4 
SACRIST’S ROLL OF LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL. 137 
supposed to be quite so old as the time of S. Chad, it is ofa most venerable 
age, having been transferred from the Cathedral Church of Llandaff to that of 
Lichfield, early in the tenth century. The best judges consider it, we believe, 
to have been written in the ninth century. It contains the gospels of St. 
Matthew and Mark, and part of that of S. Luke. Fora collation of this 
text, from fhe pen of the Right Rev. Bishop Abraham, see the Re/iguary, vol. 
xvii. This MS., when perfect, was probably a complete Gospeller; and the 
second volume mentioned in the inveatory would most likely be an Epistolar. 
65. We are unable to find anything respecting this Nicholas de Polesworth. 
66. Irons or tongs for stamping and cutting out the wafers for Holy 
Communion. The old English names for these were ‘‘obleys” and 
_ “wafers ;” they were not termed “hosts ” till after the consecration. 
67. Iron was much more used in medieval times for church purposes, than 
_ is usually supposed. The Inventory of Old S. Paul’s, taken in 1295, mentions 
three iron chairs, one iron chair with gilt heads and knobs, ‘‘ which is the 
_ Cantor’s,” and two other iron chairs. 
68. Possibly it had a roof-shaped top, and the choir boys used to ride on 
it. Whocan tell ? 
69. Candelabrum Paschale (the Paschal Candlestick). This was a large 
candlestick, placed on the north side of the altar, holding a large wax candle, 
which was lighted during mass and vespers from Holy Saturday till Ascension 
Day. It was often of an enormous size, reaching nearly to the vaulting of the 
choir, as was anciently the case at Durham, where the taper had to be lighted 
through an opening in the roof. From its being in three pieces here it must 
have had a considerable altitude. 
70, William de Lenton was Sacrist and immediate predecessor of Roger le 
Mareschall. 
71. Elias de Napton was for sometime Prebendary of Eccleshall, and was 
Archdeacon of Derby, 1281-1311. 
72. Probably a corona /ucis, possibly representing the tongues of fire. 
73. Sir John de Polesworth was perhaps a Chantry priest of the Cathedral, 
as his name does not occur among the Prebendaries. 
74, The word feretrum is used here in its primary sense of “bier.” 
75. Ralph de Holbeach held the Prebendary of Ruiton 1305-1322, and 
_ of Gaia Major 1322-1338. In 1322 he was also Vicar-General of the 
Diocese. 
76. The Auricularium was the altar cushion on which the missal rested ; the 
_ guisson (variously spelt) of old inventories, usually meant a kneeling cushion. 
* Those who now-a-days use north and south altar cushions in churches, are 
probably not aware that these are the direct descendants of the ancient 
altar cushions of pre-Reformation use. An altar-cushion for the book was used 
by Bishop Andrewes and others in the 17th century. 
