1903 Archceology 165 



croup, whooping-cough, &c, in the font, fully believing that 

 healing would take place; but, as mishaps will happen, the 

 healing in some cases resulted in death — either from suffoca- 

 tion or neglect. To prevent such mishaps a Constitution of 

 Edmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1236, first required 

 that every font should be covered and locked. The ancient 

 cover is lost ; but a modern flat wooden cover, octagonal in 

 shape (perhaps the original shape), takes its place. 



Standing at or near the font, and looking in front right 

 and left, one is sure to notice the cumbersome oak benches 

 in the nave. At first sight they appear to be ungainly 

 and uninteresting, but on closer examination you will 

 detect interesting marks of the adze at the curves of the 

 finals. Further, you will observe that the benches are 

 raised from the floor on oak blocks 6 inches high, and 

 without these blocks the seats are only 12 inches (instead 

 of the usual 18 inches) high — too low to sit upon com- 

 fortably ; moreover, the (what are now) book-rests at the 

 backs of the benches are only 17 inches (instead of the 

 usual 22 inches) high. These measurements suggest that 

 the benches were not originally used only for sitting pur- 

 poses : they were prie dieux — i.e., the Templars being 

 soldiers observed the standing posture during worship, 

 and only bent their knees on the shelves at the backs of 

 the benches before them, and rested their bodies on the 

 seats behind them. In Eastern churches the nave is 

 still without chairs or benches, and the congregation still 

 stand or kneel during public service. Isaiah had said, 

 ; 'That unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall 

 swear." Also St Paul had said, " As I live, saith the 

 Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue 

 shall confess to God." (Compare Philip, ii. 10 ; Ephes. 

 iii. 14.) The workmanship of the said benches is very rude 

 and unfinished, suggesting amateur workmen. Who but 

 the Templars themselves could have been working at these 

 benches ? It was a strict rule of the Templars never to 

 be idle, therefore it may be their work at odd moments. 



Advancing towards the chancel arch from the west end, 

 one sees the doorway to the rood-loft. This rood-loft 

 canted over the nave, and afforded space for a narrow 

 gallery along the top: the place where the rood-beam rested 



