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Article THE KNIGHTS OF ST. HELEN'S. ← Page 8 of 11 →
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The Knights Of St. Helen's.
of Northampton , who married Spencer ' s sole daughter and heiress . He Avas an excellent chief magistrate , and did ivondrous service in equipping thirty-eight ships , fully fitted and supplied for defending the country against the Spanish invaders . He also managed , in conjunction with others , to have all the Spanish bills of exchange protested , and thus materially harassed
the operations of the king , Philip of Spain . He Avas a millionaire , and went in the city under the soubriquet of " Rich Spencer ;"—so great was the Avealth he left behind , that it is said to have turned the brain of its inheritor , the aforesaid Lord Compton . The great poet Avho lived in the stirring clays of Queen Elizabeth , most appositely says , in reference to riches , — " O reason not the need ; our basest beggars Are in the poorest thing superfluous . Allow not nature more than nature needs . "
Applicable as these lines are to Lord Compton ' s case , they remain an axiom for all future generations , and show how keen Shakspeare's intellect was . During his mayoralty , Spencer purchased Crosby Place , ancl gave many very sumptuous entertainments within its walls , masques and festivals succeeded one another in rapid succession , and many a gay court-gallant
wended his way through the city streets to partake the noble hospitalities of " Rich Spencer . " His zeal in applying the vigorous powers of a masculine understanding on behalf of his country ' s welfare , won for him the highest encomiums which his fellow-citizens could bestow , and he descended to the grave both beloved and honoured by all men . Few persons ivho visit the
very ancient church ivhich holds all that is mortal of so honest a man , and so true a patriot , would be led to ponder on the times Avhen the Spanish aggression threatened to destroy the blessings circling round the hearths and homes of our forefathers . Yet to " Rich Spencer , " and some other excellent citizens , England owed much of her safety , ancl it Avas by their
happily-chosen efforts and sound judgment that Spain ceased to threaten the peacefulness of our snores by any new hostile demonstration , after her monstrous armada Avas dispersed and destroyed by God ' s special providence . The most curious monument in the entire building is one closely adjacent to " Rich Spencer's ; " it is an altar-tomb of
stately proportions and handsome elevation , and was erected to the memory of Sir Julius Ctesar , who died in 1636 , a superannuated Master of the Rolls . The material of which this relic is composed seems durable enough to last for some centuries yet to come , but the bad usage of man has clone more to compass its destruction than any of those stealthy ravages of the great
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Knights Of St. Helen's.
of Northampton , who married Spencer ' s sole daughter and heiress . He Avas an excellent chief magistrate , and did ivondrous service in equipping thirty-eight ships , fully fitted and supplied for defending the country against the Spanish invaders . He also managed , in conjunction with others , to have all the Spanish bills of exchange protested , and thus materially harassed
the operations of the king , Philip of Spain . He Avas a millionaire , and went in the city under the soubriquet of " Rich Spencer ;"—so great was the Avealth he left behind , that it is said to have turned the brain of its inheritor , the aforesaid Lord Compton . The great poet Avho lived in the stirring clays of Queen Elizabeth , most appositely says , in reference to riches , — " O reason not the need ; our basest beggars Are in the poorest thing superfluous . Allow not nature more than nature needs . "
Applicable as these lines are to Lord Compton ' s case , they remain an axiom for all future generations , and show how keen Shakspeare's intellect was . During his mayoralty , Spencer purchased Crosby Place , ancl gave many very sumptuous entertainments within its walls , masques and festivals succeeded one another in rapid succession , and many a gay court-gallant
wended his way through the city streets to partake the noble hospitalities of " Rich Spencer . " His zeal in applying the vigorous powers of a masculine understanding on behalf of his country ' s welfare , won for him the highest encomiums which his fellow-citizens could bestow , and he descended to the grave both beloved and honoured by all men . Few persons ivho visit the
very ancient church ivhich holds all that is mortal of so honest a man , and so true a patriot , would be led to ponder on the times Avhen the Spanish aggression threatened to destroy the blessings circling round the hearths and homes of our forefathers . Yet to " Rich Spencer , " and some other excellent citizens , England owed much of her safety , ancl it Avas by their
happily-chosen efforts and sound judgment that Spain ceased to threaten the peacefulness of our snores by any new hostile demonstration , after her monstrous armada Avas dispersed and destroyed by God ' s special providence . The most curious monument in the entire building is one closely adjacent to " Rich Spencer's ; " it is an altar-tomb of
stately proportions and handsome elevation , and was erected to the memory of Sir Julius Ctesar , who died in 1636 , a superannuated Master of the Rolls . The material of which this relic is composed seems durable enough to last for some centuries yet to come , but the bad usage of man has clone more to compass its destruction than any of those stealthy ravages of the great