248 



Bishops of Old Sarum. 



vowed tKat he would give a gold Text 1 set with precious stones, 

 and also relics of divers saints for the service of the church. And 

 in accordance with this vow, a short time after, Luke Dean of S. 

 Martin's London, and Thomas Kent, described as " clerks of the 

 Justiciary/'' brought the promised Text and offered it on the altar. 

 By order of the Bishop and Canons then present, it was then de- 

 livered to the Treasurer to be kept in safety. 



Three months afterwards — at Christmas-tide 1225 — the King 

 came again to the cathedral, and there, on Holy Innocents Day, 

 offered a gold cup of the weight of ten marks, together with a gold 

 ring adorned with a ruby ; commanding that the precious stone and 

 the gold of the ring should be applied to the enrichment of the 

 Text which had been the gift of his Justiciary. At the same time 

 the Text itself was brought out, and again offered with much devotion 

 upon the altar. 



On the following Sunday the Bishop obtained consent from his 

 Chapter that the new chapel and altar should remain in his custody 

 for the seven years then next ensuing, and that the offerings, except 

 such as might be given specially for " ornaments/'' should be devoted 

 to the fabric fund. After the seven years all was to be paid over to 

 the Treasurer, and the proceeds applied to the common use. And 

 as regards the general management, the Bishop committed every- 

 thing to the care of Elias de Derham, in whom he reposed the 

 greatest confidence. 2 



1 The Textus, or Evangelarium, a codex containing the four gospels, whence the 

 Anglo-Saxons called it " Christ' s-Book," was always beautiful, often magnificent. 

 Sometimes not a few of its leaves were dyed purple, whereon the writing was 

 traced in gold or silver characters, and many a page glowed with elaborate and 

 dazzling illuminations. Sheets of gold studded with pearls and precious 

 stones were not thought too good for its binding. In the thirteenth century 

 there were belonging to the Cathedral at Old Sarum, according to the " Old 

 Register" (fol. 84), " Textus unus aureus magnus continens saphiros xx. et sma- 

 ragdos vi. et thopazios viii. et alemandinas xviii. et gernettas xiii. et perlas xii. 

 Item Textus unus parvus, cum imagine beatse Marise cum lapidibus xix. Item 

 Texti quatuor cooperti argento, deaurati omnes praeter unum," &c. Rock's 

 Church of Our Fathers, iv., 32. Maskell's Mon. Rit., L, liij. 



2 In Hatcher and Benson, p. 600 it is stated that Elias de Derham, of whom we 

 have already spoken as having been " Rector " (= director) of the cathedral for 



