But the manner of the twirling was as follows:--
It is with difficulty enough [said the article in the
_Jupiter_], that the Church of England maintains at the
present moment that ascendancy among the religious sects
of this country which it so loudly claims. And perhaps
it is rather from an old-fashioned and time-honoured
affection for its standing than from any intrinsic merits
of its own that some such general acknowledgement of its
ascendancy is still allowed to prevail. If, however, the
patrons and clerical members of this Church are bold
enough to disregard all general rules of decent behaviour,
we think we may predict that this chivalrous feeling
will be found to give way. From time to time we hear of
instances of such imprudence, and are made to wonder at
the folly of those who are supposed to hold the State
Church in the greatest reverence.
Among those positions of dignified ease to which fortunate
clergymen may be promoted are the stalls of the canons or
prebendaries in our cathedrals. Some of these, as is well
known, carry little or no emolument with them, but some
are rich in the good things of this world. Excellent
family houses are attached to them, with we hardly know
what domestic privileges, and clerical incomes, moreover,
of an amount which, if divided, would make glad the hearts
of many a hard-working clerical slave.
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