and traces of inscriptions still exist. The vestry has generally been represented as this chapel, but there is no evidence of its ever having been a chapel. The indications of a screen afforded by the columns of the northern pier of the tower, point out the existence of a chapel there, which may have been St. Peter's. The south transept contained the font, which was situated near the pillar on which the arms of Cardinal Beaufort are sculptured.* The extreme eastern chapel, now destroyed, which bore the modern name of the Bishop's Chapel, was, doubtless, dedicated to some saint whose name has perished. The architecture of this structure was highly curious, although it was much damaged by a fire in the 17th century, and very badly restored; the windows shewed some handsome tracery of the reign of Edward III., or perhaps earlier; they possessed this singularity, that the head of the arch was formed by strait instead of curved lines. There were evidently more than one altar in the Lady Chapel: traces of two remained at the extremity of the two outer aisles; the piscina of one was discovered and restored, and fragments of the other were found in taking down the walls. The restorations which have taken place in this church have been very extensive. In 1818 and 1820, the pinnacles and battlements of the tower were rebuilt, and the entire structure secured with iron ties, and otherwise substantially repaired. The choir and aisles were restored in 1822-4, under the able superintendence of George Gwilt, Esq., and the transept was completely repaired in 1830 and 1831, by R. Wallace, Esq., architect, at the expence of 39207., all these works being performed at the charge of the parish, unaided by public subscription. The Lady Chapel has been faithfully and correctly restored by Mr. Gwilt; the first stone being laid on the 28th of July, 1832, the expense of which was 25001. The spirited and animated contest carried on for the preservation of this chapel are fresh in the recollection of our readers, and no praise can be sufficient to do justice to the merits and the exertions of T. Saunders, Esq., F.S.A., who so mainly contributed to the consummation of the great object of restoration. The great expense incurred by the Committee in resisting the attempt made to destroy the chapel, and to obtain the opening by which the church is now seen to so much advantage, still remains unliquidated, and the Committee still look to the public to enable them to fulfil to the utmost their engagements. The altar screen is a fine composition, in the richest style of Tudor architecture, although there is no historical account by whom it was erected; the badge of the pelican, so often repeated, points out Bishop Fox as the donor of this splendid termination to the choir; it is, in point of arrangement and design, a close imitation of the same prelate's screen at Winchester, although the details are somewhat different. Immediately behind the altar screen in the Lady Chapel may be seen some blank tracery of a very handsome description, which, being of a date posterior to the chapel, is supposed to have been used for filling up, in the manner of a window, the arches constructed in the wall which separates the choir from the Lady Chapel. If this is so, it makes the present altar screen the third which must have been erected since the original construction of the choir, as the tracery alluded to is not older than the reign of Edward the Second at the earliest. The monuments are numerous, but only a few can be noticed; in the south transept is an oak effigy of an armed knight, in an hauberk and hood of mail, with a surcoat, in the act of drawing a sword; the legs are crossed. It is by some assigned to one of the Warrens, Earls of Surrey, but there is a question whether it may not be the effigy of one of the founders of the priory-De l'Arch or Dauncy. Beneath this statue now lies another, representing an emaciated corpse, which was removed from the Lady Chapel; this is not N. Charles' Heraldic Collections, Lansdown MSS., British Museum. appropriated, but was probably one of the late priors; it has attached to it the usual idle tradition of the person represented having starved himself to death in an act of penance. The monument of Gower, removed to the south transept, and restored by the present Duke of Sutherland, is the most interesting in the church; the serious countenance, and long dark robe of the effigy, the chaplet of roses with its motto "MCCCC Jhu merci," the collar of S.S., the pillow for the head, so appropriately formed of the three famous works of the author, and the curious animal at the feet, inexplicable even to heralds, are highly deserving of attention. At the back of the monument there were formerly three paintings of "young virgins," bearing scrolls inscribed with verses, in old French, supplicatory of mercy for the soul of the deceased. These effigies had been renewed on canvas by some very inferior artist, and were entirely destroyed at the last restoration; the inscriptions were then painted on the wall. It is to be regretted that the nobleman who patronized the restoration did not see that these figures were again set up, which the talents of Mr. Willement, who performed the decorative portions, would so ably have accomplished. The inscriptions have been so often printed, that it is unnecessary to copy them here, or the epitaph on the ledge: an unauthorized addition has been made to the original, which made the poet to flourish in the reigns of Edward III. and Richard II.; to these the name of Henry the Fourth has been added. A small brass plate commemorates the restoration : This Monument was removed from the ruin of the north aisle, and restored by G. G. Earl Gower, Ao Bni MBCCCXXXII. The altar tomb of Bishop Andrews is now placed in the Lady Chapel. The effigy of the prelate is attired in the episcopal costume, surmounted by the mantle of the order of the garter. A canopy which formerly existed was destroyed by the fire above mentioned. The arms of the bishop, impaled with the see, and small statues of two of the cardinal virtues are preserved. Besides these, there are several other monuments deserving of notice in the church, which it would occupy too much space to particularize. A large slab, which has the impress of a priest in his cope under a rich canopy, is still to be seen in the churchyard, on the site of the destroyed chapel; it is erroneously said to cover the remains of the protestant Bishop Wickham, who was buried in the church. Of painted glass there are no remains. It is in contemplation to fill two of the principal windows by subscription, and which object, it is hoped, will soon be accomplished. The Lady Chapel is ornamented with many coats of arms, some of which not only shew bad heraldry, but are by no means executed in a pleasing style. A small painting of a bishop, imitated from an ancient example by Mr. C. E. Gwilt, son of the architect, and three ornamental circles, are samples of glazing worthy of the church, and it is hoped will lead to many more additions of the same kind. The extreme length of the article forbids any notice of the remains of the monastic buildings still existing on the north side of the church, and several other matters which might prove interesting. The importance of the church under consideration demanded a greater space than is usually allotted, but it is to be hoped that our readers will not feel that more space is allotted than the magnitude of the subject demanded. E. I. C. VOL. VI.-Nov. 1834. 3 s ANTIQUITIES, ETC. ILLUSTRATION OF THE CONSTITUTIONS OF THE OFFICE OF DEACONS AT COVENTRY. SIR,-In conformity with my promise, and sanctioned by your encouragement, I send you sundry illustrations of the customs noticed in the Constitutions of the office of Deacons in the Trinity Church at Coventry, and, with best wishes for the success of your valuable publication, remain, Sir, your obedient servant, T. S. Leamington, Sept. 8th, 1834. WOLY, HALY, OR HOLY-CAKE. In the "Constitutions of the first Deacon," vide p. 262, is the following regulation: "Also, ye sayd dekyn schall se ye woly cake every sonday be kyte [cut] a quordyng for every man's degre, and he schall beyr y woly bred to serve ye pepyll in ye north side of y churche, and he to go to them on ye xijth day for hys offyrryng to ye rep'acone off hys syrplys." The second deacon's order is to the same effect, but the express words are, "dawlte every sonday," and " every man in hys degre." Fox, in his "Canon of the Masse described," writes thus:"Giving of holy bread came in by this occasion, as it is to be gathered partlie out of Honorius, partlie out of Durandus, and other. The manner was in ancient time, that the ministers were wont to receive certain meale of everie house or family, wherewith a great loafe was made, called Panis dominicus, able to serve in the communion, and to bee distributed unto the people, which then was woont everie daie to be present and to receive, especiallie they that offered the meale; for whom it was woont therefore to be said in the canon :— Omnium circumstantium, qui tibi hoc sacrificium laudis offerunt,' &c. But afterward, the number of people increasing, and pietie decresing, as Durandus writeth, it was then ordained to communicate but onlie upon sondaies." 1474. "Also hit is ordered at this p'sent lete, yt the (they) that giffe the haly cake gyfe no smalle cakes upon the peyne of xx., and the mair shall send to evy Baker & warne them off this ordenaunce, & they to warne then y gyfe ye halicake."-Leet Book of the City of Coventry, fol. 227 b. 1520. “First it is enacted at thys lete, that no inhitaunt of the p'ish of seynt Michell, when p' course comyth to gif the halycake, that they make but on halycake, and that they put no more theryn but the Teyre of thre stryke of whete, and nodur to make cake nor bun beside the halycake, upon the peyn who dooth the cont'rie to pay to the co'en * The letters containing these should have been signed " T. S.," and not "H." + Book of Martyrs, vol. ii. p. 1277, edit. 1597. (common) boxe for ev'ry defaute, xx. And the inhitants of the Trinite p'ish to put no more in theire haly cake but the teyre of too stryke of whete & nodur bun nor cake moo upon the peyn of ev'y defaute, xx. to the co'en boxe."-Idem. fol. 328 b. 1522. "Also, that no man of this Cytte schall by whete for the halecakes in the market before the ower of a leven of the cloke on les hit be bought by the Comen s'iaunt (Common Serjeant) of the Citte, apon peyne of ev're defaute, xl"."-Idem. fol. 334. In the British Magazine, vol. iii. p. 158, is the following extract from the Churchwardens' Accounts of Allhallows, Staining: 1507. "It'm paide for the halyloffe for a man y' went awaye, iijd." ASH-WEDNESDAY. On this day, the ancient ceremony of sprinkling ashes upon the heads "of the Clarckes and of the lay people" was practised. The ashes used upon this occasion were made on the Palm Sunday in the preceding year, reserved for the purpose, and, after being hallowed by the priest and sprinkled with holy water, were either cast upon the heads of the people as above-mentioned, or, as the rubric directs, "the worthier persons making a sygne of the crosse with the ashes, saying thus-Memento, homo, quod cinis es, et in cinerem reverteris.” The Deacons of the Trinity Church at Coventry were thus ordered:-"Also, he (the first) schall se ye pallm be brennyd for ye ashys y' schal be dawlte on ashe-wensday.' "Also, he (the second) schall be whys felow & se yt ye palmes be brennyd for ashys agayn ashewennys day." PALM-SUNDAY. Durandus and other ancient ritualists say, that boughs of palm trees were carried in procession on this day, in imitation of those which the Jews strewed in the way of Christ when he went up to Jerusalem. The palm-tree was common in Judea, and, no doubt, planted by the way side; but it appears, that yew, box, and willow were substituted in England. These were consecrated for the occasion, and, according to the Salisbury Missal, flowers also. In Caxton's "Directions for keeping Feasts all the year," printed in 1485, he writes as to this festival:-" But for encheson that we have non Olyve that beryth grene leef, algate therefore we take Ewe instede of Palme and Olyve, and beren about in processyon," &c. Barnabe Googe writes thus: "And Willow braunches hallow, that they Palmes do use to call." The Churchwardens' Accounts for St. Martin Outwich, London, supply the following articles : 1510-11. "First paid for Palme, Box floures and cakes, iiij." 1525. "Paid for Palme on Palme-Sunday, ija. Paid for kaks, flowers, and Yow, ijd.' Coles, in his " Adam in Eden," speaking of willow, tells us :-"The blossoms come forth before any leaves appear, and are in their most flourishing estate usually before Easter; divers gathering them to deck up their houses on Palm- Sunday, and, therefore, the said flowers are called palme." Googe's Account of Palm-Sunday Ceremonies, from Naogeorgus, is too long for our present purpose. He describes a wooden ass, upon which an "image" is set, and, being brought before the church-door "The people all do come, and bowes of trees and Palmes they bere, In a "Short Description of Antichrist," &c., before quoted, is the following:-"They also, upon Palmes-Sonday, lifte up a cloth, and say, hayle our Kynge, to a rood made of a wooden blocke." And in "Dives and Pauper," cap. iv., we read:-"On Palme-Sonday, at procession, the priest drawith up the veyle before the rode, and falleth down to the ground with all the people, and saith thrice, Ave Rex noster!-Hayle be thou, our King." The regulations of the Coventry deacons are as follow: "Also, he schall pyyd for palme agayne palm sonday suffyseyant for hys warde."-Second Deacon. Also, he schall pvyd for palme on palmsonday, for his p'te."— First Deacon. "It'm ye sayd dekyn schall set a form at y p'ory (priory) dur on palm-sonday for ye stacons wen yt ys don he schall cawse yt to be set a for y rode for ye p'ste to syng are rex.”—Idem. Trinity Churchwardens' Accounts.-1560. "It' payd for beryng of y' crosse & banners of pawme-sonday, vja.” SHERE-THURSDAY. The Thursday before Easter is so called, "for that in old fathers' days the people would that day shere theyr hedes, and clypp theyr berdes, and pool theyr heedes, and so make them honest agenst Easter-day." On this day it was customary to wash the altars, and both the Deacons at Coventry took a part in the preparations for this ceremony. "Also he (i. e., the first deacon) schall orden on schere thursday a byrche besome for ye pryst yt waschythe ye awters. Also, iij dyssiplyn rodds for hys p'te. Also, ye sayd dekyn schall orden a barrell on shere thursday agayn y byttar [water-carrier] bryng wat' for ye awtars." "It'm he (i. e., the second deacon) schall orden on shere thursday, at ye washyng of ye awtar, a byrche besom, and his felow a nodur, & iij dysplyng roddes. It'm ye sayd dekyn schall se ther be wyn to powr on ye crossys off ye awters, and also a woly wat' stoke for to beyr ye wat' y' schall wasche y awtars & hys felow a nod".” (To be continued.) * In the Churchwardens' Account of St. Mary-at-Hill, London, 1492, is the following article:-"For dyssplying Roddys, ijd." And in a "Short Description of Antichrist," &c., the author, after noticing the popish custom of "creepinge to the crosse with egges and apples," follows it with, "dispelinge with a white rodde." |