inserted in the windows, and the walls of both the aisles and
clerestory have been crowned with a parapet of Decorated work. The
_North Transept_ is rather earlier than the nave, and retains much of
the Transitional character. It has two aisles, and is not so richly
ornamented as the nave. The windows are pointed and have Perpendicular
tracery. Passing on we come to the _Chain Gate_, a very beautiful
structure erected by Bishop Beckington (1443-1465) in Perpendicular
style. Figures of St. Andrew and other saints appear in the niches.
The gallery over the Chain Gate connects the Cathedral with the
Vicar's College. After passing under the gate we see the beautiful
_Chapter-House_, which is octagonal, we are surprised to find the
chapter-house in this position and far removed from the cloisters, but
this is accounted for by the fact that secular canons served this
Cathedral, and not monks; hence the cloisters were an ornamental
appendant rather than the centre of the monastic life. The
chapter-house was finished in 1319 in Decorated style under the
guidance of Dean John de Godilee, who employed one William Joy as the
master-mason. There are some curious gargoyles here. The _Choir_ and
_Lady Chapel_ form a beautiful composition. The western portion of the
choir was until recently attributed to Jocelyn.
[Illustration Wells Cathedral]
It is now generally believed to have been the work of Bishop Reginald,
Jocelyn's predecessor. The eastern portion is the work of Bishop Ralph
(1329-1363), the Lady Chapel was finished in 1326. All this is
therefore Decorated, and windows of the same style have been inserted
in the earlier western portion. There were two Lady Chapels adjoining
the cloisters, but these were ruthlessly destroyed by Bishop Barlow in
1552. The _Cloister_ does not possess the usual features of a monastic
church. It is unusually large, and there are only three walks, the
north being absent. The wall of the east walk is Early English, built
by Jocelyn, but the rest was rebuilt by Bishop Bubwith; the west and
south walks by Bishop Beckington and finished soon after his death.
The style is Perpendicular. The grotesque bosses are interesting. An
Early English doorway leads to the palace. Over the west walk is the
singing-school, and over the east the library. Beckington's rebus (a
_beacon_ and a _tun_) occurs in the bosses. The garth is known as
"Palm Churchyard" from the yew tree in the centre. Branches of yews
were carried in processions on Palm Sunday, and this probably accounts
for the prevalence of yew trees in churchyards. The cloisters have
been made the receptacle of many monuments removed from the Cathedral.
The _Library_ over the east walk, built by Bubwith, has about 3000
volumes, and contains the books belonging to Bishop Ken. An Aldine
edition of Aristotle has the autograph and notes of Erasmus, and there
are several important MSS., the chains which formerly attached the
books to the desks, a thirteenth-century pyx-cover, and a crozier of
the same period.
The _Bishop's Palace_, unfortunately much restored in 1846, is one of
the finest examples of a thirteenth-century house existing in England.
It was begun by Jocelyn. The great hall, now in ruins, built by Bishop
Burnell (1275-1292) for the purpose of great entertainments, was
destroyed by Barlow. The chapel is Decorated. The gatehouse, moat and
fortifications were constructed by Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury. The
_Deanery_ was built by Dean Gunthorpe in 1475, chaplain to Edward IV.
On the north is the famous _Vicar's Close_, which has forty-two
houses, constructed mainly by Bishop Beckington (1443-1464), with a
common hall erected by Bishop Ralph (1340), and chapel by Bubwith, but
altered a century later for the use of the Vicars-Choral. We notice
the old fireplace, the pulpit from which one of the brethren read
aloud during meals, and an ancient painting representing Bishop Ralph
making his grant to the kneeling vicars, and some additional figures
painted in the time of Elizabeth.
THE INTERIOR
Few will fail to be impressed by the many beauties of this glorious
_Nave_, which we will gaze at from the west end. It is rather narrow,
but the proportions are good, and the magnificent clustered columns
and enriched capitals, the groups of bearing shafts, grotesque
carvings, and the fine vault, all combine to form a noble structure.
The curious inverted arches at the east end of the nave are
remarkable. These were added early in the fourteenth century to save
the collapsing central tower; and so skilfully was the work done that
the object of the builders was completely accomplished. The nave has
generally been assigned to Jocelyn, but architects have noticed that
it is only a little removed from the Norman style, and recent
investigators have shown that the greater part is the work of Bishop
Reginald (1171-1191). The four eastern bays are assigned to him, and
the rest to Jocelyn. A close inspection will reveal several points of
difference between the earlier and later work. The heads of a king and
bishop between the fourth and fifth piers (counting from the west)
mark the change. The difference may be thus tabulated[13]--
EAST | WEST
|
Masonry in small courses of | The blocks are larger.
stone. |
|
Small human heads at angles | No heads.
of piers. |
|
Grotesque animals in tympana | Foliage and larger heads.
of triforium. |
|
Medallions above triforium | Flush with the wall.
sunk in the wall. |
|
Capitals plainer. | More ornamented and richer.
The piers are octagonal with clustered shafts. The capitals are
enriched with foliage. Birds, animals and monsters twine and perch
among the foliage. The triforium arcade is continuous, and composed of
lancet openings. The clerestory windows have Perpendicular tracery
inserted by Beckington. The roof is vaulted, with bosses of foliage.
The _Music Gallery_ stands in the central bay on the south side
erected in Perpendicular style, and near it formerly was another
gallery supported by two brackets, on which are carved the heads of a
king and bishop. The curious and grotesque carvings should be
carefully studied. The west end has an arcade of five arches. Above
are three lancets with dog-tooth moulding and Perpendicular tracery.
The glass was collected by Dean Creyghton on the Continent during his
exile with Charles II., and represents the life of St. John Baptist.
Its date is 1507. The other windows have the figures of King Ina and
Bishop Ralph. The north and south aisles correspond with the nave in
their architecture. Perpendicular tracery has been inserted in the
windows. Under the north-west tower is the Chapel of the Holy Cross,
now used as a vestry, and the opposite Chapel is now used by the
ringers. There are two beautiful chantries in the nave--one is Bishop
Bubwith's Chapel (1421), with much mutilated east end; the other is
Sugar's Chantry, formerly dedicated to St. Edmund. Hugh Sugar, dean of
Wells, died in 1489. The fan-tracery of the roof, the niches and the
cornice of angels are worthy of notice. The _Pulpit_ was erected by
Bishop Knight (1541-1547). The lectern is by Bishop Creyghton, who
erected the west window, and shared Charles II.'s exile. The
_Transepts_ are rather earlier than the nave, and are part of
Reginald's work. They have aisles, and the capitals of the piers are
richly sculptured. In the _South Transept_ we see on the west Elias, a
woman extracting a thorn from her foot, a man with toothache, the
grape-stealers and their fate. On the east there is only foliage and
no figures. The Chapel of St. Calixtus is on the east, containing the
beautiful monument of Dean Husse (1305), with its finely-carved
panels. The subjects are the Annunciation, God the Father, and some
ecclesiastics. The other Chapel is that of St. Martin, now a vestry,
and has the tomb of a Chancellor of Wells (1454). In the transept are
the monuments of Lady Lisle (1464), wife of the Earl of Shrewsbury,
and of Bishop William de la Marchia (1302). The _Font_ is Norman, and
probably the only remaining link with the early church built by Bishop
Robert (1136-1166). The cover is Jacobean. The _North Transept_
resembles the south. Here we see again a series of strange carvings,
amongst which are Moses and Aaron, man with goose, woman with
toothache. The reason why so many representations of this distressing
malady occur is that the shrine of St. William Bytton (1274) was
famous for its cures of persons so suffering. On the east are the
Chapels of St. David, with tomb of Bishop Still (1607), and Holy Cross
with tomb of Bishop Kidder (1703). Another tomb is that of Bishop
Cornish (1513). The famous _Clock_ is here with its tilting knights
and human-shaped striker, who perform wondrous things when the
expiration of each hour summons them to action. We will not dispel the
curiosity of the visitor by any description of the performance, which
is popular, and should not be missed.
The _Tower_ is of Early English date as far as the roofs, and has a
fine fan-tracery vault. As we have said, it was raised in the
Decorated period, and the superstructure caused a dangerous
settlement, which was counteracted by the inverted arches, and some
flying buttresses.
The _Choir-Screen_ is Decorated, and has not been improved by modern
restorers. Above it is the organ, a modern instrument, which replaces
the old organ erected by Dean Creyghton.
The _Choir_ is very beautiful, but it is only a shadow of what it was
before the evil hand of the restorer rested heavily upon it. It is
terrible to contemplate the mischief which has been accomplished here
in the fatal restoration of 1848. However, it would have been
difficult to efface all its beauties, and some of these happily
remain. The three west bays are probably Reginald's work, and were
formerly attributed to Jocelyn; the rest is Decorated, and two of the
west piers have been converted into this style. There is no triforium,
its place being taken by rich tabernacle work. At the east end there
are three graceful arches; and above these rich tabernacle work, and a
large window of seven lights with Late Decorated tracery. There is a
lierne vault. The vandals of the nineteenth century destroyed nearly
all of the old woodwork, and substituted canopies of Doulting stone.
The pulpit is modern; the throne was erected by Beckington, but has
unfortunately been much restored. The _Misereres_ have happily been
saved, and are very remarkable. They are Early Decorated, and can
scarcely be surpassed. Amongst the many curious subjects are a
mermaid, griffin and various monsters, two goats butting, cats,
peacock, cock, fox and geese, lions, rabbits, etc.
[Illustration Entrance to Crypt.]
The glass of the east window, and of those on each side of it, is
fourteenth-century work (_circa_ 1330). The east window is very fine,
and is a Jesse window, showing the genealogy of our Lord from the
"Stem of Jesse," with figures of kings and prophets, the Virgin, and
finally the Crucifixion and the Judgment. In the north-east window is
a figure of St. George. The _South Choir Aisle_ is of the same
character as the choir; the windows are Decorated. Here is the famous
monument of Bishop Bytton (1274), who was canonised, and whose tomb
was much resorted to by pilgrims, especially by those who suffered
from toothache. This is the most ancient example of an incised slab in
England. Near the saint lie Bishop Beckington (1464), (who did so much
for this Cathedral), and Bishop Hervey (1894). Below the effigy is a
skeleton-like figure, which was intended to proclaim the moral maxim,
_memento mori_. The iron-work should be noticed. Here also are the
tombs of Bishop Harewell (1386), Bishop Hooper (1727), and Bishop Lake
(1626). In the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist are buried Dean
Gunthorpe (1498), the builder of the Deanery, and Dean Jenkyns (1854),
who was responsible for the "restoration" of the choir. There is a
fine Decorated piscina here. The _Retro-Choir_ is very beautiful.
Slender piers of Purbeck marble support the fine vault. The carving of
the capitals and bosses is very excellent. All is in the Decorated
style. The _Lady Chapel_ is of the same date and style, finished in
1326. Its shape is pentagonal, and it is of rare beauty. The glass is
of the same date as that of the choir, but has been restored. Angels
bearing the instruments of the Passion appear in the east window, and
in the tracery of the other windows are the Evangelistic emblems and
heads of patriarchs and saints. At the south-east corner of the
retro-choir was St. Catherine's Chapel. The glass is old and rich.
There is a monument by Chantrey of John Phelips, and that of Bishop
Drokensford (1329), who was bishop during the building of the Lady
Chapel, and part of the choir is a graceful structure. At the opposite
corner is St. Stephen's Chapel, and then we enter the north-east
transept or Chapel of St. John Baptist, which contains Bishop
Creyghton's tomb (1672), also monuments of John de Myddleton (1337),
Bishop Berkeley (1581), Dean Forrest (1446). The _North Choir Aisle_
has the tomb of Bishop Ralph (1363), and an effigy, attributed to
Bishop Giso (1088). Bishop Jocelyn caused several of these effigies to
be executed, in memory of his predecessors. On the north is a door
leading to a vaulted passage, which conducts us to the crypt of the
chapter-house. Notice the curious carved heads in this passage. There
is a curious stone lantern in the wall near the inner door. This crypt
or undercroft is on the same level as the floor of the church, and was
used as a treasury. It was finished about 1286, and is Late Early
English. There is a massive octagonal pier in the centre, and eight
other round piers, which support the vaulting. A piscina in the
doorway has a curious sculptured dog gnawing a bone. Here are
preserved a cope chest, some stone coffins, and other treasures.
Retracing our steps to the aisle, we enter the noble _Staircase_
leading to the chapter-house. It is Early Decorated, the door at the
upper end being added in the Perpendicular period, when the Chain Gate
was erected. Two Decorated windows light the staircase. The
_Chapter-House_, octagonal in plan, is entered by a fine doorway
composed of double arches. There is a curious boss here, composed of
four bearded heads. There is a central pillar, with clustered shafts
of Purbeck marble, from which the beautiful ribs of the vaulted roof
spring. There are eight windows, the mouldings of the arches being
ornamented with ball-flower, and retaining some old glass. An arcade
runs round the wall under the windows, with ornamented canopies, and
beneath this are the stone benches. Sculptured heads and grotesques
appear in the ornamentation of the arches. This chapter-house is later
than the staircase, and was probably built by Bishop William de la
Marchia (1293-1302), the vault being added after his time, and
finished in 1319.
DIMENSIONS
Total length 383 ft.
Length of nave 161 ft.
Breadth of nave 82 ft.
Height of nave 67 ft.
Length of choir 103 ft.
Length of transepts 135 ft.
Height of towers 160 ft.
Area 29,070 sq. ft.
PRINCIPAL BUILDING DATES
Early Norman--Font.
Transition (1174-1191)--Eastern bays of nave, transepts,
north porch, and west bays of choir.
Early English (1218-1286)--West front, western part of
nave, undercroft of chapter-house, palace.
Early Decorated--Staircase to chapter-house.
Decorated (1293-1363)--Chapter-house, Lady Chapel,
central tower, inverted arches, east part of choir.
Perpendicular (1386-1400)--Western towers, gateways,
Chain Gate, Deanery.
BATH ABBEY
For some time Bath was the rival of Wells, and hot and fierce was the
contention between the monks of St. Peter and the canons of St. Andrew
at Wells. The monastery was founded here in Saxon times by Offa in
775. In Early Norman times, John de Villula of Tours, who is said to
have practised medicine at Bath, became Bishop of Wells, and, by grant
from William II., removed the seat of the bishopric to Bath, and
rebuilt the Abbey Church, which now became a Cathedral. But the monks
liked not this arrangement. In the time of Bishop Robert (1135-1166),
in order to settle their disputes, it was decided that the bishop
should be styled "of Bath and Wells." But even this did not produce
peace. When Jocelyn died the monks of Bath elected Roger without the
consent of the canons of Wells, and both chapters nearly ruined
themselves by appeals to the Pope and costly litigation. The church at
Bath fell much into decay, and was entirely rebuilt by Bishop Oliver
King of Wells (1495-1503). He is said to have seen a vision somewhat
resembling Jacob's dream, a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, and
a voice saying, "Let an Oliver stablish the Crown and a King build the
church." A representation of this dream appears on the west front of
Bath minster, and an inscription referring to the Parable of the Trees
(Judges ix. 8):--
"Trees going to choose their king
Said, Be to us the Olive(r) King."
The style of the church is Late Perpendicular, and was scarcely
completed before the monastery was seized and dissolved. It was left
in a sorry condition, roofless and ruinous, until it was restored by
Bishop Montague in the seventeenth century. It has been restored in
modern times, and has lost that dilapidated appearance which long
distinguished it. It is a small and not very interesting building,
though it lacks not some striking features, and certainly contains
some fine tombs and interesting memorials of the fashionable folk who
flocked to Bath in the days of its splendour.
[Illustration PLAN OF WELLS CATHEDRAL]
FOOTNOTES:
[12] Prior's _Gothic Art_.
[13] Murray's _Cathedrals_.
EXETER CATHEDRAL
Exeter, the noble city of the west, which proudly bears the motto
granted to it by Queen Elizabeth, _Semper Fidelis_--"Always Faithful,"
has a venerable Cathedral, which was commenced in Norman times on the
site of a Saxon church, entirely removed. The principal feature of
Exeter is its Decorated work. A large portion of the Cathedral was
erected during that period; and as Salisbury is the most perfect
example of Early English architecture, Exeter represents the most
beautiful specimen of the Decorated style.
Southey's judgment on the Cathedral was that "it looked finest when
you could only see half of it." Indeed, it is difficult to obtain a
good view, and the north side is the only one which presents a
favourable prospect. The historian of Exeter Cathedral, Mr. Hewett,
wrote: "As we walk round this, we cannot but consider that the
Cathedral, though far from lofty, and presenting none of the majestic
features of several of its sister churches, is nevertheless a fine
composition. The aisles of the choir and nave, intercepted by the
stately Norman towers, further broken by the prominence of their
chantries, and spanned by flying buttresses richly pinnacled; the
large, pure windows, which pierce both aisles and clerestory; the
roof, highly pitched, and finished with crest-tiles, form a decidedly
graceful and pleasing whole." With this excellent description all
visitors will agree.
Glancing back at the early history of the see, we find that Crediton
was the ancient seat of the bishop, where was born in 680 St. Winfrid,
called Boniface, the apostle of the Germans. There was a monastery at
Exeter in the time of Athelstan, which was much plundered by the
Danes. In 1050 Bishop Leofric, the favourite of Edward the Confessor,
removed his episcopal seat to Exeter, and continued to hold it when
William the Conqueror came. Osbern was appointed in 1072, but he
contented himself with the old Saxon church, and it was not until
William Warelwast (1107-1136), nephew of William the Conqueror, became
bishop that the present Cathedral was begun. The Norman work was
continued by Bishop Marshall (1194-1206), who is said to have
"finished the building according to the plot and foundation which his
predecessors laid."
[Illustration Exeter Cathedral]
Exeter has suffered many sieges, and during that of Stephen, in 1136,
the Cathedral was much injured by fire. The two towers at the end of
the transepts are all the portions that remain of Warelwast's
building, and one of these (that on the north) has been much altered,
until it has assumed the features of Perpendicular style. This was
done by Bishop Courtenay (1478-1487), when he transferred here a great
bell from Llandaff.
In 1258 a poor man's son, one Walter Bronescombe, though not in
priests' orders, was elected bishop, and set to work to rebuild his
Cathedral, his labours being continued by his successor. The Lady
Chapel with adjoining chapels was partly built by this bishop. His
successor, Bishop Quivil, the foe of the Franciscans (1280-1291),
finished it, and erected the north and south transepts. The choir,
nave, porches and west front were built by Bishops Stapledon
(1308-1326) and Grandisson (1327-1369). Stapledon was a great
statesman, and in the troubles of the second Edward's reign took the
side of the king against the queen and Mortimer, and was murdered by
the citizens of London in Cheapside. Grandisson was also a mighty
prelate who refused to allow the Archbishop of Canterbury to visit his
Cathedral as his ecclesiastical superior. He, with a band of armed
men, met the intruding archbishop at the west door and forbade him to
enter, and an armed conflict was with difficulty averted. These
mediæval bishops were very powerful. They usually built a strong wall
with gates around the precincts of the Cathedral, and ruled their
clergy, their servants and dependants quite independently of any
external control. The conflicts between the clergy and the townsfolk
were very numerous, and the struggle severe in nearly all our cities
and monastic towns.
When Queen Elizabeth came to the throne, "visitors" were appointed to
examine churches and to remove all that savoured of "superstition."
Their zeal outran their discretion, and much mischief was wrought in
Exeter and elsewhere by their iconoclastic violence. Strange events
took place during the Commonwealth period. The Cathedral was divided
into two portions by a brick wall, and in one called "West Peter's" an
independent preacher thundered forth his declamation, while in the
other, "East Peter's," a Presbyterian divine conducted his form of
service. Happily the Restoration put an end to these curious
proceedings, and the wall was taken down, and the Church of England
service renewed.
We will now examine the west front erected at the close of the
fourteenth century. The screen is very remarkable and beautiful, and
has three rows of figures of saints and kings and warriors. In the
first row appear angels; the second has figures of kings and knights,
and the third saints, and figures of Athelstan and Edward the
Confessor stand above them. Some of the ancient figures have crumbled
away and been replaced by modern sculptures. Bishop Brantyngham was
the builder of this screen, who lived in the time of Richard II., and
the crowns and armour represented on the figures belong to that
period. The figures in the lower row, beginning on the left, are:--
1. Canute.
2. Edgar.
3. Ethelred.
4. Justice, } small figures
5. Fortitude, } above north
6. Discipline,} door.
7. Edward II.
8. Henry III.
9. } Unknown bishops.
10. }
11. Richard I.
12. Henry II.
13. Stephen.
14. Henry I.
15. William I.,{ a modern
{ imitation.
16. Robert of Normandy.
17. William II.
18. A king unknown.
19. } Bishops.
20. }
21. John.
22. Edward I.
23. Edward III., { over
24. The Black Prince,{ south
{ door.
25. Godfrey de Bouillon.
26. Stephen, Count of Blois.
27. Guy de Lusignan.
28. Ethelwold.
29. Alfred.
30. Edward the Elder.
In the upper row, beginning at the left hand, are:--
1. Samuel.
2. Samson.
3. Jephtha.
4. Gideon.
5. Barak.
6. Deborah.
7. Noah.
8. St. Matthew.
9. St. John.
10. St. Jude.
11. St. Bartholomew.
12. St. Matthias.
13. St. Philip.
14. St. Andrew.
15. St. Peter.
16. King Richard II.
17. King Athelstan.
18. St. Paul.