| 140 | A L B | |
Dioclesian, and being afterwards cano-
nized, and interred on a hill in the neigh-
bourhood of this town, a monastery was
erected and dedicated to him by King
Offa. King Edward I. erected a magni-
ficent cross in memory of Queen Eleanor;
and King Edward VI. incorporated this
town by a charter, granting the inhabi-
tants a Mayor, a Steward, a Chamberlain,
and ten Burgesses: but the Mayor and
Steward are here the only Justices of peace.
Here are three churches, besides the an-
cient cathedral called St. Alban's, belong-
ing to the monastery, which is now a
parish church.
In this ancient edifice is a funeral
monument and effigies of King Offa, its
founder, who is represented seated on his
throne; and underneath is the following
inscription:
Fundator Ecclesiæ circa annum 793.
Quem male depictum, et residentem cernitis alte
Sublimem solio, Mercius Offa fuit.
That is,
The founder of the church, about the year 793.
Whom you behold ill-painted on his throne
Sublime, was once for Mercian Offa known.
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| ALB | 141 |
On the east side stood the shrine of St.
Alban, where the following short inscrip-
tion is still to be seen;
S. Albanus Verolamensis, Anglo-
rum Protomartyr, 17 Junii 293.
In the south isle near the above shrine
is the monument of Humphry, brother
to King Henry V. commonly distinguish-
ed by the title of the Good Duke of
Gloucester. It is adorned with a ducal
coronet, and the arms of France and
England quartered. In niches on one side
are seventeen Kings; but in the niches
on the other side there are no statues
remaining. The inscription, which al-
ludes to the pretended miraculous cure
of a blind man detected by the Duke, is
as follows:
Piæ Memoriæ V. Opt. Sacrum.
Hic jacet Humphredus, Dux ille Glocestrius olim,
Henrici Sexti protector, fraudis ineptæ
Detector, dum ficta notat miracula cœci.
Lumen erat patriæ, columen venerabile regni,
Pacis amans, Musisque favens melioribus; unde
Gratum opus Oxonio, quæ nunc schola sacra refulget.
Invida sed mulier regno, regi, sibi nequam,
Abstulit hunc, humili vix hoc dignata sepulcro.
Invidia rumpente tamen, post funera vivit.
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