Certain it is that many of the practices were gross and
debasing; many, had beauty and truth in them.

Amongst those peculiar to the season of Easter, are the ceremony of
creeping to the cross on Good Friday, and the kindling of the fires and
lighting of the paschal on Easter Eve. As these are distinctly mentioned
in ancient Norfolk wills, as practised in this cathedral, we may just
describe them in connection with our visit to it. It was often customary
to leave lands chargeable with the payment of offerings at this season,
both at the creeping of the cross, and to furnish new paschals or tapers
for lighting at Easter.

The creeping to the cross is mentioned in a proclamation, black letter,
dated 26th February, 30th Henry VIII., in the first volume of a
collection of proclamations in the archives of the Society of
Antiquaries, where it is stated, "On Good Friday it shall be declared how
creeping to the cross sygnyfyeth an humblynge of oneself to Christ before
the cross, and the kyssynge of it a memory of our redemption made upon
the cross." In a letter from Henry to Cranmer, of later date, a command
is issued that the practice should be discontinued as idolatrous. The
ceremony is described by Davies in his rites of the cathedral church of
Durham, where he relates, "that within that church, upon Good Friday,
there was a marvellously solemn service, in which service time, after the
passion was sung, two of the ancient monks took a goodly large crucifix,
all of gold, of the picture of our Saviour Christ nailed upon the cross,
laying it upon a cushion, bringing it betwixt them thereupon to the
lowest greese or step in the choir, and there did hold the said cross
betwixt them. And then one of the monks did rise, and went a pretty
space from it, and setting himself upon his knees, with his shoes put off
very reverently, _he crept upon his knees_ unto the said cross, and after
him the other did likewise, and then they set down again on either side
of it. Afterward, the prior came forth from his stall, and in like
manner did creep unto the said cross, and all the monks after him in the
said manner, in the meantime the whole quire singing a hymn. The service
being ended, the two monks carried the cross and the sepulchre with great
reverence; kings, queens, and common people, all followed the same
custom; it was, however, usual to place a carpet for royal knees to creep
upon."

The paschal, or taper as it was called, wa