274 Cathedral Life and Work at Sarum in Olden Times. 



Notwithstanding that the staff of vicars was so large, their work 

 must have been very laborious. The services " which they were re- 

 quired to attend" were all but incessant. No less than thirteen vicars 

 were required to be present each morning at the celebration of the 

 daily mass of the Blessed Virgin, as well as twenty -six, as has been 

 already mentioned, (thirteen from each side of the choir,) at the 

 other services. 



Of the cathedral statutes no less than nine or ten have reference 

 to the Vicars. They were to be nominated by the canon whose 

 vicars they were, and to be duly appointed, after examination, by 

 the Dean. They were so appointed, first of all, for one year, at the 

 end of which they were again examined, and this time more especially 

 in their knowledge of the psalter by heart, in accordance with their 

 promise on first admission — C( Psalterium bene addiscam infra annum. 33 

 Minute directions are given as to their " habit," in choir or out of it. 

 Restrictions were placed on their movements; the younger ones 

 were not permitted to go into the city without permission of the 

 Dean ; the gates of the close were shut at seven o'clock, and no 

 Vicar was permitted to leave it "post pulsatum ignitegium S. Ed- 

 wiundi" — after the ringing of the curfew at St. Edmund's Church. 

 They were forbidden without leave either to go to the house of 

 strangers, or to receive strangers within their own houses. They 

 were not allowed to carry arms within the Close, or to " play at 

 ball" within the precincts of their common hall. Holy Scripture 

 was to be read to such of them as took their meals together, and, 

 after grace was said, in the intervals of such reading only Latin was 

 to be spoken. They were not allowed to hold any benefice in con- 

 nexion with their office, and those who accepted any such appoint- 

 ment were either compelled to surrender it again, or to retire from 

 the cathedral. Thus, in 1405, one William Mellys had to resign the 

 vicarage of St. Peter's, Old Sarum, as incompatible with his duties 

 as a Vicar Choral. And for payment they received from their re- 

 spective canons — a Priest 40.?., a Deacon 30s., and a Sub-Deacon 

 26s. Sd.j payments which were supplemented (as has been already 

 intimated) with grants from the common fund. And more than 

 once in the cathedral statutes are they warned of the consequences 



