the palace, the proper officers had almost forgot their duty, and themanner of conducting that very long and intricate ceremonial. It is,therefore, ordered, that when His Highness is not at Westminster, andwith regard to his palaces in the country, the formalities of the Hall,which ought not entirely to fall into disuetude, shall be at least observedwhen he is at Windsor, Beaulieu, Richmond, Hampton Court , Green-wich, Eltham, and Woodstock. And at these places only the wholechoir of the Chapel shall attend.” When the king was on his progresses,only six singing boys and six gentlemen of the choir were to be in theroyal retinue, who, “ day lie, in the absence of the residue of theChapel, shall have a masse of our Ladie before noon; and on Sondaiesand holidaies, masse of the day besides our Lady-masse, and an an-thempne in the afternoone.”* Once on the wane, the decline of theseceremonies was rapid; — the Reformation extinguished the splendour ofthe chapel; and “ keeping Hall” was generally laid down, by reason ofits being expensive, in the reign of James I. It was, however, con-tinued, in a few instances, after the civil wars, as appears by LordFairfax’s household orders, for which see Illustrations, Section VI.

“ Of the general expediency of domestic chapels,” says Dr. Whitaker,“ I am not convinced; for it is more than probable, that in times ofgreater seriousness than at present, a domestic chapel was rarely used forfamily worship but at seasons when the parish church was open, and

* The officers and singing men of Cardinal Wolsey ’s chapel were, a dean, who was alwaysa great clerk and divine, a sub-dean, a repeater of the quire, a gospeller, a pisteller, andtwelve singing priests: of scholars, he had first a master of the children; twelve singingchildren; sixteen singing men; with a servant to attend upon the said children. In therevestry (vestry), a yeoman and two grooms: then there were divers retainers of cunningsinging men, that came thither at divers sundry principal feasts.— Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey.