Hierologus or the church tourists Author:John Mason Neale Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER I. Contents. Introduction.—Study of Ecclesiology.—Its Advantages.—Love of the Beautiful.—Feeling for the Poor.—Association with the Memorials o... more »f Death.—Its proposed End.—Story of the Spanish Hermit.—Gothick Fanciers. — Their irreverence. — Verger of Ripon Cathedral.—Calamy's Description of Glasgow Cathedral. —Profanity allowed in S. Alban's Abbey.—Storer's Views.— Reason why the finest Churches occur in Marshy Districts.— Croyland.—The spirit of Puritanism.—Fearfulness of the Anathema on Church Violators.—God's Judgments on them.— Breadsall Priory.—Cornelius Burgess.—Feeling with respect to the Dissolution of Monasteries.—Bancroft.—Sheldon.—War- ton's Elegy.—National Prosperity no proof of National Piety. —Restoration of Monasteries and Hospitals.—Saving of S. Philip Neri.—White Kennet.—Necessity of subjecting Religious Houses to Episcopal control.—Decay of Hospitality. " Ibam forte Via Sacra, sicut rneus est mos."—Hon. CHAPTER I. THE SCENE IS NEAR CHOYLAND IN LINCOLNSHIRE. Catholicus.—Never, surely, were Ecclesiologists more favoured in their weather with bright sun and cool gale than we have been. PaleeopMlus.—And never, I think, did any pass over a more desolate tract of country. But a sky so blue, and so fresh a breeze, might abundantly make up for a scene,—were it possible,—more dismal thanthis. Well; the church visitor, with his knapsack on his back, his sketch-book, and note-book, and foot- rule, and measuring-tape in his pocket, his good oak stick in his hand, with fair weather, and a fine tract of churches before him, is the happiest, and I was going to add, only it would be a contradiction in terms, the freest of human beings. Cath.—Assuredly, it is a glorious study. So it would be, if it only made us conversant with works of art so ex...« less