At a meeting of the inhabitants of the borough, on Tuesday, April 18, 1809, held in conformity to a requisition signed by a great number of burgesses, a series of resolutions were passed, thanking Gwyllim Lloyd Wardle, Esq. "for his patriotic and firm conduct, in preferring and prosecuting certain charges of corrupt practices against his Royal Highness the Duke of York, in his office of Commander in Chief." Thanks were voted to Thomas Kemp and Henry Shelley, Esqrs., the representatives of the borough, "for their steady and uniform conduct in voting in the minority upon each motion that tended to censure his Royal Highness." Thanks were also voted to Sir Francis Burdett, Bart., Lord Folkstone, Mr. Whitbread, Sir Samuel Romilly, Admiral Markham, General Ferguson, Mr. H. Marten, and Mr. Coke, who represented places in the county, "and to the rest of the 125 representatives, who formed the independent minority on the important question produced by Mr. Wardle's motion."

On the 17th of January, 1811, a public meeting of the inhabitants of the borough was held at the County Hall, for the purpose "of presenting petitions to both Houses of Parliament, humbly praying them, that all clauses of restriction on his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales from exercising all regal power, jurisdictions, and prerogatives to the crown and government belonging, during the present melancholy incapacity of his majesty, (if not possible to be consistently avoided altogether), may be at least confined by the two Houses of Parliament, to the shortest possible period proposed for their enactment." An amendment was proposed by Mr. Hoper, that all the former resolutions after the words "resolved that" be omitted, and the following substituted: "as the question relative to the Prince of Wales's appointment to the regency depends on many abstract points of constitutional law, of which this meeting has not the means of judging, it is better for the present to confide in the wisdom of parliament, than to present any petition on the subject." This amendment was negatived, and petitions on the basis of the original resolution were agreed to, and presented to both Houses of Parliament.

In the same year, on the 11th of March, the burgesses were convened, when it was unanimously resolved, " that an humble address be presented to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, expressive of attachment to his Royal Highness's person and family, and of condolence on the melancholy occasion of his accepting office. Mr. William Madgwick, the senior constable, presented the address to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, at the palace of St. James', on the 30th day of April following.

At a meeting of the inhabitant householders, held at the County Hall, on the 25th of May, 1814, to take into consideration the propriety of petitioning parliament against the Corn Bill, then pending in the House of Commons, it

was resolved that a petition proposed and read by Mr. Henry Blackman, should be adopted by the meeting, and presented by the members of the borough to parliament.

The following extract from the town book, gives an account of the rejoicings that took place in the borough on the 7th of July, the day appointed for a general thanksgiving on occasion of the peace with France. I omit the highly-coloured observations with which the account is introduced: they were evidently dictated in a moment of political frenzy :—

"The two parishes of St. Michael and St. John in this borough, entertained together a very considerable portion of their population, amounting to about one thousand six hundred persons, on an elevated spot without the borough, called the Wallands, adjoining the S.W. corner of the Paddock. The dinner which consisted of 2146 pounds of solid food, besides bread and vegetables, was served up in good order, the Rev. P. G. Crofts, of St. John's, and Mr. John Holman, of St. Michaels, (senior chief officer of this borough) presiding at the head of the tables of their respective parishes. It was succeeded by a variety of rustic sports, and the whole presented a scene of hilarity, harmony, and joy that highly gratified an assemblage of at least five thousand spectators. The inhabitants of All Saints, entertained their parishioners in number about five hundred, with a dinner similar, and in every respect equal to the former, which was served up in a meadow belonging to the Priory, admirably adapted to the purpose, and characteristically decorated. The principal gentlemen assisted as carvers. Here, too, the most perfect harmony prevailed, being at each place materially aided by the enlivening powers of an excellent band of music.

"The inhabitants of St. Ann's parish likewise made a handsome collection, which, for local reasons, they thought it more advisable to distribute among the individual families, than to entertain their parishioners in public."

On the 6th of March, 1815, a petition was presented to the House of Commons, expressing the thanks of the petitioners for the delay that had taken place in the proceedings of the house relative to the Corn Bill, and imploring further time, in order that all classes of his majesty's subjects might have an opportunity of expressing their fears and wishes on the proposed alteration of the Corn Laws.

On the 13th of the same month, a meeting of the inhabitant householders was held, in consequence of a requisition signed by one hundred and one burgesses, when, after a series of resolutions, a petition was agreed upon, to be presented to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, praying him not to sanction the proposed alteration in the existing corn laws, and expressing the conviction of the petitioners, that the existing laws were fully sufficient for the protection of the landed interest, and that an alteration in them, would greatly enhance the price of bread, increase the rents of the land holders, drive the manufacturer from his home to seek employment in a foreign country, and prove highly injurious to the trading interests of the kingdom.

ENGINE HOUSE.

In 1785 an engine house was erected upon his premises under the castle, by the late Thomas Kemp, Esq., one of the representatives of the borough, It was always regarded by the inhabitants as a bona fide gift of their representative

to the burgesses, and as such was used for more than thirty years without any rent or acknowledgment being demanded or paid for it. In the year 1816, however, Thomas Read Kemp, Esq., who was at that time zealously engaged in instructing the inhabitants of the district from the pulpit, (having vacated his his seat in parliament for that purpose), wishing to erect a chapel for the better diffusion of his peculiar religious sentiments in Lewes, without consulting the constables or inhabitants of the town, ordered a great part of the wall on the northern side of the engine house to be taken down, for the purpose of placing two new windows therein. He was proceeding to make alterations in the roof, when the constables interfered to prevent the injury or demolition of the building. Mr. Kemp contended that the engine house was exclusively his property, and that he had a right to make whatsoever alterations he might deem requisite, so as to suit the convenience of the adjacent building. The constables, on the other hand urged, that the property had been granted by Mr. Kemp's father to the borough, and that though they were far from wishing to throw any obstacle in the way of the erection of the chapel, which Mr. Kemp had determined upon, they felt it to be their duty to maintain the rights of their fellow-townsmen undiminished. The consequence was, that Mr. Kemp caused a formal notice to be served upon the constables, to quit the engine house at Michaelmas, 1817. A town meeting was called, and à deputation appointed to wait upon Mr. Kemp, and to shew him an entry made in the town book, of his father's intention to present the borough with the engine house: to assure him that the borough will be ready to attend to his wishes of making any alteration in the roof of the building, upon his executing a deed of feoffment thereof for the use of the borough, pursuant to his father's intentions, so as to put the matter of right out of all further question. Mr. Kemp refused to execute the deed of gift, but in lieu of it, offered either to erect another building at his own expense, for the reception of the engines, upon a different part of his premises, or to make a donation to the borough of fifty pounds in lieu of the old engine house The latter proposal was accepted, and the present Engine House, in Fisher's Street, over which is the record room' of the Borough, was begun in 1817, but when it will be completed it is not easy to foretel. The expense of purchasing the freehold ground, and an old building standing upon it, was 1257. Mr. Wilds

'This title has been objected to, as it is said, | heretofore annually to be transferred from the that the constables, &c. of Lewes, not being a corporate body, cannot, properly, have any records. Waiving, however, the question, it is certain, that the room here spoken of is a very convenient one for the officers of the borough, as in addition to the written documents in their custody, they have many articles of a more bulky nature, which used

house of one constable or head borough to another, and were thereby greatly exposed to injury and loss. At present these articles are deposited in the new room, and the successive officers have merely to attend there and compare them with the inventory.

contracted to pull down the old building, and erect the new one on the scite, and finish it so far as to render it fit for use, for 1607. He has executed his contract; and the half finished building, stands a monument of the poverty of the borough.

At a meeting of the inhabitant householders of the borough, convened in pursuance of a requisition, signed by numerous burgesses, and held in the County Hall, on the 24th of July, 1820, "for the purpose of considering the propriety of addressing her most gracious majesty Queen Caroline of England, on her arrival in this country, and of instructing the representatives of this borough, to support the cause of the queen against every unconstitutional measure that may be taken against her, &c.," after a series of not very dispassionate resolutions had been agreed to, an address to her majesty was unanimously resolved upon. The representatives of the borough having declined accompanying the constables, Messrs. English and Figg, when the address was to be presented to her majesty, application was made to Alderman Wood, for that purpose, who handsomely complied with the request. The address was presented to the queen, at her house in Portman Square: and her majesty was pleased to return a most gracious answer.

On the 3d of January, 1821, a town meeting was convened in consequence of a requisition having been received by the constables, signed by two hundred and fifty-seven inhabitant householders of the borough, "to take into consideration the propriety of addressing her most gracious majesty Queen Caroline, on her majesty's happy escape from the base, unrelenting, and unconstitutional attempts which have been lately made (in continuation of previous detestable conspiracies), to deprive her majesty of those rights and immunities which, as Queen Consort of these realms, she is so justly entitled to possess; and further to take into consideration the propriety of addressing his majesty to remove his present ministers from his counsels." The town was illuminated on this occasion. 1822. A tax of one shilling in the pound was collected this year for defraying the expenses of the town.

In 1823 a tax to the same amount was agreed upon by the new constables and inhabitants present at the meeting held according to custom on Whit-monday. Several individuals, however, having refused to contribute their proportion of this demand, at a subsequent public meeting, it was resolved that a tax of only sixpence in the pound should be collected.

Origin of the Cluniac Monks.-William de Warren's establishment of the Priory of St. Pancras, Lewes.Confirmation Charter, translation of.-Magnificence of the Priory.-Its dependence on the Monastery of Cluni.-Cells of the Priory of St. Pancras.-The establishment made indigenous.-Lanzo first Prior.-List of the Priors till its dissolution.-Monument of Prior Nelond at Cowfold.-Distinguished Persons buried in the Priory.-Surrender of the Priory to Henry VIII-Portmarus' Letter.-Grant of the possessions of the Priory to Thomas Lord Cromwell-to Anne of Cleves.-Southover House.— State of the ruins of the Priory in different periods.-Present state.

TOWARDS the close of the ninth century, a great relaxation of discipline had taken place in the monasteries of France, in consequence of the protracted civil wars which had been carried on between the sons of Lewis le Debonnaire, and the dreadful ravages of the Normans. Many of the religious houses in the disturbed districts were altogether destroyed, and those who had been their inmates, were either slain, or compelled to seek their safety in a wandering and desolate life. About this time William, Duke of Aquitain

'St. Pancras was a Roman youth of noble pa- | rentage, who, when fourteen years old, was brought before the Emperor Diocletian at Rome, by the persecutors of the christians. Diocletian surprized to find he was so young, and that he was the son of Cleoneus, one of his best friends, attempted to persuade him from his religion, by promising him his friendship in case of his com

pliance, but threatening death if he refused. The youth justified his religion, and condemned the false Gods worshiped by the emperor, so boldly, that he was immediately ordered to be beheaded and burnt. The sentence was executed on the 4th of the Ides of May, on the Aurelian way, near Rome, A.D 293, Anno 9 Diocletiani, 7 Maximiani.