ed an exhortation. If
any prebends fell vacant during his episcopal power, he had the power of
disposing of them; and if he died during the month he was buried in his
robes, his funeral was celebrated with great pomp, and a monument was
erected to his memory with his effigy.

The discovery of a monument of this character, some hundred and seventy
years since, in Salisbury Cathedral, caused much amazement to the many
then unread in antiquarian lore, who marvelled much at the anomalous
affair, wondering however a bishop could have been so small, or a child
so rich in ecclesiastical garments.

From this custom originated the but lately discontinued honours, annually
awarded to the head boy in most grammar schools, who had a place in grand
civic processions, and for a season at least was magnified into a great
personage.

The origin of this festival, on St Nicholas day, is involved like most
others in much obscurity, and buried in heaps of legendary mysticism.
The tale upon which it is said to have been founded is, that in the
fourth century St. Nicholas was bishop of Myra, when two young gentlemen
arrived at that city on their road to Athens, whither they were going to
complete their education. By their father's desire they were to seek the
benediction of the bishop on their way, but as it was late at night when
they reached Myra, they deferred doing so till the next morning; but in
the meantime the host of the inn at which they were lodging, stimulated
by avarice to possess himself of their property, killed the young
gentlemen, cut them in pieces, salted them, and purposed to sell them for
pickled pork.

St. Nicholas, the bishop, being favoured with a sight of these
proceedings in a vision, (or, as we should now-a-days express it, by
_clairvoyance_) went to the inn, reproached the cruel landlord for his
crime, who, confessing it, entreated the saint to pray to heaven for his
pardon. The bishop, moved by his entreaties, besought pardon for him,
and restoration of life to the children. He had scarcely finished, when
the pickled pieces re-united, and the animated youths threw themselves
from the brine-tub at the bishop's feet; he raised them up, exhorted them
to ascribe the praise to God alone, and sent them forward on their
journey, with much good counsel.

Such is the miracle handed down as the cause of the adoption of Saint
Nicholas as the patron saint of children. The Eton Montem is considered
to be a corrupti