CHAP. IV.] GREENSTED CHURCH. 37 Bede, castles were erected of the same material; Pembroke castle was built by Arnulf, of Montgomery, of twigs and slight turf. Such structures would of course be of a very perishable nature. The ordinary effects of weather and time would cause them to decay very rapidly. But in addition to this, it must be remembered that they would be particularly exposed to destruction by fire. after mentioning that the roof was formed of hay and rushes, adds, respecting this very church of Glastonbury, that "a great fire being kindled in the midst, it happened that some sparks set the roof on a flame, which easily took fire, because it consisted of wicker and straw." The same cause may account for the fact of many of our early churches, and cathedrals, having been destroyed in the same manner. The experience of such calamities appears to have led our forefathers to the erection of more durable structures. The wicker church of Glastonbury was succeeded by one of those beautiful ecclesiastical structures that adorn our land. Many of the early churches were constructed of trunks of trees. One of these still exists at Greensted, near Ongar, in Essex. The nave or body, which probably alone formed the ancient church, is constructed of the trunks of large oaks, cleft into half trees, or planks, about a foot and a half wide, and rudely hewn on both sides: these are set upright, and are let into a sill at the bottom, and a wall plate at the top; the fastenings being wooden pins. The height of these walls was not quite six feet, at the part from which the roof began to spring: the length of this part of the church is about thirty feet, the width fourteen. This church. is probably of Saxon origin, not Ancient British. There is a brick chancel of more recent date. It might have been expected that more substantial buildings would be in use for purposes of worship among the Ancient Britons, as the knowledge of masonry appears to have existed. But all the evidence we possess leads to a contrary conclusion. Bede asserts that the practice of building churches of stone was unusual among the Britons about the year 565. Staveley thinks that the Normans introduced the mode of stone buildings raised upon arches: and that after their entry into the island the timber fabrics grew out of use, or fell to decay. It is not easy to say whether these frail structures were the result of temporary circumstances, or whether the Britons had any religious principle in view, as for instance,-" The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box tree together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary." It is evident CHAP. IV.] PERRANZABULOE CHURCH. 39 however that churches of stone, though perhaps few in number, did exist at a very early date. The general character of these edifices may be known from that of Perranzabuloe, or Perran in Zabulo, i. e. St. Perran in the sand, in Cornwall, which was lately discovered, and by the exertions chiefly of one public spirited gentleman, brought to light, after having been imbedded in the sand from nearly the period of the Norman invasion. It is considered to be one of the earliest specimens of stone buildings, used as British churches. Its historian describes the masonry as being remarkably rude, but solid and compact, and in a good state of preservation. The door-way is neatly ornamented with the Egyptian zig-zag or arrow, having on the keystone of its round headed arch a tiger's head sculptured, and two human heads on the corbels of the arch. There appears to have been only one small window to let in the light of day; unless, which is not improbable, the building was roofless. It contained none of the modern accompaniments of a Roman Catholic place of worship; there was no rood loft for the hanging up of the Host, or the vain display of fabricated relics,-no latticed confessional,-no sacring bell,-no crucifixes,-no images of the Virgin Mary, or of saints. All that was found there harmonized closely with what Cranmer, and the other Reformers, introduced into the ritual of the Church of England. The church contained a curious octagonal stone font, four alternate sides are panelled, bearing figures, very boldly but roughly executed, all in a sitting posture, and clothed in long robes; and at the eastern end, in a plain unornamented chancel, stood a neat stone altar. In the nave were also stone seats attached to the western, northern, and southern walls. This interesting remnant of antiquity is near the coast, on the northern side of Cornwall, it is in a bay which faces the north-west, and receives the strong blasts which blow in that direction, and all the force of the mighty Atlantic. It was from these causes that the church, and original village, were for 700 years buried by the vast accumulation of sand. The worship of the Church in that early age was probably conducted in a very simple manner; but there is no doubt that it was liturgical. It would be difficult now to ascertain the exact form which was in use, and the deviations (if any existed) from the form of worship of other Christian Churches. The missionaries, who came over with Bran, are said to have been men of Israel, which makes it probable that the liturgy intro |