Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 1.djvu/101

 in the collegiate church or chapel of St. Stephen, Westminster, in the place of Dr. Linacre, who has resigned.

It was probably in 1523 that Linacre, in writing to Archbishop Warham, excuses himself for not having dedicated to his Grace, according to his promise, the last volume of his translation of Galen's "De Naturalibus Facultatibus". He had been commanded by the King, in the presence of Mr. John Chamber, to dedicate it to his Highness. In this letter he acknowledges himself indebted to the liberality of the Archbishop for the opportunity of devoting himself to letters.

It is clear that he never could have resided at Wigan. Soon after his admission to it he was appointed preceptor to the young Princess Mary, afterwards Queen, to whom he dedicated his "Grammaticæ Rudimenta" intended to help her in her studies. Moreover, his duties at Court, as physician to the King and Queen, will have exempted him from residence on his benefice, and made it necessary for him to live in London. The house which he occupied was situated in Knightrider Street, in the parish of St. Benedict, Paul's Wharf. It was distinguished by the name of The Stone House, probably from the material of which it was built, which was then rare and costly, and but seldom used for private mansions during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. This house he afterwards assigned to the Medical College of his own foundation, retaining a part for the use of himself and his family during his life. The disease from which he suffered was the stone, and to this complaint his constitution at length succumbed after much suffering, the immediate cause of his death being an ulceration of the bladder. He died at his own house, in Knightrider Street, on 20th October, 1524, in the 64th year of his age; and was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral, before the rood of the North door, a spot chosen by himself and expressly specified in his will. His grave was marked by no