XXIV REPORT. 
These various inventories, though ostensibly taken with the object of 
stopping the appropriation of church goods to secular purposes, themselves 
bear witness to the contrary by the numerous cases reported of the application 
of proceeds to parochial purposes. The Commission, however, of the last 
year of Edward VI. was made for the direct and sole purpose of robbery pure 
and simple on the part of the Crown—the commissioners being directed to 
seize everything of value, but to leave ‘‘ one, two, or more chalices or cuppes 
according to the multitude of people.” In our county one chalice was deemed 
sufficient for each parish, and in a few instances a paten also is specially 
named ; though it seems almost certain, as I have before remarked, that the 
mention .of chalice implied an accompanying paten. It might be expected 
that some of these chalices would have escaped destruction, but, alas! the 
number of medieval chalices so far known to remain in all England does not 
reach a dozen. The reason is that Edward VI.’s injunctions ordered the 
destruction of all monuments of superstition, and Protestant zeal, too often 
the disguise for personal gain. would certainly include amongst them many of 
the vessels used at the Mass, especially when marked with sacred symbols. 
Hence we find in many cases entries in the churchwarden’s accounts relating 
how the chalices have been made into ‘‘communion cups.” The changes of 
Queen Mary’s reign, nevertheless, followed so closely upon the heels of this 
” 
‘reformation,’ that many of the old chalices were again brought into use, 
and the new communion cups were frequently reconverted into chalices. 
Elizabeth’s reign, however, dealt a most severe blow at our old plate, for the 
injunctions were again enforced, and several of the bishops’ visitation articles 
have such questions as this from Archbishop Parker, in 1569 :—- 
“Whether they do minister in any prophane cuppes, bowles, dishes, or 
chalices, heretofore used at Masse, or els in a decent communion cuppe 
provided and kept for that purpose only.” 
The few Edwardian cups that have been preserved are all of similar design. 
They are plain standing cups with bell-shaped bowls, and a conical stem 
without knops, and with simple moulded bands. It is doubtful if we have an 
instance in Derbyshire. 
Of Elizabethan cups there are very many examples. Mr. Octavius Morgan 
thus describes the general type as compared with the old English shape :— 
‘* The chalice still consisted of the same parts, bowl, stem, and foot, 
though I have known two instances in small parishes where the chalices 
consist of the cup only, without stem or foot. The stem, although altered in 
form and character, still swells out in the middle into a small knob, or the 
rudiments of one, and is occasionally ornamented with small bands of a 
lozenge-shaped ornament, or some other such simple pattern, and the foot is 
invariably round instead of indented or angular. The form of the cup, how- 
ever, 1s altogether changed, and instead of being a shallow, wide bowl, it is 
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