The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-13

lew of those present at the corona
ton of King George and Queen
Mary in Westminster Abbey paid
much attention to the pulpit from
which the Archbishop OF York the sec
ond greatest dignitary of the Church
of England preached the brief but
eloquent coronation sermon. Yet il
was we'll worthy of more careful OBJ
servation, For. built entirely OF oak
brought for the purpose from Windsor
Forest by road to London. nearly 400
years ago, it was used for the crown
ing of King Edward vi, In Westmin-
ster Abbey, in l5iS 1t is IA beautiful
piece of old oak carving, and. curious
~ enough. was lost before the acces-
sion to the throne of that young mon
arch's sister and successor. Bloody
Mary, being stored away in some nook
or Granny of that maze of vaults
which several tiers deep. and dating
from times long prior to the Norman
Conquest. extend in every direction
under the Abbey. Dean Stanley com
menced the work of exploration OF these
vaults. and made many discoveries OF
great interest. After his death. the
work was allowed TO lapse, and was
not resumed until the Very Reverend
DR. Armytage Robinson. celebrated as
an historian. well as a divine. be-
came Dean of Westminster.
Three years ago this pulpit of Ed
ward vi. was brought to light. its his
tory established by the records still
among the Abbey archives regarding
the price paid for its workmanship. and
1t was selected by the dean. with the
cN1sent OF King George. as particular
ly appropriate for use at the latters
coronation. II is superior in artistic
value to the still more ancient oaken
pulpit in use TO this day in st. Georges
Chapel, Windsor Castle, and which
fashioned of oak from Windsor Forest
dates from the reign of Edward III.
Its style is dinstinctly Gothic.
Strictly speaking. pulpits should have
no place in Christian churches, as they
are of Mahommedan origin. the earli-
est examples recorded being the tubs.
fastened upon tops of poles. forming
the sort Of crows nest from which the
Ulema of Mecca and of Cairo were wont
to address the followers Of the prophet
that thronEed the mosques on every
Friday. Perhaps one of the reasons
why pulpits were retained after the
Reformation in England was the fact
that they enable the preacher to de-
liver his discourse comfortably seated
which was more agreeable 10 him than
| having to stand on the altar steps.
and to preach from thence. in a much
more impressive and dignified manner
IN FORMER days the CleTSN Wouiu uol
only sit and lounge in the pulpit while
| preaching, but would actually smoke
| Thus, I.aunCelot Blackburn. Lord Arch
| bishop Of York and Primatc OF Eng
land. who was famous a buccaneer.
or, according 10 some, as a pirate, be-
fore entering holy orders, is on record
ms having Interrupted his sermon, on
j the occasion of his holding contirma-
+ ton, at ST Mary's, Nottingham. to order
j tNa Ia 49,
pipes and fresh supply OF tobacco to
the pulpit Dean Swift, of ST Patrick's
| Cathedral at Dublin. was won't to
smoke throughout his entire sermon.
occasionally refreshing himself with a
! glass of port. while Bishop Duncan. Of
| Dundee. is described by contemporar ies
as having been mean and avaricious,
! thar he was accustomed to make a
practice OF coming to church without
his tobacco pounch, and then. after as
cending the pulpit, of inquiring who
amons the congregation would be will
Ing TO accommodate him with theirs,
| I, is from these doys, too. that date
] those delightful. old fashioned pews.
i IN tn English country churches. fitTEr
/ up with curtains. cushions. ire
! places. pokcrs and tongs where the
i squire slept ana smoked away the en-
tire length OF the sermon.
The expression of another glass"
used frequently by the bishops AMI
clergy in those days when preaching
did not, however, usually indicate that
the occupant Of the pulpit needed an
other glass of port but related 10 The
! hour glasses which formerly constituted
, an indispensable fea ture of the furnish
ings of every pulpit, and which marked.
not half hours. nor vet whole ones. hut
| merely quarters. Perhaps the hand
somesi of these old glasses. Is the one