blameleſſe carriage, which I alſo humbly beſeech on his behalfe, ever remaining,
To doe Your Grace Service La: Dubline. Talloch 17. Feb: 1633.
To which Letter of the Archbiſhop of Dublin, this Arch-Prelate returned this waſpiſh inſolent anſwer, writ with Maſter Dells, but endorſed with his owne hand, found in his Study with the former Originalls, in the very beginning whereof you may diſcerne his moſt palpable diſſimulation and falſhood.