In order
thereunto he rode severall times to the Lady Abbesse at Wilton to have
bought or exchanged a piece of ground of her ladyship to build a
church and houses for the priests. A poor woman at Quidhampton, that
was spinning in the street, sayd to one of her neighbours, "I marvell
what the matter is that the bishop makes so many visits to my lady; I
trow he intends to marry her." Well, the bishop and her ladyship did
not conclude about the land, and the bishop dreamt that the Virgin
Mary came to him, and brought him to or told him of Merrifield; she
would have him build his church there and dedicate it to her.
Merrifield was a great field or meadow where the city of New Sarum
stands, and did belong to the Bishop, as now the whole city belongs to
him.
This was about the latter end of King John's reigne, and the first
grant or diploma that ever King Henry the Third signed was that for
the building of our Ladies church at Salisbury. The Bishop sent for
architects from Italy, and they did not onely build that famous
structure, and the close, but layd out the streetes of the whole city:
which run parallell one to another, and the market-place-square in
the middle: whereas in other cities they were built by chance, and at
severall times.
I know but one citie besides in England that was designed and layd out
at once as this was; and that is Chichester: where, standing at the
market-crosse, you may see the four gates of the city.
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