London (England) -- History; London (England) -- Social life and customs
Let us consider, therefore, as the most conspicuous feature of
Plantagenet London, her great religious Houses. We have seen what they
were in Norman London. Already there were there in existence the
Cathedral of St. Paul's, with its canons and priests, its army of
singing men, clerks, boys, and servants--itself a vast monastic House;
the Priory of St. Bartholomew; the House of St. Mary Overies; the
Hospital of St. Katherine; the Priory of the Holy Trinity. After three
hundred years, when we look again upon the map of London, and mark in
color the sites of Monastery, Nunnery, Church, College, and Church-yard,
it seems as if a good fourth part of the City area was swallowed up in
ecclesiastical Houses. Not so much was actually covered by buildings of
the Church, but at least a fourth of the City, counting the gardens and
the courts and chapels, belonged to the Church and the religious Houses.
Without such a map it is impossible to estimate the enormous wealth of
the mediæval Church, its power, and its authority. It is impossible to
understand without such a map how enormous was that Revolution which
could shake off and shatter into fragments a power so tremendous.
Because, as was London, so was every other city. If London had a hundred
and twenty churches, Norwich had sixty; York had forty-five. If the
country all round London was parcelled out among the religious Houses,
so all over the land, manors here, and estates there, broad acres
everywhere belonged to the monks. But though their property was
enormous, their power was far beyond that conferred by any amount of
property, for they held the keys of heaven and kept open the gates of
hell.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account