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singulis locellis ligneis ubi quotidie mysterium sacrificii salutaris celebratur, positi sunt. We do not bury our dead "sub locellis" but " in locellis," not under coffins, but in coffins. If the word "locellis" here means coffins, (which, however, we are strongly inclined to doubt,) then considering the comparatively small space which the vault would afford for the reception of so great a number of coffins, (leaving room also for the daily performance of divine service,) we should feel inclined to suggest the following translation: " singuli sub singulis," one under another; "ligneis locellis," in wooden coffins; an arrangement which, from the confined space of the vault, might have been necessary for the decent reception and accommodation of the venerated remains of so many departed saints. Locellus," however, does not of necessity imply a coffin, it is not so used in any other part of the work, nor do we think it is here used in that sense, because it is an useless and unnecessary redundancy of expression to say, "singulis ligneis locellis," in separate wooden coffins; for no one would for an instant imagine that these venerable saints had been all huddled together in one coffin. It would also be highly indecent that the coffins should lie heaped up or exposed to the gaze of those attending the daily service at the altar of St. Blasius in that upper vault. It would likewise seem that there was no necessity to provide new coffins, for in Article XVII, we are told that they rested undisturbed in their coffins. Upon the whole we would suggest another reading, which the learned reader will adopt or reject at pleasure: "Singuli sub singulis ligneis locellis," "each under their separate wooden shrines." This construction, we think, is in some measure supported by the corresponding passage from Osborn. (Ang. Sac. T. ii, p. 77.) "Lanfrancus Sanctorum episcoporum corpora in aquiloni parte super voltum magnum et pulcherrimum imposuit reverentèr, et collocavit decentèr et sub singulis locellis mirificè ordinavit." Now there would be nothing very wonderful (mirificè) in having placed the bodies in separate coffins, because that was the usual mode of sepulture. But to have erected a separate wooden shrine for the reception of each, explains at once the temporary nature of their abode, and justifies the expression of the historian, “reverentèr, decentèr, et mirificè.'

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In Art. XXII, the original Latin which the Professor has

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rendered "having taken down the eastern part of the church," is "Cantiæ dejectam priorem [not orientalem] partem ecclesiæ, it implies only the choir, presbytery, or chancel, and not the whole eastern part of the church, as erroneously supposed by the learned Professor. And this appears to be the proper construction, from what follows in Art. XXIII, and XXIV. " Cancellum quippe ecclesiæ quem venerabilis Ernulphus imperfectum reliquerat ipse consummavit." This chancel, however, which Ernulf left unfinished, was completed by his successor Conrad." Somner (Antiq. of Canterbury, p. 87, ed. 1703,) very properly translates "priorem partem ecclesiæ," "the forepart of the church;" upon which Battely (his Editor) makes the following judicious note: "By the forepart of the church the reader must understand the whole quire, from the Great Tower, now called Bell Harry Steeple, to the east end." [See also the Professor's note, marked (a) in p. 45.]

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In Art. XXIV, the translation is "They were enabled to enlarge their church by all that part which stretches from the Great Tower to the east ;" but the Latin original clearly confines the work to the choir, presbytery, or chancel. Super hæc, ipsum oratorium [not ipsam ecclesiam] quantum à majore turri in orientem porrectum est ipso Patre Anselmo providente, disponente, auctum est."

Oratorium in these early historians is confined to the place where the altar stands, and the holy offices of religion are celebrated, as appears by the Latin original of Art. xvi, p. 12. "Finis ecclesiæ ornabatur oratorio beatæ Matris Dei Mariæ," thus properly translated, "The extremity of the church was adorned by the oratory of Mary the Blessed Mother of God." Somner has very properly translated the passage in question, (Antiq. p. 87,) "the oratory, or quire, as far as from the Great Tower to the east end, was, by the care of Archbishop Anselm enlarged."

These observations will not appear unimportant when we come to discuss the fanciful hypothesis, founded in some measure upon these inaccurate translations of the old chroniclers.

CHAPTER II. (pp. 20-31.) "On the Plan and Arrangement of the Saxon Cathedral."

This being professedly an "architectural" history, the ancient church might with greater precision and stricter accuracy be termed "the Romano-British Cathedral;" for, with the exception of the repairs by Archbishop Odo (Art. vi,) it appears to have been entirely the work of the Roman believers.

The Saxon church (properly so called) built by Cuthbert, and dedicated to St. John the Baptist (Art. 11) did not form part of the structure, but was a detached edifice near the east end of the Romano-British cathedral.

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In this chapter, the learned Professor, from the scanty notices afforded by the monkish chroniclers, attemps to furnish us with a history of the arrangements of the cathedral. But as he very properly admits (p. 30) that "he can offer little beyond conjecture," we will only remark, that in p. 22 is a plan of part of the ancient Basilica of St. Peter at Rome;" and in p. 27 a diagram or plan of the Romano-British church, which he styles" the Saxon cathedral at Canterbury;" and he forms a comparison between the two upon Edmer's statement, that, "the church was in some sort arranged in imitation of the church of St. Peter at Rome." (p. 20.)

"The description of the Saxon church of Canterbury," says the Professor (p. 25), "will be found to coincide with the above of St. Peter at Rome in several particulars. 1. The crypt evidently extends only under the presbytery or altar end of the church, and not under the choir of the singers. 2. This crypt has an altar within, and a single entrance in the middle of its western face. That the floor of this Saxon crypt was not on the same level with that of the choir is shown by the wall, which is said to have separated it from the grave of Dunstan, for Dunstan was buried before the steps, and in a grave six feet beneath the pavement. (p. 26.) . . . 3. The matutinal altar was placed below the platform of the presbytery, and in front of the steps, [by which it was ascended from the choir of the singers.] .... 4. The choir of the singers is extended in our Saxon church into the nave.

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In the diagram, the South Tower (Art. xv) is marked K, and in p. 29 the Professor says, "K had an altar, and also

seemed to have served as a porch to the church; the altar therefore was probably in an apse;" and he has accordingly added an apse to the tower, and placed the altar in the apse, contrary to the express description of the historian, who says, "that the altar was placed in the midst of the tower." Dein sub medio longitudinis aulæ ipsius duæ turres erant, prominentes ultrà ecclesiæ alas. Quarum una quæ in austro erat sub honore beati Gregorii Papæ altare in medio sui dedicatum habebat, et in latere principale ostium ecclesiæ quod antiquitus ab Anglis et nunc usque, Suthdure dicitur. (Art. xv.)

We do not therefore very clearly see why the learned Professor should have removed the altar from the middle of the tower where the historian had placed it, into an apse, of whose existence we have not the slightest evidence.

The uses to which this South Tower was appropriated, are noticed in Art. xv, cap. 1: "All disputes from the whole kingdom which cannot be legally referred to the King's Court, or to the Hundreds or Counties, do in this place receive judgment." It does not very clearly appear what was the nature of the causes, "from the whole kingdom," which were adjudicated upon in this South Tower. The Professor does not give us the original Latin; but in Battely's Somn. Antiq. (part ii, p. 8) we find the following account: "Edmer tells us that this south door was famous for holding of pleas there; Quod hostium in antiquorum legibus regum suo nomine exprimitur. In quibus etiam omnes querelas totius regni quæ hundredis vel comitatibus uno vel pluribus, vel certè in curiâ regis non possent legalitèr diffiniri, finem inibi sicut in curiâ Regis Summi, sortiri debere discerniter". "I conceive,"

says Battely, "that here was a Court of Equity or Conscience for the final decision of some controversies which elsewhere could not be determined." The same Edmer further says, "Forenses lites et secularia placita exercebantur;" that, in this tower, "law controversies and pleas concerning secular matters were exercised."

From Edmer, it appears, that the jurisdiction of this court extended through "the whole kingdom." That expression cannot, however, be limited to the ancient Saxon kingdom of Kent, because he mentions Hundreds and Counties, which divisions were not known till after the Saxon Octarchy had been reduced and consolidated into one entire kingdom.

It is clear that its jurisdiction was not confined to matters of a purely ecclesiastical or spiritual nature, for Edmer, as we have seen, says, "forenses lites et secularia placita exercebantur." That the Archbishops of Canterbury exercised very extensive jurisdiction in secular affairs, appears from the following charter of King Edward the Confessor, the original of which probably perished with the other records of the church, in the destructive fire which consumed the RomanoBritish Cathedral, A.D. 1067, (Art. XIV.)

Carta Edwardi

Archivis

158.

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I, Edward, through God's grace, King of EngRegis de Sake land, greet all my Bishops, and all my Earls, and et Sokne, Ex all my Sheriffs, and all my Thanes, in those Shires clie. Xri. Cant. in which Stigand, Archbishop, and the House Reg. A. i. f. [Monastery] at Christchurch, in Canterbury, have land in friendlywise. And I make known unto you that I have granted to them that they may hold all their lands that they held in mine ancestors' times and in mine, and sac and soc on strand and on stream, in wood and in field, tolls and teames, grithbreach and homsocne, forestalls and infangthief, and flemenefermth over their own men, within cities and without, as fully and entirely as mine own officers could, and over so many thanes [freeholders] as they have, &c. And the charter concludes with the usual malediction against all infringers and violators of its privileges.

The above charter shows the nature of some of the secular matters which were probably adjudicated upon in the South Tower of the Romano-British church.

We must, however, remark, that in the learned Professor's diagram or plan of the Romano-British church, (or as he styles it the Saxon cathedral,) no scale is given by which we may judge of the dimensions of the South Tower. It appears, however, to be of very diminutive proportions, not exceeding in length two of the nave arches, and in breadth much smaller. Its size, therefore; as shown by the plan, is very inadequate to the purposes to which it was appropriated.

"Of the Baptistery or Church of St. John, erected by Cuthbert, no particulars have been preserved, except the meagre notice that it stood at the east end of the Great Church, and nearly touched it." (p. 29.)

In this Saxon Church of St. John the Baptist, were buried Archbishop Cuthbert, its founder, and all the succeeding

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