The original Painting of this extremely curious historical picture, is of a series of , designed as a lively supplication and prophecy, to call the attention of the Sovereign to the dilapidated and degraded state of ; invented by Henry Farley, and executed by John Gipkyn in . They are painted upon leaves of wood, shaped at the top like a pediment, and made to fold together with hinges at the back, in the manner of the ancient , or folding tables; or the ordinary representations of the Tables of the Decalogue. Each of the leaves measures feet inches to the point of the pediment, by feet inches in breadth; and each painting is surrounded by a black frame, with an inscription upon it in gold capital letters. The painting is on the outside of the right-hand leaf, and represents a view of London, , and the river. On the Surrey side of the Thames appear churches, being the principal; and before it is the Palace of the Bishop of Winchester, in the gate of which are men in gowns with white sleeves, following a long procession of trumpeters, chaplains in black gowns with white sleeves, &c. over . This edifice appears lined with houses, and secured by a gate surmounted with a pediment and cross; and the right-hand terminates in perspective, with the massive tower of the old church of St. Magnus. Beyond the Bridge, in , the procession is continued by the Corporation of London; the Common- Council walking last in black gowns, and , then Aldermen in red, with chains, in the same order, and then the Sword-bearer and the Lord Mayor. Before these appear clergymen in black, following as many Bishops in their rochets, with the Archbishop of Canterbury at their head, holding his cap in his hand. He is preceded by noblemen, some in black, and others in red, doublets; before whom are ladies in black, and red gowns, and stiff ruffs, with pages in cloaks walking before them. This part of the procession has arrived at the west door of , under which appears the King, in a red dress faced with ermine, wearing his crown. On side of the gate stands a boy of , holding his cap in his left hand, and presenting the usual address to the Sovereign with his right; and on the opposite side is a girl of the same charity. On the left hand, without the door, is the Bishop of London, in the ordinary place for meeting the Sovereign at his entrance into the Church; over the gate of which is inscribed in capitals

Behold the King cometh with great joy!

For thy Temple's sake I will wish Thee all prosperity,

Many good things are done in Thee, O Thou fayre Citie!

Round the black frame of this leaf the following texts are inscribed in gold capitals:—

And when it came into the King's minde to Renew the House of the Lord, he assembled the Priests and the Levites, and said unto them, Go into the Cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to Repair the House of God from yeere to yeere, and haste the thinge: and they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem.

2

Chron. xxiv.

4

,

5

,

9

.

I pray, Sir, what is the text?

The

2nd

of Chron. xxiv.

Viewe, O Kinge; howe my walles-creepers

Have made mee worke for chimney-sweepers.

On the opposite, or left hand, leaf within, is represented the Cathedral repaired, and decorated with gilded vanes, turrets, and statues of the King and Queen, &c.; the houses cleared away, the gallery ornamented with the arms of England, the City, and the Sees of Canter bury and London, and these inscriptions written upon it.

Blessed be the peace makers.

Touch not the Lord's Anointed, nor do his Prophets any harm.

Peace be within thy walles, and plenteous prosperitie within thy palaces.

I was glad when they said Let us go up to the House of the Lord.

On each side of the steeple are angels with trumpets, sounding the following verses.

At the top of this painting is the Holy Dove surrounded by glory; and round the frame is written,

Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which putteth such thinges as these into the heart of our good King, to beautify the House of the Lord. Ezra vii. Vivat, Vincat Regnatque, Jacobus! Amen!

The deviser of this extraordinary picture appears to have been a pious, disinterested, and zealous person, named Henry Farley, who for years importuned both the King and the nation with schemes and entreaties for the reparation of ; which had remained defaced and without a spire, ever since the latter was destroyed . In appeared a tract by him on the subjects entituled

The Complaint of Paule's—To all Christian Soule's:

Or an humble Supplication

,

To our good King and nation,

For her new reparation.

But his most curious work describing all his labours in the cause was published in , in small quarto, consisting of unpaged leaves, with a neat wood-cut on the title page and last leaf but , of the Cathedral and Cross, and preaching there. It is called

St. Pavl's Chvrch, her Bill for the Parliament, as it was presented to the King's Majestie on Midlent-Sunday last, and intended for the view of that most high and honourable Court, and generally for all such as bear good will to the reflourishing estate of the said Chvrch: Partly in Verse, Partly in Prose. Penned and published for her good by Hen. Farley, Author of her Complaint.

It commences with a dedication to the High Court of Parliament, and Verses between and the Book; which are followed by

a Posie of sundry flowers and herbes, gathered out of the Garden of God's Word, knit vp together, and set in the Frontispice of this worke, for the smell of every good Reader, as a sweet odour to the rest that followes:

a Parallel of present time with time past: or of a good King liuing, with a faithfull good King (Josiah) long since deceased;

This Prayer or Petition is for the King, Prince, &c. and directed to the King of Kings:

Carolus Princeps,

this a Petition to the King's Majestie onely;

this poore man, who hath been my voluntary seruant these

eight

years, by books, petitions and other deuises, even to his owne dilapidations;

St. Paule's her Conceipt after this Petition:

and Presented to the King

two

dayes before his Majestie came to visit me, viz. on Friday the

24th of March, 1619

. But the Master of Requests then attending, tooke it away from his Highnesse before he could reade it, as many things had beene so taken before, to the great hindrance and grief of the poore author.

To the King's most Sacred Majesty. Whereas to the exceeding great ioy of all my deare friends, there is certaine intelligence giuen that Your Highnesse will visit me on Sunday next: And the rather I beleeue it, for that I haue had more sweeping, brushing, and cleansing, than in

40

years before;

My workmen lookt like him they called Mull'd-Sacke, after sweeping of a chimney.

the author's conceipt written vnder my petition,

St. Paule's concludeth in an extasie, being as it were rauished with ioy of her hopefull successe.

Here follow other things of the Author, done long before, and not impertinent to that which is herein intended, that is to stirre vp good mindes to set forwards a good worke; viz.

Certaine additionsVoyces and Visions,Speeches and Parley 'Twixt Paule's and Farley;'

as they have been given to the King at sundry times, but not till now published. The narrative is conducted in a Dialogue between the Church and the Author, which thus commences.

St. Pavles.

First

, recite to me in briefe, the Dreame or Vision thou hadst, after thou didst publish my Complaint, which thou didst present to his Majesty by a Picture, and which Picture thou intendedst to hane giuen to his Majestie if thy petition had not failed thee.—

Farley.

It was a dream in

Three

Parts;

a dream which was not all a dream;

answer was honourable and worthy at that time:

to the Reuerend Preachers that come to my Crosse:

a Welcome to his Majestie, as I intended to present the same at Windsor, but was hindered of my purpose:

Here,

my candle was cleane burnt out, and this last Carol was the last thing I presented to his Majestie, vntill

two

dayes before his coming to visit you, (which was the petition before recited). In this interim I grew much dismayed, for that I saw little hope of your helpe: many rubs I ranne through, many scoffes and scornes I did vndergo; forsaken by my butterfiie-friends, laught at and derided by your enemies; pursued after by wolves of

Wood Street

, and foxes of the Poultrey; sometimes strongly

in-countered

, and sometimes at the point of death and despaire. Instead of seruing my Prince (which I humbly desired, thou gh bu as a doore-keeper, in you), I was presst for the service of King Lud; when all the comfort I had was that I could see you, salute you, and condole with your miseries; my poore clothes and ragges I could not compare to anything better than to your west end, and my seruice to you nothing lesse than bondage. So as I was troubled in my sleepes, and dreamed I heard fearfull voyces sounding in and about you, which were as follow.

So going to the Treasurer for Virginia,

with resolution to depart the land with speed, hee being not then at leisure (vpon a Saturday in Lent), appointed me to come the Wednesday following: and at my returne from Aldersgate to your presence againe, there came newes, by a sweet western gale of winde, that his Majestie would certainly come to visit you on Mid-Lent Sunday in great solemnity. At which most ioyfull tidings I forgott Virginia againe, and attended with hope of some happie successe to my hearty desires towards your reparation; which, I thanke the Lord, was performed to the full of my expectation for that time.

A Postscript to the Courteous and Charitable Reader,

The ancient Painting now described belonged for many years to the family of Tooke, of which persons successively had been Rectors of Lamborne, in Essex, from to . On the death of the last it was bought for a few shillings by a Mr. Webster, a surgeon of Chigwell, as a neglected piece of furniture which had never quitted the attic wherein it was deposited. A description of it with this notice, appeared in the for , Vol. . p. ; but in it was again sold to the Society of Antiquaries by a person named Sheen, for From the disregard with which it was formerly treated, the leaves are now separated and the paintings are scarcely visible.

[a] For a full account of this notorious person, see the Rev. J. Granger's Biographical History of England, Lond. 1824. Vol. ii. 8vo. pp. 205-208. James I. Class xii.