Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/652

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WESTCOTT


592


WESTMINSTER


the church was pulled down and used as building material at the neighbouring town of Weilheim. The remaining buildings were bought by Professor Sepp of Munich in 1861 and since 1900 they have been the property of Baron von Cramer-Klett.

Of special importance for the history of German liter- ature is the "Wessobrunn Prayer" (Das Wessobrun- ner Gebet), so called because it was discovered in a manuscript at Wessobrunn. It is a Saxon poem, copied in Bavaria c. 800, and is one of the earhest literary remains of the German language. It appears to have as its basis Psalm Ixxxix, 2, consists of nine alliterative lines, and is probably a quotation, from a lost BibUeal poem anterior to the "Heiland". To the poem is loosely attached a short prayer in the Bavarian dialect. It was edited by Miillenhoff- Scherer, "Denkmaler deutscher Poesie und Prosa No. I", and by Kogel, "Geschichte der deutschen Literatur", I, I, 269-276.

Leutnek, HistoTia Monasterii Wessofontani (Augsburg, 1753); FuGGER, Kloster Wessobrunn, ein Stuck CuUurgeschichte unseres engeren Valerlandes (Munich, 1855) ; Hageb, Die BautdtigkHl und Kunstpflege im Kloster Wessobrunn und die Wessobrunner Stuk' katoren (Munich, 189.5), extract from Oberbayrisches Archiv fur mterl&ndische Geschichte, XLVIII, 195-521; Li.ndner. Professbuch ton Wessobrunn (Kempten, 1909); Schleglmann, Geschichte der Sakularisation im rcchtsrheinischen Bayern, III, i (Ratiabon, 1906), 917-929.

Michael Ott.

Westcott, Sebastian, English organist, b. about 1.524, was a chorister, under Redford, at St. Paul's Cathedral, London, and in 1550 became organist, almoner, and master of the boys of that cathe- dral. He retained his post at St. Paul's, under Edward VI, Queen Mary, and Queen Ehzabeth, from 1550 to 1583, and this notwithstanding the fact that he was an avowed protagonist of the ancient Faith, for which he suffered deprivation and even imprisonment. His chief title to fame rests on the many plays and pageants, with music, which he produced for the delec- tation of the English Court during a period of thirty- three years, these plays being performed by the boys of the cathedral school. So celebrated was he in this respect that he is seldom mentioned by his surname (Westcott), but almost invariably as "Master Sebas- tian". Under Queen Mary this Cathohc organist had the honour of arranging the music for the formal restoration of the ancient Faith at St. Paul's, in Nov., 1553, and he composed a "Te Deum" which was sung on 9 Feb., 1554, on the suppression of Wyatt's rebel- Uon. He also conducted the service for the reception of Cardinal Pole on the first Sunday of Advent, 1554, when the beautiful motet: "Te spectant Reginalde Poh", by Orlando di Lassus, was sung. Di Lassus was in England at this time, as was also Phihppe de Monti, and both were probably present.

Under Ehzabeth, in 1559, Westcott refused to sub- scribe to the new "articles", and was deprived of his post, but owing to the favour of the queen was per- mitted to retain it. Official documents from 1559 to 1.561 amply prove that "Master Sebastian" was well paid for his musical and dramatic performances. Rev. Dr. Nicholas Sander, in a report to Cardinal Morone, in May, 1.561, highly praises Westcott At length, in December, 1577, he was deprived by the Protestant Bishop AUmer and imprisoned in the Marshalsea as a Cathohc recusant. Evidently Queen Elizabeth missed her customary Christmas plays by the choristers of St. Paul's, and so .she ordered the re- lease of Master Sebastian on 19 March, 1578. Even (hiring the fierce persecution of the year 1.582 this sturdy confe.s.sor-musician was allowed to continue in office, but in 1583 his name disappears from official records and he either resigned or died in that year. His successor was appointed in 1584.

BiRT, Elizabethan Religious Settlement (Ixinilon, 1907); Grat- tan-Flood, Master Sebastian in The Musical Antiquary (April, 1912).

W. H. Giuttan-Flood.


Westeraas, Ancient See of (Arosia, Arosien- sisl, in Sweden. The Cathohc diocese included the lans of Vestmanland and Stora Kopparberg (Dale- carha, Dalarne), and the district of Felhngsbro in the Ian of Orebro. The see was founded at Munktorp, then removed about 1100 (not 1050) to Westeraas by the Enghsh Cluniac missionary St. David, Abbot of Munktorph, Bishop of Westeraas, and one of the patron saints of Westeraas cathedral. Before 1118 the Diocese of Sigt una was di\'ided into those of Up.sala and Westeraas, and Henry, Bishop of Sigtuna (1134), was transferred to Westeraas. Heathenism was not extinct in 1182. Charles (1257-1277) was a great benefactor, and Israel Erlandsson, O.S.B. (1260-1332; bishop, 1309-1332), mined copper in Dalecarlia and wTote " De Vita et Miracuhs S. Erici " (Scr. rer. Svec, II, i, 272-276). Otto (1501-1522) completed the cathedral. Peter Sunnanvader (1522-1523), formerly chancellor to Sten Sture, was executed for alleged treason in 1527. The last Cathohc bishop, Petrus Magni (1.524-1534), was consecrated on 1 Rlay, 1524, at Rome. In 1527 a Diet was held at Westeraas which Protestantized the Swedish Church and sepa- rated it from Rome. Petrus Magni consecrated various bishops in 1.528 and 1531 under protest. Though subjected latterly to humihating tutelage by Gustavus Vasa, he retained the see until his death. The Dalecarhans rose repeatedly in defence of their rehgion, but were overcome by the cunning and vio- lence of Gustavus I. Even now they retain many Catholic behefs and usages. The cathedral of West- eraas and the parish church of Mora are the only important churches in the diocese.

At Westeraas there were a Franciscan convent (founded 1234) and a Hospital of the Holy Spirit (founded 1345). Munktorp Abbey was extinct before 1318. The Cistercian Abbey of Husby (Gudsberga, Mons Domini) in Dalecarha, founded in 1477, and colonized from Aalvastra in 1486, lasted until 1544. Its ruins are extensive. There are now scarcely any Catholics in the diocese.

Historiskt-geographiskt och statistiskt Lexikon dfver Srerige, VII (Stockholm. 1866), 316-18; Fant, Scriptores rerum Sveci- carum (Stockholm, 1818-1876); Liuegren, Diplomatarium Stecanum, I-III and Indices I-II by Kahleson (Stockholm, 1829) ; SlLF\'ER8TOPLE, Stcnskt Diplomatarium, 1^01-1420 (Stockholm, 1875); KRONlNGSSV.iRD and Lid^n, Diplomatarium Dalekarlicum (Stockholm, 1842); Konung Custaf den FSrstes Registratur. ed. Granlund IV (Stockholm. 1868); Breviarium Arosiense (Basle, 1853); Acta SS.. IV (Paris. 1868); JoR- GENSEN, Den nordiske Kirkes Grundloeggelse, II (Copenhagen, 1878), 856-857, suppl. 96, 97; Rentebdabl, Swenska kyrkaus historia (Lund, 1838); Israel Erlandsson (Lund, 1850); Martin, Gustane Vasa et la RSforme en Su^de; Sohlberg, Domkyrkan i Westeraas {Westeraas, 1834); Halu Bidrag till: Kdnnedomen om Cistercienserorden i Sverige (Gefle, 1899).

A. W. T.\ixoR.

Westminster, Archdiocese of C^'estmonas- teriensis), erected and made metropohtan in 1850, comprises the Counties of Middlesex, Hertfordshire, Essex, and London north of the Thames. Its suffra- gan sees are Northampton, Nottingham, Portsmouth, and Southwark. In 1911 the Province of West- minster, which included the whole of England and Wales, was divided into three; but certain privileges of pre-eminence over the new provinces were granted, "for the safeguarding of unity, to the already historic Church of Westminster". " The subject will be treated in the following order: I. The Making of the Diocese; II. The Rule of the Archbishops; III. Diocesan Institutions.

I. The Making of the Diocese. — The .Arch- bishop of Westminster of to-day represents two offices of the Pre-Reformation Church. As ordinary of the Diocese of Westminster his jurisdiction extends over much the same area as lh;it of the Bishop of Ixjndon. As chief metropolil.an, he occupies a posi- tion similar to that of the Archbi.shop of Canterbury, Primate of All England. Edmunil Bonner, the last Catholic Bishop of London, died in prison in 1569.