_Hour-glasses in Pulpits_ (Vol. vii., p. 489.; Vol. viii., pp. 82.
209.).--Whilst turning over the pages of Macaulay's _History_, I
accidentally stumbled upon the following passage, which forms an
interesting addition to the Notes already collected in your pages.
Speaking of Gilbert Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury, he says:
"He was often interrupted by the deep hum of his audience;
and when, after preaching out the hour-glass, which in those
days was part of the furniture of the pulpit, he held it in
his hand, the congregation clamorously encouraged him to go on
till the sand had run off once more."--Macaulay's _History_,
vol. ii. p. 177. edit. 8., with a reference in a foot-note to
Speaker Onslow's Note on _Burnet_, i. 596.; Johnson's _Life of
Sprat_.
The hour-glass stand at St. Alban's, Wood Street, appears to be a
remarkable example: see Sperling's _Church Walks in Middlesex_, p.
155., and Allen's _Lambeth_. And in the report of the meeting of the
Archæological Association at Rochester, in the _Illustrated London News_
of the 6th August, 1853, it is noted that in the church at Cliff, "the
pulpit has an hour-glass stand dated 1636:" the date gives an additional
interest to this example.