stops overtax the lungs of the organ, and mar the effect of the whole instrument.

I have already spoken of the introduction of solo and orchestral stops. There is an argument in favour of not including these amongst our list of stops, in the fact that the very best of them are but feeble imitations of the real instruments. And why should we not make use of the instruments themselves? Until the dismal groans of the harmonium were to be heard issuing from every village church, we had, in many instances, the village band. The double bass, violoncello, clarionet, and flute. The performance was no doubt bad; indeed, it was on a par with all the other matters connected with the conduct of public worship at that time, but reform was needed, and not total abolition. I trust it may not be long before we again hear some of these musical instruments in the church. Brass instruments have already begun to make their way.

SECTION XI

OF LECTERNS.

IN one or other of their uses lecterns belong to each of the three main divisions: to the nave, when placed in the rood-loft, and also when used for holding the Bible from which the First and Second Lessons are read; to the chancel as the choir-leader's desk; and to the sanctuary when placed there to sing the Gospel from. It is, however, convenient to discuss them all together.

The use of the lectern for reading the Lessons from at matins and evensong being common to almost all the churches in England, it may seem presumptuous to object to it; nevertheless, I can see no sufficient reason for it under ordinary conditions. The custom seems to date from the early part of the seventeenth century, and must, I think, be classed with tuns, tricanales, Adam-and-Eve1 alms-basons, "triquertral" censers, cushioned altars, coped celebrants, and such like ecclesiastical curiosities of that strange period. The rubric merely orders the reader so to stand and turn himself "as he may best be heard of all those that are present." No order is given to him to leave his place,

1 Or "the two spies." Of the many such basons still to be found in our old churches, I do not remember an instance with any other than one of these two subjects. What was their origin and meaning?

F

and if he can be heard from it, there seems to be no object in his doing so. If his position is such that he cannot be heard, he must of course change it, but this need rarely happen in a parish church. When it does, the pulpit may reasonably be used for the Lessons. This must stand where the reader may best "be heard of all those that are present." Usually they may be read from one of the returned stalls, the reader turning west if there be a congregation in the nave, east if no one is present except in the choir. If a lectern is insisted upon, it should be placed in the nave, somewhere near the pulpit or on the other side opposite to it. The "correct" place-the middle of the chancel-is bad for hearing from, and it is also, as we shall shortly see, wanted for another purpose.

The argument I have already given, when speaking of the rood-loft, in favour of providing a special place for the reading of the Gospel, may possibly be used to justify doing the same for the Lessons. But I think to give like honour to all Lessons taken from Holy Scripture, takes away from its special meaning when applied to the Gospel.

With an elaborate musical service a conductor is a necessity. If his office be not openly recognised, and a place assigned to him, he must get on as well as he can in his stall, which is never a good, and often a very bad, place to be seen from by the choir, being in the same line with some singers, and behind others. Now, it is contrary to the first principles of rational planning that any ordinary requirement should be unforeseen and un

provided for. We must, therefore, inquire how the conductor, or, if it be preferred to call him so, the choirruler, may be best accommodated. He must be fully in sight of the choir, and, consequently, must stand in the middle of the chancel. He must be so far forward that those occupying the eastern stalls may be guided by him when they are turned towards the altar. And he requires a desk for his book that his hands may be free. All these wants will be supplied by a lectern placed halfway between the easternmost stalls,' the conductor will be visible to every member of the choir, and also to musicians, if placed in the rood-loft.

The conductor's desk should face east, which is practically quite as convenient as if he faced the choir, and at the same time marks that the music is but a means to an end, the end being worship, and the conductor just as much a worshipper as any of the congregation. Nothing can possibly be more contrariant to every idea of devotion than to see a man, as may now and then be done at "special" cathedral services, with his back to the altar, gesticulating violently in full view of the congregation. It is this utter want of all feeling of worship, not any elaboration of musical performance, which lays our churches open to the charge of being concert-rooms.

The conductor should be as little conspicuous as possible, considering his position. He only requires to be

1 This lectern is identical with the antiphon desk of the later Middle Ages, and where antiphons are sung it may continue to be used as such. It should have two desks, and be made to turn so as to accommodate two books.

seen by the choir, not by the congregation, his desk should therefore be small, and should stand on the floor of the chancel. A large lectern, or one raised on a platform in this position, would, except in buildings on a very great scale, take off from the importance of the altar.

A lectern was, during the Middle Ages, often placed on the north side of the sanctuary for the reading of the Gospel, at those times when the loft was not used. In the twelfth century it was moveable, and brought in only when wanted, but in later times it became permanent, and was sometimes a magnificent piece of furniture. There seems to be every reason why this custom should be kept up in our more richly-furnished churches, and a desk may also be provided on the other side of the sanctuary for the Epistle. But if so, it should be smaller and in every way less important that the other. The same subordination of the Epistle to the Gospel should also be observed in the rood-loft, where standing lecterns will be found more practically convenient than desks fixed to the parapet. It would, I think, also be well that the eagle form should be confined to lecterns used for the Gospel, as seems to have been the general rule in the Middle Ages.2

66

...

1 See S. Osmund's treatise on the services, printed by Dr Rock at the end of his "Church of our Fathers," cap. xcv. Evangelium non in pulpito in aquila (cantatur), sed in presbiterio super pulpito apparato, versus aquilonem converso diacono, quod unus ceropherariorum post lectam epistolam in loco debito disponat et ornet Several ancient lecterns remain, which might be used in this way. M. Viollet-le-duc has figured two in his "Dictionnaire du mobilier," tome i., art. "Lutrin." 2 We continually find the,word “aquila ” used alone for the Gospel lectern