[To mum EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."]
Sin,—John Schorne, rector of this parish at the end of the thirteenth century, was not so famous as Thomas it Becket, but pilgrims came almost as numerously to his shrine from all parts of the compass, and he was believed to have been canonised. At the transition period from Rome to the Reformation, in.the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the bands of Roman Catholic pilgrims to the Schorne shrine met with much violent interruption from Protestants at High Wycombe and much abusive language, but went on resolutely till they reached the top of the hill, overlooking the village and " Our Lady's Church," which was the object of their toilsome March. There, on the hilltop, in sight of St. Mary's, they began a Latin chant in honour of the priest, monk, school- master, doctor, and saint, known of archaeologists; and sang it up to the church. Watched inside from the "priest's Chamber " by one of the resident monks, they made offerings rich.and rare, with which the chancel, preceding our present Queen Victoria Chancel, was built. The Downside Review (R.C.), the Antiquary, and various other periodicals have had a good deal to say about ,Schorne; so had Pope Sixtus V.; so bad. Dr. Sparrow ,Simpson of St. Paul's, and Dean Wellesley Of Windsor. At one time the pilgrims' offerings amounted to £.500 a year, a large sum Well , in those days. Our Holy We ;vAs "miraculously" given, us by Schorne, and there are few ore romantic legends, histories rather, than :those which have accumulated round the ague-Curing, devil-confining (SchOrne fixed Satan into a boot !) old rector, to be found in the British Museum, Bodleian Library, Reeords of thellucks At:chaeologiCal Society, &c. My point is, as your readers will see, to illustrate your review of " Three Canterbury Books " in the Spectator of April let, We Maretoninne know more of Schorne than Canterbury knows of Thomas it Becket.—I am,
Previous page
