ron, his ardent
devotee, and, at Old Shoreham, of Canon Mozley.

And here I might mention that for a very charming account of a still
earlier Brighton, though not the earliest, the reader should go to a
little story called _Round About a Brighton Coach Office_, which was
published a few years ago. It has a very fragrant old-world flavour.

To Chichester, I should have recorded, belongs a Sussex saint, Saint
Richard, Bishop of Chichester in the thirteenth century, and a great
man. In 1245 he found the Sussex see an Augaean stable; but he was equal
to the labour of cleansing it. He deprived the corrupt clergy of their
benefices with an unhesitating hand, and upon their successors and those
that remained he imposed laws of comeliness and simplicity. His reforms
were many and various: he restored hospitality to its high place among
the duties of rectors; he punished absentees; he excommunicated
usurers; while (a revolutionist indeed!) priests who spoke indistinctly
or at too great a pace were suspended. Also, I doubt not, he was hostile
to locked churches. Furthermore, he advocated the Crusades like another
Peter the Hermit.

Richard's own life was exquisitely thoughtful and simple. An anecdote of
his brother, who assisted him in the practical administration of the
diocese, helps us to this side of his character. "You give away more
than your income," remarked this almoner-brother one day. "Then sell my
silver," said Richard, "it will never do for me to drink out of silver
cups while our Lord is suffering in His poor. Our father drank heartily
out of common crockery, and so can I. Sell the plate."

Richard penetrated on foot to the uttermost corners of his diocese to
see that all was well. He took no holiday, but would often stay for a
while at Tarring, near Worthing, with Simon, the parish priest and his
great friend. Tradition would have Richard the planter of the first of
the Tarring figs, and indeed, to my mind, he is more welcome to that
honour than Saint Thomas a Becket, who competes for the credit--being
more a Sussex man. In his will Richard left to Sir Simon de Terring
(sometimes misprinted Ferring) his best palfrey and a commentary on the
Psalms.

[Sidenote: SAINT RICHARD]

The Bishop died in 1253 and he was at once canonised. To visit his grave
in the nave of Chichester Cathedral (it is now in the south transept)
was a sure means to recovery from illness, and it quickly became a place
of pilgrimage. April