ort of Sir Francis Bacon, who acted as his
counsel. While the suit was still pending, this eminent but corrupt
lawyer wrote a lengthy and specious letter to King James, setting forth
objections to the proposed scheme, and hinting in effect that if the
will were set aside the King might himself obtain considerable influence
in the disposal of the property. The Courts decided against Baxter,
though this decision was not arrived at until after the governors had
made largesse to the King. They handed over to James the large sum of
L10,000, setting out that the grant was for the purpose of repairing
Berwick Bridge, then "much ruinated or rather utterly decayed." The King
received this offering, says Smythe, in a very delicate way.[69] It was,
in point of fact, nothing more nor less than a bribe, though entered by
the Treasury among "Sums of money extraordinarily raised since the
coming of His Majesty to the Crown." The whole transaction sheds a
sinister light on the customs of the period, for it is not likely that
Sutton's executors would have parted with so large a sum had they not
been apprehensive of losing the whole, a fear which no doubt quickened
their solicitude for the safety of Berwick Bridge. After this, the
organization of the foundation proceeded without further trouble, and on
December 12th, 1614, the body of Sutton was transferred from Christ
Church, Newgate Street, where it had rested since his death, to the
elaborate tomb prepared for it in the chapel of the new house where it
still rests.

The governors found much work ready to their hand. The buildings had to
be rendered suitable for the habitation of pensioners and scholars, and
a constitution for the institution had to be prepared. The buildings, as
we have seen, had been erected for an entirely different purpose. The
Duke of Norfolk's house, with the outbuildings, stables and farmyard,
were the materials which the governors had to utilise. It is a matter
for which the antiquary must be grateful, that in dealing with this mass
of sixteenth century building they did their best to preserve it, and
succeeded so well that it remains to the present day. Twenty-one
pensioners or "Pore Bretheren" were elected as the first recipients of
the charity, but in 1613 the number was raised to eighty, as
contemplated by Sutton. Forty scholars were also selected and placed
under the care of a schoolmaster and an usher. Those elected pensioners
were to be

"no rogue