, in Gloucester Cathedral, an amount
of offerings that added considerably to the splendour of the
edifice.
Are any anecdotes or circumstances recorded, respecting the worship
of this saint in later times, than I have referred to?
{183} What is the historic probability that the stone coffin,
discovered in 1822, contained the remains of this remarkable man?
I have no doubt that much curious and valuable matter might be
discovered, by pursuing into the remote receptacles of historical
knowledge the lives and characters of persons who have become, in
Catholic times, the unauthorised objects of popular religious
reverence after death.
RICH. MONCKTON MILNES.
26. Pall Mall, Jan. 12th.
[To this interesting communication we may add that "_The Office of
St. Thomas of Lancaster_," which begins,
"Gaude Thoma, ducum decus, lucerna Lancastriae,"
is printed in the volume of "_Political Songs_" edited by Mr. Wright
for the Camden Society, from a Royal MS. in the British Museum.--MS.
Reg. 12.]
* * * * *
SHIELD OF THE BLACK PRINCE--SWORD OF CHARLES I.
In Bolton's _Elements of Armories_, 1610, p. 67., is an engraving of
a very interesting shield, of the kind called "Pavoise," which at
that period hung over the tomb of Edward the Black Prince, at
Canterbury, in addition to the shield still remaining there. Bolton
says, "The sayd victorious Princes tombe is in the goodly Cathedral
Church erected to the honour of Christ, in Canterburie; there
(beside his quilted coat-armour, with half-sleeves, Taberd fashion,
and his triangular shield, both of them painted with the royall
armories of our kings, and differenced with silver labels) hangs
this kind of Pavis or Target, curiously (for those times) embost and
painted, and the Scutcheon in the bosse being worne out, and the
Armes (which, it seemes, were the same with his coate armour, and
not any particular devise) defaced, and is altogether of the same
kinde with that upon which (Froissard reports) the dead body of the
Lord Robert of Dvras, and nephew to the Cardinall of Pierregoort,
was laid, and sent unto that Cardinale, from the Battell of
Poictiers, where the Blacke Prince obtained a Victorie, the renowne
whereof is immortale.
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