THE CONFESSIONAL. Female at Confession. IN the Romish continental churches, the eye of the stranger is often attracted by a structure which is thus denominated. Should the reader not have seen one, let him imagine a closet, opening in the front by a latticed door, defended by a curtain placed on the inside, in which a priest may take his seat, with a wing, or small kneeling-place, on each side, in which a person kneeling on a step may whisper into his ear, through a wooden grating, whatever there may be a desire to communicate,-and he will form a correct idea of a Roman Catholic confessional. These wooden structures are commonly ranged along the sides of the churches, and frequently bear on them the names of the priests to whom they are respectively appropriated. The writer will not easily forget the first time in which he saw one of them actually employed. As the shades of a summer's evening were deepening, the sounds of the organ induced him to enter a church dedicated to St. Joseph, but in a few moments the service closed, and immediately after he observed one of the priests unlock the door, and enter his confessional. Instantly the two wings were occupied, one by a female, wearing a thick black veil, the other by a person of the opposite sex. Only a part of what followed could, of course, be known, namely, the mode in which such applications are ordinarily made. According to the prescription of the church of Rome, the individual falling on his knees, says, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, amen. Pray, father, give me your blessing." While this request is preferred, he makes the sign of the cross in the usual way, by touching, with the fore-finger of the right hand, the forehead, the breast, and the right and left shoulders. A part of the "confiteor," as it is called, then follows: "I confess to Almighty God, to the blessed Mary, ever virgin, to blessed Michael, the archangel, to blessed John the baptist, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my most grievous fault." The personal confession now takes place, to which is added "For these and all other of my sins, which I cannot now call to mind, I feel heartily sorry, and humbly beg pardon of Almighty God, and penance and absclution of you, my ghostly father;" and as the remainder of the "confiteor" concludes the appeal, "therefore I beseech thee, blessed Mary ever virgin, the blessed Michael the archangel, the blessed John the baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, to pray to the Lord and God for me." A considerable time, perhaps twenty 66 minutes, elapsed, before the female applicant retired from the confessional, to one of the chairs of the church, kneeling on which she resumed her recital of prayers, possibly by the direction of her ghostly father;" soon after, the occupant of the opposite niche came from his knees; and in a few seconds the priest, bowing, issued from his closet, proceeded to the steps of the altar, where the writer overheard his repetition of a Latin prayer, at the close of which he left the church. ance. such ecclesiastical prerogative, or a solitary instance of its assertion or exercise. Still further, the practice diametrically opposes the great doctrine of revelation: salvation by Christ, and by him alone. Penance in the church of Rome is described as consisting of three things,contrition, confession, and satisfaction; meaning by the latter a kind of compensation made to God, by prayers, fastings, and alms, for offences committed against him. But the Scriptures which declare that "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ;" and that by his "one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified," denounce such a doctrine as one calculated to dishonour the Saviour, and to ruin the soul. The Romish church allows of no exception to the practice of confession; from the humblest of its members to the pontiff himself, all are considered as laid under solemn obligation to its observA story has often been told of the son of a Protestant mother being urged to go to confession by his father's priest, and who silenced the ecclesiastic, by saying, that as the pope confessed to God, he would do so too, and "save his shilling;" but this has no proper found- MANNERS ation, since the infallible successor of St. Peter has his confessor, like others. have To this practice, however, notwithstanding the sophistries of its advocates, there are the most serious and weighty objections. The works designed to assist those who are about to make confession, are, as any who please may proof, far more likely to increase the pollutions of the mind than to promote its purity. Such, too, is notoriously the effect of the inquiries of the confessors, and there are many well-authenticated facts, to show that, by these means alone, serious offences were first suggested. The confessional exposes the parties concerned to individual and mutual corruption, and thus becomes the birthplace and nursery of vice and of crime. It were therefore needless to say, that the holy word of God does not sanction such a practice, were not the contrary boldly asserted. But when, in an endeavour to support it, there is a quotation of the charge of St. James, "Confess your faults one to another," or of the declaration of St. John, that "if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins," it may be replied, that the former passage refers exclusively to the duty of the righteous towards each other, and the latter to that of the penitent towards Him who is ready to pardon." To the priest, to the minister, there is not the slightest possible allusion. No where in the Scriptures do we find a description of any 66 ENGLISH HISTORY. W. AND CUSTOMS OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY: WITH MISCELLANEOUS PARTICULARS RELATIVE TO THAT PERIOD. THE transition from the feudal state towards the habits of modern society, during the sixteenth century, presents many interesting particulars. BUILDINGS. The The buildings, during the reigns of the house of Tudor, continued to advance in the style which was introduced during the preceding century. nobility were no longer immured in the gloomy castles and strongholds of the feudal times. Some large houses, built at this period, outwardly resembled castles, but without the strength of those structures, and free from many of their inconveniences. The turrets and moats were for ornament rather than defence. As the feeling of security increased, there was more attention paid to architectural display; the habitations of the wealthy exhibited a style of architecture which usually is called Elizabethan. The windows and doors were in the ornamental pointed style, their openings were large, the front elevation was long, often in this form L, bearing some resemblance to the initial letter of queen Elizabeth's name. The materials were usually brick, or wooden frame work covered with plaster, unless stone abounded in the neighbourhood. This view of Moreton hall, in Cheshire, represents such a building in its recently dilapidated state. Such buildings generally proved less permanent than the strongholds that preceded them. Their materials were less substantial; they were erected in haste, and the interior accommodations were mostly ill planned and inconvenient, "Rich windows that exclude the light, And passages that lead to nothing." The bay window formed a remarkable contrast to the narrow loop holes of earlier times. Large windows were characteristic of the Elizabethan style. Bacon complained that some fair houses were so full of glass, that one cannot tell where to be out of the sun. This made the cold of winter to be more keenly felt, while such large apertures rendered the structures less solid. And as late as 1567, the expense of glass windows was considered so heavy, that whenever the Northumberland family left Alnwick castle, the glass windows were taken out and laid up in safety. Yet, forty years later, Harrison speaks of glass as being common every where, and nearly as cheap as lattices. Few of the Elizabethan edifices remain in their original state such as have not been wholly removed to make way for more convenient structures, have been modernized or improved so as to lose most of their peculiar features. : The engraving of Oxnead hall, in Norfolk, (see page 297,) represents a splendid building of this period. Another engraving, already inserted, (page 17,) represents Nonsuch palace; this, with others, of which we most frequently read in the histories of the sixteenth century, as Richmond, Greenwich, and Whitehall, have disappeared. In the ancient portions of Hampton Court, we may still trace much of the palatical residence erected by Wolsey, although the most sumptuous apartments have been removed. Some of the colleges, in both Universities, still retain a good deal of their ancient character, especially in their halls. The more humble dwellings were mostly timber frames, covered with lath and plaster; many of these may still be seen, though very much decayed. In towns, the upper stories projected over the lower rooms, and a profusion of ornaments covered the fronts. Some such buildings still remain in our ancient boroughs. The country towns were mostly smaller than they are at the present day; and as population increased, the ceasing of internal warfare gave more security to hamlets and houses scattered through the country. Cottages seldom had more than one or two rooms; and where both wood and stone were scarce, they were mostly built of clay, coated with lime, and thatched with reeds. The small farm-houses were little better. In queen Mary's days the Spaniards marked the contrast between the humble dwellings and the diet of the people, saying, "These English have their houses made | buildings, and for furniture, before the introduction of mahogany. There is a room in a public house in Ipswich, which once formed part of the mansion of sir Anthony Wingfield, one of the privy counsellors of Henry VIII. The ceiling was richly carved and gilt. The figures carved over the fire place were once supposed to represent the battle of Bosworth, but more acute observers have ascertained that the subject is the judgment of Paris! of sticks and dirt; but they fare as well as the king." But even the common dwellings exhibited many improvements beyond the preceding centuries. Chimneys were generally used, instead of leaving the smoke to escape by the doors and windows, or by a hole in the roof. The destruction of the woods, accelerated by the progress of manufactures, led to the general use of sea coal, similar to that now used, chiefly brought from Newcastle, where large sums were expended in the works of the collieries. The dirt and sulphurous exhalations of this coal prejudiced many against its use, which was chiefly confined to common purposes, or to those who wished for a less expensive fuel than wood or charcoal. In the reign of Elizabeth the use of sea-coal was forbidden in London during the sitting of parliament, lest the health of the country members should suffer! The interior, even of these best houses, was not yet conformable to our ideas of comfort. The walls were rudely finished, and covered with hangings of painted cloth, or worked or woven tapestry. Gilbert Talbot, son of the earl of Shrewsbury, wrote, in 1576, to his father respecting a set of hangings. "I have seen many fair hangings, and your lordship may have of all prices, either two shillings a stick, or seven groats, three, four, five, or six shillings the stick; (query, the yard ?) the most of them are very shallow, and I have seen none that I think deep enough for a great chamber, but for lodgings." A list of furniture, supplied to the princess Mary, is curious. It describes several sets of hangings by their designs. "A king riding in a chariot, in a blue gown with stars; a woman with the world in her hand," etc. One piece "has a hole in it." Among the articles of bedding are "counterpoyntes of crimson damask, fringed with white fustian, holland sheets, pillow beers, beds of down, with fustian ticking, feather beds, with bolsters and pillows of down." The imperfection of the joinery work, in queen Elizabeth's reign, is incidentally noticed by Laneham, the usher of the privy council. He speaks of persons who listened at the chinks and lockhole of the door. Rooms were often wainscoted; oak, lime, and chestnut were the woods most esteemed for the ornamental parts of Barton has noticed this apartment in some appropriate lines: "Such were the rooms in which, of yore, "The oaken wainscot richly grac'd With gay festoons of mimic flowers, All speak of proud and long past hours. Rushes for covering the floors were gradually discontinued; the lower classes used sand, the middle and upper ranks had their floors polished, and sometimes inlaid with different coloured woods. Carpets, or pieces of tapestry were frequently laid down in different parts of the room, not closely fitted to the whole floor, as now. The orders of John Haryngton's household in 1566, direct, that the hall be made clean every day, by eight in the winter, and seven in the summer;" all stairs in the house, and rooms that need shall require, were to be made clean on Fridays, after dinner. When any stranger departed, his chamber was "to be drest up again within four hours after." A great improvement upon the slovenly habits of earlier days. Till the reign of Elizabeth, the hall was the principal apartment; some of the halls, in houses built in the early part of the sixteenth century, have beautifully carved ceilings, and other ornaments: the master took his meals there, surrounded by his dependents, who sat at different tables, according to their rank; the gates of the building being locked during the repast. The halls of the latter part of the century were less elaborate. As the feudal customs declined, the halls were used more as entrance rooms; the dining parlours, or banqueting rooms, and the withdrawing rooms and gallery, were the customary resort of the family upon these apartments most care was bestowed. The staircases also were constructed with more care, and planned with attention to their effect as prominent objects in mansions. The balusters were carved, and the walls adorned. The lady's closet, or the boudoir, and the nurseries, became apartments of importance. Some careful dames caused their closets to be placed so that when at their devotions, or otherwise engaged in those rooms, they could see into the servants' hall. The females of that day, even ladies of rank, were expected to give considerable attention to household matters. As the habitations were more regularly built, so the stories were more clearly defined than in older buildings: it was not uncommon to speak of each story as a separate house, though they were often confused by the varying heights of different rooms, as we see in old buildings. The description of an ancient house, in one of Pope's letters, gives a lively idea of the confused plan of interiors. FURNITURE. The curtains and canopies of the bed, and the hangings of chambers, were often richly worked. In 1495, Henry VII. paid the large sum of 1587. 6s. 8d. for "browdrying of two chambers, with a bedd," at the palace of Shene. The ladies in particular excelled in needlework, both for furniture and articles of dress, during the whole of this period. They also wrought richly adorned covers for books. A complete inventory of the furniture of Mr. Richard Fenner, early in the reign of Henry VIII., is given by Strutt. He was a person of property, having a large park, with all sorts of deer. The great hall was furnished with pieces of tapestry, three tables with trestles and forms, and a hawk's perch. The parlour was wainscoted, it had a fair table, forms, two turned chairs, three chairs for women, a cupboard, four footstools, six cushions of tapestry work, a carpet of Turkey, say striped, two little carpets, awndirons for burning wood, and a fire fork. It had a set of hangings, a picture of Lucretia, and one of Mary Magdalen, and a backgammon board. There were other sitting rooms with similar furniture. "The great chamber over the parlor," had three large pieces of tapestry of imagery, a trussing bed of wenskotte, with cellar and tester, grained with black velvet and yellow baudkin, with curtains of black and changeable persnet. A co The advancing wealth and improved habits of the people, led to the increase of articles of furniture. Hollingshed, writing in the latter end of queen Eliza-verlet of tapestry of imagery, lined with beth's reign, says, that old men could remember great improvements in their time, as the exchanging of wooden platters for pewter, and wooden spoons to those of silver or tin. Formerly, not four pieces of pewter would be found in a farmer's house, but now there were many articles of pewter, and several of silver. Many specimens of the furniture of the sixteenth century remain, in bedsteads, chairs, tables, cabinets, and other articles. They are generally massive in form, and richly ornamented, though often coarsely finished. The testers and headpieces of the bedsteads were frequently of wood, covered with various devices. The travelling bedstead of Richard III. was of this description; it was left at the Blue Boar inn, at Leicester, where he slept the night before the battle of Bosworth: about a century afterwards, a large amount of gold coin was discovered in the frame work. canvas, a bed of down with a mattress; under the same bed a pair of fustians, two blankets, two pillows, and two bolsters. A cupboard of wenskotte, one turned chair, with a cushion of verder, three curtains of blue buckerom for three windows, which "be cieled with wenskotte.” The master's chamber was more plainly furnished, but with similar articles: there were also three chests, containing clothes, etc.; even the inferior servants had mattresses, sheets, and coverlets, instead of lying upon straw, as had been customary not many years before. The kitchen had platters, dishes, chargers, porringers, and saucers, brass pots, pans, and chafing dishes, mortars, racks, spits, fryingpans, pails, etc., and a cestorne of lede with a coke." The service of silver plate, was 3 basin and cover, parcel (or half) gilt, two salts with cover gilt, five ale pots |