The solicitude expressed by the donor plainly shows her piety and firm persuasion of the efficacy of prayers for the dead; for she seems to have made every provision for the payment of the sum stipulated within the appointed time, and to have felt much anxiety lest her death, or the neglect of her executors or assigns, might frustrate her intentions.—“Et si contingat me in solucione perdicte pecunie annis predictis in parte aut in toto deficere, quod absit; concede et obligo pro me et assignatis meis, quod Vice-Comes . . . Oxon et . . . . . . qui pro tempore fuerint, per omnes terras et tenementa, et omnia bona mea mobilia et immobilia ubicunque in balliva sua fuerint inventa ad solucionem predictam faciendam possent nos compellere.” And again—“Et si contingat dictos religiosos labores seu expensas facere circa predictam pecuniam, seu circa partem dicte pecunie; volo quod dictorum religiosorum impense et labores levantur ita quod predicto priori vel uni canonicorum suorum superhiis simplici verbo credatur sine alterius honere probacionis; et quod utrique predictorum virorum in unam marcam argenti pro cujuslibet distrincione super me facienda tenear.—Dat. apud Wareborn die sabati proxima ante festum St. Marci evangeliste, anno regni regis Edwardi tertio decimo.”*
But the reader, perhaps, would wish to be better informed respecting this benefactress, of whom as yet he has heard no particulars.
The Ela Longspee, therefore, above-mentioned, was a lady of high birth and rank, and became countess to Thomas de Newburgh, the sixth earl of Warwick: she was the second daughter of the famous Ela Longspee, Countess of Salisbury, by William Longspee, natural son of King Edward II., by Rosamond.
Our lady, following the steps of her illustrious mother,† “was a
* Ancient deeds are often dated on a Sunday, having been executed in churches and churchyards for the sake of notoriety, and for the conveniency of procuring several witnesses to attest.
† Ela Longspee, Countess of Salisbury, in 1232, founded a monastery at Lacock, in the county of Wilts, and also another at Hendon, in the county of Somerset, in her widowhood, to the honour of the Blessed Virgin and St. Bernard.—Camden.
