style in England. It consists of two towers, flanking a large window,
above which is a high gable, and below a deeply-recessed door. The
window has nine lights. The whole front is panelled, and the
buttresses are ornamented with various tiers of niche-work of
excellent composition and most delicate execution. These niches are
about to be filled with figures. We enter the Minster by the north
porch, which is a fine piece of Perpendicular work, with a parvise
over it. On entering the building we are struck with its great
loftiness and the consummate beauty of its architectural details.
As we have said, the _Nave_ is later than the choir, with the
exception of the first bay adjoining the tower. That one bay is Early
English; the rest is superb Decorated work. The ball-flower moulding
is conspicuous in the latter, the dog-tooth in the former; but there
seems to have been some attempt to assimilate the later work with the
earlier. The west end is Perpendicular, and the west window is a fine
example of the work of that period. The glass is modern. There is some
beautiful arcading in the aisles, that in the north aisle being more
developed Decorated than that in the south. The tomb of the "Sisters
of Beverley" in the south aisle should be noticed. It belongs to the
Decorated period, and possesses many features of interest. History is
silent as to the names of these sisters, who are supposed to have been
benefactors to the townsfolk. The tracery of the windows in the aisles
should be noticed, as it is remarkable for its gracefulness and
variety. The only relic of Norman work in the church is the font, near
the south door, which is of a somewhat late character. The _Transepts_
are of noble Early English construction. Tall lancets shed light upon
the exquisite architectural details displayed here. Each transept has
double aisles. The arcading of the triforium is curious, but
effective. In the tympanum of each trefoil arch there is a quatrefoil
and two semi-arches, which are completed by similar ones under the
next arch. The effigy and monument of a priest in the north transept
(fourteenth century) have some exquisite carving, and afford an
excellent study of ecclesiastical vestments. The _East End_ of the
church is entirely composed of Early English work, and without doubt
contains some of the best and most perfect architectural achievements
of the thirteenth century. The piers are composed of eight massive
columns. There is no triforium gallery, a very exquisite arcade taking
its place, similar to that in the transepts, consisting of trefoil
arches, ornamented with dog-tooth. Purbeck marble is extensively used
throughout the choir. The screen is modern. The choir stalls and
_misereres_ are scarcely surpassed by any in England. They belong to
the sixteenth century, and the designs represented on the latter are
extremely quaint and curious. Few churches have such a superb
_Altar-Screen_ as Beverley. It is Early English, but has been much
mutilated and robbed of its images, which now have been replaced by
good modern sculpture. It has also been decorated with glass mosaic
work. Near it, on the north, is the famous _Percy Tomb_, which is well
known to all students of architecture. It is very beautiful Decorated
work, and is generally considered to have no equal. It was erected
about 1338, and is to the memory of Lady Eleanor Percy, the wife of
the first Lord Percy. The carving is quite superb, the details of the
figure-sculpture being worthy of the closest attention. In the gable
is a figure of the Almighty receiving the soul of the deceased, who is
represented as being held up by a sheet supported by two angels. The
east transepts and retro-choir possess also some fine Early English
work, and is similar to that which has been described. In this
retro-choir stood the shrine of St. John of Beverley, which was
watched by a monk stationed in the watching chamber over the
altar-screen. Notice the frith-stool, seated in which the person who
sought sanctuary could defy the approach of his enemies and escape the
justice which doubtless he deserved. Beverley was a noted place for
sanctuary, and the records relating to this privilege are full of
curious interest. The _Staircase_ leading to the chapter-house, now
destroyed, is remarkably fine, and is certainly a very beautiful
feature of this wonderful church. The great east window is
Perpendicular, and has some ancient glass. On the north is the Percy
Chapel, founded in the fifteenth century; in it lies the body of one
of the Earls of Percy, who was cruelly murdered at the close of that
century.
[Illustration Percy Shrine Beverley Minster]
WAKEFIELD CATHEDRAL
The See of Wakefield was created in 1888. The enormous increase of the
population of England and the growth of the Church's work have
necessitated the multiplication of bishoprics and the division of many
of the ancient enormous dioceses. This is one of the sees which it was
found necessary to form. The old Parish Church of All Saints was
converted into the Cathedral, but it possesses few of the associations
and architectural beauties of our ancient minsters. It is, however, a
fine parish church. It was consecrated by Archbishop William de Melton
of York in 1329, but almost wholly rebuilt in the fifteenth century.
Its main features are, therefore, Perpendicular. It consists of a
chancel and large nave, with aisles. There is a clerestory, but no
triforium. At the west end there is a tower, surmounted by a fine
spire, rebuilt in 1860, the total height being 247 feet. A heavy
screen separated the nave from the chancel of Jacobean style, and the
organ and font belong to the seventeenth century. The whole building
was restored by Sir G. Scott at a cost of £30,000.
On the bridge across the Calder there is a beautiful little chapel or
chantry, dedicated to St. Mary (30 feet by 24 feet). This was built
and endowed by Edward IV. in memory of his father, Richard, Duke of
York, killed at the battle of Wakefield in 1460. It was restored in
1847. Near here was fought the famous battle between Queen Margaret,
wife of Henry VI., and the Duke of York, whom this chantry
commemorates. Wakefield was an ancient seat of manufacture, foreign
weavers being established here by Henry VII.
[Illustration Wakefield Cathedral Herbert Railton]
[Illustration Chantry Chapel on Wakefield Bridge Herbert Railton]
LINCOLN CATHEDRAL
The city of Lincoln has a history of profound interest. The first view
of its mighty minster rising above the lower houses of the city is
most impressive, and the whole place teems with historical
association. Professor Freeman states that Lincoln has "kept up its
continuous being through Roman, English, Danish and Norman conquests."
Before the advent of the Romans it was a British stronghold, and bore
a Celtic name--Lindum; and when the conquering legions came they made
it one of the chief towns of the empire, and honoured it with the rank
of a "colony"--hence Lin_coln_, "the colony of Lindum," thus
preserving its ancient name, and adding the title of its dignity. The
only existing Roman gateway in England is here, and the remains of a
basilica, mosaic pavements, altars, sepulchral monuments, testify to
the greatness of Roman Lincoln. The Anglo-Saxons wrought much havoc,
and devastated the city. Here came St. Paulinus in 627 A.D., and
converted the Pagan Saxons to Christianity. The fierce Danes attacked
Lincoln and made it their chief town, the principal member of their
League of the Five Towns (Leicester, Stamford, Derby, Nottingham and
Lincoln). Before the Norman Conquest it ranked fourth among the cities
of England. Then came William the Conqueror, who raised a castle and
made it the base of his operations against the northern counties.
Lincoln soon was raised to a position of great ecclesiastical
pre-eminence, when Remigius of Fécamp became the first Norman bishop,
and ruled the vastest diocese in England, extending from the Humber to
the Thames. The city was in the eleventh and twelfth centuries one of
the greatest trading towns in the country, the resort of traders both
of land and sea. Here King Stephen was vanquished and carried off a
prisoner to Bristol. Here King John received the homage of William the
Lion of Scotland. The din of wars and battles has often been heard in
the streets of Lincoln; in the Wars of the Barons against the young
King Henry III., the Wars of the Roses, and above all in the great
Civil War, when the city was stormed and sacked by the Roundheads.
Here Edward I. summoned his first Parliament. Here kings have held
their court and worshipped in the minster, and here a most formidable
insurrection arose in consequence of the arbitrary acts of Henry VIII.
and the destruction of the monasteries. The Bishops of Lincoln have
been men of great power and influence, and have played prominent parts
in the history of England. Such prelates as St. Hugh, Robert
Grosseteste, and many others have conferred honour on the see over
which they presided.
[Illustration The Potter Gate & Towers of Lincoln Cathedral]
HISTORY OF THE CATHEDRAL
The first Cathedral of Lincoln was built by Remigius, the earliest
Norman bishop, on the removal of the see from Dorchesteron-the-Thames
about 1074. Previous to this Paulinus had preached here, and converted
its prefect, Blaecca, who built a church of stone, which was probably
on the site of St. Paul's Church, the name being corrupted from
Paulinus. Stow village was the seat of the Lindsay Diocese until the
Danish invasion. Then Dorchester was the bishop's residence until
Remigius transferred his throne to Lincoln, and built a church "strong
as the place was strong and fair as the place was fair, dedicated to
the Virgin of Virgins." This church was ready for consecration on the
founder's death in 1092 A.D. It was cruciform, with a semi-circular
apse at the east end. The parts remaining are the central portion of
the west front with its three recesses, a fragment of the first bay of
the nave, and the foundations of the apse beneath the floor of the
choir. It was a massive stern Norman building.
The third Norman bishop, Alexander, called "the magnificent," after a
disastrous fire in 1141, restored the Cathedral "to more than its
former beauty." This Alexander was a nephew of Bishop Roger of
Salisbury, and during his time raged the war between Stephen and the
Empress Maud. The adherents of the latter held the Castle of Lincoln;
so Stephen seized the Cathedral and used it as a fortress. The
chroniclers tell us that Alexander "remodelled the church by his
subtle artifice," and made it the most beautiful in England. All that
remains of his work are the three western doorways inserted in the
arches built by Remigius, the intersecting arcade above the two side
recesses of the west front, and the three lower storeys of the west
tower, with their elaborately-ornamented gables facing north and
south. These were all in the Late Norman or Transition style.
A terrible earthquake wrought much damage in 1185, and grievous was
the condition of the church after this deplorable visitation. But
happily in the following year the famous St. Hugh of Avalon, near
Grenoble, was made Bishop of Lincoln by Henry II. He determined to
restore the ruined House of God, and began to build in 1192. Freeman
states that "St. Hugh was strictly the first to design a building in
which the pointed arch should be allowed full play, and should be
accomplished by an appropriate system of detail." Before his death in
1200 he built the choir and aisles and east (or smaller) transept,
with a portion of the east wall of the great transept. All architects
praise this beautiful work, the first development of the Early English
style, the earliest building of that style in the world.
The great transept was completed and the nave gradually carried
west-wards in the Early English style during the successive
episcopates of William de Blois, Hugh de Wells and Robert Grosseteste
(1203-1253). Of the nave, Freeman wrote: "There are few grander works
in the style of the thirteenth century than Lincoln nave, few that
show greater boldness of construction and greater elegance of detail."
To the same period we may assign the two western chapels, the arcaded
screen wall of the west front and its flanking turrets, the Galilee
Porch and the vestry, the two lower storeys of the tower, and
chapter-house. During the rule of Grosseteste, the two lower storeys
of the tower were built. This Grosseteste was a remarkable man, of
great learning and ability, defended the rights of the English Church
against the claims of the Papacy, and reformed many abuses in his
diocese.
Great sanctity was attached to the body of St. Hugh, which caused many
miracles. It was buried according to the wishes of this holy and
humble-minded man in an obscure corner of the Cathedral. In such
honour were his remains held that it was resolved to transport them to
a more distinguished place; hence it was decided to erect a large and
costly shrine, and the beautiful "Angel Choir" was erected for its
accommodation. This magnificent structure was built in 1255-1280, and
belongs to the period of Transition between the Early English and
Decorated styles, just when Gothic architecture was touching its point
of highest development. It is simply perfect in its proportion and
details. The translation of the body of St. Hugh was performed with
much pomp, and the ceremony was attended by the highest in the land,
King Edward I. himself being one of the bearers of the revered saint's
remains. The cloisters and vestibule belong to the Decorated period,
1296 A.D., of which they present a small but beautiful example. The
"Bishop's Eye," the large circular window of the south transept, was
erected in 1350. About the same period much was done to adorn the
interior. John de Welbourn, treasurer of the Cathedral, 1350-1380, set
up the beautiful choir stalls, erected the vaulting of the central and
west towers, with the internal panelling of the latter, and the row of
niches and regal statues over the great west door. The three western
windows and the upper stages of the west towers belong to a closely
subsequent period. In these works we see the transition from the
Decorated to Perpendicular style. Some of the chantry chapels are
purely Perpendicular.
At the Reformation great spoils of treasure were carried off by the
infamous Commissioners of Henry VIII., who purloined a goodly store of
jewels and nearly 9000 oz. of precious metals. They plundered the
gold shrine of St. Hugh and the silver shrine of Bishop Dalderby, and
left the Cathedral bare of all the treasures which the piety of
centuries had accumulated. The people of Lincoln liked not these
proceedings, and there was a formidable insurrection, during which the
church was used as a garrison. The advent of the Royal troops and the
execution of some of the leaders and several abbots suppressed the
revolt. A reforming bishop of evil memory, Henry Holbech, further
desecrated the church, destroying images and monuments, so that in
1548 there was scarcely a whole figure or tomb remaining. Further
terrible destruction took place in the Civil War, when the soldiers
broke the beautiful glass windows, tore up the brass memorials of the
dead, wrecked the Palace, and even threatened to pull down the
Cathedral, but were happily stayed from their mad enterprise by the
intercession of the Mayor, Mr. Original Peart, with Cromwell. After
the Restoration Bishop Fuller set to work to repair the destruction
which vandalism had caused, and although the hand of the "restorer"
has been felt on the fabric of this noble building, Lincoln still
maintains most of its ancient features, and remains one of the most
interesting cathedrals in the kingdom.
THE EXTERIOR
We will now walk round the building and note its chief architectural
features. Standing at the west end we will examine first the imposing
_West Front_. The central portion with its three recesses are parts of
the earliest Norman church of Remigius. It will be noticed that the
middle arch has been subsequently raised and pointed. A band of
curious sculpture runs across the front, representing scenes from
Bible history. They are of Norman character. Noah and the ark, the
Deluge, the expulsion from Paradise, scenes from the life of our Lord
and Hades are the most curious. The doorways are later than the
recesses, and were inserted by Bishop Alexander, "the magnificent,"
who also built the arcade of intersecting arches above the two side
recesses, and the three lower storeys of the towers, in the style of
Late Norman. The rest of the screen is Early English work, erected
1200-1250. Bishop St. Hugh had sketched the outline of the new church,
and his successors carried it out. Amongst them Bishop Grosseteste did
much good work, and his portion is distinguished by the lattice-work
ornament which appears in the gable of this front, proclaiming its
author. There is a row of Royal statues (William I. to Edward III.)
above the central door, which were erected by the treasurer, John de
Welbourn (1350-1380). The statue of St. Hugh surmounts the south
turret, and the Swineherd of Stow[17] the north turret. The three
large windows belong to the time of Henry VI., and at this time the
towers were completed, which are Perpendicular work, above the Norman
three storeys.
[Illustration Lincoln Cathedral Exchequer Gate.]
Turning to the south side of the church we see the unique chapel and
consistory court, and the curious grotesque popularly known as "the
Devil looking over Lincoln." Heavy buttresses support the nave, and
flying buttresses connect these with the clerestory. The _Galilee
Porch_ was built in 1230, and is cruciform. The name Galilee is
attached to chapels at Durham and Ely, and we have already referred to
the most probable conjecture with regard to its origin.[18] A
profusion of dog-tooth ornament appears here, the characteristic
moulding of Early English period. The muniment room is above the
porch. The _Central Tower_ is the finest in England, as it is the
highest (271 feet), though the spires of Salisbury and Norwich exceed
this altitude. Formerly it was capped by an immense timber spire,
blown down in the first year of the sixth Edward's reign. Lincoln has
suffered from falling towers as have other cathedrals. The two lower
storeys were built by Grosseteste in Early English style on the fall
of its predecessor in 1237. The lattice-work ornament so freely
employed in the work of this bishop is observable here. The upper
storey was begun by Bishop Dalderby in 1307 and finished in 1311 in
the Decorated style. The timber spire covered with lead rose to a
height of 524 feet, and was destroyed by a tempest. Storms and
tempests have beat upon this tower for centuries, and occasionally
have wrought mischief, but this has been from time to time remedied,
and it remains the grandest and most majestic in the world. It is the
abode of the famous "Great Tom of Lincoln," the fourth largest bell in
the kingdom, recast in 1835. It weighs over five tons, and is 21 feet
6 inches in circumference. The _Choir_ is the work of St. Hugh, the
earliest example of Early English. In the _Presbytery_ we see the
style developed to his most perfect form, and merging into the
Decorated period. The south doorway is especially worthy of notice,
with its fine sculpture and splendid tympanum representing the Last
Judgment. The Russell and Longland Chapels (Perpendicular) are on each
side of this doorway. We notice the magnificent Decorated window of
the Angel Choir, on the north side the Chapel of Bishop Fleming
(Perpendicular), a doorway of good design; and then we see the
chapter-house with its flying buttresses and pyramidal roof. On the
north side is the cloister garth and Deanery. The cloisters are
usually on the south side, and this position is uncommon. Lincoln was
not a monastic church, being served by secular canons, and therefore
had no necessity for a cloister court. However, this was built in the
thirteenth century, the colonnade on the north side being erected in
1674 by Sir Christopher Wren, together with the library over it, which
we shall visit presently. By an act of vandalism the old Deanery was
pulled down in 1847 and the present house built, which is devoid of
many of the interesting associations of its predecessor. The Cathedral
close was surrounded by a wall and protected by strong gateways. Two
of these remain, the "Exchequer Gate," opposite the west end, and the
"Potter Gate." The old Bishop's Palace on the south of the close was
destroyed during the Civil War, and quite recently a new episcopal
residence has been erected near the ruins of the ancient house.
THE INTERIOR.
As we have already stated, the nave of Lincoln was designed by Bishop
Hugh in the Early English style, gradually carried west-ward by his
successors, and completed before the death of Grosseteste in 1253. It
consists of seven bays. Eight circular shafts of Purbeck marble
surround each pier. The mouldings of the arches are deeply cut. Above
is the triforium, consisting of two arches, each divided into three
sub-arches. Clustered shafts with capitals carved with foliage support
the arches. Above each main triforium arch in the clerestory are three
lancet windows, and the roof is a fine specimen of English vaulting.
Sir Gilbert Scott says that this nave "exhibits an Early English style
in its highest stage of development: massive without heaviness, rich
in detail without exuberance, its parts symmetrically proportioned and
carefully studied throughout, the foliated carving bold and effective,
there seems no deficiency in any way to deteriorate from its
merits"--an opinion with which few visitors to Lincoln will be
inclined to differ.
Under the towers will be noticed the Norman character of the first
bay, which is part of the original church of Remigius. The west
window, in its present form, is Perpendicular, and was inserted in the
place of an earlier one. The _Font_ also belongs to the time of
Remigius, and is a fine example of the Norman period. It is of black
basalt, square in shape, and has been recently placed upon three steps
of Derbyshire marble. Grotesque monsters are carved on the sides of
the font. The aisles have lancet windows, and below a beautiful arcade
of trefoiled arches, the south side being more elaborate than the
north. The bosses have figures carved on them. On the north-west
corner is the Morning Chapel, having a central column of Purbeck
marble supporting a stone vaulted roof. Here is the pastoral staff of
Archbishop Benson of Canterbury, who, when Chancellor of Lincoln,
restored this chapel. Opposite to this chapel, in the south-west, is
the consistory court. None of the old glass has survived in the nave,
and most of the shrines and tombs have been destroyed. The fanatics of
the Reformation and Cromwell's soldiers left little of the sepulchral
brasses and gorgeous tombs and effigies which once were here. A marble
slab, carved with Scriptural subjects, is supposed to represent the
tomb of the founder, Remigius. The memory of Dean Hoywood (d. 1681),
the founder of the library, is recorded on a tablet, and three slabs
preserve the names of Bishops Smyth (d. 1514), Alnwick (d. 1449), and
Atwater (d. 1521). The _Pulpit_ is seventeenth-century work, and the
lectern is a memorial of Dean Butler (d. 1894).
The great transept contains some of St. Hugh's work. He devised a
beautiful double arcade, and his work ends half-way on the east wall
in north transept, and half-way the east wall in south transept,
measuring from the centre of the building. The rest was built by his
successors in the Early English style. The magnificent circular
windows at the north and south ends are very striking, and extremely
beautiful. The former is known as the _Dean's Eye_, the latter as the
_Bishop's Eye_, which, with the gable and window above, is in the
curvilinear style, and was erected about 1350. The Dean's Eye was
placed there about 1220, and has some exquisite ancient glass of that
period representing our Saviour in Glory. In the east of this transept
are six chapels, dedicated to SS. Nicholas, Denis, James, Edward the
Martyr, John the Evangelist and Giles.
The stone screen before the Chapel of St. Edward should be examined,
with its curious sculpture. Before the Reformation there seems to have
been some laxity of conduct among the chaplains and choristers, who
were accused of playing games in the church, and here in one of these
chapels we see nine holes, which were probably used for the favourite
pastime of "Nine Men's Morris."
In the south transept there are the slender remains of the once famous
tomb of Bishop Dalderby (d. 1320), to which there was great resort of
pilgrims in mediæval times. His shrine was destroyed at the
Reformation. This bishop built the upper part of the tower.
The _Screen_ is good Decorated work, and consists of arches ornamented
with figures of ecclesiastics and grotesques. It has been somewhat
severely handled by fanatical destroyers, but, in spite of mutilation
and restoration, it remains a noble example of the workmanship of the
period. The organ stands above this screen. The doorways on each side
of the screen are Early English, and are very beautiful.