174 Internal Affairs of the Company. 



spiritual connection to St. Vedast/ The custom 

 of having a Chaplain, whose office it now is to 

 preach the Election Sermon before the Com- 

 pany, dates at least as far back as a.d. 1398, 

 when Richard II. granted to the Company in 

 his Charter to have " one Chaplain to celebrate 

 divine service for our healthfull estate while we 

 live, and for our souls when we shall have 

 migrated from this light, and for the estate and 

 souls of the men of the mystery and commonalty 

 aforesaid, and for the souls of all the faithful 

 dead for ever." 



The frequent allusion to burials recalls a 



custom of some interest. Upon the death of 



a brother or sister of the fraternity, the body 



was taken into the Common Hall and there 



^, ^ , covered with the Company.s State 



1 he Company s ^ -^ 



Pall or Burial Pall or Herse-Cloth. In ancient 



Cloth. . 1 r 1 



times, we learn irom the convention 

 already referred to that the interment took 

 place in the cemetery of the Convent of St. 

 Martin's ; subsequently the precincts of St. 

 Vedast afforded a resting-place for the remains 

 of departed members. The whole Company 

 appear to have been summoned to 

 the funeral ; the ordinances of Eliza- 

 beth imposed a fine of sixpence for late attend- 

 ance at, and of twelve pence for total absence 

 from a burial; the ordinances of 1608 increased 



^ St. Vedast, which adjoins Saddlers' Hall, abuts on the site 

 of the old Sanctuary of St. Martin's. 



i 



