158 The Story of a Prebendal Stall at Sarum. 



Treasurer providing the necessary u ornaments ** for its elaborate 

 worship. There was also the theological school, with the Chan- 

 cellor at its head, giving his regular course of lectures, and 

 instructing the younger canons, and others, in divinity. There also 

 was to be the choristers' school, a special canon residentiary being 

 c harged with providing for their maintenance and instruction. 

 There was, in short, to be the home, from time to time, of all who 

 were members of the cathedral body. The canons had their specific 

 work to do, and, if they did it, they certainly had little opportunity 

 of dreaming away their time in simply doing dignity. With the 

 Bishop at their head — the mother-church deriving its distinctive 

 name from the "cathedra" or "seat" of the Bishop — they formed 

 members of one household, each with their well-defined duties, and 

 all banded together by the common worship of the holy and beautiful 

 house, in which day by day, and seven times each day, they met for 

 the worship of Almighty God. 



And with this central worship, and education, and preaching of 

 God's Word, was combined the carrying forth as from a fountain- 

 head the streams of spiritual life to the whole diocese, and especially 

 to those parishes which, as " prebends," were connected with the 

 Cathedral. For you must always bear in mind that every canon, in 

 addition to his work in the cathedral, was charged with special 

 duties as regards his "prebend." These prebendal estates or parishes 

 were for the most part, though not wholly, scattered throughout the 

 diocese. On each such estate there was a house of residence with a 

 familia, and usually a church, either served by the canon, or by 

 some one appointed by him. In fact he was responsible for the 

 spiritual as well as temporal well-being of the parish, for the ap- 

 pointment of the pastor, the education of the poor, the condition of 

 the labourer. On that prebend he lived, and there also he worked, 

 save at such times as he came to the cathedral for his appointed 

 term of residence ; so that each prebend became, in a faithful carrying 

 out of the cathedral system, the centre not only of the civilization 

 but also of the christianizing of each district. To my mind the idea 

 is a beautiful one ; it reminds one of the old Priests and Levites, each 

 going up in the order of their course to the Temple at Jerusalem, 



