HERMITS, FORDS, AND BRIDGE-CHAPELS. 55 



(I was strangely reminded some time ago of this old-world state 

 of things when crossing the fields between Wallingford and Ben- 

 sington ; the footpath led me to the siile of tlie Thames ; the ferry- 

 boat was moored on the other side ; there was no visible attendant, 

 and the cottages were at some distance beyond the boat. After 

 straining my voice in vain, and beginning to think of returning to 

 Wallingford, I saw a large iron cow-bell (much the shape of the 

 old four-sided saints' bells of Ireland), suspended by a chain to a 

 post by the river side. A vigorous peal had the desired effect ; a 

 cottage door opened, and in a few more minutes I was safely 

 landed on the Bensington shore by the modern " hermit " of the 

 ferry.) 



S. Christopher was considered an efficacious medium against 

 fire and flood ; and if his frescoes were so common in our parish 

 churches in the middle ages, and placed in the most conspicuous 

 position on the walls (very frequently on the north wall, opposite 

 the main entrance), how much more must his stalwart figure — so 

 potent against disasters by water — have confronted the traveller in 

 the old ford chapels. The monitory legend usually painted beneath 

 ran thus : — 



'^ Cri.fiitofori facicm \s\t q;uacxin(jxtp tueriiS," 



" $Ua nempe l>te inortt^ mala non nmrifrtjEi." i.e., 



" On whatsoever day thou dost behold the face of Christopher 

 E'en so upon that day thou shalt not die an evil death." 



The duties of the hermit of a ford seem to have been undertaken 

 "ad majorem Dei gloriam," and t'T^ office was accordingly assumed 

 with much solemnity. The Pontifical of Abp. Bainbridge of 

 York, A D. 1508 — 14, gives a special office for the benediction of 

 a recluse and his dwelling. Perhaps the following extract from 

 the Episcopal archives of Ely, which have been recently indexed at 

 the charge of Lord Alwyn Compton, the present Bishop, (would 

 that others would follow his most laudable example !), will give a 

 better insight into the mediaeval management of bridges than any 

 words of mine could convey. 



