Culture, General Things, Liturgical Year

Samuel Pepys' Diary. 04 Apr 1667. Thence with him to my Lord Treasurer's (age 60), and there walked during Council sitting with Sir Stephen Fox (age 40), talking of the sad condition of the King's purse, and affairs thereby; and how sad the King's life must be, to pass by his officers every hour, that are four years behind-hand unpaid. My Lord Barkeley (age 65) [of Stratton] I met with there, and fell into talk with him on the same thing, wishing to God that it might be remedied, to which he answered, with an oath, that it was as easy to remedy it as anything in the world; saying, that there is himself and three more would venture their carcasses upon it to pay all the King's debts in three years, had they the managing his revenue, and putting £300,000 in his purse, as a stock. But, Lord! what a thing is this to me, that do know how likely a man my Lord Barkeley of all the world is, to do such a thing as this. Here I spoke with Sir W. Coventry (age 39), who tells me plainly that to all future complaints of lack of money he will answer but with the shrug of his shoulder; which methought did come to my heart, to see him to begin to abandon the King's affairs, and let them sink or swim, so he do his owne part, which I confess I believe he do beyond any officer the King (age 36) hath, but unless he do endeavour to make others do theirs, nothing will be done. The consideration here do make me go away very sad, and so home by coach, and there took up my wife and Mercer, who had been to-day at White Hall to the Maundy¹, it being Maundy Thursday; but the King did not wash the poor people's feet himself, but the Bishop of London did it for him, but I did not see it, and with them took up Mrs. Anne Jones at her mother's door, and so to take the ayre to Hackney, where good neat's tongue, and things to eat and drink, and very merry, the weather being mighty pleasant; and here I was told that at their church they have a fair pair of organs, which play while the people sing, which I am mighty glad of, wishing the like at our church at London, and would give £50 towards it. So very pleasant, and hugging of Mercer in our going home, we home, and then to the office to do a little business, and so to supper at home and to bed.

Note 1. The practice of giving alms on Maundy Thursday to poor men and women equal in number to the years of the sovereign's age is a curious survival in an altered form of an old custom. The original custom was for the King to wash the feet of twelve poor persons, and to give them a supper in imitation of Christ's last supper and his washing of the Apostles' feet. James II was the last sovereign to perform the ceremony in person, but it was performed by deputy so late as 1731. The Archbishop of York was the King's deputy on that occasion. The institution has passed through the various stages of feet washing with a supper, the discontinuance of the feet washing, the substitution of a gift of provisions for the supper, and finally the substitution of a gift of money for the provisions. The ceremony took place at the Chapel Royal, Whitehall; but it is now held at Westminster Abbey. Maundy is derived from the Latin word 'maudatum', which commences the original anthem sung during the ceremony, in reference to Christ's command.

Diary of Edward VI. The yere of our Lord 1537 was a prince borne to king Harry th'eight, by Jane Seymour then quene, who within few dayes after the birth of her soone died¹, and was buried at the castel of Winsore. This child was christened by the duke of Northfolk, the duke of Southfolke, and the archbishop of Caunterbury.² Afterward was brought up, til he came to six yeres old, amoung the wemen. At the sixt yere of his age, he was brought up in learning by Mr. Doctour Cox, who was after his amner³, and Jhon Chieke, M^r of Art, tow wel learnid men, who sought to bring him up in learning of toungues, of the scriptures, of philosophie, and all liberal sciences. Also Jhon Belmaine, frenchman, did teach him the French launguage. The 10 yere not yet ended, it was apointed he shuld be created Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwal, and Oonte Palatine of Chester. At wich time, being the yere of our Lord 1647, the said king died of a dropsi, as it was thought. After whos death incontinent came Edward erle of Hartford and sir Anthony Browne, master of the hors, to convey this prince to Enfild, wheare th' earle of Hertford declared to him, and his younger sister Elizabeth, the death of their father.

Note 1. King Edward was born on the 12th of October, and his mother died on the 24th of that month: see Biographical Memoir.

Note 2. It is remarkable that the King omits the name of his godmother — being his sister Mary. The ceremonial of the Christening is given in the Appendix.

Note 3. Richard Coxe, S.T.P. was constituted Almoner, by letters patent dated 16th March, 1546-7, which are printed in Rymer's Foedera, &c. The following entry in the register of the Privy Council lets us know in what the duties of that ofiice consisted: "1546-7. March 10: Warrant was addressed to sir William Cavendish, treasurer of the chambre, for the payment of the summes ensuing to Mr. doctour Coxe, the King's Ma^tes Almonyer, viz. for the almes given by his Ma^te to xiij . pore men daily, at 5 d. sterling a piece of them, per annum lxv li. x s. Item for almes distributed on Palme Sunday and Good Friday amongs pore parishes as it was the last year, cxxxiij li. vj s. viij d. Item for privy almes given monthly by his Highnes, xxli. Faoit for one whole year, ccxlli." On the 11th June following sir William Cavendish "had warrant to allow himself xij li. for so much disbursed to xij. pore men by the King's Ma^tes in almes on Maundy Thursday last past."