s lighted from fire struck from
a flint on Easter Eve, all previous fires being extinguished. The
paschal was often of great size: that of Westminster Abbey, in 1557,
weighed three hundred pounds. Many curious records of church
disbursements for these and such like things are recorded; in those of
St. Mary-at-Hill, in London, stands, "For a quarter of coles for the
hallowed fire of Easter Eve, 6_d._; also for two men to watch the
sepulchre, from Good Friday to Easter Eve, 14_d._; for a piece of timber
to the new paschal, 2_s._; paid for a dish of pewter for the paschal,
8_d_."

The church on Easter morning presented another scene. The sepulchre
removed, tapers were lighted, fires kindled, incense burned, music pealed
from the bells, Te Deums from organs, flowers fresh gathered lent their
fragrance to the hour, birds set loose from the crowd, all joined to
celebrate the joyful festival of the resurrection, and altars glittered
with the whole wealth of silver and gold, that munificence or penitence
had enriched them with. We have left off all these things--but we sing
the Easter hymn.

On the north side of the entrance from the nave into the anti-choir was
placed the chapel, dedicated to the Lady of Pity; and above the spot
where Herbert laid the foundation stone, was placed the altar, dedicated
to St. William. As this sounds rather an unsaintly name, we must explain
that St. William was a little boy, aged nine years, who, in the time of
Rufus, when the Jews were powerful in our land, fell a martyr to their
hatred of the Christians. The tale runs that, in 1137, the Jews, then
the leading merchants, doctors, and scholars of the day, stole a little
boy, crucified him, and buried him in Thorpe wood. They were discovered
on their road to the burial, but escaped punishment by some clever
monetary arrangement with the authorities. Little William was buried in
the wood, and a chapel raised above his grave, the outline of which is
yet discernible by the fineness of the grass, that distinguishes it from
the heath around, the wood having long since narrowed its limits; the
shepherds say weeds will not grow on the spot, for it is "hallowed
ground." The bones of the unfortunate boy were afterwards brought to the
cathedral, where another shrine was erected, and dedicated to the little
saint; and Thomas, a monk of Monmouth, is said to have written _seven_
books of the miracles wrought by these bones. It was essential, before