temporary state of suffering, and capable of being so relieved. For the prayers of laymen were deemed efficacious, as well as those of ecclesiastics; whence the poor beadsmen and women provided by some guilds, and maintained on certain eleemosynary establishments, and also the earnest invocations on sepulchral monuments, that the passers-by would thus contribute to the repose of the souls of the deceased. These associations became very general, not only in cities and towns, but also in villages, some having several of them, and few being without one.[1] In many country parishes portions of the guild-houses or guild-halls still exist near the respective churches, and retain their name, which has been a puzzle occasionally to persons who were not aware of the nature and prevalence of such fraternities. The guild-house was generally hired, but some of these guilds were enriched by donations and legacies, and purchased lands and houses; and hence the substantial buildings which here and there yet testify to their existence. So popular were they, and so beneficial were they deemed, that even princes and nobles, as well as other wealthy persons of both sexes, were glad to join them, as the ready means of securing for their souls, not only perpetual masses, but also prayers and offerings of a larger number of persons than any one religious house would ordinarily furnish. They had also their annual feast-days, and their processions with livery-hoods, badges, banners, and music, to make them agreeable to the commonalty.[2]
Many of these guilds, though they must have had at least a royal licence, for without it they were not considered legally established, do not appear to have been incorporated; but that which is mentioned in the deed exhibited had, about three years before the date of it, obtained this privilege by the favor of King Henry VI. Its origin and nature may be learned from the charter, which is dated the 8th of May, 31 Hen. VI. (1453).[3] The recital informs us, that the Men of the Mystery of Armourers of the city of London and their predecessors had, for a long time previous, an intimate and brotherly love; in so much that they, earnestly desiring to prosper and be increased, had begun to make, found, and establish, to the praise and honor of God and of the glorious martyr
- ↑ Many of the piscinæ; found in the naves and aisles of churches once belonged to guild-altars.
- ↑ Two wealthy guilds at Cambridge, of which several distinguished persons were members, founded Corpus Christi College in that University. Some interesting particulars of those guilds are given in Masters's History of that college. See also on the subject of guilds of the religious kind Dr. Rock's Church of our Fathers, vol. ii. p. 395, and the works referred to by him, and Mr. Burtt's account of certain guilds at Walsingham, in the volume containing the Proceedings of the Archæological Institute at Norwich, in 1847.
- ↑ It is inrolled 31 Hen. VI. secunda pat. m. 12. An old translation into English is in the possession of the Armourers' Company.
