William Gostling a Walk in and About the City of Canterbury, Second
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William Gostling A walk in and about the city of Canterbury, second edition Canterbury 1777 <i> A WALK IN AND ABOUT THE CITY OF CANTERBURY, WITH Many OBSERVATIONS not to be found in any Description hitherto published. THE SECOND EDITION. By WILLIAM GOSTLING, M. A. A NATIVE of the PLACE, AND MINOR CANON of the CATHEDRAL. CANTERBURY; printed by SIMMONS and KIRKBY; MDCCLXXVII. <ii> <blank> <iii> ADVERTISEMENT. THE Subscribers to this second edition may be assured that, although the Author died while his book was in the press, yet the whole was prepared or approved of by him= self, and is printed from his own corrected copy. A few other remarks are contained in the Addenda at the end of the book. The substantial proof of the regard, which his friends retain for the memory of her father, given in a very numerous subscription, calls for the warmest acknowledgements from his daugh= ter; especially as so many have very greatly ex= ceeded the terms of the subscription in their liberality: she hopes they will not be offended by her prefixing an asterisk to such of their names as have come to her knowledge; for she is very sensible of great obligations not only to them, but to many other persons, whose names have not been transmitted to her, and therefore do not appear in her list. Her most grateful thanks are also due to those friends who have contributed to the embellish= ment of this little book; and as the size of the plates would not permit it in them, to express here her sense of his generosity to Francis Grose, <iv> Esq; F. S. A. for numbers * 1, 3, 4, 5, 6; to Sir John Hawkins, Knt. for Nr. 7; to Mr. Bailey, Engraver, for Nr. 10; to the Hon. and Rev. Dr. Cornwallis, Dean of Canterbury, for Nr. 11; to Captain William Gostling, of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, for Nr. 12; to Dr. Everard Buckworth, Prebendary of Can= terbury, for Nr. 13; to the Right Reverend Dr. John Moore, Lord Bishop of Bangor, for Nr. 15; to Henry Lee Warner, Esq; of Wal= singham Abby Norfolk, for Nr. 16; to Mrs. King, for Nr. 17; to Edward King, Esq; for Nr. 18; to the Rev. the Dean and Chapter of Christ’s Church, Canterbury, for Nr. 19; to Dr. George Berkeley, Prebendary of Canter= bury, for Nr. 20; to Mr. Richard Barnard Godfrey, Engraver, for Nr. 22; to William Boys Esq; Sandwich, for Nr. 24; to the Rev. Mr. Duncombe, Rector of St. Andrew, Can= terbury, for the use of his plate, Nr. 23; and to Simmons, and Kirkby for the use of their plates, Numbers. 2, and 8. HESTER GOSTLING. * See the Table of the Plates. <v> <i> PREFACE. I GIVE this little book a preface to ap= prize my reader, that it is not merely an abstract of others written on the same subject, (tho’ they are often mentioned in it) but such an actual survey as the title promises, and he himself may take if he pleases; designed not only to assist stran= gers in their searches after what is curious here, but to make the inhabitants sensible, that many things are so, which they may have seen over and over without taking no= tice of them. In 1640 the eminently learned and la= borious Mr. William Somner published the History and Antiquities of Canterbury, his native place, in quarto. This Mr. Nicholas Battely, vicar of Beaksbourn, reprinted in 1703, with some vi <ii> additions by Mr. Somner, designed for a second edition; some others of his own; and a supplement which brought it to a folio. In 1726, Mr. Dart of Greenwich gave a description of our cathedral, in folio, with many curious views of the church and monuments engraved by Mr. Cole, with the epitaphs and translations of them. The plates fell into the hands of Mr. Hildyard of York, who having most of those belonging to Mr. Drake’s history of that cathedral published them together to the number of 117, with an abridgement of the histories for which they were engraved. Besides these, an historical description in 8vo. of our cathedral, was published about five years ago; the compiler of which has confined his views to the church and precinct only, and filled almost half the book with epitaphs and translations: these I have omitted, not only to keep my more extensive design within compass, but for other reasons, which will appear in Chap. 9. and 31. vii The plan is a contraction of that pub= lished by William and Henry Doidge in 1752; corrected according to the altera= tions which have been made since that time, and embellished with views of the <iii> late church of St. Andrew, the demolished conduit of Archbishop Abbot, and the north prospect of St. Augustine’s monastery. And the view of Christ-church-gate shows better what an artist prior Goldstone was, than the gate itself does in its present state. In consulting authors, as often as I found their accounts inconsistent with my obser= vations, I have made no scruple to differ from them whether monkish writers or modern ones, but have shown my reasons; hoping that any who shall think fit to cri= ticise on me, will do it with candor; and <iv> when I mention evidences on which most of my conjectures are founded, as still to be seen, either believe that I have represented them fairly, or examine them with their own eyes. Not that I offer this as a fault= less performance; old age and gout have been great hindrances to that. Sometimes I have not been able to hold a pen for viii weeks or months together; sometimes the press has been otherwise engaged, till I could hardly tell what had passed it: but my memory, I thank God, is pretty good, and some of my friends, who thought it pity my observations should be forgotten, so soon as I am likely to be, have not only verified them by walks taken on purpose, but by adding such curious ones of their own, as I was ill capable of making in the more active part of my life. Thus far therefore my reader is a gainer by my in= firmities. If any hints I give lead the curious to happier conclusions than I have been able to form; if I point out any thing to them, which without my help they would <v> have overlooked; if by any evidences, which I produce, I correct errors in those, who have treated on this subject before me, (the most approved of whom have made some mistakes) I shall not think my labour lost; if any little anecdotes, which I have thrown in from my own memory or that of others, are received as embellishments of a dry subject, that is the reason of my giving ix them: If any make a jest of them as Canter= bury stories, such they certainly are, and no extraordinary capacity is required to find that out. Wits of this kind may divert themselves with my title page, and laugh at my un= dertaking the office of a guide and compa= nion, if they are told I have been confined to my bed and my chair for some years past; and they are heartily welcome to be as arch on me as they please; to think of the pleasure I have formerly enjoyed in that character gives me pleasure still; and (to borrow a hint from one of our best poets.) ‘My limbs, tho’ they are lame, I find Have put no fetters on my mind.’ That, God be prais’d, is still at liberty, and rejoices at the thoughts of a little ramble. A good natured reader will in= dulge this fancy in an old man. On such a one I gladly wait to the utmost of my ability: let us then set out upon our imaginary walk without delay, and I hope it will prove an entertaining one. <x> TABLE of the PLATES. PLATE PAGE 1 Head of Mr. Gostling to face the Title 2 Plan of Canterbury (Introduction) 1 3 Riding Gate 6 4 West Gate 9 5 Arches in the Town Wall 10 6 The Castle 15 7 All Saints Church 51 8 Christ Church Gate, Canterbury 65 9 South Prospect of the Cathedral 72 10 Capitals in Grymbald’s, &c. &c. 80 11 Deanry 149 12 The King’s School 163 13 Green Court Gate 173 14 The Inside of the Baptistry 184 15 Baptistry 185 16 The Font 204 17 The Screen and North Window of the Dean’s Chapel 212 18 The East Window of the Dean’s Chapel 213 19 Screen 227 20 Vaults allotted to the first Prebendary 258 21 Becket’s Crown and Tomb 263 22 Patriarchal Chair 279 23 Chart of East Kent 351 24 Map of Sandwich, &c. &c. 354 <xi> SUBSCRIBERS. A RIGHT Honourable the Countess Dowager of Aylesford Lady Astley, Melton Constable, Norfolk Mr. John Abbot, Canterbury Mr. Henry Adams, London Rev. Mr. John Airson, Canterbury Mr. Stanesby Alchorn, of the Tower, London Mr. Alkin, Canterbury Mrs. Allen, St Dunstan’s, Canterbury Thomas Astle, Esq; Samuel Athawes, Esq; London Mr. Charles Austen Mr. Theodore Aylward, Music Professor, Gresham College B * Right Honourable Lady Diana Beauclerk, 2 copies Right Honourable Lord Viscount Bilkeey Right Rev. Lord Bishop of Bangor, 4 copies Right Honourable Lord Brownlow Right Honourable Lady Brownlow Honourable Mrs. Boscawen Sir Brook Bridges, Bart. Goodneston, Kent Colonel Sir Robert Barker, Knt.