Bizarre bishops and extinct Exocets

Peter, you have out-worded me! Clearly you are a clandestine crossword crafter of considerable calibre. But I sense you are contributing to esoteric almanacs far above the pedestrian periodicals I have perused. Thank you (as always) for your creative and considered comments!

Christine Evans-Pughe - 2022 09 29

A quaint congeries of words in desuetude!  Some glosses to curdle the unwonted gruel:

Oboe is too recent; shawm (also woodwind) is better. Kettledrum sounds positively modern; substitute tabor.  The longbow has inadequate range for a bishop; he needs an arbalest as he stares across the glebe past the Leningrad CODEX supporting his PYX, through the NARTHEX and the XYST beyond.

Peter_G_Moll - 2022 09 29