CHAPTER II

CHURCH FURNITURE

The furniture of a London church was elaborate to a degree which astonishes those accustomed to a simple Anglican ritual. It would also, I believe, astonish the modern Catholic priest when he thinks of his own village church. The Book of the _Visitation of Churches belonging to St. Paul’s Cathedral in 1297 and in 1458_ (Camden Society, edited by W. Sparrow Simpson, D.D.) enables us to understand the extent and the wealth of these churches. The font, of which many specimens still remain, was generally of stone, but sometimes of marble, and sometimes of wood. It was kept locked lest the consecrated water should be used for superstitious purposes. The water was changed every week. The altar was sometimes of stone; when it was of wood a superaltar of marble or stone or jasper, with feet of silver, was placed upon it. An altar frontal was generally found, sometimes of carved wood, sometimes of embroidered work. On the altar were two chalices, one of silver or silver-gilt, and one of tin; there was a small cross, called _crux parva_, to distinguish it from the rood; there were _phialæ_ and a _ferrum_ or stamp for stamping the altar bread with the letters XPC, IHC, DS. There was a _pix_ or tabernacle for the reservation of the Eucharist. This was sometimes a very beautiful casket of glass, ivory, copper, silver, or enamel, hanging over the altar with canopies. There was the _crismatorium_, with its oil for the sick; there were the carpets before the altar; the curtains and the veils. There were various kinds of candlesticks and candelabra of copper, brass, pewter, or even of wood. The expenses of the lights were defrayed by a kind of rate. A tenant who had a cow paid 12d. a year, one who had an ewe paid 2d., one who had a wether 1d., and the possessor of a sow 2d. Of bells there were those hanging in the tower, and the small hand-bells rung at funerals and at masses. There was a processional cross; there were banners; the lectern had its hangings; there were chests for the reception of the robes and relics; there were seats for the clergy, but none for the people, who either stood or knelt on their own cushions. The _pax_ or _osculatorium_ was a tablet of wood, or other material, which was kissed by the celebrant. At only two of the churches in the Visitation were there any organs. Then there were the robes and veils; the dalmatic, the chasuble, the choir cope, the surplice, the canopy held over the newly-married pair, the Lenten veil which covered everything during Lent, etc. Then came the books—the _Legenda_, _Antiphonare_, _Gradale_, _Psalterium_, _Troparium_, _Ordinale_, _Missale_, _Manuale_, _Epistolarium_, _Processionale_. Many of these books were kept in duplicate: we can very well understand how the books would be constantly wearing out by daily use. To replace them in a poor parish was a work of great expense and trouble. Yet these things were considered necessaries in every church, however humble. What was to be expected of the great churches endowed and furnished by princes, nobles, and rich merchants?

The following is a list of the treasures belonging to the Church of St. Laurence Jewry:—

“Five great bells and two small bells.

One auter cloth with a nether part and a border of whit damaske imbrodered upon the same flowers and imags.

One payer of certens of whit sarcenet with frenges.

One awter cloth with a nether part and a border of cloth of golde.

One payer of certens of sylke stayned.

One auter cloth with a nether part and a border of red velvet with koges and one payer of sylk certyns stayned.

One nether part of an awter cloth and a border of satten with flowers wrought upon the same and one payer certyns of sarcenet.

One awter cloth with a nether part and a border of damaske and one payer of certyns of sylk.

One cope of cloth of gold the grownde beeinge red.

One cope of cloth of gold the grownde beeinge blew.

One cope with a vestment of whit damaske wroght upon red flowers of golde and fflanmells pertayninge to the same.

One cope with a vestment of koges and fflamels to the same.

One cope of red velvet imbrodered with buds and cards of golde.

One cope of blew velvet imbrodered with golde and images and also

One vestment of red velvet with fflowers of golde.

One vestment of dornyx bodkyn.

One awter cloth of red velvet with fflowers of golde and y borders pertayninge to the same.

One awter cloth with a nether part of blewe sarcenet imbrodered with garters and iiij certins of sarcenet.

xvij awter clothes of linen cloth ix borders and xx certyns all stayned.

ij awter clothes of lynne stayed with half-pencers.

ij borders of stayed cloth.

j awter cloth of ginger collered velvet with a border to the same.

j clothe of blewe velvet that went abowt the sepulchre.

viij lynnen clothes used in the tyme of Lent and vj certins of lynen clothe pertayninge to the same.

ij copes of grene silk demyn and j cope of red velvet imbrodered with gold and images.

iij borders and a font clothe all stayned.

iij certyns of blew and yellow buckram.

iiij certyns of sarcenett red and greene.

iiij certyns of saye yellow and red.

iiij certyns of red say and ij vayle clothes.

j curten of blak sarcenett with silk frenges.

xli gaulbez and xxx hed cloths all lynen cloths.

j corporas case of cloth of golde.

vj corporas cases of dyvers sorts and v corporas cloths.

A box of coper otherwise called the pix-box with a cower of sarcenett.

ij pewter dyshes.

j gilt cup with a patten all gilt.

i chalis all gilt without a patten.

ij chalices parcell gilt with ij patens.

iiij crosse staves ij of wode and ij of coper.

j clothe of hear (_i.e._ hair) to laye upon an auter.

xvij cosshens of sylke.

ix candlesticks of latten smale and great.

ij sencers of latten.

iiij stoks of latten for water.

j greate deske of latten.

iiij rods of irone and a fier sholven (_sic_, _i.e._ shovell).

Certayne olde leade iiij paxes.

xx dieper towells and xv dieper auter clothes.

x playn awter clothes.

xi players cotts of lynnen cloth stayned.

ij bere clothes to cast upon a coffyn the j bodkyn sylke and the other of lynen cloth stayned.

xvij banners and strements of silke stayned.

viij banners of cloth stayned.

viij banner staves.

j Bible.

ij payer of organs.”

Among the minor offices of the Church, that of the blessing of the widow may be mentioned. The _Benedictio Viduæ_ accompanied the vow of future chastity.

Between the Gospel and the Epistle the widow knelt before the Bishop sitting on a fald stool. He asked her in the presence of the congregation if she were willing to become the spouse of Christ and to give up the lusts of the flesh. She then read, or caused to be read, the following profession:—“I, A. B., avow to God perpetual chastity of my body from henceforward, and in the presence of the Honourable Father in God, My Lord by the Grace of God, Bishop of C., I promise steadfastly to live in the Church a widow. Then the Bishop blessed the ring, sprinkled it with holy water, and put it on the widow’s finger as a sign of her marriage with Christ, saying:—

“Accipe, Famula Christi, annulum Fidei signum, connubii indicium, quem devota deferas, casta custodias, quo ad amplexus divini sporsi coronanda perficias. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Oremus.”

He then said certain prayers, and the ceremony was completed. Of this ceremony Furnivall quotes a remarkable instance. In the year 1231 Eleanor, sister of Henry the Third (and widow of William, Earl of Pembroke, who died 15th April 1231), took the vow before Edmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Richard, Bishop of Chichester. Seven years later, however, she married Simon de Montfort. The Archbishop protested, and a dispensation was obtained from the Pope.

In 1351 Philippa, widow of Guy, son of Thomas, Earl of Warwick, took the vow in these words:—

“En le nom de le Seint Trinitie, Piere, Fils et Seint Esprit jeo Philippa que fu la feme Sire Guy de Warwyst face puriment et des queor et voluntie entierement, avow a Dieu et Seint Eglise, et a la benure Virgin Marie et a tout le bel compaigne delestine et a vous reverent Piere en Dieu Sir Reynaud per le Grace de Dieu Evesque de Wircester que jeo ameneray ma vie en chastitee defoie en avant, et chaste ferra de mon corps a tout temps de ma vie.”