George Montaigne, Bishop of London, LATIN CHARTER[1]
LATIN CHARTER ENGLISHED by Zola Packman
1 To Christ’s faithful,[1] all and sundry,[2] to whom this present letter of witness[3]
2 has come, and to those destined to see them, inspect, read, or hear it, and (to those) whom things written below affect, or can affect, in whatever way, in future (times): George, by divine permission[4] bishop of London, (wishes) everlasting
3 salvation in the Lord, and (he wishes for) undoubted confidence to be placed in those present:[5] We draw to the notice of you all in common and wish (it) to be drawn through these present:[6] On this day of Jupiter[7] at the feast of the ascension of our lord, on the existing twenty-second day
4 of the month of May, in the one thousand seven hundred and twenty-third year of our lord[8] between the hours eight and eleven before noon of the same day, at the entrance of the chapel here below described, before us, George, Bishop of London aforesaid,
5 there appeared in person the reverend and venerable men Thomas Spencer, Leonard Digges (?) and Egidius Tooker, knights, lords,[9] along with others of the inn commonly called Lincolns Inn beside the lane commonly called Chancery Lane,
6 in the suburbs of the city of London, and William Ravenscroft, knight, one of the reverend and venerable jurisconsults of the aforesaid inn, and as much in their own proper names as in the names of each and every lord and jurisconsult of the
7 aforesaid inn, and the students in the same, declared that they, for the honor of god and the use of jurisconsults, students, and those lodging with them,[10] now and in the future, in the aforesaid inn, have caused (fecisse from the following line) the said chapel and building with stairs or steps
8 before the access or entrance to the same (chapel) to be newly now erected, built, and constructed, with their own personal expenditures, and have sufficiently and suitably decorated and fitted (it) out (sufficienter to extruxisse, from the next line) with sacred table[11], pulpit, suitable seats, even a bell,
9 and other things necessary for divine worship; and they have ceded their right and interest in the premisses and have given and donated (dederunt et donaverunt from the following line) the aforesaid chapel and the premisses, each and all, looking towards the same, by their unanimous
10 consent and agreement, to god almighty, and as evidence of this free donation of this aforesaid chapel they have presented to us, and transmitted into our hands, the keys of the aforesaid chapel, and have humbly entreated us that the said
11 chapel and other premisses looking to the same should be decreed as intended for separation from all previous common and profane uses whatsoever, and dedication and consecration, and that it should be so separated, dedicated, and consecrated
12 by our ordinary[12] and episcopal authority. Wherefore we, the aforementioned bishop, assenting favorably to the pious and religious supplications aforesaid, have decreed (decrevimus from the following line) that the aforesaid chapel should be thus separated
13 dedicated and consecrated, and that we should proceed[13] to the separation, dedication and consecration of the same,[14] and we have proceeded, and with that intention we entered the aforesaid chapel. And when possession thereof was accepted through us, and it
14 along with the other premisses had been dedicated to God, we, the bishop aforementioned, in the presence of the population congregated in a large assembly within the aforesaid chapel, separated, dedicated and consecrated the said chapel as had been entreated of us, saying
15 pronouncing and promulgating publicly then and there a certain schedule or statement put together in writing and presented, offered, and handed over to us (praesentatam . . . traditam from next line) through our learned lord Henry Martin (?), doctor of laws and soldier, our vicar
16 general in spiritual matters, and our principal official,[15] in the names of the above-named masters of the ground, and other jurisconsults and students of the aforesaid inn, under the form of the following words:
17 In the name of God, amen. Since reverend and venerable men, jurisconsults and students in the inn commonly called Lincolns Inn, along the lane commonly called Chancery Lane, notoriously placed and situated (notarie . . . situato from the next line) in the suburbs of the city of London,
18 (part)[16] of our London Diocese and jurisdiction, drawn[17] by pious and religious devotion, have now newly erected, built, and constructed (erexerunt . . . construxerunt from line 20 below) this chapel in the aforesaid inn, containing between the walls of the same, in longitude from the east towards the west, sixty
19 eight feet or thereabouts, and in latitude from the north towards the south, forty one feet, or thereabouts, and a certain construction with stairs or steps before the access or entrance to the same, upon their own lands, with
20 their own expenditures, for the honor of God and the use of jurisconsults, students, and those lodging in the same, and and have sufficiently and suitably decorated and fitted out (sufficienter . . . extruxerint from the next line) the same chapel with sacred table/altar, pulpit,
21 suitable seats, a bell, and other things necessary for divine worship, and have begged us that we, with our ordinary and episcopal authority, should, on our own behalf and that of our successors, separate (separaremus from next line)
22 the said chapel and other premisses from all previous uses, common and profane, whatsoever, and dedicate and consecrate (it): We therefore, Geroge, by divine
23 permission Bishop of London, assenting favorably to the pious and religious desire of the said reverend and venerable men in this matter, proceding (procedentes from the next line) to the consecration of this chapel, newly erected, constructed and adorned (de novo . . . adornatae from the preceding line) by the expenditures of the reverend and venerable men aforesaid,
24 as stated before, by our ordinary and episcopal authority, have separated (separavimus from the next line) this chapel and the whole building and the entrance of the same and the stairs or steps of the said chapel as at present
25 they exist, and the other premisses looking to the said chapel, from every common and profane use in perpetuity, and we attest that they have been so separated through the present (document?) and moreover, by the same ordinary
26 and episcopal authority, for ourselves and our successors, we grant license and permission[18] in the lord for practicing divine worship in the aforesaid chapel, to wit, public prayers and recitation of the sacred liturgy of the Anglican church,
27 for sincerely setting out and preaching the word of god, and for administering the sacrament of the holy Eucharist or the dinner of the lord in the same (chapel), and as to the priest, canonically ordained according to the custom and ritual of the Anglican church, who will serve in that chapel,
28 we grant the right of saying divine prayers and doing other permitted actions, so (also we grant) to the said reverend and venerable men, jurisconsults and students and those lodging with them in the aforesaid inn,
29 full power of hearing divine prayers and sermons made there in the said chapel (preces . . . factas in the preceding line), and the same chapel, so far as is in us and we are able by right, laws, statutes, and canons of this realm of England, and is permitted to us, we consecrate (consecramus from next line)
30 for the honor of God (in honorem dei from the preceding line) and for the sacred use of the said (reverend omitted?) and venerable men and others staying in the aforesaid inn now, and for the future, under the name of Chapel of the Holy and Undivsible Trinity in the inn of Lincolns Inn, and so we name
31 and call (it), and we openly and publicly pronounce, decree, and declare that it ought to remain so assigned, dedicated, consecrated, called, and named also in future times forever. Moreover, by all and sundry (singulis from next line) privileges
32 in this matter customary and requisite, for genuine chapels consecrated by law, we want this chapel to be fortified, to every effect of the law, and so far as is in us, and by law we are able, we so fortify and establish (it)
33 through the present (document?) – without however any prejudice, and saving always the right and interest of parish churches, Saint Dunstan in the west of London, and Saint Andrew in Holborne of Lond, and (the rights and interest) of rectors, vicars, curates, and sextons
34 of the aforesaid churches, and of other ministers of the same (churches) existing at this time, and of all other churches whatsoever in whose parishes the aforesaid inn or its boundaries, or any part from it are sited and situated,
35 in offerings all and sundry, incomes, bonds, fees, profits, privileges, rights and ecclesiastical emoluments whatsoever, ordinary and extraordinary, owed to the same (persons? churches?) respectively, or customary, and arising and forthcoming (orientibus et provenientibus from the next line) within the precinct or
36 boundaries of the aforesaid inn, and in any way looking to the said churches by right or custom and applying to rectors, vicars, curates, sextons and other ministers of the same churches, in as ample
37 measure and form as they were owed to the same (churches? persons?) before this, our consecration of this chapel. Which premisses, all and sundry, so far as is in us, and by right we can, for ourselves and our successors we so decree and establish
38 through those present; Geo(rge) of London. Which things thus done, with divine prayers celebrated according to the liturgy of the Anglican church in the aforesaid chapel, with a psalm thereafter chanted, and a sermon (on the theme from the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Saint
39 John, verses twenty two and twenty three taken up in these words, to wit: And it was at Jerusalmen the feast of the dedication, and it was winter, and Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch) having been made in that place (ibidem facta from the next line) by the
40 reverend and venerable man Master John Donne, professor of sacred theology, dean of the cathedral church of Saint Paul in London, the lord’s dinner afterwards having been administered and received (recepta from next line) in the shrine[19] of the aforesaid chapel,
41 and other solemnities customary in this matter having been observed, we dismissed the congregated population with the ordinary apostolic benediction. And immediately we, the aforesaid Bishop, descended (descendimus from the next line) to the ground assigned to be consecrated (assignatum consecrandum from next line) for the burial of the dead in and before the aforesaid
42 inn, and we walked about the same (ground) through the extremities of the boundaries of the same, along with our vicar general in spiritual matters aforesaid, and the lords of the aforesaid ground named above, and some others of the society of the aforesaid inn,
43 and with similar entreaty made then and there for the separation, dedication and consecration of the aforesaid ground for a cemetery or place of burial, we the aforesaid bishop, as had been entreated of us, decreed that (it should be) separated, dedicated
44 and consecrated, and that we should proceed to the separation, dedication and consecration of the same, and then we made a procession to a seat fittingly ornamented, prepared for us, over the aforesaid ground, and located (sitam from next line) near the eastern
45 boundary of the same, and there for a little while we rested ourselves, then, with the population settled, and the noise settled down, we proceeded, and beginning with prayers and the twenty third verse of Genesis read publicly, at once, then and there, we the aforesaid bishop
46 before the congregation then present, separated, dedicated and consecrated the aforesaid ground as had been entreated of us, reading, pronouncing and promulgating publicly, then and there, a certain schedule or statement
47 put together in writing, and presented, extended, and handed over through our vicar general in spiritual matters and our principal official, named above, in the names of the lords above mentioned of the ground and others of the society of the aforesaid inn,
48 in the following words, to wit: In the name of God amen. Since reverend and venerable men, jurisconsults and students in the inn commonly called Lincolns Inn next to the lane commonly called Chancery Lane, in the suburbs of the city of London,
49 of our London diocese and juriscition, lead by pious and religious devotion, have offered and donated (obtulerint et donaverint from the line below) this place or ground, recently belonging to the said reverend and venerable men by best law,[20] and the passage or access to the western boundary of the same,
50 to God and this present chapel recently consecrated through us, from a sense of piety and for burying the dead, which place or ground indeed for the greater part of the same is situated underneath the arch or concameration of the same chapel, and is boundaried (terminatus from next line) through
51 the extremities of the foundations of the same structure; it contains from the eastern part of the same towards the west, seventy and six feet, and from the northern part of the same towards the south, sixty and seven
52 feet or thereabouts, and the passage or access to the western boundary of the same containing in longitude twenty one feet, and in latitude seven feet or thereabouts, and have entreated us that we, by our ordinary and episcopal authority, should
53 deign to separate said place or ground and the passage or access to the western boundary of the same, from all previous uses common and profane whatsoever, and to convert them to sacred (uses): We therefore George
54 by divine permission Bishop of London, favorably agreeing to their pious and religious desire in this matter, decreed that this place and ground and passage or access to the western boundary of the same, containing the quantities specified above,
55 should be separated from earlier and other uses whatsoever, common and profane, for the following uses. And the same having been announced to the jurisconsults and students in the inn, and those lodging with them in the precinct of the aforesaid inn, and their successors,
56 we assign for the cemetery or place of burial of dead bodies in and before the aforesaid inn, so far as is in us, and by laws, statues and canons of the realm of Anglia we are able, and by our episcopal authority we
57 dedicate and consecrate and attest through the present (document?) that they have been thus assigned, dedicated, and consecrated. And we openly and publicly pronounce, decree, and declare (declaramus from next line) that they ought to remain thus dedicated and consecrated in future times forever.
58 Moreover we wish these cemeteries or places of burial to be fortified by all and sundry privileges customary and requisite in this matter, to competent cemeteries or places[21] consecrated by law, to every effect of the law, and
59 so far as is in us, and by law we can (does the gap have by right, laws, statutes, and canons of this realm of England, and is permitted to us? Or, ‘for ourselves and our successors’?) we so fortify and establish (them? it?), without however any prejudice, and saving always the right and interest of parish churches Saint Dunstan in the west of London, and Saint
60 Andrew in Holborn of London, and of rectors, vicars, curates and sextons of the aforesaid churches, and of other ministers of the same existing at the time, and of all other churches whatsoever, as of rectors,
61 vicars, curates and sextons and other ministers of the same existing at the time, in whose parishes the aforesaid inn or the boundaries of the same or any part of it are sited and situated, in each and all
62 fees, bonds, profits, privileges, rights and emoluments whatsoever for burials owed or customary to the same churches respectively, and by reason of the premisses[22] arising and forthcoming from the precinct or boundaries of the aforesaid inn,
63 and looking to the said churches by law or custom in whatever manner and pertaining to rectors, vicars, curates, sextons, and other ministers of the same churches in as ample mode and form as was owed to them or accustomed
64 to be paid before this our consecration of this chapel and cemetery or this place or ground now assigned for burial. Which premises all and sundry, so far as is in us, and by law we are able, for ourselves and our successors
65 we so decree and established through the present (document?). Geo(rge) of London. Which things thus carried out, and prayers having been poured forth for the blessing of the aforesaid work, we dismissed the aforesaid congregation with the apostolic benediction. Which
66 premisses, all and sundry, we the Bishop of London have entrused to Robert Kemp, notary public, now the guard of our register, to put into effect, and to register in perpetual memory of the matter, and to guard faithfully in our archive.
67 Over all and sundry which (things?), the abovementioned lords of the aforesaid inn have asked the previously spoken of Robert Kemp, the notary public, to confirm a public instrument for them, or public instruments, and witnessses then present, to offer (perhibere from next line) testimony thereof.
68 And being present then and there the honorable and noble lord Henry Count of Southampton and also reverend and venerable men lord Jacob Lea? capital judiciary soldier assigned for pleasing events[23] to be held before the king himself and lord
(interlinear below judiciary) soldier and serving the lord our king for the law. ??
69 Henry Hubberd, capital judiciary soldier of our lord the king for the common pleasing things (communem sing, placita plu); Humphrey ? Wit? and William? Jones, soldiers justiciary of our lord the king for common pleasing things, lord Randolph Crane? and lord Thomas
70 Richardson, soldiers, and Leonard V?anden knight, serving for the law, lord Francis V?ane, soldier, and also masters Daniel Price, John W????? and Hutton ? professors of sacred theology
71 Thomas Wilson and Thomas Worrall, clerics, bachelors of sacred theology, domestic chaplains of the said reverend father William … loffe? and Christopher ? Brooke, knights with many other witnesses to whose good faith (fidem from next line)
72 and testimony of all and sundry premisses[24], the seal of our vicar general in spiritual matters, which we use in this matter, we have placed upon the present (document?), and we, Henry Marten, doctor of laws and soldier, vicar general
73 in spiritual matters of the said reverend father, at the special request of the said reverend father, have placed the seal of our aforesaid office, upon the present (document?). Date at which (we made?) the application of the aforesaid seal, twenty-sixth day
74 of the month of May, year of our lord seventeen hundred twenty third.
[1] To faithful Christians? To believers in Christ?
[2] Universis et singulis, in various cases, appears a lot below. All and sundry? One and all?
[3] This present testimonial letter?
[4] by grace of God?
[5] In the persons present (as often below) = witnesses? or, after praesentes litterae, in the present letters?
[6] Again, this present document? Or persons present to serve as witness? Probably document, right?
[7] Thursday?
[8] I think that’s the Latin, and it seems to me it should be six hundredth, but I find the same word in other seventeenth-century documents.
[9] If that’s the right way to render armigeri domini.
[10] Co-lodging?
[11] altar?
[12] Ordinary not the right word in this context, but what is? Ordained?
[13] Literally more like ‘that proceeding should take place’.
[14] Eorundem, gen plural, neuter or masculine – I would have expected eiusdem, gen sing fem.
[15] As usual, I don’t know how the titles should be expressed in English.
[16] or (belonging to)?
[17] Agrees with reverend and venerable men.
[18] Faculty not idiomatic. Entitlement?
[19] sacellum – I don’t know the right word in English.
[20] Need another phrase for this.
[21] ‘for burial’ omitted?
[22] Under the account/on the books? I have no idea what the phrase means.
[23] I have no notion of the translation of these titles. “at pleasure”?
[24] I’ve lost the sense here.