Through East Anglia in a Motor CarVincent, James Edmund
General
Through East Anglia in a Motor Car
Vincent, James Edmund
Norfolk (England) -- Description and travel; Suffolk (England) -- Description and travel
healer of men. Long Melford "stood by clothing," as the saying went in the
fifteenth century. So did its people, and this majestic Perpendicular
church, built of flint and stone, is an abiding monument of their wealth
and of their piety.
The beautiful church suffered during the Reformation. Roger Martin, of that
date, speaks of many ornaments in the past tense. "There was a goodly
mount, made of one great Tree, and set up at the foot of the window there"
(behind the High Altar), "carved very artificially, with _The Story of
Christ's Passion_.... There was also in my Ile, called Jesus Ile, at the
back of the Altar, a table with a crucifix on it, with the two thieves
hanging, on every side one, which is in my house decayed, and the same I
hope my heires will repaire, and restore again, one day." Other vanished
ornaments good Roger enumerates, and then sundry ceremonies in the church
and customary celebrations of the village, whereof some examples may be
given.
"Upon Palm Sunday, the Blessed Sacrament was carried in procession about
the Church-yard, under a fair Canopy, borne by four Yeomen; the Procession
coming to the Church Gate, went westward, and they with the Blessed
Sacrament, went Eastward; and when the procession came against the door of
Mr. Clopton's Ile" (the Cloptons were large benefactors), "they, with the
Blessed Sacrament, and with a little bell and singing, approached at the
East end of our Ladie's Chappell, at which time a Boy, with a thing in his
hand, pointed to it, signifying a Prophet, as I think, sang, standing upon
the Tyrret that is on the said Mr. Clopton's Ile doore, _Ecce Rex tuus
venit_, &c.; and then all did kneel down, and then, rising up, went and met
the Sacrament, and so then, went singing together, into the Church, and
coming near the Porch, a Boy, or one of the Clerks, did cast over among the
Boys flowers, and singing cakes, &c."
Some there be, doubtless, whose gorge will rise at this account of ancient
usage in and about the church, but surely none can object to the next
extract, pointing as it does to a feeling of real friendship between rich
and poor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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