ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



sanctuary. 1 The actual fabric of most of the churches was seriously in 

 decay ; many wanted new lead for the roof, where the rain came in ; 

 pillars and buttresses were crumbling, walls sometimes black with mois- 

 ture, and seventy-four at least had one or more of the windows broken 

 and dammed up with boards or straw. The pavements were sunk and 

 uneven ; huge funeral monuments darkened the windows which 

 remained unbroken. Only in four cases, 1 it should be mentioned, was 

 the altar out of its proper place, and only in two were the rails abso- 

 lutely wanting : what the visitors had to deal with was a general disorder 

 and decay. 3 



Their requirements may be briefly summed up. Actual decay and 

 ruin must of course be repaired ; but beyond this a minimum of uni- 

 formity was desired, which most Churchmen of the present day would 

 think very moderate. The pews must be reduced to one level, 4 and the 

 eastern benches transformed from seats into desks ; the walls must be 

 whitewashed and painted with sentences from Holy Scripture ; the 

 communion table must be in good condition, 6 and stand altar-wise 

 against the wall, covered with a ' carpet,' if possible of silk, and 

 fringed " ; over it 7 must hang not the King's arms, 8 nor some gentle- 

 man's arms, 9 but the Ten Commandments neatly framed. The rails 

 must extend from wall to wall, and a kneeling-bench must be placed 

 below them that the communicants might have no excuse for stand- 

 ing. The pulpit must have a cushion upon it ' well stuffed with 

 feathers,' and provided with tassels, and a fringed cloth to match the 

 * carpet.' There must be a surplice and a hood for the priest, a 

 linen cloth and napkin for the altar, a chalice with a cover, a flagon, 

 a bier and a hearse cloth. Every church must possess, as well as the 

 Bible and service book, a copy of the canons and the homilies, and 



1 This was noticed at Iver, Great Marlow, Swanbourne, Lillingstone Dayrell, Thornton (where 

 there was also an elder tree growing on the roof of the church), Datchet, Langley Marish. 



1 At Hardwick and Swanbourne the table was not set altarwise : at Kingsey it had benches all round 

 it : at Buckland and Bow Brickhill Chapel it stood out in the chancel quite away from the wall. 



3 Those who may think this picture overdrawn are invited to read the original. It is rather diffi- 

 cult to fix on the very worst church for description, but perhaps Wyrardisbury may be selected as one 

 of the worst. There were two windows dammed up in the chancel and several in the north aisle, and 

 all were broken in the glass : the south aisle seemed to have been removed altogether ; the church needed 

 ceiling, the roof was in such decay that the snow came in, except where Mr. Bulstrode, the proprietor 

 of the north aisle, had mended the leads and laid on new tiles ; the steeple was in great decay, braced 

 with timber and iron pins ; the frames of the bells were broken so that they could not be rung. The 

 churchwardens had not passed the accounts lately ; there were seats built too high and without license ; 

 the door-keeper and others were often absent on holy days, and many kept on their hats in prayer and 

 sermon time. 



4 The pew of Sir John Parsons at Langley Marish deserves description ; it was built on the roof of 

 a vault, nine steps up from the church floor ; seven feet high and seven yards long, covered overhead, 

 with eight lattice windows towards the church ; having a door in the church and one into the church- 

 yard ; surely a delightfully exclusive place, where a man might worship (or slumber) according to his own 

 inward inspiration. 



5 The numerous orders for new tables to be made looks as if they were not in good condition in 

 some cases. 



8 In cases where the orders are most explicit, the carpet is ordered to be of green ; and the fringe 

 seems to have been de rigueur. 



7 Or on either side. 



8 The proper place for these was apparently over the partition between church and chancel. 



9 Private arms hung over the altar at Caversfield and Barton Hartshorn. 



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