“By its advice the public use of the Prayer Book was forbidden under penalties the very day that the Primate was executed, and a directory for public worship substituted for it. By the directory it was made an offence to kneel at the reception of Holy Communion, or to use any kind of symbolism in sacred things, such as the ring in marriage, and when any person departed this life, the dead body was to be interred without any kind of religious ceremony, nor even the friends allowed to sing or read or pray or kneel at the grave; although secular display in funeral processions of persons of rank was not restricted. Then the holy and beautiful petitions of our Liturgy, though sanctified by the devotions of Christians in every clime and by every tongue for 1500 years and more, gave place to long and tedious harangues from illiterate fanatics of two or three hours’ duration, and the observance of great church festivals, together with all anniversaries, was strictly forbidden. On December 19th, 1644, a solemn ordinance of parliament was passed by the advice of the Westminster Assembly commanding that the hitherto joyous anniversary of our Lord’s Nativity should be observed as a day of national fasting and humiliation.”--_English Church History_ (Rev. C. A. LANE). The Parliamentarians under Cromwell fortunately soon put a stop to those irksome restrictions. The Bishopric of Rochester was united with the Deanery of Westminster in 1663 and, after a partnership of over a hundred years, parted at the beginning of the 19th century. The treaty of Westminster was signed in 1673. Samuel Wilberforce became the Dean in 1845. Many well-known men followed him and during the time of office of Dean Bradley, 1881-1902, Queen Victoria held her Jubilee Celebration and Edward VII. was crowned in the Abbey. CHAPTER XI HERTFORDSHIRE ST ALBANS (_Mitred Benedictine_)