By the Rev. Canon W. H, Rich Jones. 



161 



"provided " to their stalls by Pope Clement V. ; whilst no less than 

 seventeen prebendaries, a treasurer, a precentor, and an archdeacon, 

 had been "provided" by Pope John XXII. himself; and more than 

 this— for, bitterest woe of all, there were eight others who were " ex- 

 pectant " canons — that is, canons to whom the same Pope, in his 

 fatherly care of the church of Sarum, had granted the right of 

 succession to stalls as they became vacant. A dismal prospect, 

 indeed ! for of all the canons 60 appointed only some three were 

 resident. Our Bishop braced himself to the task, arduous as it was, 

 of grappling with these evils. His predecessor, Simon of Ghent, 

 had refused installation to Reymond de la Goth, a cardinal, who 

 had been provided to the deanery by Pope Clement V., on the 

 ground that the chapter of Sarum had the undoubted right of 

 electing their own dean, but had been forced at last to yield to the 

 overpowering influence of Rome. But Bishop Roger de Mortival, 

 though bound to accept the dean, took care that he should perform 

 his duties, and so issued his mandate to him, " cardinal " though he 

 was, to appear before him on a given day, in the chapter-house, to 

 account for his non-residence. In like manner he summoned the 

 Archdeacon of Berks for non-residence, and for perjury ! One entry 

 in the Mortival Register has more than once amused me. It is 

 headed " Indulgentia audientibus prcedicationes canojiicorum " (In- 

 dulgence to those who listen to the sermons of the canons). I know 

 not whether the " indulgence " was necessary because of the heavy 

 oratory of the canons, or the unreasonable length of their discourses. 

 In those days people had to stand to hear sermons, just as they do 

 in the Greek Church now, and in no ancient cathedral will you find 

 any original arrangement for seats in the nave. So that the in- 

 fliction, if such it were, would have to be bravely endured, and could 

 • not be palliated, as it is sometimes in these days of ours, by the 

 softening influences of slumber. 



On the advancement of Roger de Mortival to the see of Sarum 

 — I may mention, by the way, in passing, that to him we owe our 

 statutes — he of course vacated his prebend. This was bestowed by 

 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Walter Reynolds, during the vacancy 

 of the see, on Gilbert de Middleton. He was not unknown in 



