Under a close avenue of trees a private walk leads to a corner of the Park, where, snugly embosomed among “scented limes” stands the little Church of Charlecote—with
its belfry, simple as a dovecote, and its somewhat grotesque exterior.
There are three monuments—each being of an elaborate and costly character, with no inconsiderable pretensions to merit as works of art. The one nearest the altar is that of the Sir Thomas Lucy who is reported to have “threatened” Shakspere with punishment for deer-stealing, and is said to have been the object of a lampoon penned by the “immortal bard.”[61] The grave underneath contains also the ashes of his lady. They are represented in the usual recumbent posture, on a tomb of variegated marble, their hands uplifted in prayer. He is clad in armour, the lady in the ruff and dress of the period. Two smaller figures are kneeling below, and a tablet of black marble in the recess above their tomb has the following touching and beautiful inscription:—
“Here entombed lyeth the Lady Joyce Lucy, wife of Sir Thomas Lucy, of Cherlecote, in the County of Warwick, Knight, daughter and heir of Thomas Acton, of Sutton, in the County of Worcester, Esquire, who departed out of this wretched world to her heavenly kingdome, the tenth day of February in the year of our Lord God 1595, and of her age lx and three. All the time of her life a true and faithfull servant of her good God, never detected of any crime or vice; in religion most sound; in love to her husband most faithfull and true; in friendship most constant; to what in trust was committed to her most secret; in wisdome excelling; in governing of her house and bringing up of youth in the feare of God that did converse with her, most rare and singular. A great maintainer of hospitality; greatly esteemed of her betters; misliked of none unless of the envious. When all is spoken that can be said, a woman so furnished and garnished with virtue as not to be bettered, and hardly to be equalled by any. As she lived most virtuously, so she dyed most godly. Set down by him that best did know what hath been written to be true.
“THOMAS LUCY.”
Except the effigy, there is no tribute of any kind to the memory of Sir Thomas himself. On the opposite side of the chancel, in a small vestry, or chapel, stands the tomb of his son Thomas, erected by Dame Constance, his lady, daughter and heiress to Richard Kingsmill; but having no inscription. It is one of the painted monuments of the period, and represents him armed, and in the usual recumbent attitude. On a pedestal in front, is a smaller-sized kneeling effigy of his lady, and in two panels, one on either side, are the figures of eight daughters and six sons in low relief. In the chancel, also, is another monument carved very elaborately; where, under marble pillars and arches, are the figures of his son Thomas and Alicia his wife, daughter and heiress of Thomas Spenser, Esq., of Claverdon. The figures are gracefully disposed, and most beautifully executed; all the details being highly finished. Behind, on one panel, is a bas-relief of a figure on horseback, and in a corresponding niche are sculptured shelves, on which are placed the works of various authors, the central niche being occupied by a very long Latin inscription, recording his virtues and death, which happened the 8th December 1640. A further inscription states that the monument was erected by his lady.
In the church there are a circular plain font, apparently of very early date; two small brasses of the 16th century, on the floor of the nave, and two bells in the wooden turret, one bearing the date of 1625. Beyond these it contains nothing worthy of notice.
Yet, as long as one stone shall stand upon another, will the little plain Church of Charlecote be linked with a glorious memory of the past; the lofty trees that grow around it conceal it effectually from sight; not so the Hall, which, standing on a gentle elevation above the Avon, is seen from all points of the adjacent scenery. It adjoins the pretty village of Wellsbourne; near to which, on the road between Warwick and Stratford, commences a double avenue of finely-grown elm-trees, which reaches, for more than half a mile from the public road, to the house;—from Warwick it is distant six miles, and from Stratford five. The Avon winds immediately around the mansion,