york00orns

NEW STATUTES FOR YORK MINSTER. 289
from the prodigious expenses in which a canon was
involved in his first year of residence. A succession
of entertainments was expected from him, and banijuets
of the most costly character ; and to such an
extent liad this abuse prevailed that no one could
pretend to fill the office, unless he were prepared to
expend one thousand marks in maintaining this
profuse hospitality. The revenue attached to each
separate prebendal stall was utterly inadequate to
meet this outlay, and the consequence was that most
of the canons abstained altogether from keeping
residence. This left the government of the Church
in the hands of one or two residentiaries only, and
the non-residentiaries were gradually ousted from
their proper share in its rule, and likewise as regarded
the disposal of the livings in the patronage of the
body. There were also other breaches of ancient
statutes and usages. The new statutes provided that
each canon was to protest his residence without any
hindrance being thrown in his way by the fear of the
expenditure it had heretofore involved; an abuse
which was now abolished. Provisions were embodied
as to certain details,— as to the number who were to
be in residence at one time, the number to be present
at the services, and the time residence was to last.
The vicars choral were to receive a definite money
payment from each canon who was in the greater
residence, in lieu of being entertained by him at his
table. The Chancellor of the church was to have
the power of selecting preachers, but without prejudice
to such customs as obtained with regard to
the discharge of that function by any member of the
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