The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-03-16
ORIGIN OF THE pEWS.
NORMAN MOBILES RESPONSE
BILE FOR FIRST ONES.
Fe"s beeams the FashIoa-Assumsd
Proportions Of saeh E1travaEanes and
LuruFy That the Only Thing Lacking
seemed 60 ne q Bsd.


larry around the room: the next step
was 70 wooden benches. without any
back. Even 10 the close Of the Plan
tagenet period Christians Of all degrees
with few exceptions were content TO
be placed on an even footing Tor sit
ting In the house OF God. In Mlrka
Instructions for Parish Priests" be
makes no mention Of pewE. and en-
Joins the laity when In church 10 re-.
main on their knees and abstain from
leaning against pillars and walls: but
the Book Of Nature" by Russell.
sum TYNE wythe Duke Umfrew OF
Gloucester" a work like the "lnstruc-
tons" which was published In the FIRST
half OF the fifteenth century, directs
the chamberlain OF a great man to take
due care for the arrangements OF his
patrons pew.
Prince or prelate II he be or any other
pOtentate.
Ere he enter into church, be II early
or late.
Perceive all things for his pew that It
be made preparate;
Both cushion. carpet and curtain. beads
and book, forget not that
AZ the commencement Of the seven
teenth century pews had become com
paratiyely common. for In 1911 the fol-
lowing curious entry is found in ST.
Margaret's church accounts. Item,
paid 70 Goodwyfe Wells. for salt to de-
stroy the fieas In the churchwarden's
pew, Cd" The seventeenth century.
which witnessed 30 many changes In
ecclesiastical matters. saw pews come
into such vogue that modlsh person
would as soon have gone 10 church
without his proper garnlture Of point
lace as 10 have sat through a service
on the old fashioned stool or even more
modern bench At Chalderton. Eng
land. rs pew six feet high. with glass
windows In the door to enable the occu.
pants 10 see the preacher and other
windows In the side TO afford a view Of
the congregation. At Merstham and
Mlckelham. In Surrey. we're pewa raised
some feet above the level OF the damp
floor. comfortably fitted and supplied
with fireplace and table, by no means
an unusual arrangement for people Of
qualify" Such. no doubt were the
pewH which caused Bishop Corbln OF
Norwich 10 exclalm: Stately pews are
now become tabernacles, with curtains
and rings and diyans OF luxury: there
wants nothing but beds and pillows to
hear the word Of God on. We have
easements and locks and keys and cush-
ions. and for these we love the church.
! will not guess what Ia done with
them who sit. stand. or lie asleep nj
prayers, communion, etc. but this
dare say. they are either to hide some
vice or TO proclaim one; to hide dlsor-
der or to proclaim pride"
In Little BENJAMIN church. Norfolk
pew was erected by a shepherd In
the nave TO afford accommodation for
strangers and wedding parties. Il
bears at the southwest corner a skcle-
ton carved In wood "a cheerful and
suggestive ornamentationl. with this
inscription.
For couples Joined In wedlock; and my
friend
That stranger U.s. this seate | ala In
tende.
But. built at the cost and charge OF
Stephen Crisbee.
All you that doe this place pass by,
As you are now even 80 was /
Remember death, for you must dye.
And as am soc shall you bee.
Ammo Dominl 1870
In the reign Of Queen Anne Sir Chris
topher Wren demonstrated against the
stately pew" but yainly. the senil-
ments Of the rich and lordly occupants
were too strongly dominant The pews
Of many churches Of that and a some.
what later date were so high as TO hide
those within perhaps. AZ Bishop Cor
bin explained. TO enable the occupants
TO take comfortable nap when the
sermon was too long or prosy. II might
have been a device OF the purltans. as
II was said. 10 avoid being seen by the /
officers. who reported those who dld NOT
stand when the name Of Jesus was pro /
nounced. The services at that time .
were very much protracted. often occu- /
plying two or three hours. and swlft's
plthy allusion was doubtless perth
nont:
A bedstead OF Che native wood
Compact Of timber. many q load.
Such as our ancestors did use.
Was metamorphosed into pews.
Which stlll their ancient nature keen
by lodging folk disposed 10 sleep
with the reign OF Charles / the yarI.
Gus reasons for frightening the sides
OF the pews disappeared. and from the
civil war they gradually declined 10
their present height In one of the
elegant Presbyterian churches of a
Western city a number Of the large
square pews, ranged along the walls ON
either side, were handsomely furnished
with easy chairs aud tables. giving a
very sumptuous appearance. but this
lccasloned 30 much uniavorable COM
nent that this disposition Of the space
was changed. The pews OF the
churches In The old colonial days Ger
ainly were OF the soyerest descrlptIon
heir high, straight backs and narrow
eats were not calculated 10 AFFORD at
ractIon TO lodging pix disposed 10
leep." d
IIis Ivuf.n.tt., q