“I only know of one other instance of a permanent stone gallery of
one arch crossing the nave; this is at Frankfort, and I got there
an architectural work on it. At Frankfort, the imperial throne
stood upon it as the Commissioner’s throne used to stand in St.
Giles’, Edinburgh, before it was all pulled down a few years ago;
the throne of the King of France on the rood loft at Rheims, &c.
&c. But this throne was not permanent. I believe that at St.
Andrews there was this single span arch, bearing a platform, upon
which was a great canopy (as in St. Giles’), and under the canopy
the royal throne, looking eastwards, and the altar of the crucifix
back to back with it (as with the imperial throne and domestic
altar in the gallery at Aachen). In the rood loft at Rheims the
king’s domestic altar was not back to back with the throne, but at
the south end of the gallery at his right hand. Above the roof of
the baldaquin or canopy (at St. Andrews), over the throne and
altar, I imagine the great rood, with a multitude of ‘sumptuous
figures,’ to have towered up towards the roof.”
From the above quotations from Bower, and Lord Bute’s remarks thereon,
attention is drawn to a number of interesting points connected with the
cathedral and priory, and the names and dates of the priors to whom
certain parts of the structure are due. We gather from them--
1. That the Lady Chapel was situated on the north side of the
choir.
2. That the nave was, to a large extent, rebuilt and roofed by
Prior James Bisset, about the beginning of the fifteenth century,
but remained an “empty synagogue” till completed and furnished with
glazed windows, altars, and decorations by his successor, Prior
Halderston.
This corresponds with the period assigned in the text (pp. 18 and 28)
for the rebuilding of the upper portion of the west end.
3. Numerous other works were carried out by Prior Halderston. He it
was who altered the east end, and introduced the single large
window in place of several smaller ones. He also executed the
pavement of the choir, transept, and cloister walk, and rebuilt the
prior’s palace. He likewise carried out other works, the sites of
which are indefinite; and he obtained for the priory the pastoral
insignia.
According to Lord Bute’s view, a single great arch was thrown across the
nave, between the second pillars from the crossing, above which was a
gallery, where stood the royal throne, surmounted by a baldaquin,
having the altar of the crucifix behind it; while above the canopy
towered the great rood, together with numerous figures. Lord Bute
points, in support of this view, to the example at Frankfort, where an
arch of a single span supported the rood loft and imperial and royal
thrones.
As regards the Commissioner’s or royal throne at St. Giles’, Edinburgh,
it no doubt occupied the centre of the gallery at the west end of the
choir, or “High Church,” when the building was divided into three
churches, and it had a canopy over it. It thus stood in the position
where a rood loft might have been, but the gallery it occupied was an
erection of this century, and did not rest on an ancient base.
EDINBURGH, _October 1896_.