Series 2 > Rentale Dunkeldense

DUNKELD CATHEDRAL
xxxvii
flowers of a hanging chandelier suspended before the altar, with a
small figure of our Lord in the centre. A hanging candlestick of
this type, formerly in the parish church of Perth, is preserved in
the museum there. The reference to the Apocalypse is obscure ;
it can only be to the vision in the first chapter where the number
of candlesticks is not fifteen but seven; however, if we add the
seven stars which are also mentioned, we get fourteen lights, and
in a chandelier with lights in three tiers equally spaced, or with
rows of seven, five and three, the number would be fifteen, which
would doubtless be thought near enough to suggest the comparison.
The six candlesticks mentioned with the plate were more likely
three pairs, than six for one altar; they are not specified as being
for the high altar. The row of six1 lights now so characteristic of the
high altars of the Roman obedience, in all but the more conservative
churches of Spain, only became widespread in post-Reformation
times. Their use may have developed in the Papal chapel before
the fifteenth century in the form of seven, not six, lights, but
it only became common after the publication of the Roman
Ceremoniale Episcoporum in 1600, and even on the Continent it
spread very slowly. Two lights only, and sometimes one or none,
was the rule for the lights standing actually upon the altar in
mediaeval times, and although other lights were placed round
about, upon curtain pillars or hanging from the roof, there was
nothing approaching the modern altar shelf or gradine supporting
a large number of lights immediately behind the mensa of the
altar. While we may always be prepared to find exceptions, and
there certainly were occasional cases of more than two altar
lights, we should hardly be justified, without further evidence,
in regarding these six candlesticks at Dunkeld as intended for
use all together upon the high altar.
The heavy silver pix for the Eucharist was probably a hanging
pix for reservation, suspended above the high altar in accordance
with the universal English custom, adopted apparently in the
larger Scottish churches, although latterly the more characteristic
place of reservation in Scotland was the ‘ Sacrament House ’ or
enriched aumbry in the wall on the north side of the high altar.
There are no remains of any such Sacrament House at Dunkeld
and no record of the construction of one.
A reference to the foundation by Bishop Lawder of a daily sung
1 Seven when the celebrant is the bishop of the diocese.