RELIGIOUS HOUSES ill at the Inner Temple, dated 28 September, 1 443, tells the sufferer how her mother had vowed an image of wax of his own weight to Our Lady of Walsingham and that she herself had vowed to undertake a pilgrimage to that shrine for his sake.' The Fasten Letters also tell of Henry VTs visit to Walsingham in 1455 ; of the intention of Edward IV and his queen, if her health permitted, to undertake the pilgrimage in 1 469 ; of the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk going there on foot from Framlingham in 147 i, and of the Duke of Buck- ingham undertaking the same in 1478.^ Henry VII kept Easter, 1487 at Norwich, and from thence went in pilgrimage to Walsingham, where he visited Our Lady's church, famous for miracles, and made his prayers and vows for help and deliverance.' When the king soon after- ■wards gained a victory at Stoke, ' he sent his banner to be offered to Our Lady at Walsingham, where before he made his vows.' ^ The same king, by his will, ordered an image of silver-gilt to be set up in the shrine. Henry VIII made here an offering of 6s. 8d. in 1 5 10. On a subsequent visit, according to Sir Henry Spelman, the king walked barefoot from Barsham to the chapel of Our Lady, and offered a necklace of great value.^ The well- known letter of Queen Katharine of Aragon to the king, announcing the victory of Flodden (15 1 3), concludes: 'and now go to Our Lady at Walsingham, that I promised soo long agoo to see.' * In April of the same year Admiral Howard wrote to Henry VIII as to Master Arthur Plantagenet, who, being in great peril of shipwreck, called upon Our Lady of Walsing- ham for help, and vowed that if it pleased God and her to deliver him, that he would not eat flesh or fish till he had seen her. The admiral excused him from service to enable him to fulfil his vow.^ In the king's book of payments there are ■entered, under 1509 — William Halys, king's priest, singing before Our Lady at Walsingham, half a year's wages lOOi. ; for the king's candle there, 4.6s. 8d. ; for 3^ oz. of fine gold for the Icing's little chain, £6 6s. 8^/., and making the same, 6s. 8d. ; in January 151 1, offering at Our Lady of Walsingham, £1 145. ^d.; in June of the same year, part payment for glazing Our Lady's Chapel at Walsingham, ^^20. In Novem- ber, 1512, £22 Hi- 4-d. was paid to Barnard Plour, for glazing Our Lady Chapel, Walsingham. In November, 1 5 15, there are entries of 100s. as half a year's wage to Sir Richard Warde for singing before Our Lady at Walsingham, and .the king's candle there again cost 4.6s. Sd. ' Paiton Letters (Gairdner), i, 48. ' Ihid. fassim. ' Lord Bacon, Life of Henry FIl, vi, 56, 59.
- Spelman, IVorks, ii, 149.
' Ellis, Orig. Letters, I, i, 29. "Cott. MS. Calig. E. ii, fol. 141. ' L. and P. Hen. Vlll, ii (2), 1442, 1449, 145 1, 1458, 1469. In September 15 17, Cardinal Wolsey, when in bad health, made a pilgrimage to this shrine, to which there are various allusions in the State Papers. The cardinal was again there in 1520, and apparently as devout as any one. But the times were against these pilgrimages, and there came a change. In 1528 Wolsey, as legate, issued a decree granting to Richard Vowell, the prior of Walsingham, and his convent — in con- sideration that the universal devotion by which the priory was first sustained was now cooled, through the perverse reviling of some and the pestiferous preaching of others — the Austin priory of Flitcham, which had fallen into decay through neglect, and the possessions of which were adja- cent to those of the former. Four resident canons were to be maintained for the due celebration of divine service. The prior in return for this grant promised to have daily mass celebrated for Wolsey, and to pay a pension of lOs. to the bishop of Norwich and his successors for episcopal consent to the scheme.^ The 'king's candle' was still kept burning at the Walsingham shrine, 43s. 4^. being paid for its maintenance at Lady Day, 1529, together with ^^5 for the king's mass priest ' before Our Lady.' ^ In her will, Katharine of Aragon, who died in January 1536, provided that some personage should go to Our Lady of Walsingham on pil- grimage, distributing twenty nobles on the way.'" On 18 September, 1534, Richard Vowell, the prior, Edmund Warham, the sub-prior and twenty of the canons signed their acceptance of the king's supremacy. The Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1535 returned the annual income of the priory from endowments as j^39i lis. 7id., whilst the offerings even in 1534 amounted to ^^260 12s, ^.^d. These offerings were threefold : those made at the chapel of Our Lady ;^250 is ; at the sacred milk of Our Lady 4.2s. ^d. ; and at the chapel of St. Lawrence, £8 gs. 1 d. It was apparently with reference to this Valor that Prior Vowell wrote to Cromwell on 24 October, 1535 : — At my latest visit to you for valuation of the obla- tions in Our Lady's chapel, you desired me to make suit to you again when the certificate of the commis- sioners was brought in, and beg audit for Rob Townes- hend, to whom I have made known my mind more fully than I can write. Without your aid our house shall never be able to bear the charges." Cromwell's visitors, Legh and Ap Rice, were here about the beginning of 1536; if the scan- dalous comperta are to be believed six of the Walsingham canons confessed their incontinency to these men. They noted that there was much superstition in feigned relics and miracles. ' Ibid, iv (2), 2254. ' Ibid, v, 309. " Cott. MS. Otho, C. X, fol. 216. " Rymer, Focdera (Rec. Com.), xiv, 519. " L.andP. Hai. Fill, ix, 229. 397
