REMINISCENCES OF ST. PAUL’S.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1717, 25 January 1905, Page 59

REMINISCENCES OF ST. PAUL’S.

It is 15 years, Avrites Archdeacon Sinclair, in the “Sunday Magazine," since I Avas summoned from my busy parish in the slums of Westminster to become a member of the Chapter of the great Cathedral, one of the four canonries being attached to the office of Archdeacon of London. The Chapter which I joined Avas a distinguished one. Richard Church, one of the Avriters of “Tracts for the Times,” Avas dean; the present dean, Robert Gregory, avlio Avill ahvays be remembered as the reformer of St. Paul's, Avas senior canon; and the other two Avere. both brilliant preachers of the modern High Church school; Liddon, the impassioned and eloquent orator of that party, and Henry Scott Holland, one of the most original exponents of moral and religious thought in bis generation. Lightfoot, Bishop of Durham, and Stubbs, Bishop of Oxford, one of the* most abiei and learned of modern historians, had left the Chapter in recent years. Dean Church Avas reserved, shy, and retiring, and in bad health. His contribution to Cathedral life Ava*s in his high and austere ideas of Christian principle and conduct, the reputation of his cultured and thoughtful essays, and his profound and inspiring sermons, too rarely delivered. The active administration he left chiefly in the hands of the treasurer, Canon Gregory. When Gregory Avas first appointed, betAveen 30 and 40 years ago, the spirit of modern vigour had not begun to breathe upon S*t. Paul’s. Little ■ attention Avas paid to cleaning; the marble monuments Avere thick with black dust; the members of the choir were lazy and irregular. There Avas little discipline, the choirmen Avere a. corporation by themselves, as Avere the Minor Canons. Occasionally there Avould be hardly more* than one tenor and one bass. It is said that Sir John Goss, the organist, once went through the “Hallelujah Chorus” with that proportion of voices. Gregory, in spite of great opposition, instituted fines for lateness and non-attendance, reviA r ed discipline, broke down the system of separate corporations, introduced systematic cleaning, multiplied services, and generally infused a spirit of vigour throughout the whole of the administration. The reforms Avere sympathetically aided by Liddon Avhen he joined the Chapter, and the improvements in the services and singing Avere admirably carried out by *one of the greatest and most successful of organists and choirmasters, Sir John Stainer. At the same time the magnificent eloquence of Canon Liddondrew enormous crowds to the Sunday afternoon services. He seldom preached less than an hour, but thick and serried ranks of hearers stood all round the dome to listen Avith motionless attention, and the congregation extended far doAvn to the Avest door. . . . In a brief sketch of the Chapter, mention should be made of the famous old verger, Robert Green, avlio Avitnessed all the changes, and helped by his ability, loyalty, good judgment, and good sense to carry them out to a successful issue. He began liis long service at the Cathedral at the funeral of the Duke of Wellington in 1852. and continued for nearly 50 years. He identified himself to an amusing degreeAvith the Avhole* life of the Cathedral, and Avould speak of ‘‘my choir," ‘‘my service,” “my procession," and the like. With Green responsible for the arrangements, Avas sure to go Avell. At one of the great military funerals a group of aged and distinguished Generals Avere standing in full uniform at the great Avest doors, Availing for the procession in the harsh chill of a bitter March Avind, Avhen the kind old verger, Avith his handsome face and gentle smile, Avent round amongst them saying, “Put your hats on, gentlemen, put your hats on! We killed some of you at the Duke of Wellington's funeral."