"A chambre had he in that hostelerie, Alone withouten any compaynie, Ful fetisly 'ydight with herbés sweet." His books great and small, and his astrological apparatus "On shelvés couched at his beddé's head, His press ycovered with a falding red, And all about there lay a gay sautrie On which he made on nightés melodie So swetély that all the chamber rung, And _Angelus ad Virginem_ he sung." We give a typical illustration of the class from one of the characters in a Dance of Death at the end of a Book of the Hours of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the British Museum. It is described beneath as "Un Clerc."[259] [Illustration: _A Clerk._] One of this class was employed by every parish to perform certain duties on behalf of the parishioners, and to assist the clergyman in certain functions of his office. The Parish Clerk has survived the revolution which swept away the other minor ecclesiastical officials of the middle ages, and still has his legal status in the parish church. Probably many of our readers will be surprised to hear that the office is an ancient one, and will take interest in a few original extracts which throw light on the subject. In the wills he frequently has a legacy left, together with the clergy--_e.g._, "Item I leave to my parish vicar iij{s.} iiij{d.} Item I leave to my parish clerk xij{d.} Item I leave to every chaplain present at my obsequies and mass iiij{d.}" (Will of John Brompton, of Beverley, merchant, 1443.)[260] Elizabeth del Hay, in 1434, leaves to "every priest ministering at my obsequies vi{d.}; to every parish clerk iiij{d.}; to minor clerks to each one ij{d.}"[261] Hawisia Aske, of York, in 1450-1 A.D., leaves to the "parish chaplain of St. Michael iij{s.} iiij{d.}; to every chaplain of the said church xx{d.}; to the parish clerk of the said church xx{d.}; to the sub-clerk of the same church x{d.}"[262] John Clerk, formerly chaplain of the chapel of the Blessed Mary Magdalen, near York, in 1449, leaves to "the parish clerk of St. Olave, in the suburbs of York, xij{d.}; to each of the two chaplains of the said church being present at my funeral and mass iiij{d.}; to the parish clerk of the said church iiij{d.}; to the sub-clerk of the said church ij{d.}; among the little boys of the said church wearing surplices iiij{d.}, to be distributed equally."[263] These extracts serve to indicate the clerical staff of the several churches mentioned.