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prelate’s singular talents for business, his activity, circumspection, andmanagement, rather than to any scientific and professed skill in architec-ture which he might have possessed. It seems to me that he was onlysupervisor or comptroller on this occasion.” Mr. Dallaway, withoutmentioning his authority, says the name of Wykeham’s superintendingarchitect was William Wynford . Assuming this to be correct, Warton’sis a fair inference.

Chaucer was appointed clerk of the king’s works at the palace of Westminster , and the royal manors of Shene, Kennington, Byfleet, andClapton, the Mews at Charing, and St. George’s Chapel, Windsor .It appears, indeed, that in those times the “ devysor of the works”acted invariably under a supervising officer, who, leaving the artist’sfancy and genius unshackled, controlled and restrained the expenditureof money. We find, however, by the following letter from LordShrewsbury, that as early as the reign of Edward the Sixth there wereturbulent and devastating surveyors :

“ After right hartie comendations. Where in yo r l rM of the xvi* h ofthis instant, w ch I received the xxv th of the same, ye write that ye havehad advertisement from the King’s Ma 4 ’” Privie Counsaile, that they areinformed by me the King’s Ma‘’ s palace at Yorke* is likely to bedefaced, as well thrughe taking down the lead there as otherwise;whereat ye do not a litil marvaile, that them to whome ye made awarrante onely for taking downe the south isle of the church, the dorterfrater, and the twoo old garners (being, as ye were informed, of long timenot saufe, and ruynous, and the lead thereof daily pilfered away), woldetake uppon them to meddell with any parte of the King’s Ma‘” palace.

* The palace at York was the dissolved abbey of St. Mary, which Henry kept in his ownhands after the Reformation, and fitted up as a royal palace.