On the base of the tablets is a man recumbent on his left arm, dressed in armour, cut out of white marble; and at the left end is the figure of a man dressed in armour, kneeling on one knee; at the opposite end is the figure of a woman, kneeling. The man and woman are each under a large curtain cut in marble, and all have ruffs.

In the middle are two large monuments, on each of which lies the figure of a woman fully dressed. On the east end of the easternmost the inscription is as follows:

"The Monument of the Ladye Briget Countese Dowager of Bedford. A Woman of singular Sincerite in Religion, in cyvill Conversation & Integritie of Life unspotted, in Hospitalitie bountifull & provident in all her Actions descreete and honourable, in great Favor with her Prince & generally reputed one of the noblist Matrons of England for her Wisdom & Judgement. She was Daughter to John Lord Hussey & she was thrise maried first to Sir Richard Morizon Knight, then to Edward Manners E: of Rutland, thirdly to Francys Russel E: of Bedford & she had Issue only by her first Husband one Sonn Sir Charles Morizon Knight, & two Daughters named Jana Sibilla first maried to Edward Lord Russel eldest Sonn to her last Iusband the E: of Bedford maried to Arthur Lord Grey. The other Doghter named Elizabeth was first maried to William Nor. reys Esquier Sonn & Heir apparent to Lord Norreys at whose Charges this Monument was hear erected beinge her soole Exccutor & nephewe, who hath maried the Lady Briget Vere Doghter to Edward E: of Oxford afterward Elizabeth the second Doghter maried Henry Clinton E: of Lincolne. This noble Countess of Bedford livinge 75 Years in most honorable Repu tation died most quietly answerably to her Life in perfect Sence & Memorie the 12 of Januarie 1600 in the 43 Year of our most gracious Sowerraine Quene Elizabeth."

On the west end of the other monument the inscription runs thus:

"To the Vertue, Honor, & Memorie of the right honorable. Ladie, Dame Elizabeth Russel Daughter & sole Heire of Henry Longe of Shingay in the Countie of Cambridg Esq. Wief of the Right Honorable Sir William Russel Kht. Lord Russel of Thorn, VOL. VI. No. 122.

C

baugh,

haugh, late under the Raigne of the most excellent Princesse of Renowned & most woorthie Memorie Queene Elizabeth Lord Governor of Flushinge & since Lord Deputie of the Kingdome of Ireland, & one of the Sonnes of the Right Noble Lord Franncis late Earle of Bedford. The Lady beside manie commendable Guifts of Nature wherewith she was liberallie endued as Religion, true Godliness, Chastitie, Wisdome, Temperance, vertuous and honorable Conversation, & for manie other Re. spects most woorthie to be honored, was reputed and nombred amongst the principall Matrons of her time, & Dame Dorothie Morrison her most lovinge & affectionate Mother, survivinge contrarie to the ordinarie Course of Nature, & her own Harts Desier, hir most deere and most deerlie lovinge and beloved Daughter, hath for the laste Office, & for an eternall Pledge of her motherli Love & Affection, in the Hope of a glorious & joyfull Resurrection, consecrated this Monument.”

On the east end of this are the following words, in capitals:

"This Noble Ladie passinge the fewe & evil Dayes of her Pilgrimage heare in the Vale of Tears in the often Meditation of Death & thereby having learned to nomber her Dayes dyd applie her Hart to Wisdome, as appeared by manie holy Meditacions, and religious Observacions, which she in the Course of heareing & privat Reading of the holy Scriptures, had conceaved, & for her own Use and Comfort, under her own Hand had comited to Writinge & being now growen wearie of the Vanities and Vexacions of the present Lief, by the Instinct of God's good Spirit whereby she was fullie assured of his Love & Promises in Jesu, desired to be dissolved to be with Christ, & so havinge lived religiouslie, vertuouslie, and honorablie 43 years & of them 27 in holie & and unspotted Wedlocke, having Issue onlic Sir Francis Russell Kht. in the Invocation of Gods holie Name quietlic and sweetlie slepte in the Lord, the 12th Day of June 1611."

At a small distance westward of the last monument is a flat stone even with the pavement, which has three brass plates, on which are engraved the figures of three men; the inscription is to the memory of three antient and faithful servants in the family of Moryson.

On

On the north wall is a small monument, with the figure of a woman, (half size), kneeling before a book which is open. The inscription on a little tablet, on which the book fies, runs thus:

"I know that my Redeemer liveth & that I shall rise out of the earth, in the last Day & shal be covered again with my Skinn & shall see God in mie Flesh yea I my self, shall behould, him not with other but with thes same Eyes-Job. 19. 25. 26. 27. I am the Resurection and the Liffe & hee that beleeveth in me, yea though he, weare dead, yet shall, he live & who soe liveth & beleeveth in me, shall not die for ever-Jhan 11. 25, 26. Yff we beleeve that Jhesus is dead & resen, even so them which sleep in Jhesus, will God bring with him-1 Thess. 4. 14."

On the south wall, near the east window, is a large oval tablet of white marble, dedicated to the memory of admiral Forbes, who was interred here in March 1796. The inscription on his coffin plate and monument contains not only his titles and honourable descent, but also the pedigree of his wife, as follows:

"Near this Place are deposited, in the Vault of her Ancestors, the Remains of the Right Honourable LADY MARY FORBES Daughter of WILLIAM third EARL of ESSEX by the LADY JANE HYDE Daughter of HENRY, fourth EARL of CLARENDON, and EARL of ROCHESTER. To the natural Advantages of an agree able Person, and a good understanding rendered more amiable by a sweet Temper, and constant Chearfulness, she joined most of the elegant and useful Accomplishments in all the Relations of Life she acted from the best and purest Motives, her Inclinations always coinciding habitually with her Duty, affable with Dignity, polite without Affectation, and frank without Indiscretion, her whole Deportment was marked by the most exact Decency and Propriety, The ruling Passion of her Heart was Benevolence. To supply the Wants, and alleviate the Distresses, of her Fellow Creatures, seemed to be the great Business, and Pleasure of her Life; and to give her an Opportunity of doing an Act of Humanity, was always to confer an Obligation upon her. Secured by Religion, as well as Candour, against the mean Pasgions of Envy, Hatred, and Malice, she never listened to the

Tale of Slander, nor ever spread the Lie of Detraction. Her Conscience never reproached her with doing or even wishing III to others; and when injured herself, she was easy to be reconciled, and ready to forgive. Her soul was peculiarly formed for Friendship, exerting itself in affectionate Attentions and Acts of kindness, not to her Friends only, but even to the Friends of her Friends. She loved Hospitality, and all social Amnsements that made others happy: possessing herself such a Flow of Mirth and good humour as rendered her society always pleasing; but tempered by so just a Reserve, as to shew they sprung from a Mind perfectly innocent, and pure of evil Thoughts. In her religious Conduct, she was zealous without Bigotry, pious without Superstition, and devout without Ostentation; thus uniform in the discharge of her Duty both to God and Man, and supported by a Testimony of a good Conscience. She felt no Terrors at the Approach of Death, but rather a confident Hope, and joyful Expectation, of the Approbation of her gracious Redeemer, and just and merciful Judge. As it was the earnest Endeavour, and supreme Happiness of her Life, to do Good, the Design of this Inscription is to enable her to continue to do the same, even in the Grave, by preserving the Memory and Example of her fair Character; which will thereby remain an Ornament to the Illustriouse House from whence she was descended; the Pride and Boast of the Family which she left to lament her. And an Incitement to the present, and future Generations, to admire and emulate her excellent Virtues. She married September ii. MDCCLVIII, the Honourable JoHN FORBES, then a LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY, and since ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET, and GENERAL OF MARINES, son of George, third EARL OF GRANARD IN IRELAND, to whom she left two Twin Daughters, and died, alas! April ixth, MDCCLXXXII, in LXth Year of her Age.

How did the Good and Virtuous mourn,

And pour their Sorrows o'er her Urn."

Here is also a tablet of white marble to the memory of Jane, wife of John Bell, Esq. The inscription is by Dr.

Johnson.

In the churchyard is a large handsome building for a school, built and endowed by Mrs. Elizabeth Fuller, widow, for forty boys and twenty girls; the boys are taught

reading,

reading, writing, and arithmetic, and are partly clothed; the girls are taught reading, writing, and useful needle work, and are partly clothed. The school was built in 1704, in the lifetime of its foundress, who lived to see the school filled, or begun. Since her time, legacies have been left by three charitable persons; but yet the income is not sufficient to clothe the children completely; it is governed by nine trustees. In the school room is placed a wholelength painting of the foundress; the regulations of that lady for the government of the school are engrossed, framed, and hung up in the same room, and are ordered to be read by the master to the boys four times a year. Lady Morrison granted 30l. a year for preaching a lecture in Watford church every Tuesday morning before the market bell rings. Here are eight almshouses for so many poor widows, and two shillings a week, two hundred faggots, cloth for a gown, and new hats every year. Lady Dorothy Morrison also gave 50l. a year for putting out poor children of this parish yearly.

The market place is a long square building. The market is on Tuesday, for corn, cows, sheep, and hogs. There are two fairs in the year, one on the Tuesday after Trinity Sunday, and the other on the 9th of September; the latter is called the statute, and is for hiring of servants; but on both days toys are sold, &c. The principal manufac tory of this town is throwing of silk, for which there are three different buildings, two worked by horses and one by water. That which is worked by water is by far the largest. The river Coln runs at the back of Watford town, and through the bottom thereof; and, turning a little, may be seen from the houses on the other side of the town, and may be said in part to surround the town, in the vicinity of which it turns four mills, viz. a paper mill belonging to Mr. Lewin, called Bushey mill; a flour mill in the town of Watford, occupied by Mr. Henry Field; the silk mill, occupied by Mr. Paumier; and a paper mill, occupied by Mr. Lepard which is called Hamper mill.

The