A DEAN'S DIARY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 171, 21 July 1928, Page 16 (Supplement)

A DEAN'S DIARY.

300 TEARS AGO. U.KUGY WHO DODGED PRAYERS. Piquant episodes in catlicdral lifd in England 300 years ago arc revealed, in "The Diary of John Young, Dean of Winchester," from 1016 to 1645. This diary, found in 1918 in a chest in tlie Chapter Room of Winchester Cathedral. and" edited by Mrs. Florence Remington Goodman, wife of the Cathedral librarian, is published by the tSociety for Promoting Christian Knowledge. There were many troublous incidents in the Dean's career. He tells how on June 23, 1628:— "I tould my Brethren of their neglect of coming to prayers and keaping their turnes in preaching; then we Bpoke of allowing a prebend 13/4 that wculd preaclie for anie uther, and for ane >\xtraordinaiie course 20/; bot the making of a deerie was put of till a moir frequented meeting; for then one halfe were absent." There was trouble on July 26, 1640, with the Mayor and Aldermen of Winchester, who "Went out of the church because tlie Archbishop kneeling at the command: would not give way to them to come in. I had persuaded them efter Christmas last to come in the uther Avav; and then the Archbishop invited them, and it seems wes willing, tliey schould come that way by him, which they continued Bince; bet the Soriday before the assizes he spoke unto me to move them to come the uther way." A happier note is struck in the Dean's description of his meeting with Prince Charlie six months after the Prince's birth. "In the evening (5 Dec., 1630) Sir John Tunstall brought me to the sweet boupeful prinse in St. James, who held me by the finger and pulled me and smiled upon me. "My Lady governes (Mary Countess of Dorset) eaide sche hade not seen him i dow the like to anie."