Page:History of Norfolk 1.djvu/133

 a belt by his side. Under the head was a board, having on it, when I first took it up, the arms of Bois and Latimer very perfect, and in Latimer's coat was a label of three, arg. which very plainly proves who he was that was buried here. The colours of the arms scaled off in two or three days, after they were exposed to the air, for which reason I had them painted on the pillow under his head. His helmet and gauntlets were powdered with ermine, and every other folding of his military cassock, which hangs down lower than his armour, was the same, it being the field of his own coat; the other foldings were gul. the field of his wife's; his feet rest on a buck couchant arg. spotted with ermine, being his crest. His armour was mail, gilt all over with gold, and on his breast-plate was his perfect coat, erm. a cross sab. His head lies on a pillow painted with red, and flowered with silver, and that lies on a cushion painted as of green velvet, flowered with gold, with which his spurs are covered; several embellishments were gilded on a cement, and let into the wood in several places, on his belt, sword, and spurs, and on the edge of the plank that he lies on, and then covered with glass, but most were defaced: those that remained were, a man's head cooped at the neck, with leaves in his mouth, a spread eagle, a dog meeting a hare, a dog fighting a lion, a bull tossing a dog, and a lion couchant, with an eagle standing on him, picking out his eyes; all which seem to intimate, that the deceased delighted chiefly in war, and rural exercises; but on a very large one that came off the edge at his feet, was a representation of a building with arches, under which were two hands joined, holding up a book, to signify (as I take it) his founding this isle. The inscription was on the edge. After removing the seats that stood before it, I caused it to be painted in the same colours, as near as could be, and added this inscription:

"Sir Robert du Bois, Knt. Son of Sir Robert, and Grandson of Sir Robert du Bois, Knt. Founder of this Isle, Lord of this Manor, and Patron of this Church, died in 1311, aged 43 Years. He marry'd Christian, Daughter of Sir Wm. Latimer, Widow of Sir John Carbonel, of Waldingfield in Suffolk, by whom he had Sir Robert his only Son, who died unmarried in 1333, and Alice an only Daughter, who married Sir John, son of Sir John Howard, Knt. and carried the whole Estate of the Bois's to that Noble Family."

The windows of the isle, and in particular the east window of the chapel, were formerly beautifully adorned with paintings on glass, of the Twelve Apostles, the Blessed Virgin, and St. Anne her mother, to whom the clapel was dedicated. She had a famous image standing in it, and a large gild kept to her honour, to which most that died, in this and the adjacent towns, generally gave something, and often left money to find wax candle, and lights, continually burning before it. From this place processions were usually made to a well or spring about 60 yards from the north gate of the churchyard, at the foot of the hill, which is still called Tann's Well, being a corruption for St. Anne's Well. There was a separate chaplain that served here from its foundation, to 1411, and then it was united to the parish church, the rector being obliged to find a chaplain, which from this time was removeable at his pleasure: