II. From the ORIGINAL, found amongst the Records of the Exchequer h.

"May 16, 1552. "Edwarde the syxt, by the grace of God Kynge of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelond, Defender of the Faithe and of the Church of England, and also of Ireland, in yerth the Supreme Hedd. To oure trustie and wellbeloved Edwarde Mountague, Knight, and to our welbelouid the Mayour of our Towne of Northampton, Edwarde Saunders, our Serjaunt-at-Lawe, Edwarde Griffyn, FrancysMorgan, and Roberto Chauntrell, Esquyera, greeting. Where as we haue at sundry tymes heretofore by our Speciall Comission and otherwise comaundyd that there shuld be taken and made just viewe, survey, and inventorie of all maner of goods, plate, Jewells, vestyments, bells, and other ornaments within euery parisshe belongyng or in any wyse apperteynyng to any Churche, Chappell, brotherhedd, Gilde, or Fraternytie within this our Realme of England, and vppon the same Inventorie so taken, had, or made, our comaundement was and hath byn that all the same goods, plate, Jewells, vestyments, bells,and other ornaments, shuld be savely kept and ap-poynted to the charge of such persones as shuld kepe the same savely, and be reddie to answere to the same at all tymes, According to the which our Comyssions and sundry comaundements we were aduertysed by our said Comyssioners then ap-poyncted and by other meanes, etc, (as in Commission No. I).

g The instructions gent with the Commission are printed by Fuller, and will be found reprinted in Cardwell's "Documentary Annals," vol i. p. 110. (Oxford, 1344).

h Printed in the Seventh Report of the Deputy-Keeper of Public Records, p. 814.

"Yett neverthelesse for that we be enformyd that somme parte of the sayd Goods, plate, Jewells, bells, and ornaments of Churches be in some places im-besiled or removyd contrarie to our former expresse comaundements, and manyfestlie to the contempt and derogacyon of our honor in that behalf. We haue thought mete to haue the very truth herein justly and duylie knowen, to thintent the same maye be, as is most necessarie, redressed and forthwith refourrayd. And for that purpose, for the good knowledge and experyence had in your trusty-nes faithfulnes, wisdome, and vprightnes, we have appoynted you to be our Speciall Comyssioners, and by actoritie hereof do name, appoynt, and auctorise you, foure or thre of you, to take and receyve a due, full, and just viewe of all goods, plate, Jewells, bells, and ornaments of euery Churche and Chappell in whose hands soever the same be belongyng, or in any wyse apparteynyng to any the said Churches Chappells, gilds, brotherhedds, or fraternyties within that our Towne of Northampton, and uppon the sayd viewe so taken, to cause a trewe, just and full, perfytt inventorie to be made of the same. And to compare the same with the best of the former inventories heretofore made and remaynyng with the said Churchwardens, or such other as then had the same in charge. And for the defaults and wants, etc, (as in Commission No I).

"Wherefore we woll and command you and euery of you to attend and execute the premysses accord-inglye, and moreover Wee woll and commaund all and singular mayres, Shereffes, Ballyffes, Constables, hedboroughes, all Curates, parsons, vicars, Churchwardens, and all other our offecers, minysters, and faithfull subjects, that they and every of them be ayding, helping, Counsailling, assisting, and furthering you in and aboute the due execution herof, as they tender our pleasure and woll aunswer to the contrarye at ther extreme perella. In witnes wherof we have caused these our œres to be made patents. Witnes our self at "Westminster the xvith day of Maye, the syxte yere of our raign.

"Marten. per ipsum Regem, etc".

The above, it will be observed, is dated May 16, 1552. That for Bedfordshire is probably of the same date, as also was that for Berkshire, although the Inventories returned under the latter are not dated until August 1, to August 6th'.

1 The Inventories for the county of Kent, taken under the Commission, appear to be dated between Not. 16 and Dec. 5, 1552; those for Herefordshire, between October 20 and November 1,1662. In Norfolk the returns for one deanery are all dated Aug. SO, 1552.

When we examine the Inventories returned under these Commissions, it is to be noted that we find no trace of any alteration of the law as to the Ornaments to which they belong. As has been pointed out, the new Act of Uniformity had passed both Houses of Parliament, Ap. 14; and the new Prayer-Books were issued probably soon after the passing of the Act, although they did not come into full legal force till Nov. 1,1552, the words of the Act being, "from and after the feast of All Saints' next coming k".

So it is in these Inventories, that the paten and cope appear on the same footing as the "pair of organs and the five bells hanging in the tower." [See No. I.]

The explanation, or rather the ration d'etre, of these Inventories is this. Having no connection whatever with the change of the law in Edward the Sixth's time as to the Ornaments, they were simply the result of the Crown's direct interference with the robbery of Church goods, which was then so prevalent throughout the country. This is tersely put by King Edward himself, who writes in his Journal, under date April 21st, 1552, "It was agreed that Commissions should go out to take certificate of the superfluous Church Plate to mine use, and to see how it hath been embezeled".

kBut even in later oases, as in Kent, where the Inventories were taken between Nov. 16 and Dec. 5, there is not in any one the slightest indication that one ornament is less legal than another.

So far as has been observed, there is no return made of the actual thefts which were proved to have taken place in Berkshire, but such exist in other counties. That of Hertfordshire, for instance, has been printed at the bead of the Inventory of the Church Goods for that county, transcribed by Mr. Cussans1. Although the returns seem not to have been dated till March, 1553, they refer to events which had taken place some time previously; and the kind of peculation may be shewn best by briefly transcribing here some few of the examples from that document:-