Page:Early Reminiscences.djvu/288

 232 EARLY REMINISCENCES with his usual self-assurance. When I finally left my uncle's house, in the first place, I tore up and chucked out of the window a bundle of tracts with which I had been supplied, as Becky Sharp treated the Dictionary on leaving Miss Pinkerton's establishment. And in the next place I sang at the top of my voice, " In Exitu Israel de Egypto," to a Gregorian tone. On reaching the station the cabman, opening the fly door, said with a smile : " Not surprised to hear you singing, sir, coming away from that idiot asylum. A few weeks ago I took away two young ladies, Misses Ireland, and they frolicked like wild cats, and broke one of the panes of glass in my cab-window." Whilst I was at Cambridge the Rev. Thomas Helmore of the Chapel Royal, S. James's, came to us and delivered lectures on Gregorian music. I think our society had invited him. Another visitor to Cambridge was Dr. Gobat, appointed to the Anglican Bishopric of Jerusalem in 1846. Some of my friends went to his meetings and were vastly tickled by the conclusion of his appeals. " Gentlemen, if you come to Jerusalem, Mrs. Gobat will be pleased to offer you a cup of tea." Another visitor was Bishop Colenso. He was a Cornishman, born of humble parentage, but he had obtained a Sizar ship at S. John's College, and was Second Wrangler in 1836 and was tutor of his college 1842-6. He was consecrated first Bishop of Natal in 1853. He was not a pleasing-looking man, with a grey muddy complexion, derived from admixture of the early Ivernian blood that exists still in the county, some mixed and some unmixed with the cleaner Celtic blood. A strong passion with me has ever been love of Gothic architecture. In this I felt that Pugin and Ambrose Lisle Phillipps were my brothers. How they loathed the Oratorians and their introduction into England of the most debased Italian architecture, vulgar frippery and show ! The Gothic architects held that reserve became all that pertained to Divine worship. In the primitive church the veil was drawn when the priest consecrated the Host. It is still drawn in the Eastern and the Armenian churches, and the iconostasis separates the chancel from the riave. So in Gothic church building, the rood-screen at the chancel arch proclaimed " On all Glory there must be a defence." But the Oratorians not only did away with the rood-screen, but