jects, banished to the Isle of Man, recalled from banishment by Henry IV. to his estate and honours, who, when he had lived long enough for his country, himself, and his reputation, was, together with his wife Margaret, buried in this place in the year of our Lord 1401.

That the sepulchral monument of the founder might not wholly perish in the ashes of this collegiate church, which he himself had built, these images, snatched from the sacrilegious flames, were erected by the care of one of the commissioners, appointed by act of parliament for the rebuilding the town, and this sacred church ; and who offers this eulogium, such as it is, as a kind of funeral obsequy to the memory of so great a name, a name more durable than brass or marble. Anno Dom. 1706."

In the middle of the choir stands a massy tomb of composition of plaster, with a marble cornice, erected as a moVOL. III. C

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nument to Thomas Beauchamp, (father of the last mentioned Earl,) who founded the choir as it now stands, which fortunately escaped the ravages of the fire.

This Earl married Lady Katherine Mortimer, daughter of Roger Mortimer, first Earl of March, and died Nov. 13, 1370. His Countess Katherine died Aug. 4, in the same year. The ceiling of the choir is elegantly carved and enriched with the founder's arms, quartered The altar it with those of Mortimer. appears is of more modern execution, and the range of stalls on each side of it were formerly appropriated to the use of the Chapter, on solemn festivals. In this place are also monuments of other persons, not connected with the Warwick family. On the right of the choir is the magnificent Beauchamp chapel, founded by Richard Beauchamp, son of Earl Thomas and his Countess Margaret, by whom the Deanery situated in the church yard, and formerly the residence of the Dean and Chapter, but since endowed

as a free school by Henry VIII. and now denominated the College, or King's School, was also built.

The Beauchamp chapel, or, as it is commonly called, "our Lady's Chapel," being dedicated to the honour of the Virgin Mary, was erected as a mausoleum for the ashes of this noble family. The fabric of it was begun in 1443, the twenty first year of King Henry VI. by the executors of Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, and Regent of France, according to the directions of his last will and testament. The illustrious founder dying at his castle of Rouen in Normandy, where he resided in quality of Regent during the minority of Henry VI. April 30, 1439, his body was brought over to England, and conveyed to Warwick in suitable state. It was interred in St. Mary's church, without the west door of the chapel, until the vault, made under the directions of his will, should be ready for its reception.

Upon the subsequent completion of the chapel, the body was removed, and deposited in a stone coffin in a vault hewn out of the solid rock, upon which the chapel is built, over which was erected an altar tomb of grey marble, set round with figures of copper gilt, with their arms enamelled on shields below, representing the numerous family connexions of this noble Earl. Upon this monument the figure of Earl Richard, or, as he is commonly called, "Bold Beauchamp," is represented in full stature and armour, made of fine brass richly gilt, and secured by a hearse of the same materials, formerly used to support a velvet drapery over the tomb. The figures, or weepers, arranged round it, of which his son, Henry Duke of Warwick, and his wife Lady Cecily Neville, sister of the celebrated Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, are placed at the head, are all enumerated with their descent in a book to be purchased of the person who shows the

chapel: round the tomb is an inscription in the old English character, of which the following is a literal copy.

"Preeth devoutly for the sowel whom God assoile of one of the moost worshipful Knyghtes, in his dayes of monhode and conning, Richard Beauchamp late Earl of Warrewik, Lord Despenser of Bergevenny, and of mony other grete Lordships, whose body resteth here under this tumbe in a fulfeire vout of stone set on the bare rooch, the which visited with longe sikness in the castel of Roan thereinne decessed ful cristenly the last day of April, the yer of oure Lord God A. D. 1439, he being at that tyme Lieutenant General and Governor of the Roialmes of Frannce and of the Duchie of Normandie by sufficient autorite of our Soveraigne Lord the King Harry the 6th. the which body with grete deliberacòn and ful worshipful conduit, By See and by Lond, was brought to Warrewik the fourth day of October