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Banker, at Cork, in Ireland. At the distance of half a mile eastward from the town is SWIFTS PLACE, the seat of John Austen, Esq. occupying a gentle rise and forming a principal and interesting feature in the views from the westward: the grounds have nothing in them remarkable, but are kept in good order, this being one of the best cultivated estates in the neighbourhood. A short remove from the latter, is ANGLEY HOUSE, late the property and residence of Sir Walter James James, Bart,* who was at considerable expence in improving this place: its present owner is William Coleman, Esq. The situation of the house in retired but not inconveniently so; the estate, considering its size, is one of the compleatest, and embraces as great a diversity of scenery as any in the county, and the house is particularly convenient.

The church, (dedicated to ST. DUNSTAN) is a substantial uniform building, and the most spacious within the Weald. It comprises a nave, side aisles and chancel, with a square embattled tower at the west end containing a ring of eight bells and a set of musical chimes, which play every third hour. On the front of the tower are shields with the arms of Wilsford, Barham of Bettenham, &c. ancient owners of lands in this parish. The range of slender piers between the nave and side aisles and the width of the arches, give to the interior of the building a light and airy appearance, which is much improved by the windows in the louvre above the nave, amounting to six on either side. From the corbel heads imme.

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✦ The benevolence of this worthy Baronet and his family, to the indus trious poor of Cranbrook, is still held in grateful remembrance,

* The custom of ringing a courfew bell, a law introduced by the policy of the Norman invader, and which Polydore Virgil (lib. 9) justly describes as a mark of the servitude of the English, still prevails at this place, one half of the year: for whose amusement or benefit we know not.

diately above the impost of these piers, rise small cluster shafts finishing with other corbels, no doubt intended origi nally to carry the main ribs of the roof: for it is evident there has been another roof to the nave from traces still visible on the east side of the tower; and by the bequest of Walter Roberts, Esq. (temp. Henry VIII.) who gave "towards the making of the middle aisle, one half of all the timbers of that work:" which latter, can hardly be supposed to relate to the present flat roof, which is unquestionably of more modern construction. In the church is a large dipping place for the use of such baptists as are desirous of being admitted into the established church: it was provided by the Rev. John Johnson, A. M.* a former vicar, but has rarely been made use of;

Mr. Johnson has left us the following interesting account of his predecessors. Memoirs of himself are contained in the Biog. Brit. vol. VII. append. p. 111.

Some account of the Vicars of Cranbrook.

1503. The first vicar of whom I can get any information was Richard Wylson. I have nothing of him but his name, and that from some pannels of glass in the vicarage house in yellow paint bearing date 1503.

1534. Sir Hugh ap Rice returned a certificate into the exchequer, giving an account of the value of this vicarage, upon which certificate the vicarage was taxed according to the rate at which it now stands in the King's books. The copy of the certificate here follows.

CRANBROOK. The certificate of Sir Hugh ap Rice, vicar there; First a house with three roods of meadow 13s. 4d. Item, three mansions worth yearly 13s. 4d. Item, one other mansion worth yearly .20d. Item, privy tythes, certain mills, with other casual profits worth yearly 191. Item, my offering days 71. 6s. Item, other casual profits 53s. 4d. Summe 301. 7s. 8d. Whereof to be deducted for the wages of the parish priest 101. Item, for the procurations to the archdeacon 7s. Item, in quit rents paid yearly 14d. Sum deducted 101. 8s. (2d. should have been added). And so remaineth de claro 191. 19s. 6d. This was drawn A. D. 1534, and so it standeth to this day. This

only two instances we believe, being on record. A chantry

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I took from a transcript of Mr. John Ecton's, who is an officer for the first-fruits and tenths. §

1556. The parish is charged with a debt of 31. due to Dr. Hurs for bookes. I suppose this Dr. being vicar had provided a new set of books for the popish service. That this debt was ever paid does not appear. 1558. Richard Fletcher was made vicar here, the first protestant predesessor that I meet with: he continued vicar twenty-seven years, and lies buried on the north side of the chancel, towards the upper end. He let a lease of the tenements belonging to this vicarage for 99 years to come, viz. from 1562 to 1661, and had it confirmed by the archbishop and the dean and chapter of Canterbury. During all this time the vicar received but 13s. 4d. per annum for them. His son Richard was dean of Peterborough when the Queen of Scots was executed at Fotheringay castle, and so displayed his loyalty on that occasion, that he soon became Bishop of Bristow (Bristol); but not till his father was first dead; viz. 1589: therefore the monument in our church says not true when it tells us, the father saw the son Bishop of Bristol. He was afterwards advanced to the See of Worcester and from thence to London. There he fell under the Queen's displeasure, and was sus pended: that he was restored before his death is not certain. Both he and his brother Gibs, the famous embassador to the Czar of Muscovy, made Cranbrook vicarage their nursery. Here their wives lay in, as appears by the register. And even after the father's death some of his son Gib's children were buried here. Venner the famous puritan preached here, whether as curate, or (as I rather suppose) lecturer, I know not. This was during the decline of father Fletcher's life, and the disgrace of archbishop Grindall. One would wonder, that Richard, afterwards bishop, did not use his interest with his father (if

Every modus is presumed to be as ancient as the date of legal memory, viz. the 1st day of the reign of Richard I. 6th July 1189. This certificate is a convincing proof that the modus for the vicarial tythes of this parish existed not even in the reign of Henry VIII.

The monument, as I understand the inscription, does not say this; but that Richard Fletcher the son was Bishop of Bristol, at the time of setting up the monument: to this in my opinion, the word nunc refers.