a visit of inspection to Chatham as Secretary to
the Admiralty, tells, in his diary, how he went on to Rochester and
"there saw the Cathedrall, which is now fitting for use, and the organ
then a-tuning." The church must have been in a very bad state, for the
dean and chapter reported to the bishop, in 1662, that the repairs that
they had already executed had cost them L8,000, and that the defects
still remaining in the fabric would need a further expenditure of not
less than L5,000 to make them good. They said that they were unable to
raise this sum themselves, but they remitted a quarter of the arrears
due to them towards it. The under steward, Sir Henry Selby, gave up his
salary for as long as should be thought fit; and several donations are
recorded in the minute books, with the donors' names.

At this time Mr. Peter Stowell paved with freestone a great part of the
body of the church, from the west door to the choir steps, at a cost of
L100. This had been rendered necessary, probably, by the saw-pits
mentioned above. He also recovered at his own expense the iron frame for
the pulpit hour glass, and got back many books, records, etc., belonging
to the church that were in the custody of Mr. Duke, of Aylesford. Under
the Commonwealth, Stowell had for his loyalty suffered fine and
imprisonment. He was joint registrar to the bishops from 1629 until his
death in 1671, and was buried in the cathedral.

In 1664 the south aisle of the nave was re-cased, and in 1670 an
agreement was made with Robert Cable, to take down a length of 40 feet
of the north aisle wall and re-erect it from the ground.

During the reign of King Charles II. two remarkable funerals took place
in the cathedral. The earlier of these was that of Cossuma Albertus,
Prince of Transylvania, who, having been driven out by the Germans, came
to Charles II. for succour. He is said to have been kindly received and
given a sufficient maintenance. This prince was approaching Rochester on
the 15th of October, 1661, when his chariot stuck fast in the mire
within a mile of Strood, probably at Gad's Hill ("that woody and high
old robbing hill," as our Norwich officer called it). He resolved to
sleep in his coach, and was there killed, with his own hanger, and
plundered by his coachman, Isaac Jacob, alias Jacques, a Jew, and his
footman Casimirus Kausagi. The murderers were afterwards caught in
London, and executed, the footman having confessed. Cossuma's body was
foun