The Town: Its Memorable Characters and EventsHunt, Leigh
History
The Town: Its Memorable Characters and Events
Hunt, Leigh
London (England) -- Description and travel; London (England) -- History
"_Duke of Lancaster._--'My Lord Percy, you are in the right!
And for you, my Lord Bishop, you are grown so proud and
arrogant, I will take care to humble your pride; and not only
yours, my lord, but that of all the prelates in England. Thou
dependest upon the credit of thy relations; but so far from
being able to help thee, they shall have enough to do to
support themselves.'
"_Bishop of London._--'I place no confidence in my relations,
but in God alone, who will give me the boldness to speak the
truth.'
"_Duke of Lancaster_ (_speaking softly to Lord
Percy_).--'Rather than take this at the Bishop's hands, I will
drag him by the hair of the head out of the court!'"[32]
Old St. Paul's was much larger than now, and the churchyard was of
proportionate dimensions. The wall by which it was bounded ran along
by the present streets of Ave Maria Lane, Paternoster Row, Old Change,
Carter Lane, and Creed Lane; and therefore included a large space and
many buildings which are not now considered to be within the precincts
of the cathedral. This spacious area had grass inside, and contained a
variety of appendages to the establishment. One of these was the cross
which we have alluded to at the beginning of this chapter, and of
which Stow did not know the antiquity. It was called PAUL'S CROSS, and
stood on the north side of the church, a little to the east of the
entrance of Cannon Alley. It was around Paul's Cross, or rather in the
space to the east of it that the citizens were wont anciently to
assemble in Folkmote, or general convention--not only to elect their
magistrates and to deliberate on public affairs, but also, as it would
appear, to try offenders and award punishments. We read of meetings of
the Folkmote in the thirteenth century; but the custom was
discontinued, as the increasing number of the inhabitants, and the
mixture of strangers, were found to lead to confusion and tumult. In
after times the cross appears to have been used chiefly for
proclamations, and other public proceedings, civil as well as
ecclesiastical; such as the swearing of the citizens to allegiance,
the emission of papal bulls, the exposing of penitents, &c., "and for
the defaming of those," says Pennant, "who had incurred the
displeasure of crowned heads." A pulpit was attached to it, it was not
known when, in which sermons were preached, called Paul's Cross
Sermons, a name by which they continued to be known when they ceased
in the open air. Many benefactors contributed to support these
sermons. In Stow's time the pulpit was an hexagonal piece of wood,
"covered with lead, elevated upon a flight of stone steps, and
surmounted by a large cross." During rainy weather the poorer part of
the audience retreated to a covered place, called the shrowds, which
are supposed to have abutted on the church wall. The rest, including
the lord mayor and aldermen, most probably had shelter at all times;
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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