peesident's address. 131 



PERPENDICULAR RENOVATIONS. 



It was for a long time a puzzle to me why we had so many 

 churches showing such a great prevalence of Perpendicular 

 work, either with pointed or, as in many small churches, with 

 square-headed windows of the same date, also with arcades of 

 4-centered arches, and again in later times of 5-centered arches. 

 This puzzle has now been cleared away, and, like many others, 

 had its answer under one's eyes, if only one would have taken 

 the trouble to appreciate the cause. The first hint, I obtained 

 from the review of a book in the Athenceum newspaper. The 

 book reviewed is one by Francis Aidan Q-asquet, D.D., pub- 

 lished in 1893, and called " The Great Pestilence, A.D. 1348-9." 

 This book gives an account of the spread and effects of the 

 pestilence of that date, which afterwards became known as 

 the Black Death. I gather from this book enough to show my 

 meaning : — 



The Pestilence first reached England about August, 1348. 

 It appeared at Melcombe Uegis in the month of August, and 

 spread along the coast by means of ships, and along the lines of 

 pack-communications inland. It originally came from the East 

 in ships, reaching Venice and Marseilles about the same time, 

 passing through France to England. It caused death in a 

 sudden way ; men well in the morning were dead at mid-day ; 

 few lived to the third or fourth day, a few lived through an 

 attack. One of the best ways of getting at the numbers who 

 died is by referring to the Bishops' registers, which record the 

 institutions to all vacant benefices, but do not contain the 

 vacancies amongst the curates or chaplains, which would 

 probably double the number of clergy who died. The Patent 

 Eolls record the presentations to crown livings, not only the King's 

 own, but those to which he appointed as guardian of minors, and 

 those belonging to alien houses which he had seized during his 

 foreign wars. From January to May, the King presented to 42 

 livings ; to 36 during the next four months, averaging below 

 10 each month ; the yearly average would be below 100. From 

 September to December he presented to 81 ; in 1349 from January 

 25th to May, 249 ; from June to the middle of September, 440 • 

 and from that date to the middle of January, 1350, 205, a total 



