The Religious Life of LondonRitchie, J. Ewing (James Ewing)
Religion
The Religious Life of London
Ritchie, J. Ewing (James Ewing)
London (England) -- Religion; Religious thought -- England -- London
And now let us go to London Wall, of which the Pope, or head, is the Rev.
Narcissus Morphinos, a gentleman really courteous and sincere, and
indefatigable in the performance of his sacred duties. Of all the
chapels in London, surely this in London Wall is the most unique. As we
enter we face a recess, before which lamps are burning; in that recess is
a crucifix with a lamp burning over it. In this recess is a door which
is partly open, and between the door and the crucifix officiates the
priest at a small table. He wears a very rich cassock, and occasionally
has on his head a primitive-looking sort of hat, without a brim, and very
big. I fancy there are no poor Greeks in London. On our right is a
recess, in which are ladies elegantly dressed. On our left is a pulpit
very rarely used, and a table at which two clerks are seated. They seem
to have the performance of the service very much to themselves. There is
a choir in one of the side galleries. In his recess, before the altar,
the priest is engaged in praying and taking the sacrament; but every now
and then he comes out. A side door opens, and a lad in a white surplice,
holding an enormous lighted taper, appears. Then the priest comes from
the altar, and stands on the steps. It may be to swing the censer, or to
bring out the Gospels bound in silver, which almost all present come
forward to kiss; or it may be, in the course of the service, some one
wishes to communicate. Then, while the clerks are reading, the doors of
the altar are opened, and the priest appears with a cup in his hand,
which the communicant comes forward to receive. (The cup, it must be
observed, contains bread and wine.) Again the priest comes forward with
the crucifix, to which all bow; and last of all he comes forward and says
a few simple words of edification to his faithful flock, in number, I
should fancy, from two to three hundred. And this reminds us we have not
yet stated where they are. Well, they are exactly opposite the altar,
before which there is a vacant space well carpeted, and into which, on
one or two occasions in the course of the service, the priest descends.
The seats are beautifully carved, and are something like those in our
cathedral stalls. Each worshipper is well fenced in by himself; and, as
he stands all the time, he will find the sides very convenient for
resting his arms on. Each seat is beautifully finished, as the reader
can well imagine when he is told that the carving of each seat cost about
eight pounds about fifteen years ago, when the chapel was first opened.
There are no sittings appropriated to particular individuals, any person
coming takes the first he finds vacant. All expenses are paid by the
men, chiefly merchants in Finsbury Square, who subscribe on an average
for the cost of the service about twenty-five pounds a year. Two
gentlemen contributed eighty, and one as much as two hundred pounds, a
year.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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