been well summarized by one of his biographers. [See Miss Townsend's
Haydn, p. 9.] The Cantorei was of very ancient foundation. Mention
is made of it as early as 1441, and its constitution may be gathered
from directions given regarding it about the period 1558-1571. It
was newly constituted in 1663, and many alterations were made then
and afterwards, but in Haydn's day it was still practically what it
had been for nearly a century before. The school consisted of a
cantor (made Capellmeister in 1663), a sub-cantor, two ushers and
six scholars. They all resided together, and had meals in common;
and although ample allowance had originally been made for the board,
lodging and clothing of the scholars, the increased cost of living
resulted in the boys of Haydn's time being poorly fed and scantily
clad. They were instructed in "religion and Latin, together with the
ordinary subjects of school education, and in music, the violin,
clavier, and singing." The younger scholars were taken in hand by
those more advanced. The routine would seem to us now to be somewhat
severe. There were two full choral services daily in the cathedral.
Special Te Deums were constantly sung, and the boys had to take part
in the numerous solemn processions of religious brotherhoods through
the city, as well as in the services for royal birthdays and other
such occasions. During Holy Week the labours of the choir were
continuous. Children's processions were very frequent, and Haydn's
delight in after years at the performance of the charity children in
St Paul's may have been partly owing to the reminiscences of early
days which it awakened.

A House of Suffering

But these details are aside from our main theme. The chapel-house
of St Stephen's was now the home of our little Joseph. It ought