[1] A fear of the restitution of these abbey-lands to their former
uses appears to have prevailed long after their alienation. So late
as in the reign of James the First, the founder of Dulwich College,
in a dispute respecting the land, observes hypothetically--"If the
State should be at any time pleased to returne all abbey lands to
their former use, I must lose Dulwich, for which I have paid now
5000_l._" At a later revolution, when the bishops' lands were seized
on by the parliamentarians, many obtained those lands at easy rates,
or at no rate at all; the greater part reverted, but, if I am not
misinformed, there are still descendants of some of these
parliamentarians who hold estates without title-deeds.
[2] See an abstract from one of his Proclamations in "Curiosities of
Literature," vol. iii. p. 373.--ED.
[3] This alludes to the well-known story of the old priest, who
having blunderingly used _mumpsimus_ for _sumpsimus_, would never be
put right, alleging that "he hated all novelties."