continuous disputing arose. "He came from Northumbria," says a monk,
"and is a proof of the saying that out of the north proceedeth all
evil."
In 1264 Simon de Montfort and the barons besieged Rochester, and on
Good Friday "the satellites of the devil entered the Church of St.
Andrew with their drawn swords, and, striking fear and horror into its
children and those also who had taken refuge in it, crucified them
together with the Lord, Who suffereth in His elect. Moreover, they
plundered the gold and silver and precious things. Some of the monks
they imprisoned all the night, and armed men on their horses rode
about the altars, and dragged thence with impious hands certain
persons who had fled to them. The holy places--the chapels, cloisters,
chapter-house, infirmary--were made stalls for their horses, and
filled with filth and uncleanness."
Walter de Merton was bishop here in 1274-1278. He was the noble
founder of Merton College, Oxford, and from his rules which he framed
for his institution it is evident that he liked not monks. At one time
it seems to have been the intention of the builders to pull down the
nave and rebuild it in Gothic style, but in the fourteenth century the
monks seem to have given up the idea, and joined the new work with the
Norman.
The affairs of the monastery did not always go very smoothly. We have
noticed some disputes between the bishop and the monks, and in the
fourteenth century there were endless quarrels between the monks and
the citizens. The latter had the altar of St. Nicholas in the body of
the nave near the screen for their use. Their access to it the monks
tried to control, and scenes of violence resulted. So the monks
encircled the precincts with a wall, and enclosed the choir with
strong gates and screens, and subsequently built a church for the
parishioners.
Bishop Haymo de Hythe (1319-1352) contributed large sums to the
restoration of his Cathedral. He built the central tower and raised a
campanile, in which he placed four bells, named Dunstan, Paulinus,
Ithamar and Lanfranc. He also built the door leading to the
chapter-house. Several alterations were made in Perpendicular times,
new windows inserted, and the Lady Chapel built in the unusual
position on south of the nave, and the fabric of the Cathedral
finished. At the dissolution of monasteries the monks were turned
adrift, and the New Foundation called into being, consisting of a
dean, prebendaries, minor canons, choristers, together with a grammar
school.
At the Civil War the Cathedral fared better than many. The soldiers
changed the position of the altar and broke the rails, and profaned
the church by using it as a stable and a tippling place, while
saw-pits were made here, and carpenters plied their trade.
At the Restoration all churchmen set about repairing their cathedrals,
and the citizens of Rochester lagged not behind. Much money was spent
on the fabric, and many repairs effected. In the eighteenth century
Sloane was the architect who rebuilt the steeple. Very extensive
alterations were made at the beginning of the nineteenth century,
under the direction of Cottingham, which were drastic, and Sir G.
Scott and Mr. Pearson have both been at work on the Cathedral, whose
restorations we will examine when we inspect the Cathedral. The
Bishopric of Rochester since the Reformation has been occupied by
several remarkable men. Bishop Fisher, a learned, brave and saintly
man, was doomed to death on the scaffold by Henry VIII. (1535), and
Barlow, Buckeridge, Warner and Atterbury were all men who achieved
fame in their times.
THE EXTERIOR
The best view can be obtained from the castle. The _West Front_ is a
fine example of Norman work, with the exception of the large
Perpendicular window, and the modern imitation of Norman work. It is a
mistake for architects to destroy the accretions of centuries, and to
substitute a reproduction of what they imagine to have been the
original design. Mr. Pearson had the audacity to take down the
fifteenth-century north turret, and to erect a bran-new Norman turret
in its place. The front, as we see it, consists of a centre flanked by
turrets, and two wings, which form the ends of the aisles. First we
notice the beautiful west door, which is one of the finest Norman
doorways in the kingdom. It has five orders, and is of elaborate
design and profusely adorned with mouldings, the capitals being richly
carved. On the fourth shaft on each side are two curious figures,
supposed to represent Henry I. and his queen. In the tympanum is the
Saviour, with angels and the evangelistic emblems, and below small
mutilated figures of the Apostles. The old doors were said to have
been covered with the skins of Danes, but these have disappeared, and
the new ones have no trace of the epidermis of our destructive
visitors. The great west window was inserted about 1470. Rows of
Norman arcading adorn the front. Two modern statues of Bishops Gundulf
and John have been placed in the niches on each side of the doorway.
The turrets are octagonal, that on the west being modern, and built by
Mr. Pearson on the model of that on the south, in place of a
Perpendicular one erected at the same time as the window. The north
tower has been quite recently erected in imitation of the ancient
design, and the south tower raised to its original height.
The _Nave_ is for the most part Norman. The clerestory is
Perpendicular, also the windows in the north aisle. The _North
Transept_ is Early English, but has been re-roofed at a much higher
pitch by Sir G. Scott, who added the pinnacles and circular windows.
On the east of this is _Gundulf's Tower_, built by the founder of the
Norman church and probably intended for purposes of defence, and as a
treasury. It seems that the only entrance to it was from the top, a
bridge connecting it with a staircase in the neighbouring transept. It
was afterwards used as a belfry. The north side of the choir shows its
Early English character, and the presence of the dog-tooth ornament
bespeaks its style. There is, however, much modern work. The high
gables that call loudly for corresponding roofs were built by Scott,
and perhaps some generous visitor will be willing to grant their
silent appeal. The south side of the presbytery adjoins the
chapter-house and library, built in the eighteenth century in place of
the noble Norman chapter-house, the ruins of which still remain. The
monastic buildings stood in an unusual position on the south side of
the choir, and were mainly constructed by Ernulf. Gundulf's cloisters
were on the south of the nave in the usual place for a Benedictine
abbey, but these have entirely disappeared. In the ruins of Ernulf's
monastic buildings there is much fine Norman work, zigzag and billet
mouldings, his favourite diaper which is found at Canterbury, and a
curious carving of the sacrifice of Isaac. Parts of the wall of the
dormitory and the refectory, with a lavatory, remain. The south side
of the choir and the choir transept were much restored by Cottingham
in 1825. A fine Decorated window has been inserted in the south wall
of the choir transept aisle. The _South Transept_ is Late Early
English work. On its west side is the Lady Chapel, erected in the
Perpendicular style about 1500.
The lower part of the central tower, which is hardly worthy of the
Cathedral, was built by Bishop Haymo de Hythe (1319-1352); all above
the roof was erected by Cottingham in the restoration of 1825.
The remains of the old wall which surrounded the precincts are still
in existence. The Prior's Gate was built about the middle of the
fourteenth century; and the other remaining gates are College Gate,
and the Deanery Gate, both of which belong to the time of Edward IV.
THE INTERIOR
We enter the _Nave_ by the beautiful west doorway and are at once
impressed by the fine Norman character of the building. Much of it is
the work of Gundulf, the first Norman bishop, the companion of
Lanfranc, who fashioned his rising church after the model of
Canterbury, and has thus left us a copy of the appearance of that
church ere it was refashioned by later builders. The two eastern bays
are Early Decorated. The clerestory is Perpendicular work, and the
flat timber roof was erected at the same time. The later Norman
builders, Bishops Ernulf and John (1115-1137), greatly improved the
appearance of Gundulf's nave. They finished the west end, recased the
piers, and carved the zigzag mouldings and the capitals, and seem to
have added a new triforium or enriched the old arcade with diaper
work. There is no triforium gallery, as it opens both into the aisles
as well as into the nave. The fine interior of the west doorway will
be noticed, and also another Norman doorway in the south-west corner.
The windows in the north aisle are Perpendicular. The font is modern,
and also the pulpit, stalls and lectern. On the south of the south
aisle is the Late Perpendicular Chapel of St. Mary, usually called the
Lady Chapel. It was restored in 1852. Here the consistory court used
to meet. It is now used as a chapel for the grammar school. The _South
Transept_ is of later date than the corresponding north transept; its
style is Late Early English, when the style was merging into Early
Decorated. The architect was Richard de Waldene, sacrist. Above in the
south wall there are five single-light windows, and below three double
windows, and the extensive use of Purbeck marble in the shafts will be
noticed. Banded shafts of marble cluster around the great tower-piers.
Cottingham erected the present ceiling in 1840. It will be noticed
that the Purbeck marble shafts on the two western tower-piers stop
some distance from the ground, and a block of intrusive masonry
obtrudes itself on the west of the northern one. Various conjectures
have been made concerning the object of this. Possibly it formed part
of a stone rood loft, or served as a buttress to the arch. The _North
Transept_ is Early English, the work of Richard de Eastgate, sacrist.
The dog-tooth ornament is seen in the clerestory. The carved corbels,
representing monastic heads, are finely executed. In the recess on the
east side there is a piscina which marks the site of an altar.
The _Monuments_ in the nave and transepts are not important. That of
Richard Watts in the south transept is worthy of notice. He
entertained Queen Elizabeth at his house called Satis,[4] and erected
a hostel for six poor travellers, "not being rogues or proctors,"
which in later times has been immortalised by Charles Dickens, as a
tablet sets forth. Near it is the monument of Sir Richard Head, who
sheltered the fugitive monarch James II. when he fled from his
kingdom. The glass is all modern.
The _Choir Screen_ has been restored in memory of Dean Scott, who,
with Dean Liddell of Christ Church, Oxford, compiled the well-known
Greek Lexicon. The doorway is ancient Decorated work; the figures are
(beginning on the north side) St. Andrew, Ethelbert, St. Justus, St.
Paulinus, Gundulf, William de Hoo, Walter de Merton, Bishop Fisher,
all of whom were connected with the See of Rochester. As at
Canterbury, we ascend several steps to gain the choir, rendered
necessary by the height of the crypt below. All the work before us in
the choir is Early English, but fashioned on the old Norman walls. It
was finished sufficiently for use in 1227, in the year of the
accession of Henry de Sandford to the bishopric, and is the work of
William de Hoo. The choir aisles are separated from the choir by stone
walls. Shafts of Purbeck marble support the vault. Some of the
brackets of Early English foliage which support the shafts are
beautifully carved. Some of the windows in the presbytery and south
choir transept are later insertions, and are Decorated. Sir G. Scott
wrought drastic changes here, and substituted two tiers of lancets
instead of a large east window, brought the altar away from the
extreme east end and designed a new reredos. He made new stalls, using
much of the old woodwork. Some fine old fourteenth-century painting he
discovered behind the old stalls, which he carefully reproduced, and
designed a new throne, pulpit and reredos. Amidst so much that is new
and beautiful in its way, it is pleasant to discover some ancient
work. The sedilia are Perpendicular, and an Early English piscina and
aumbry are observable behind the altar. There is a curious and
interesting mural painting on the north wall representing the _Wheel
of Fortune_, which is probably a thirteenth-century production.
The _North Choir Transept_ (Early English) contains the tomb of St.
William, to whom we have already referred, and whose shrine brought
much gain to the treasury. The tomb is of Purbeck marble, with a
floriated cross. A flat stone marked with six crosses in the centre of
the transept is said to be the site of the shrine. The steps leading
to this transept from the north choir aisle are much worn by the feet
of pilgrims. Here is also the tomb of Walter de Merton (1274-1277) of
Early Decorated design, the founder of Merton College, Oxford. The
slab is modern; an alabaster effigy made in 1598 now is placed in the
adjoining recess. Here is also the tomb of Bishop Lowe (1467). In the
aisle (St. John Baptist's Chapel), are tombs of Bishop Warner (1666),
the founder of the college for widows at Bromley, who occupied the see
during the Commonwealth period; of Bishop John de Sheppey (1360), the
sculpture of which is worthy of the highest praise. It was long hidden
away in the wall, and remained so for centuries, until the
restorations of 1825 brought it to light.[5] Here also is a very
ancient statue said to be the figure of Gundulf. In the chancel or
sacrarium are the tombs of Bishop Gilbert de Glanville (1214), a
shrine-shaped monument with medallions containing mitred heads; Bishop
Lawrence de St. Martin (1274), of Early Decorated design; at extreme
east, Sir W. Arundel (1400) and his lady; and on the south side the
supposed coffin of Bishop Gundulf; Bishop Inglethorp (1291), a
thirteenth-century coffin, and another in the south choir transept
(name unknown). The glass in this part of the church is all modern.
The _doorway into the Chapter-House_ is one of the great glories of
the Cathedral. It is Late Decorated work, and was probably erected
during the episcopate of Haymo de Hythe (1319-1352). Cottingham
restored it in 1830, and made the left-hand figure into a grave and
reverend bishop holding a model of a cathedral and a crozier. It is
probably correct that in a more recent restoration the figure should
have been made into that of a female. It is meant to signify the
Christian Church, just as the right-hand figure represents the Jewish
Church, blindfolded, and leaning on a broken reed and holding a
reversed table of the Law. The two seated figures on the right and
left sides represent the four doctors--SS. Jerome, Augustine, Ambrose
and Gregory, while above appear angels who have rescued a pure soul
from purgatorial fires. The crocketed ogee arch and the diaper work
above are worthy of attention; the door is modern.
The _Chapter-House and Library_ occupy a room which is a modern
addition. The library has some treasures, amongst which may be
mentioned _Textus Roffensis_, a collection of records, gifts and
privileges of the Cathedral, compiled under the direction of Bishop
Ernulf (1115-1124). It has passed through many perils, having been
stolen, restored, borrowed, lost in the Thames, recovered, and we
trust its dangers are now over.
_Custumale Roffense_, another valuable MS. of the thirteenth century,
a great collection of _Bibles_, including Coverdale's, Cranmer's or
the Great Bible, and the Bishops' Bible. Above the choir transepts are
two chambers called the Treasury, where the church plate is kept, and
the Indulgence Chamber.
Following the course of the pilgrims, we proceed down the flight of
steps to the south choir aisle, or Chapel of St. Edmund. There is the
mutilated tomb of Bishop John de Bradfield (1278-1283). Following the
second flight of steps we come to the _Crypt_, which extends under the
whole choir and is one of the most perfect in the kingdom. The western
part is Early Norman, and has massive piers and cushion capitals. The
rest is Early English. The altars in the crypt were numerous, and
traces of them remain, as shown by the piscinas. The crypt was
extensively decorated with mural paintings, and some traces of them
may still be seen.
DIMENSIONS
Total length, 306 ft.; length of nave, 126 ft.; width of nave, 65 ft.;
length of choir, 147 ft.; length of west transept, 120 ft.; length of
east transept, 88 ft.; height of tower, 156 ft.; height of vault, 55
ft.; area, 23,300 sq. ft.
DESCRIPTION OF ARCHITECTURE
Norman--Most of the nave and part of crypt and old chapter-house.
Early English--The choir and transepts.
Decorated--Chapter door and some windows at east end.
Perpendicular--Clerestory of the nave, west window, Lady Chapel.
Modern--Tower, chapter-house and library, roof of west transept
and north-west tower.
FOOTNOTES:
[4] When the queen was departing he apologised for his poor
entertainment, but she replied "_Satis_" ("sufficient"), from which
august reply Watts named his house.
[5] Authorities differ as to whether the colouring is ancient or
modern. Mr. Palmer, in his recent and valuable history of the
Cathedral, pronounces in favour of the latter; but Mr. St. John Hope
considers it to be ancient.
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL
In the minds of readers of English history Canterbury must always rank
first amongst our cathedrals on account of the wealth of historical
associations connected with it. The story of Canterbury is the story
of England, and every record of our annals abounds with allusions to
it, or to the distinguished prelates connected with it. It is the
metropolitan church of the southern province, and is regarded with
veneration as the Mother Church not only of England, but of all the
churches in America and the colonies of the British Empire.
There was probably a Roman or Romano-British church here; when
Augustine converted King Ethelbert to Christianity the monarch gave
him his palace together with an old church which stood near it. This
was on part of the site of the present Cathedral. We need not record
again the tangled story of the conversion of the English, or the names
of all the successors of Augustine. The first seven were buried in the
Monastery of St. Augustine, now St. Augustine's College, Archbishop
Cuthbert (d. 758) being the first to be interred in his own Cathedral.
Archbishop Odo (942-959) known as "the Severe" on account of his
endeavour to restore discipline among the clergy, although born a
heathen Dane, was a zealous prelate, and set himself to restore the
ruinous condition of his Cathedral. For three years the work of
building progressed. The eleventh century brought the Danish ravages,
and with fire and sword the Pagan hosts attacked Canterbury and
murdered the archbishop, Alphege. His successor, Living or Leofing,
was held captive by the Danes for some time, but sought safety beyond
seas, and lived to crown Canute. The Cathedral was restored by the
next prelate, Egelnorth, but a fire destroyed it in 1067, and it was
not till Norman times that a complete restoration was attempted.
Lanfranc, the first Norman archbishop, finding the church utterly
dilapidated, destroyed the old fabric and built a noble minster. We
have a description of the old Saxon church in the writings of Eadmer,
a monk of Canterbury: "At the east end of the church stood the high
altar, which enclosed the body of St. Winifred. This was of rough
stone cemented together. A little before that was an altar where Mass
was said daily; in which altar St. Alphege enclosed the head of St.
Swithun, and many other relics which he brought with him from
Winchester. Descending hence by several steps was the crypt. At the
foot of these steps was a descent into a vault which went under the
east part of the church; and at the east end of it was an altar,
wherein was enclosed the head of St. Fursius. From hence by a winding
passage, at the west end, was the tomb of St. Dunstan, separated from
it by a wall. His body was buried deep in the ground before those
stairs, and over him was a tomb erected in the form of a lofty
pyramid. The hall or body of the church was separated from the choir.
About the middle of the hall were two towers jutting out beyond the
walls--that on the south had an altar dedicated to St. Gregory; and
from this tower was a passage, the principal porch of the church,
anciently called Stuthdore, a large and capacious portico. The tower
on the north side was erected to the honour of St. Martin, having a
passage to it from the cloisters. The end of the church was adorned
with the oratory of the Blessed Virgin. In the eastern part of it was
an altar, consecrated to her, which enclosed the head of a saint."
Lanfranc also built the monastic buildings. The saintly Archbishop
Anselm, who succeeded Lanfranc, took down the east end and rebuilt it
with great magnificence. His chief architect was Ernulf, the prior,
afterwards Bishop of Rochester. Prior Conrad succeeded, who finished
the choir, which was hereafter known as "the glorious choir of
Conrad." Gervase, a monk of Canterbury, describes this church, which
had a central tower, a nave supported on each side by eight pillars,
two western towers with gilt pinnacles, a rood-screen, surmounted by a
great cross with figures of SS. Mary and John. He concludes that the
dedication of this church was "the most famous that had ever been
heard of on the earth since that of the Temple of Solomon."