347. St Denis, the patron of France, is said to have been the disciple of St Paul, and the first who preached the gospel to the French. The legend concerning him affirms that, after he was beheaded near Paris, he walked four miles with his head in his hands. His body was said to be entombed very magnificently at the abbey of St Denis, to which the pilgrims used to resort.
348. At the Church of St Mark, in Venice, they pretend to have the body of that evangelist, which was brought thither by certain merchants from Alexandria, in Egypt, in the year 810. Coryat says, that the treasure of this church was of that inestimable value, that it was thought no treasure whatsoever in any other place in Christendom might compare with it, neither that of St Denis in France, nor St Peter's in Rome, nor that of Madonna de Loretto in Italy, nor that of Toledo in Spain, nor any other. See Coryat's "Crudities," p. 214, and "The Commonwealth and Government of Venice," by Contareno, translated by Lewes Lewkenor, Esq., 1599, p. 165.
349. Who this John Shorn was, I can give no account. In the preface to "The Accedence of Armorie," 4to, 1562, a story is told of one who had been called to worship in a city within Middlesex, and who being desired by a herald to show his coat (i.e., of arms), "called unto his mayd, commanding her to fetch his coat, which, being brought, was of cloth garded with a burgunian gard of bare velvet, well bawdefied on the halfe placard, and squallotted in the fore quarters. Lo, quoth the man to the heraught, here it is, if ye will buy it, ye shall have time of payment, as first to pay halfe in hand, and the rest by and by. And with much boste he said, he ware not the same since he came last from Sir John Shorne," &c.
350. Catwade Bridge is in Samford Hundred, in the county of Suffolk, where there may have been a famous chapel and rood.—G.
351. Herry edit. 1569.
352. "In September, the same yeare (says Weever), viz., an. 30 Hen. 8, by the speciall motion of great Cromwell, all the notable images, vnto the which were made any especiall pilgrimages and offerings, as the images of our Lady of Walsingham, Ipswich, Worcester, the Lady of Wilsdon, the rood of grace of our Ladie of Boxley, and the image of the rood of Saint Saviour at Bermondsey, with all the rest, were brought vp to London, and burnt at Chelsey, at the commandement of the foresaid Cromwell, all the Iewels and other rich offerings to these, and to the shrines (which were all likewise taken away, or beaten to peeces) of other Saints throughout both England and Wales were brought into the King's Treasurie" (Edit. 1631, p. 111).
353. The church dedicated to Saint Mary at Southwell, in Nottinghamshire.
354. In the county of Kent, near Greenwich.
355. In Finsbury Hundred, Middlesex, the chapel dedicated to St Mary. See above, note 1.
356. "Muswell Hill, called also Pinsenall Hill: there was a chapple sometime bearing the name of our ladie of Muswell: where now Alderman Roe hath erected a proper house, the place taketh name of the well and of the hill, Mousewellhill; for there is on the hill a spring of faire water, which is now within the compass of the house. There was sometime an image of the ladie of Muswell, whereunto was a continuall resort, in the way of pylgrimage, growing, as is (though as I take it fabulouslie) reported in regard of a great cure which was performed by this water, upon a king of Scots, who being strangely diseased was, by some devine intelligence, advised to take the water of a well in England, called Muswell, which after long scrutation and inquisition, this well was found and performed the cure" (Norden's "Speculum Britanniae," p. 36, edit. 1723). I am informed that the mosaic pavement and other ruins of this well and its chapel were to be seen about twenty-five years ago [Edit. 1780].