From the Foundation of the New Church, in 1117, to its dissolution as an Abbey by Henry the Eighth, in 1541;—embracing a period of 425 years.

In the first chapter of our history, we traced the rise and progress of the monastery of Peterburgh through a period of 462 years, at the expiration of which time we saw it burned to the ground, with all the treasures which it had accumulated. We have now to witness its restoration, and to follow it until we come to the nineteenth century, through all the ravages which it has survived.

At the time of the eventful destruction which we have mentioned [1116], John de Sais was abbot of the monastery, and had regained for it several of the lands which had been forfeited by his predecessors. He was, according to Gunton, a very learned man, and possessed great strength of mind and decision of character. He showed his energy by the prompt measures which he took to rebuild the abbey after its destruction, and to get all those lands, manors, and fees confirmed to it which it had so long enjoyed, and which continued daily to increase. It was a very long time, however, before the new monastery was built. John de Sais superintended it during his abbacy, but he lived only nine years after he had laid the foundation-stone (which ceremony he performed in the month of March, 1117), and the building was not completed at his death; nor did he succeed in securing to the monastery all its former possessions, although he exerted himself very assiduously to obtain them.

John de Sais was succeeded by Henri de Angeli, in 1128, of whom nothing of moment is recorded. He was a man of no character, and tried to injure the monastery in the estimation of the king, by speaking falsely of the brotherhood. Some writers say that he was detected in his villany by the king, who obliged him to resign his chair, and leave the country; others assert that he quitted England on account of other crimes. All historians agree, however, that he was a very bad man.

The appointment of the next abbot devolved upon the king, and Martin de Vecti was chosen by him to govern the monastery, in 1133. The monks received him with every expression of respect, as he was reported to be a man of profound erudition and good moral character. He began his rule by forwarding the erection of the new monastery, and it was during his abbacy that it was completed and re-dedicated—which latter ceremony was conducted with great pomp, and all the abbots of the neighbouring monasteries, with numbers of the barons and gentry, were present [1140]. It appears that De Vecti was very zealous in the work of improvement, and that he not only built a new gate to the monastery, but formed a new village on the western side of it; altered the place of wharfage, erected a new bridge, planted the present vineyard, and built many new houses near the abbey. He is also said to have re-built the parish church, then situate in St. John\'s close, in the precincts. The destruction of the castle, which stood near this church, is likewise attributed to this abbot. It is probable that it was situate upon Mount Thorold, or Tout Hill, as it is now called. This hill may yet be seen in a close on the north-western side of the cathedral.

De Vecti ruled twenty-two years, and died in 1155.

After the death of De Vecti, the monks resolved to maintain the right which they possessed of choosing their own abbot, and William de Waterville was elected by them to the government of the monastery: their choice was afterwards ratified by the king. Waterville was formerly a chaplain to Henry II., and having some influence with him, he regained for his abbey "the eight hundreds of that part of the country which had formerly been granted by the king\'s predecessors;" and, being firmly established in the monastery, he turned his attention to the improvement of the town. He founded a hospital for the sick in Spitalfield; built St. Martin\'s church and St. Michael\'s nunnery, at Stamford—besides settling a yearly sum upon the church of St. John Baptist,[7] Peterburgh—covering the monastery with lead, and founding the chapel of Thomas à Becket.

It is stated by Gunton, that this chapel is in "the middle of the arch of the church porch," but this is an error which it will be well to correct. The present school-house near the minster gateway is found to be the chancel of the chapel; and it is thus described by Kennel—"The chapel of the blessed Thomas the Martyr, near the outer gate of the abbey there."

After a government of 20 years, Waterville was deposed, at the instigation of the monks, by the Archbishop of Canterbury. No positive crime was alleged against him—at least the monks have not mentioned any in their accounts of the monastery.

The next abbot of whom we read is Benedict, a man of great learning, who was appointed to the rule of the monastery by the king in 1177, after he had held it in his possession two years. The abbot brought several relics to the monastery, and finished the chapel of Thomas à Becket. He was very zealous likewise in his endeavours to re-obtain the abbey lands which had been forfeited or seized during the rule of his predecessors; nor was he scrupulous of the means which he took to effect it: sometimes he took possession of them by force, and at others he tried to conciliate the usurpers by large sums of money and fair promises.

The monastery, during his government, underwent many important changes. He rebuilt the whole body of the church, "from the lantern to the porch;" and it is the opinion of Gunton, that the curiously painted ceiling which covers the middle of the building was of his workmanship. He likewise added several houses to those which were already within the precincts of the abbey, and built the present gate which leads to the west front of the cathedral, with a chapel over it, which was dedicated to St. Nicholas.[8]

Benedict likewise obtained a charter for holding a fair upon the feast of St. Peter, and a market to be held every Thursday. The fair was to continue eight days.

This abbot ruled seventeen years, and died in 1194.

Andreas succeeded Benedict, and rose gradually from a monk to a prior, and finally to an abbot. It is said that he was a good man, and secured the esteem of the monks by giving them the lands of Fletton and Alwalton to enrich their table. He ordered likewise six marks a year to be given out of the monastery funds to the infirmary. This donation was continued by his successors for a long time, but Abbot Walter, during his rule, directed that it should be employed in purchasing wine for the "pitanciary."

During the reign of Andreas there were several lands given to the "Eleemossynary," and the monastery was very flourishing. He governed seven years, and died in 1201. His body was entombed in the south aisle, with two of his brethren, under a Norman arch, beneath which is the following epitaph:—

Hos tres abbates quibus est prior abba Iohannes,

Alter Martinus, Andreas ultimus, unus

Hic claudit tumulus; pro clausis ergo rogemus.

Acharius succeeded Andreas in 1200. He was originally a prior of St. Albans, but was presented by King John to the abbacy of this monastery, on account of his many virtues and distinguished talents. He seems to have had the interest of the monastery at heart as greatly as any of his predecessors, and was engaged in several lawsuits with different landowners, in order to recover the lost possessions of the abbey. He gained the marsh of Singlesholt from the Abbot of Crowland "for a yearly acknowledgement of four stones of wax," and increased the number of his monks. He endowed the church with many valuable articles—such as silver basins for the great altar, with a case of gold and silver, set with precious stones, for the arm of St. Oswald! He gave likewise two large silver cups to the refectory, with silver feet richly gilt, according to Gunton, and four table knives with ivory hafts. He paid money off the monastery debts, and purchased houses in London, which he added to the abbey possessions.

During the festival of St. Peter, a large wax candle, of five pounds weight,[9] was set before the altar, and burnt day and night, until the festival was completed. This custom was observed in all other feasts of the saints in the abbey; and during the rule of Acharius the festivals were remarkable for their pomp and splendour.

This abbot ruled ten years, died in 1214, and was succeeded by Robert of Lindsay, or Lyndesheye.

It was during the rule of this abbot that one of the most interesting changes was effected in the monastery: the windows until this time had been "stuffed with straw," to keep out the cold and the rain; and, at an immense expense, he had thirty-nine of them adorned with glass, which enterprise gained for him a considerable amount of fame and esteem. Not content with this change in his own monastery, he extended his generosity to other parts, and built a chancel to the church at Oxney. He was confirmed by the king at Winchester, and received the benediction of the Bishop of Lincoln.

Being thus installed in his new office with so much honour, he directed his attention to the forest lands by which he was surrounded. By virtue of the forest laws, foresters let their cattle run at liberty to graze, and they frequently did much damage to the possessions of the monastery, and to the property of the town inhabitants. Lindsay therefore wrote to the king to try to "disafforest" the lands which were contiguous to the monastery, and he effected his object by payment of 1320 marks. Of his other improvements we read that "he made in the south cloister a lavatory of marble, for the monks to wash their hands in when they went to meals—their hall being near on the other side of the wall, the door leading into it being yet standing; the lavatory continued entire until the year 1651, and then, with the whole cloister, it was also pulled down."

About this time, in the reign of King John, England was the scene of those civil contentions which terminated in favour of the barons, and the attainment of a charter of liberties. A large number of the monasteries in England were, however, despoiled by the king before the fate of the war was decided, and amongst them was Crowland Abbey. It is likely that of Peterburgh escaped the fury of the king\'s soldiers, for we do not read of any outrage being committed upon it at that time in the monkish records. Lindsay wrote a history of the monastery, according to Pitseus, but he did not enrich the church library with any valuable additions. He ruled seven years, and died in 1222.

Alexander de Holderness was the successor of Lindsay, and was elected November 30, 1222. He was called Holderness from the place where he was born. This abbot made a number of improvements in his monastery, and enriched it with money and relics. He built, says Gunton, "the solarium magnum at the door of the abbot\'s chamber, and a cellerarium under it, and furnished the church also with that precious crystal vessel wherein the blood of Thomas à Becket was kept." He likewise built halls at Oundle, Castor, Eyebury, and other places. He was much beloved by the monks, and died, after a government of four years, in 1226.

An interesting incident in connexion with this abbot may here be mentioned. On the 2nd of April, 1830, when the workmen were making a foundation in the cathedral church for the erection of a new choir, they discovered beneath one of the slabs a stone coffin, which their curiosity led them to open. They were surprised to find that it contained the body of a man, with a large coarse garment around it, equipped with boots, and having a crosier by its side. There were several very remarkable things connected with this discovery. The boots were what are called "rights and lefts," and in a good state of preservation. The crosier was perfect, and a part of the body was hard, and of a copper-coloured hue, whilst the other part was decomposed. The body was headless, and a piece of lead was found lying in place of the skull, with this inscription upon it—

ABBAS: ALEXANDR:

These remains were gathered together, replaced in the shell, and buried in the south aisle, nearly opposite the burial place of Mary Queen of Scots.

Martin de Ramsey was chosen abbot after the death of Alexander. His election was sanctioned by the king, and he was confirmed by the Bishop of Lincoln, at Westminster. There is nothing remarkable recorded of this abbot. He "disafforested" several lands about Peterburgh, and added them to the possessions of the monastery.

During the rule of this abbot, Pope Gregory IX. ordered that when there should be an interdiction of the monastery lands, the monks should close their doors, and not allow the people to hear their prayers, or participate in them; but the privilege was granted to the monks of Peterborough to say the service in a low voice to themselves, the ringing of the bell being dispensed with.

Martin ruled six years, died in 1232, and was succeeded by Walter de St. Edmond, in 1233. It was during the government of this abbot that the monastery of Peterburgh was re-dedicated and consecrated with holy oil, by the Bishops of Lincoln and Exeter [1238], according to the decrees of the constitution of Otto.[10] The ceremony was attended with the usual pomp of such proceedings, and the possessions of the monastery were ratified anew. Walter de Whittlesea gives a very favourable account of the disposition of this abbot, and speaks very highly of his benevolence to King Henry, who was reduced to the necessity of seeking support from this and other monasteries. St. Edmond entertained the king twice at Peterburgh, in company with the queen and the young prince. He also "gave 60 marks towards the marriage of Margaret, his daughter, with Alexander III., King of Scotland," and increased the number of his monks to one hundred and ten. He made likewise three several journeys to Rome upon civil and ecclesiastical business. The cause of one of these journeys was this:—The Pope (Gregory, 1241) sent messages to Burgh, demanding that the abbot should give unto one of his favourites a certain yearly sum, or a number of lands equal to that sum, and the abbot refused to do so without the consent of the king who was patron of the monastery; and going to Rome to know the cause of such an arbitrary demand, he was reproved by the Pope in person, and treated with great indignity by the cardinals, and expelled the court. The abbot was so much grieved, by this cruel and ungenerous treatment that he never recovered, but died in the same year [1245], after having ruled twelve years with the greatest mildness, prudence, and benevolence. This story of the Pope\'s arbitrary conduct calls forth a very pithy couplet from Gunton—

"Rome gnaweth hands as dainty cates,

And when it cannot gnaw—it hates."

Walter was a learned man, and increased the books of the library. Gunton says "he was pious and merciful to all, exacted nothing unduly of his tenants, whether rich or poor; but if any poor man or woman made their necessities known to him, he would burst into tears, and take compassion upon them."

The next abbot of whom we read is William de Hotot, who was elected on the 6th of February, 1246. His rule was not favourable to the monastery. He lavished the possessions of the church upon his friends and kinsmen. His conduct was reprehended by the monks, and finally represented to the Bishop of Lincoln, when William, fearing he should be deposed, resigned his office, and retired upon an allowance from the monastery in 1249, after governing three years.

Mr. Owen Davys, in his Guide to the Cathedral, remarks that "it is a matter of great surprise that we have no record handed down to us of the exact date when that magnificent appendage to the Cathedral, the western front, was erected, though it must have been about this time. The name of the architect under whose directions this original and strikingly beautiful design was carried out is also buried in obscurity. This noble front is almost entirely built in the style us............