SECTION XVIII.

OF THE SEDILIA.

THE name sedilia is by moderns confined to the particular seats set apart in the sanctuary for the use of the officiating clergy. The need of such seats is shown by the provision of what were called altar-chairs, even at the period when English ritual was at its lowest. Their original purpose was to afford a place where the clergy, and particularly the fasting celebrant, might rest during the portions of the service in which they were not themselves engaged. At the present time—at least, in those churches where there is proper accommodation for the clergy in the choir-the sedilia are only used during the sermon, but, anciently, the clergy retired to them whilst the choir sang several parts of the service, and whenever they were not engaged at the altar. If the former is to continue to be their sole use, it would seem reasonable that they should be placed with regard to the pulpit rather than to the altar, so that their occupants might conveniently listen to the sermon, instead of being placed in a position, which is usually one of the worst for hearing from in the church. But if the ancient custom is to be revived-and, at least so far as regards the creed, there seems to be every reason why it should be-our object will be to provide

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a place as near as possible to the altar, to which the celebrant and his ministers may retire conveniently and without fuss at the proper times.

The sedilia must be placed against one of the walls of the sanctuary, so as to interfere with the free passage as little as possible. The east wall, the usual position thirty years ago, is bad, as the clergy seated there, facing west, become unduly conspicuous, and, having no connection with the altar, withdraw the attention from it; and also, they must either be all crowded together on one side, or be separated, neither of which is convenient, and in the latter case there is with three-the usual number-the additional difficulty of determining how the separation shall be managed and the seats assigned. The ancient sedilia are, with few, if any exceptions, on the south side of the sanctuary. Doubtless some people can find deep mystical meaning in this arrangement, but I believe the origin of it is simply that the celebrant, when not standing "in the midst of the altar," stood at the south side, never on the north, and, consequently, it was convenient that his seat should also be on the south side. There now seems to be little practical difference between the north side and the south; in favour of the latter, it may indeed be said that, being on the contrary side to the pulpit when in its usual place, it is therefore somewhat the better position for hearing. But, in order that the same ritual may be observed in different churches, it is important that the arrangements of the sanctuaries shall be, as much as may be, uniform, consequently, the southern position, being at least as convenient

as the other, should be assigned to the sedilia in modern churches, as we find it in old ones.

The normal number of sedilia is three-viz., one each for the celebrant, gospeller and epistoler. In old churches the number varies from one to five, although three is much the commonest; and I think it will be best always to provide this number now; for, whatever may formerly have been the purpose of the additional one or two, we have now no use for them; and, although in perhaps the majority of churches the celebrant is usually attended only by a lay clerk, there are very few in which occasionally, at dedication festivals and such times, there may not be a gospeller and epistoler, for whose accommodation it is as well that provision be made. In chapels sometimes a single sedile may be convenient, but there seems to be no advantage in two,, for one of them will be useless when the priest is unattended, and an additional seat will be required if there be a high celebration -unless indeed the sedilia be only used during the sermon, and one of the officiating clergy also preach.

Whether the seats be all on one level, or rise one above the other towards the east, will depend on the floor levels of the sanctuary, in arranging which the approach to the sedilia should always be considered. Generally it will be found most convenient to place them on the highest of the steps going all across the sanctuary. If there is not room, the westernmost may be dropped a step, but, as it is now usual for the celebrant to occupy the middle seat, we ought to avoid making that lower than the eastern one. In a wide sanctuary there is no

harm in the sedilia having a special platform, but, if so, it should not be raised above that on which the altarpace stands, and care must be taken in arranging the steps round it, to make the approach easy from all sides, and avoid an awkward drop at the west end.

The sedilia may take a great variety of forms. The most "correct" is that of three arched recesses in the wall of the sanctuary. This has certain advantages; it often looks very well, and, being part of the fabric, it is permanent, and also, being in the thickness of the wall, it does not reduce the floor space. Another good form for large churches is a single recess with a seat large enough to hold three. In cheap churches, the sill of a window may be brought down so as to make a bench. In all these forms the stone bench should have a wooden seat placed on the top of it, and the back and sides should be hung with curtains, so that the vestments may not be injured by rubbing against the masonry, and for a similar reason, in the divided sedilia the shafts, and also the bases, should be made of polished marble.

Where the wall is too thin to allow of the sedilia being recessed in it, they may take the form of a settle about seven feet long, divided by elbows into three compartments. These should not be copied from old stalls, which were arranged as much for standing in as for sitting. I have seen modern sedilia with misericords!

1 The shafts are now generally made of marble, the bases never, except when the whole sanctuary is lined with it. They are really the more important, for the vestments are brought more roughly into contact with them.

When sedilia have to be added to an existing building, or where the chancel has a south aisle its full length, this form will also be convenient; in the latter case they may have canopies forming part of the screen-work of the sanctuary. But it is impossible to lay down strict rules as to the form of the sedilia, which must be regulated by the character of the building, and the funds at command. One of the best forms is a wooden settle, such as I have just described, placed in a recess large enough to receive it in the south wall of the sanctuary ; this combines the advantages of the wood and stone sedilia.

A practice has lately been introduced amongst us of placing seats for lay servers in the sanctuary. We find none such in the old churches, because formerly the servers never sat in the sanctuary, the easternmost places in the choir being reserved for their use. But, if the modern usage is to continue, we ought to provide something better than the rush-bottomed chairs now often used. The best thing seems to be a simple bench of wood or stone against the north wall. It should be about eight feet long, as it has to accommodate four, and if of stone, must, of course, have something laid on the top.