THE city of Armagh is the ecclesiastical metropolis of Ireland, and owes its origin and pre-eminence to St. Patrick, the acknowledged apostle of Ireland, who built its cathedral and other religious edifices in the year 445. St. Patrick constituted Armagh the mistress and metropolis of Ireland, fixing there the Primatial See, of which he is generally supposed to have been the first bishop. But further information on the subject may be found in Stuart’s Historical Memoirs of Armagh.
The cathedral establishment of Armagh was incorporated in the tenth year of Charles I. by a charter drawn up by Archbishop Laud, granting certain lands (called Ballyboes) and impropriations for the continual performance of divine service. The most curious, or rather flagitious, part of this charter is, the power it gives to the Primate of Armagh to act as his own visitor; or, in other words, to be judge in all cases whenever the inferior members of the church may appeal against his authority, however unjustly exercised by himself, his agent, or commissioner; and he has the power to suspend, or even expel, any member of the choir at his pleasure,—the injured individual having no legal means whatever of seeking redress! After searching the records of many other establishments of this kind, nowhere do we find such an instance of clerical assumption; but it is worthy of Laud, and of the reign in which he was allowed to exercise other tyrannies of the most insulting, and grossest kind.
The establishment consists of a Dean and four Prebendaries, four Rural Deans, seven Vicars-Choral, an Organist, and eight Choristers, who perform divine service twice on Sundays, and once on Wednesdays and Fridays. In the cathedral are two organs; one by Father Smith, seldom used,—the other, a very superior instrument, by Snetzler. Formerly the organist and vicars-choral managed their own revenue, which, arising from town lands adjacent to the city, and from the renewal of leases, is often considerable; but latterly this, their own business, has been taken out of their hands. A commissioner, appointed by the primate, together with the agent, who is also an officer of the archbishop, manage this between them, irresponsible to the vicars-choral, and under no control but that of their diocesan, who has the power of suspending or expelling any complainant by his own authority; and, let it be recollected, without the unfortunate sufferer having the power of appeal!
The salary of the organist and master of the boys is 160l., to which are added a large house and garden. The salary of the vicars is 90l. a year, with house and garden. This sum cannot increase, but may diminish. And now, when any vicar dies, it is the scandalous practice to appoint a deputy, or assistant, in his stead, who receives about half the salary: it is, therefore, unnecessary to say that the duty is performed in a manner correspondent to the abridged emoluments of the office. The choristers are boarded and educated in the house of the organist; and, when their voices change, they are apprenticed out to some trade, or retained as assistants, if capable. Some attempt to obtain a livelihood by teaching singing, &c.
Not the least remarkable feature in this establishment is the set of orders and statutes drawn up for the government of the vicars-choral. The two following will show the spirit in which they are conceived:—
14th.—All the vicars shall be liable to the archbishop’s visitation, and shall appear in the chapter-room before the archbishop, or his visitor, when they are thereunto called, upon all occasions; and if the archbishop or his visitor, in some special causes that concern the good of the church, urge any vicar to declare his knowledge, and the said vicar refuse to declare the same, he shall be urged thereto by all lawful means, and if he shall then refuse, he shall, after three admonitions, be expelled.
‘It is further ordered and enacted, that the vicars-choral shall not at any time presume to grant away, alien, demise, let, or dispose of any parcel of the lands, tenements, or hereditaments, which they do now possess and enjoy, in right of their being vicars-choral of the cathedral church of St. Patrick, Armagh, to any person or persons, bodies politic or corporate, for any greater or longer estate or term than the term of one year, without the consent, allowance, and direction of the archbishop, under pain of immediate expulsion and deprivation for the same, to every such of the aforesaid vicars who shall transgress therein.’
The foregoing proves beyond contradiction the justice and policy of abolishing such an ecclesiastical tyranny as that of Armagh; and, doubtless, the bill proposed by Lord Grey will get rid of other nuisances as great, though not so notorious, as those which are so glaring in the church of the primate of Ireland.
CANTERBURY.
THE Choral School of Canterbury cathedral is coeval with the establishment of the national church, St. Augustine having introduced the chanted service still retained in our cathedrals. The science of music was universally cultivated by the clergy, and so completely identified with religious offices, that, in the language of our ancestors, to sing and to pray were used as synonymous terms.