TheBarchesterReformerMrHardinghasbeennowprecentorofBarchesterfortenyears；and，alas，themurmursrespectingtheproceedsofHiram’sestateareagainbecomingaudible。ItisnotthatanyonebegrudgestoMrHardingtheincomewhichheenjoys，andthecomfortableplacewhichsowellbecomeshim；
butsuchmattershavebeguntobetalkedofinvariouspartsofEngland。EagerpushingpoliticianshaveassertedintheHouseofCommons，withverytellingindignation，thatthegraspingpriestsoftheChurchofEnglandaregorgedwiththewealthwhichthecharityofformertimeshasleftforthesolaceoftheaged，ortheeducationoftheyoung。Thewell-knowncaseoftheHospitalofStCrosshasevencomebeforethelawcourtsofthecountry，andthestrugglesofMrWhiston，atRochester，havemetwithsympathyandsupport。Menarebeginningtosaythatthesethingsmustbelookedinto。
MrHarding，whoseconscienceinthematterisclear，andwhohasneverfeltthathehadreceivedapoundfromHiram’swilltowhichhewasnotentitled，hasnaturallytakenthepartofthechurchintalkingoverthesematterswithhisfriend，thebishop，andhisson-in-law，thearchdeacon。Thearchdeacon，indeed，DrGrantly，hasbeensomewhatloudinthematter。
HeisapersonalfriendofthedignitariesoftheRochesterChapter，andhaswrittenlettersinthepublicpressonthesubjectofthatturbulentDrWhiston，which，hisadmirersthink，mustwellnighsetthequestionatrest。ItisalsoknownatOxfordthatheistheauthorofthepamphletsigned’Sacerdos’onthesubjectoftheEarlofGuildfordandStCross，inwhichitissoclearlyarguedthatthemannersofthepresenttimesdonotadmitofaliteraladhesiontotheverywordsofthefounder’swill，butthattheinterestsofthechurchforwhichthefounderwassodeeplyconcernedarebestconsultedinenablingitsbishopstorewardthoseshininglightswhoseserviceshavebeenmostsignallyserviceabletoChristianity。
Inanswertothis，itisassertedthatHenrydeBlois，founderofStCross，wasnotgreatlyinterestedinthewelfareofthereformedchurch，andthatthemastersofStCross，formanyyearspast，cannotbecalledshininglightsintheserviceofChristianity；itis，however，stoutlymaintained，andnodoubtfelt，byallthearchdeacon’sfriends，thathislogicisconclusive，andhasnot，infact，beenanswered。