the remuneration of our
parish clergymen was settled when the original settlement was made,
no deepest, keenest lover of middle-aged ecclesiastical black-letter
learning can, I take it, now say. That the priests were to be paid
from tithes of the parish produce, out of which tithes certain other
good things were to be bought and paid for, such as church repairs
and education, of so much the most of us have an inkling. That
a rector, being a big sort of parson, owned the tithes of his
parish in full,--or at any rate that part of them intended for the
clergyman,--and that a vicar was somebody's deputy, and therefore
entitled only to little tithes, as being a little body: of so much we
that are simple in such matters have a general idea. But one cannot
conceive that even in this way any approximation could have been
made, even in those old mediaeval days, towards a fair proportioning
of the pay to the work. At any rate, it is clear enough that there
is no such approximation now. And what a screech would there not be
among the clergy of the Church, even in these reforming days, if any
over-bold reformer were to suggest that such an approximation should
be attempted? Let those who know clergymen, and like them, and have
lived with them, only fancy it! Clergymen to be paid, not according
to the temporalities of any living which they may have acquired,
either by merit or favour, but in accordance with the work to be
done! O Doddington! and O Stanhope, think of this, if an idea so
sacrilegious can find entrance into your warm ecclesiastical bosoms!
Ecclesiastical work to be bought and paid for according to its
quantity and quality!

But, nevertheless, one may prophesy that we Englishmen must come to
this, disagreeable as the idea undoubtedly is. Most pleasant-minded
Churchmen feel, I think, on this subject pretty much in the same way.
Our present arrangement of parochial incomes is beloved as being
time-honoured, gentleman-like, English, and picturesque. We would
fain adhere to it closely as long as we can, but we know that we do
so by the force of our prejudices, and not by that of our judgement.
A time-honoured, gentleman-like, English, picturesque arrangement
is so far very delightful. But are there not other attributes very
desirable--nay, absolutely necessary--in respect to which this
time-honoured, picturesque arrangement is so very deficient?

How pleasant it was, too, that one bishop should be getting fifteen
thousa