Men of Guildford," who assemble and hold a court in their guildhall every three weeks, and are vested with power at their general sessions of judging criminals to transportation. By a grant in 1256, the county court and assizes for Surrey are to be held here at all times for ever. The assizes are now only here alternately with Kingston and Croydon. By another grant of James, the mayor and recorder and two of the approved men are annually justices of the peace in and for the said corporation and liberties of Stoke above Bar, and the mayor continues in his commission the year after his mayoralty expires.

The right of election in this borough is of a very peculiar kind, and differs from all others in the kingdom, being in the freemen and freeholders paying scot and lot, and resident in the town. The town of Guildford, like Cirencester, Shrewsbury, Lewes, &c. &c. &c. is not more than half of it within the limits of the borough. This town, which was incorporated by king Henry I. gives the title of earl to the noble family of North. It sent members to parliament anno 23 Edward I. The mayor is the returning officer,

The three parish churches here are; TRINITY, ST. MARY'S, and ST. NICHOLAS; the last in the patronage of the dean of Sarum, the two first have long been vested in the crown, and were consolidated and augmented in 1688 by the legislature and generous benefactions. Trinity church fell down in May 1740. There was preaching in it the preceding Sunday, and workmen were employed in taking down the bells and steeple: they had quitted the spot about a quarter of an hour before the accident happened, so that not one person received any hurt, though great numbers were spectators, it being the fair day. Three bells had been taken down, and the other three fell with the steeple, which broke the body of the church to pieces; and the glass, by the compression of air, was forced out, as though by gunpowder. It has been since rebuilt with brick.

The interior of this structure is very neat, and contains the monuments of archbishop ABBOт, with a Latin in

scription, mentioning his being a native of the town, his preferments, and benefactions. The right honourable ARTHUR ONSLOW, speaker of the House of Commons during the whole reign of George II.; he is represented in the character of a Roman senator, leaning upon the votes of the House of Commons, whence proceed two labels, inscribed with their thanks for his unwearied attendance, unshaken integrity, and steady impartiality; and indefatigable pains during thirty-three years" On this spot, in the old church, stood the monument of Sir ROBERT PARKHURST, lord mayor of London in 1634. The brasses, &c. of this monument, with many others, are piled up under the gallery stairs, and the room under the tower. This tower contains eight good bells.

At the upper end of the High Street, are the remains of an antient structure, commonly called "The Spytle, or Hospital of St. John." It is supposed to have been the residence of the chantry priests of Our Lady's chapel, at present remaining; and is the manor house belonging to the manor of Poyle. The premises are let on lease for a nursery.

ST. MARY'S CHURCH is situated near the lower end of the town, and is an antient building, with a back chancel of a circular form. Dr. Stukeley, in his Itinerarium Curioram, mentions this church in the following manner: "One of the old churches in Northampton, St. Sepulchre's, seems to have belonged to the Knights Hospital, lers of St. John of Jerusalem, of a circular form: there has been another tack'd to it of later date with a quire and steeple, as to that at Cambridge of the same name and figure. Another such I am told is at Guildford: [2u. Whether Old Trinity church had not a round chancel?] which are all of the sort I know of in England; and probably built in the later times of the Romans for Christian service, at least in the early Saxon reigns."

Later discoveries have proved that there are other churches built in this form, besides the Temple church in Loudon, which the doctor has not noticed; particularly Darent church, in Kent; Bengeo church, in Hertfordshire; Hascomb, in Surrey, &c.

庭

The

The CHURCH of ST. NICHOLAS, stands on the west side of the bridge, over the river Wey. It is an old structure, and is said to have had a round tower; but having undergone many alterations, and been new pewed, it was opened in its improved state, July 13, 1800, and is a very handsome church. Here are some good monuments to the memory of Sir William More, and his lady, with various emblems; another to Sir More Molyneux, &c. The tower contains eight bells.

Opposite Trinity church is TRINITY HOSPITAL, founded by archbishop Abbot, in 1619; his grace settled on this hospital lands to the value of 300l. per annum, a third of which sum was to be employed towards setting the poor to work; the other portions were appropriated for the maintenance of a master, twelve poor brothers, and eight poor sisters, who wear blue coats and gowns, and have an allowance of 2s. 6d. per week; they are to be single and unmarried, above sixty years of age, natives of, or residents in Guildford, for twenty years. The hospital is of a qua-. drangular form, with a noble tower-gate, crowned with four turrets at the entrance. The chapel, at the north-east corner, is spacious and lofty; but its chief ornaments are two fine Gothic windows, representing, in well stained glass, the following subjects:

NORTH WINDOW. First light. Isaac sending Esau for venison, Rebecca behind; and from a window is discovered Esau hunting. Underneath, Latin inscriptions, thus translated:

"By the impulse of paternal affection, blind indulgence pre ferring the elder, errs; but nature does not grant the favour," Second light. Rebecca instructing Jacob to obtain the blessing.

"The mother, being inspired from Heaven while she bore the twins in her womb, advises the younger to obtain the blessing."

Third light, Isaac blessing Jacob, Rachel behind.

"The reward of the blessing belongs to those who feed, not to those who eagerly desire it; and is conferred according to the decree of Heaven, not according to birthright."

Fourth

Fourth light. Isaac, Esau, Jacob, and Rebecca; Esau with the savoury meat, threatening Jacob.

"The elder is angry with the younger, and grieves at what is taken from him, which he demands as due to him from his birth. Hence arose the greatest hatred between the brothers."

Under each of these compartments are armorial bearings of Abbot impaling the bearings of the sees of London and Canterbury, &c. In the centre, above, is 1621.

EAST WINDOW.

First light. Jacob's ladder. Underneath, Latin inscriptions, translated as follow:

"A stone is for his pillow, and Heaven for his canopy: here the ladder is seen, and pious are even the dreams of pious men."

Second light. Laban embracing Jacob; Rachel behind, with her sheep, the well, &c.

"Being at first kindly received, he feeds strange sheep, serving on hard terms, but patient a long time."

Middle light. Jacob, Rachel, Leah, Dinah, and the twelve Patriarchs.

"Being happy in a fruitful wife, he is made father of the Patriarchs, and sees a numerous offspring the seed of a future church."

Fourth light. Laban's covenant with Jacob; behind are tents, with his wives, children, &c.

"Returning home he pacifies his envious father-in-law pursuing him, and enters into a mutual covenant, God admonishing him in a dream."

Fifth light. Jacob praying, the cattle round him; a scroll from his mouth in Latin, translated "I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies and thy truth, which thou hast shewed to thy servant." Underneath,

"He who formerly poor, passed over Jordan with a staff and a light burden, now returns full of wealth, of which he declares he is not worthy."

Near the top of the window are three angels holding scrolls; inscribed,

"I give to the poor. I restore to God. What shall I return anto the Lord? Here will I pay my vows."

Under

Under these are four angels, with escutcheons on their breasts, bearing the arms of York, France, Lancaster, and Scotland. This window is also ornamented with armorial bearings*.

Against the north wall is a half length portrait of the archbishop; of Sir Nicholas Kempe, who gave 600l. to. wards this foundation: also of the late Mr. Thomas Jackman, a magistrate of the corporation; another benefactor of 600%.

This

It has been asserted by modern historians, that the reason for the archbishop's erecting Guildford hospital was in consequence of his having accidentally killed a man, and that this foundation was intended as an atonement. is untrue, and contrary to that prelate's mode of thinking. The accident happened in 1621, and the first stone of the hospital was laid in 1619. The archbishop founded this hospital" from the mere mercy of the blessed God (besides the inward graces of his Holy Spirit) having been partaker of some earthly and worldly benefits more than most of my birth and rank have attained unto, I have held it agreeable with my duty to leave behind me to posterity some monument of thankfulness to my Creator, and some testimony of my faith in Jesus Christ, which if it bring not forth some fruit to his glory, is to be held but a dead and unprofitable faith. And therefore my affection leading me to the town of Guildford, where I was born, and where my aged parents lived many years with good repute, I have thought upon the erecting of an hospital there, which I have dedicated to the blessed Trinity, &c." This worthy prelate, however, had such a sense of the fatal accident,

* Dr. Ducarel tells us, that "These windows, which are exquisitely fine, consisting of the most ancient and beautiful colours, were taken by archbishop Abbot from the old monastery at Guildford." But the doctor is entirely mistaken, as they were most undoubtedly painted for this place, and supposed by the same painter as of the window at Lincoln College Chapel, given by the archbishop's friend the lord keeper Williams. The designs from Albert Durer. Two of the lights in the east window, viz. the second and fourth, are in the window of Shoreditch church, London.-Russell's Hist. of Guildford.