540 On an Altar Stone found at Coldingham, by J. Hardy. 



piece, to denote the unity of Christ's person;" this " Mensa, or 

 upper immovable slab of stone of one piece, was laid on a cube 

 of stone-work in the altar " (p. 374). Eosbroke (Encyclop. of 

 Antiq. i. p. 94) says that "the authentic mark of an altar-table 

 was its five crosses." These signify the five wounds of our Lord. 

 (Shipley's Gloss, of Ecclesiastical Terms, p. 21). 



The precise number of altars in the church of the Priory of 

 Coldingham at the Eeformation is uncertain. The popular 

 tradition is that five priests preached in it at once, without incom- 

 moding each others' hearers ; but as preaching was unusual, it 

 must have meant five priests celebrating. We know that the 

 church had two officiating chaplains. The tradition is at least a 

 testimony to the former great extent of the fabric. By an item 

 in the Accounts of the monastery for 1344, we are made aware 

 that there were then three altars. A covering, or some sort of 

 canopy, had then been acquired for the three altars, and this, 

 along with the salary of the carpenter covering them, cost three 

 shillings (Inventories and Account Eolls of Coldingham, p. cvii., 

 note). In the Account Eolls we frequently meet with mention of 

 the high altar. -It was upon the high altar, that at a very early 

 period, King Edgar placed the symbols of investiture of the 

 whole village of Swinton, which he had bestowed on the Colding- 

 ham monks (Coldingham Charters, No. iv.) Eeceipts for the 

 altarage occur now and again. In 1368, three towels are entered 

 for the high altar; but in 1371, 1372, 1373, and 1374, we have 

 three pairs of "towelys " for covering the altars. In 1371, the 

 high altar had a cloth (pannus) of "Arasweryk" (tapestry made 

 at Arras, inElanders) ; and in 1373, in addition, two white cloths 

 for the same during Lent. Two iron candelabra stood before it. 

 The " paxbred " at that date was of silver. In 1374, the high 

 altar had a " dorsal," or cloth, hanging at the back of the altar. 

 In 1376, a "frounteylle," a pall for hanging in front, was pro- 

 cured for the high altar. In 1446, there were in the church two 

 " twelde " towels, with two "frontels" of silk, with gilt arms on 

 the same, for covering altars ; also, two other towels for 

 covering altars, with two frontals for the same. These four 

 frontals appear to indicate four altars at that date. There is a 

 separate entry in 1374 of there being in "the chapel," a gilt cup 

 with two towels, for the altar. In 1 446, there were two " super- 

 altaria," "portable altar stones set up into portable altar frames ;" 



