OLD ST. PAUL'S.*
THERE is something very attractive to the writer, at least in such little collections of chatty, disjointed pieces of informa- tion as the book before us; it is a pleasant occupation for a gentleman of an antiquarian turn. or a natural history turn, or a turn for any other subject of which the world at large is ignorant, to jot down a few notes on some of the more curious matters they have encountered, and communicate them in a friendly spirit to the general public. Whether the latter shares in the pleasure or not, must naturally depend on the skill of the writer in awakening interest. The late Mr. J. G. Wood had an extraordinary capacity for this kind of writing ; he had an ingenious manner of button-holing his reader and leading him on from one anecdote to another, till his victim suddenly awoke to the horrifying discovery that he bad actually been learning something all the time.
Few writers, however, possess the same skill in wrapping up their pills of information. It is impossible to conceal the fact that Dr. Sparrow Simpson's work is instructive ; that those who have read the Gleanings will necessarily know some- thing about Old St. Paul's ; and that if they do not wish to know that, there seems no conceivable reason why they should read the book at all. But the information is conveyed in a pleasant, unostentatious manner. Every one who has ever embarked upon the doubtful pleasures of sight-seeing, knows the wide difference between being bored by the cut-and-dried narrative of a professional guide, and going quietly round the same place with some one really acquainted with it, who simply amuses you by telling the queer old story connected with the north turret, or the little-known tradition concerning the stained glass. Dr. Simpson's instruction is of the latter kind. He does not insist on your going round the whole building, but merely takes you round to the parts concerning which he has something interesting to say. The actual building of the old Cathedral does not, however, occupy a great portion of the volume. There is, indeed, an interesting essay upon "Some Early Drawings of Old St. Paul's," containing a few repre- sentations of the stately Gothic edifice of former days, which must excite some feelings of regret among the warmest admirers of Sir Christopher Wren's imposing structure. A. more tender subject is approached when our author comes to touch upon the interior of the old Cathedral in the article which deals with the stained-glass windows, the scattered memorials of which have been collected from all kinds of sources with careful industry. The invitation to dwell upon the glories of the old church is apt to arouse some bitter recollections of the neglect from which the modern one has suffered. It is strange to think that more than two hundred years ago the architect of the new St. Paul's was ready with a fairly complete scheme for the decoration of the interior, and that so little effort has been made in all this time to carry out either that or any other plan to give even a decent clothing of
ornament to the most important cathedral of England. ' The church of which Dr. Simpson chiefly writes has never
• Gleanings from Old St. Paurs. By W. Sparrow Simpson, D.D., F.S.A., Sub- Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral. London Elliot Stock. 1889.
been destroyed, for the community or religious college which is attached to it has already outlived several buildings, and belongs just as much to the new. St. PauPs as to the old. Our author is particularly fitted to discourse on such matters, as he informs us that he has been connected with the Cathedral for eight-and-twenty years, during which time he has at various periods filled the offices of Succentor, Keeper of the Records, and Librarian. The chapter about the library is perhaps the most successful of Dr. Simpson's essays ; we should be glad to find so instructive and interesting an account of other libraries in London accessible. The library of St. Paul's is by no means equal to that of former days, which Dr. Simpson describes with a genuine book-lover's enthusiasm as- " Rich in early texts of Holy Scripture, illuminated in gold and colours ; rich in early ritual books, glowing with the best speci- mens of the painter's art ; rich in philosophy and history; rich in sermons and homilies. Many of the precious volumes were made still more precious by their sumptuous binding : velvet, gold, silver, rich gems, lending their aid to enhance the labours of the scribe and of the painter. Others, more precious than even scribe, and artist, and well-skilled binder could make them : for they had been the cherished possessions of great men in the days gone by, scholars, bishops, saints."
Thin is really distressing to read of. Not that all these various losses are equally serious. Philosophy and history can easily be had at all times ; sermons are often a mere drug in the market. But the illuminations, and the bindings, and the early texts ! "Not even a Caxton or a Wynkyn de Worde" is left "to gladden the eyes of the librarian." And in place of the priceless volumes ensigned with the arms or the signature of saints and scholars—as also of those which con- tained the epigraphs of bishops—the library is reduced to count among its treasures the autograph of King Kamehameha!
The reader who has any inclination towards the gentle science of bibliography, will read with great interest of the vigorous measures taken in past and present times to supply the place of the great library, which two conflagrations, not to speak of the vandalism of Puritan soldiers, had practically annihilated. Among the early donors, the famous Bishop Compton—whose conversation James II. thought "more like that of a Colonel of Horse," than of. a Bishop—comes nobly to the front with a munificent bequest of nearly two thousand volumes. In modern times, large additions have been made, especially in branches of literature more or leas directly con- nected with the Cathedral. Dr. Simpson expresses his own desire to form a good collection of sermons preached at Paul's Cross, which, besides their natural fitness for the Chapter library, have an intrinsic value as reflecting the manners and customs of the age in which they were delivered.
Among the many little-known subjects connected with St. Paul's, with which our author deals, is the history of the body of Minor Canons. These, it appears, form an entirely separate community in the midst of the larger College to which they are attached, with a separate charter and separate statutes for their governance. A curious circumstance connected with this body is the appointment of two of their number, the second and third in seniority—the chief of the Minor Canons being the Sub-Dean—to act as Cardinals (cardinales ch,ori). Their duties were chiefly to look out for any indecorum or negligence in the choir, observing who came in late for service, and who failed in their duties in any way, together with many other more general priestly offices. This singular office—of which an old writer, quoted by Dr. Simpson, says, "Not any cathedral church in England bath carainalla besides this, nor are any beyond seas to be found to be dignified with this title, saving the churches of Rome, Ravenna, Aquileia, Millan, Pisa, Benevent, in Italy, and Compostella in Spayn,"--continues to this day, though some considerable changes in the status of the Minor Canons have been caused by the St. Paul's Minor Canonries Act of 1875. They have also a Warden, whom they elect themselves, and who in his turn appoints a coadjutor for himself, who is known as the Pitanciary. Many extracts from their statutes are presented to us by Dr. Simpson—himself the senior member of the community—all breathing the same spirit of quaint piety and minute order. Every Minor Canon was expected, on his election, to contribute to the College the large sum of eleven shillings and eightpence, or more if he had a benefice ; also he was required, some time during his life or at his death, to enrich the community by the presentation of one silver spoon, "to the value of fyve shillings or more, for to increase the treastm and publicke utilitie of the said colledge for ever." Provision was made that they should be "decently arrayed or adorned ;" that they should enter the church in a proper manner, "not straitly, unhonestly, or with a disjoined pace, but with greate reverence and in the fea.re of God ;" and that, when eating, drinking, or talking together, they should "behave themselves honestly one towards another, and gently and patiently beare with one another." It is to be hoped that Minor Canons never do come to blows, at least among themselves ; but it was considered necessary to deter them from such conduct by a huge fine of three and four- pence. Nor were they allowed to "presume either to stryke or to beate " the servants—perhaps this was the Warden's prerogative—or even to address them with "unjust threat- ninges or injurious wordes." Another admirable regulation provides that they should all be in at nigtts by 9 o'clock from Easter to Michaelmas, and by 8 from Michaelmas to Easter, for fear some of the brethren might be "hindered of their naturall reste or become unapt to serve God."
Another chapter deals with the "Children of Paul's," who at one time had such a reputation as players that grown actors were seriously jealous of them, even in Denmark in the time of King Claudius, if the testimony of my Lords Rosen- cranz and Guildenstiern is to be trusted. It seems difficult to decide exactly who these children were. Sometimes the term appears to denote the choristers of St. Paul's, and at others the boys of St. Paul's School. At any rate, it was to the former that the prohibition was issued in 1626 that none of them should be "used or employed as comedians or stage- players." This referred to boys pressed into the service of the Cathedral, or to use the plainer language of the Commis- sion, "taken by force," a practice which seems to have been common in those days. Our author gives us several instances of Royal Warrants authorising such a one to "take and seize for us and in our name all such singing men and children, being expart in the said science of musiqtre, as he can finde, and thinks sufficient and able to do us service." Sometimes this system was put in operation by unlicensed pressgangs, for we hear of one case where a Privy Council warrant was issued for the examination of all persons suspected by Sebastian Westcott, the master of the children, to have been guilty of the crime by which "one of Sebastian's boys, being one of his principall players, is stolen and conveyed from him."
The articles dealing with the music of the Cathedral are no doubt of value, especially as providing an exhaustive record of famous musicians connected with it ; but we may be pardoned for saying that they are not written in so lively and interesting a manner as some other parts of the book. "A Verger's Notebook" is also disappointing ; Dr. Simpson has apparently unearthed from the Cathedral records—he is not very explicit as to where he found it—the manuscript notebook of a sixteenth- century verger. Unfortunately, it happens, as it often does, that Mr. Michael Shawler, who might have transmitted to us matters of the highest interest, has only taken note of some trivial affairs touching himself, but interesting few others. Dr. Simpson labours in vain to make the extracts from his diary entertaining; but that is Shawler's fault, not his. He has collected many other things better worthy of attention, and compiled altogether a work of real interest and instruction.
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