Contiguous to the chapel of St.-Stephen, on the south, was that of Our Lady of the Pew, whose image therein, being of the finest class, had many religious offices celebrated, and rich offerings made to it. Edward III. in the year , gave to John Bulwich per annum, for a daily celebration of mass before this fine statue; and Richard II. upon the destruction of Wat Tyler, repaired thither, when, after returning thanks for his great success, he made considerable offerings to the same renowned statue.

These offerings consisted in gifts to the ecclesiastics, who said masses for the welfare of the devotees, and in alms, given in trust, to the same persons, for the neighbouring poor. Except, therefore, that of maintaining an unnecessary number of monks and other religieuse, might be considered an evil, these superstitious oblations, as they are now deemed, were of signal service to the community. How many widows had pined in want, how many orphans had perished for lack of nourishment; how many aged and sick had been left to the chilling blasts of penury and disease had not these practices been so prevalent, at a period when the poor had no provision for their support, except what piety, humanity, (or, if it must be so) superstition, and ignorance might induce the opulent voluntarily to offer.

But, alas for the wretched! a casual fire, in the year , anticipating, by nearly a century, the more cruel and extensive

[] Nightingale.