sanctuary. [1] The actual fabric of most of the churches was seriously in decay ; many wanted new lead for the roof, where the rain came in ; pillars and buttresses were crumbling, walls sometimes black with mois- ture, and seventy-four at least had one or more of the windows broken and dammed up with boards or straw. The pavements were sunk and uneven ; huge funeral monuments darkened the windows which remained unbroken. Only in four cases, [2] it should be mentioned, was the altar out of its proper place, and only in two were the rails abso- lutely wanting : what the visitors had to deal with was a general disorder and decay.[3]
Their requirements may be briefly summed up. Actual decay and ruin must of course be repaired ; but beyond this a minimum of uni- formity was desired, which most Churchmen of the present day would think very moderate. The pews must be reduced to one level,[4] and the eastern benches transformed from seats into desks ; the walls must be whitewashed and painted with sentences from Holy Scripture ; the communion table must be in good condition,[5] and stand altar-wise against the wall, covered with a ' carpet,' if possible of silk, and fringed [6] ; over it [7] must hang not the King's arms, [8] nor some gentle- man's arms,[9] but the Ten Commandments neatly framed. The rails must extend from wall to wall, and a kneeling-bench must be placed below them that the communicants might have no excuse for stand- ing. The pulpit must have a cushion upon it ' well stuffed with feathers,' and provided with tassels, and a fringed cloth to match the carpet.' There must be a surplice and a hood for the priest, a linen cloth and napkin for the altar, a chalice with a cover, a flagon, a bier and a hearse cloth. Every church must possess, as well as the Bible and service book, a copy of the canons and the homilies, and
- ↑ This was noticed at Iver, Great Marlow, Swanbourne, Lillingstone Dayrell, Thornton (where there was also an elder tree growing on the roof of the church), Datchet, Langley Marish.
- ↑ At Hardwick and Swanbourne the table was not set altarwise : at Kingsey it had benches all round it : at Buckland and Bow Brickhill Chapel it stood out in the chancel quite away from the wall.
- ↑ Those who may think this picture overdrawn are invited to read the original. It is rather difficult to fix on the very worst church for description, but perhaps Wyrardisbury may be selected as one of the worst. There were two windows dammed up in the chancel and several in the north aisle, and all were broken in the glass : the south aisle seemed to have been removed altogether ; the church needed ceiling, the roof was in such decay that the snow came in, except where Mr. Bulstrode, the proprietor of the north aisle, had mended the leads and laid on new tiles ; the steeple was in great decay, braced with timber and iron pins ; the frames of the bells were broken so that they could not be rung. The churchwardens had not passed the accounts lately ; there were seats built too high and without license ; the door-keeper and others were often absent on holy days, and many kept on their hats in prayer and sermon time.
- ↑ The pew of Sir John Parsons at Langley Marish deserves description ; it was built on the roof of a vault, nine steps up from the church floor ; seven feet high and seven yards long, covered overhead, with eight lattice windows towards the church ; having a door in the church and one into the churchyard ; surely a delightfully exclusive place, where a man might worship (or slumber) according to his own inward inspiration.
- ↑ The numerous orders for new tables to be made looks as if they were not in good condition in some cases.
- ↑ In cases where the orders are most explicit, the carpet is ordered to be of green ; and the fringe seems to have been de rigueur.
- ↑ Or on either side.
- ↑ The proper place for these was apparently over the partition between church and chancel.
- ↑ Private arms hung over the altar at Caversfield and Barton Hartshorn.
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