Church News.

THE ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF THE NATIONAL
SCHOOL OF BUTLEIGH.

THE celebration of the annual school feast of Butleigh, near Glastonbury, took place on Wednesday, September 1st, at halfpast two in the afternoon. The schools of Butleigh and Balstonborough met at the school-house, and walked in procession to the Church, (which has lately been restored, and where the parishioners have the privilege of daily service,) carrying flags and banners. A choral service was performed, and the prayers were intoned by the Rev. C. Cornish, Curate of Balstonborough, the responses and service being chanted by a well-trained choir. An admirable address was delivered to the children by the Vicar, the Rev. F. Neville, who took for his text, 1 S. John ii. 12. At the conclusion, the congregation rose, and the Doxology was chanted by the choir.

When the service was over, the children marched in procession, headed by the village band, to the Vicarage, where they were regaled on the lawn with a plentiful supply of tea and cake, and were waited upon by a number of ladies and gentlemen who were present. When tea was over, grace was said by the Vicar, and they again walked in procession (the band playing all the time) to the park belonging to the Dean of Windsor, Butleigh Court, where they were amused with various games, such as racing, running, and jumping in sacks, &c., with dancing, and other different games for the girls. Prizes were distributed to the best runners and jumpers, such as boxes, pictures, knives, balls, &c. In the evening fire-balloons were sent up, with a number of squibs and crackers, and several rockets, which continued till dark, when the band struck up the National Anthem, and the festivities of the day terminated.

We rejoice to say that the whole proceedings of the day were favoured with beautiful weather. Among the ladies and gentlemen present were the Vicar and Mrs. F. Neville and family, the Rev. C. Cornish, and Mrs. Cornish and family, Mr. and Mrs. R. Neville and family, Mr. W. Neville, the Rev. T. Nunn, of West Penard, Mr. and Mrs. Dickinson and family, of Kingweston, and Mrs. Lunn, of Wooton.

The Editor's Desk.

WE had purposed giving this month in our own department an account of a visit which we paid during last month to a country workhouse. We are, however, somewhat pressed for space, and

must, therefore, defer the execution of our design till some future time. The great activity that is everywhere demonstrated in the Church's work, the new buildings that are being reared in every part of the country, the old ones that are being decorated, and beautified in the best sense of terms, are causes of continued thankfulness to every Churchman. The spirit thus permeating the country cannot fail to produce its results; and we yet hope that though many years may have to pass, England will be merry England once again.

We cannot, of course, particularize one tithe, or do more than produce an instance or two in illustration of our remarks.

And first we have the re-consecration of Sheen Church. On Wednesday, August 4th, the Lord Bishop of Lichfield consecrated the re-built parish church of Sheen. The advowson of the parish having, a few years since, passed into the hands of Mr. A. J. Beresford Hope, the step-son of Lord Beresford, the owner of the adjacent property of Beresford Hall, he soon began to benefit the parish by promoting the erection of a new school-room, of ample size, and very picturesque architecture, near the south side of the church. To the school-room was attached a small house, of ecclesiastical character. The church at this time was a very mean erection of the present century, though occupying the site of a more ancient building, of which indeed the north wall still remains. It was a mere oblong apartment, with a western tower. The patron of the living determined to replace this structure by something more suitable; and accordingly he obtained a faculty for pulling it almost all down, and adding a chancel and a porch. Mr. Burleigh, of Leeds, was the architect originally employed; but his health having unfortunately failed, the works were completed, with various alterations and improvements, under the care of W. Butterfield, Esq. The present nave is of nearly the same dimensions as the former church; its roof is open, and is one of the least pleasing parts of the church. But a band of coloured ornament round the cornice, and the fact that all its windows are filled with stained glass, of the kind called grisuille, make the interior very beautiful and impressive. The tower is open to the church, and has a west window of most glowing colours, containing effigies of S. Peter and S. Paul; the work, like all the stained window glass, of the well-known artists, Messrs. O'Connor, of Berners Street, London. The east window was especially commended. It contains three figures, under canopies, of S. Luke, the patron saint of the church, S. Chad, the patron of the diocese of Lichfield, and S. Etheldreda; and above, in a sex-foiled opening of the tracery, there is a halffigure of our LORD, (what is called, in the language of ecclesiastical art, a "Majesty,") in the attitude of benediction. The south window of the chancel has figures of S. Stephen, the protomartyr, and of S. Alban, the protomartyr of England. The light within the church is most mellow, coming through these rich windows. The

chancel has a stone roof, of considerable height and span, having six bays divided by arched ribs. The three easternmost bays, which are over the sanctuary, are coloured with a delicate pattern of green and red. There is a screen with gates under the chancelarch, and stalls with subsella on each side. The sanctuary is raised on several steps, and the altar, which was richly vested, stands beneath a reredos of polished alabaster, in which is inlaid a cross of red Derbyshire marble, with circles of black marble on each side. This and the font, which is also of local grey marble, inlaid with patterns of red marble, are wrought by Mr. Oldfield, of Ashford. North and south of the altar there are rich hangings of woven stuff, which, like all the similar fittings of the church, came from Messrs. Newton, Jones, and Willis, of Birmingham. There are hangings behind the sedilia, and also behind the stalls, and curtains over the doors. The Bishop's throne was erected on the north side, and on the south side are sedilia, with a credence-table of oak. Rails of brass extend a few feet on each side, along the steps where the communicants kneel. The font stands under the tower-arch, and is surmounted by a tapering cover of oak. An arched door opens from the north side of the chancel into a double vestry, which is the work of Mr. Butterfield, and by far the most remarkable architectural ornament of the church. It is of solid stone, the external roof being of very high pitch; while internally it is open to the ridge, with very solid ribs. This is a work of great genius, and for its masonry reflects the highest credit on Mr. Lomas, the mason employed in the completion of the works. The former works in the church were executed by Mr. Taylor, of Coventry. Altogether the church is most complete, especially in its fittings, of which everything seems to be of the best description, and nothing omitted. The altar-candlesticks are very graceful, being unusually high, with large crystals on the middle knob. These are the workmanship of Messrs. Skidmore, of Coventry; who also provided the very tasteful metal candlesticks with which the chancel and nave are lighted. A large corona lucis, containing eight candles, is suspended from the chancel-roof. The altar-plate, manufactured from Mr. Butterfield's designs, by Mr. Keith, the maker to the Ecclesiological Society, is very rich and beautiful, the chalice and paten being ornamented with exquisite enamels, and the alms-dish, cruets, &c., being finished with great delicacy, and engraved with appropriate inscriptions. The litany-desk is placed at the east end of the nave, and the lectern in the chancel. The organ, built by Walker, of London, has a Gothic case of open tracery, and stands on the ground in the nave on the south side of the chancel-arch. We never saw this position before, but we must say it was effective for sound, being so near the singers. A peal of six bells has also been presented to the church by Mr. Hope, from the foundry of Messrs. Mears, of Whitechapel. This is the only peal of more than three

bells for many miles round, and it appeared to give great satisfaction to the inhabitants. Mr. Dent, of London, was fixing a new clock in the tower, which was not quite finished on the day of consecration. On the south side of the school a parsonage-house is now building, by Mr. Myers, of London, from the designs of Mr. Butterfield. This house is also the gift of the same munificent patron and benefactor. We ought not to forget to add, that the old village-cross, the stump of which remained on a small green before the church, has been restored, and on this festal day was appropriately ornamented with flowers and shrubs. A sort of triumphal arch of boughs and flowers was also erected over the churchyard gate.

Having thus described the church and surrounding buildings, we may proceed to notice the ceremonies of the day of consecration.

The Bishop, who had arrived in the neighbourhood on the preceding evening, on reaching the church shortly before ten, the hour fixed for the consecration, was met by the patron, Mr. Hope, and conducted to the schools, where preparations had been made for his reception, and in which a number of the neighbouring clergy, together with the principal parishioners, were already assembled. The preliminaries having been arranged, the choristers and clergy, preceded by a parishioner carrying a verge, moved in procession before the Bishop to the church door, chanting Psalm 43, to one of the Gregorian tones; the Bishop being accompanied by the Right Rev. Bishop Spencer (late of Madras,) and attended by the Rev. Dr. Mill, as his chaplain, the chief parishioners following. On entering the church the choir began chanting the consecration Psalm, (Psalm 24, to the 7th tone,) accompanied by the organ. The procession, after entering by the porch, went round the font under the tower, to the west end of the church, and thence up the centre passage to their stalls within the chancel screen. The prayers of consecration having been said by the Bishop, standing at the altar, and the necessary deed having been read and signed, the Morning Service commenced. The services were choral throughout the whole day, the prayers being said by the Rev. T. Helmore, of the Chapel Royal, the appointed Psalms as well as the Canticles being sung to the Gregorian tones, to which the organ accompaniment added great beauty. The organ throughout the day was most efficiently played by the Rev. S. S. Greatheed, who kindly offered his services. He played in sight of the congregation, and in his surplice, hood and stole. The effect of this was most reverent, and by this arrangement, the scandal inseparable from a hidden organchamber, is altogether avoided in Sheen Church. The Lessons were read by the Rev. J. Kinder, of Uttoxeter, and Rev. T. E. Heygate, the curate of the parish; the Litany, as had been previously arranged with the Bishop, being reserved for the confirmation

service in the afternoon. The Bishop was assisted at the altar by the Right Rev. Bishop Spencer and the Rev. B. Webb, the incumbent, by whom the Gospel and Epistle were read, and after a sermon from the Rev. Dr. Mill, Regius Professor of Hebrew in the University of Cambridge, and Canon of Ely, from Haggai, chapter i., verses 7, 8, 9, which was listened to with marked attention throughout, the Holy Communion was administered to fifty-seven communicants. The collection at the offertory amounted to upwards of £27, and was devoted to the Additional Curates' Society, to be appropriated to the Diocese of Lichfield. The singing of the Kyrie, Sanctus, and Gloria in Excelsis in the Communion Service must be especially mentioned, which with the ancient hymn, Angulare fundamentum, "CHRIST is made the sure foundation" in the Morning Service, were very effective.

At the luncheon, which took place afterwards, the Bishop expressed his pleasure at beholding the beautiful decorations, and reminded his hearers that attention to external decoration, &c., was meant by worshipping in the beauty of holiness.

The Lord Bishop having kindly consented to administer the holy rite of Confirmation to such persons of Sheen and the neighbour ing parishes as were qualified to receive it, the service, preceded by the Litany, commenced at three p.m. The Rev. T. Helmore chanted the Litany, and the responses of the clerks and people in both services were made according to the ancient plain song, accompanied by the organ. After the Litany, the hymn Veni Creator was sung according to the well-known translation in the Ordination Service, and to its proper melody, with the Rev. T. Helmore's harmony. That being ended, the Lord Bishop delivered an impressive address to the candidates for confirmation, who were in number sixty-five, from the parishes of Sheen, Hartington, Biggin, Grindon, Wetton, and Warslow, and then proceeded with the office as usual. Of all the services of the day, this one was, we think, attended by the largest crowd: notwithstanding this circumstance a wonderful degree of order and decorum prevailed, which was undoubtedly promoted by the division of sexes, the women being placed on the north side and the men on the south. The same rule was observed throughout the day; and it is a great satisfaction to know that this ancient and fitting custom has been revived as the rule of the church in this parish. After the Confirmation, the Bishop of the Diocese took his leave, being attended to his carriage by the patron, the incumbent, and some of the parishioners. His Lordship, who had consecrated a church the day before, left thus early that he might consecrate another on the day following. The remainder of the company, including all the lately confirmed young people, amounting altogether to three hundred persons, were then entertained by Mr. Hope to tea and cake.

The evening service had been originally fixed at half-past seven; but