Volume II 1603-1660 - The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple

INTRODUCTION. xxxi
lished religion have from time to time altered the appearance of the
church and the manner of services performed within its walls. But its
sound and substantial preservation has always been an article of faith
with the rulers of the Temple, who have never at any period hesitated
to devote to that purpose any funds which they might possess.
Dr. Masters, who was appointed master of the Temple in i 6oi,
continued to hold that post during the whole of this reign, and he was
still in office when King James passed away. The readers appear to
have been successively Mr. Evans (whose widow received a gratuity
of L5) Mr. Crawshaw, Mr. Henry Routh, Mr. Gibson, and Mr. Chafin. p. 68
It seems, however, according to Manningham, to have been the P. 79
p. 134
practice to invite clergymen from other parishes to preach, sometimes
in the morning, sometimes in the evening, in the Temple church.'
And it is recorded by Archbishop Laud in his diary that he, being
then Bishop of S. David's, on the first Sunday in Lent (6th March)
1624, at the reader's solemnity, the Duke of Buckingham and divers
other lords being present, preached in the Temple church.'
In April, 1613, King James unsuccessfully interposed his
authority to procure the nomination of the Rev. Alexander Simpson
of Castrodune in France, to be lecturer to the two societies. His
letter, which bears date 27th April, 1613, was answered by the re- P. 73
spective treasurers. They replied that no such post as lecturer existed,
as the master always instructed and lectured to them until his age or
his infirmities demanded assistance, and that then the salary of his
assistant was definite neither in amount nor in duration, nor was its
payment enforceable. They also pointed out that, according to the
customs of the two societies, in order to avoid the presence of women
and children, it was not permissible to appoint to a post in the
Temple any person who was not a bachelor, and as Mr. Simpson had
a wife and children in France whom he proposed to bring over, he
was on that account not eligible for the appointment of lecturer. On
the i3th May a letter was received from the king accepting the p. 74
answer of the two inns, and no further steps were taken in the matter.
The benchers, however, were much gratified with the conduct of the
king. They ordered the three letters to be entered on the minutes
each.
I In 1614 the charge for eighty-six sermons by hired preachers was Z43, or los.
Laud's works, vol. iii., " Diary," P. 157. Oxford, 1853.
p. 86