In the mind of most Americans the names of Oxford and Cambridge are
firmly locked together--a sort of Siamese twins of University education.
As a matter of fact, they are strangely different--very much more so,
indeed, than any two American universities. While Oxford has her
charming quadrangles with their delightful gardens, Cambridge not only
has them also, but further rejoices in a very special beauty, her
"Backs," those admirable contrivances for preventing overstudy on
the part of too zealous students. A "Back" is that portion of a
college's territory through which meanders the narrow Cam, the scenic
opportunities of that slender stream being developed to the uttermost
with green banks, graceful bridges, and shaded walks. The writer never
pursued a course of study at Cambridge, and, therefore, is not competent
to judge of the charms of her undergraduate life, but he has spent
sundry happy hours canoeing on the gentle Cam, which same hours have
yielded him the impression that, fascinating as the undergraduates
doubtless find the lecture halls, there is much to be said in favour of
idling along the delightful "Backs." Hints of the joys of Cambridge
college life pervade the clever verses of Calverley, and also those of
his lineal successor, the unfortunate J. K. Stephen. Chief among the
many victories of the wearers of the "light blue" are those won by the
oarsmen, and these victories become doubly praiseworthy when we visit
the miserable little stream on which the crews have to train. That
a long line of successes have been achieved in the face of such
disheartening obstacles adds all the more to the credit and glory of men
like the brothers Close, the giant Muttlebury, Dudley Ward, and many
another. Most of the colleges follow the quadrangle system like their
Oxford cousins, but there is an exception in the case of King's College.
Here a handsome openwork screen of stone shuts off the street, but not
the view. Through it we are able to see, standing haughtily apart from
the neighbouring buildings, the beautiful chapel of the college, one of
the few perfect buildings in existence. Goldwin Smith says, "Cambridge,
in the Chapel of King's College, has a single glory which Oxford cannot
match." It is a long, tall edifice, of the same width throughout,
lighted by high windows of even size, and ceiled by graceful groups of
fan vaultings of the most exquisite type. The only division of the
interior is that effected by a wooden screen which runs across the
middle, but, fortunately, stops before reaching a height which would
interfere with an uninterrupted view of the sweep of the fan vaultings
above. A full two-thirds of the wall-height is given over to lighting
apertures. The records show that the two contracts for glazing the
windows were dated 1527 and 1528. They require that the "wyndows be
well, suerly, workmanly, substantyally, curyously, and sufficiently
glase and sette up." It is said that Holbein drew the cartoons from
which they were made. The excellence and charm of this complete series
makes one regret that there are so few examples of their epoch in this
country; this strikes with peculiar force one coming from France, so
prodigally rich in sixteenth century windows. At King's College the
large picture treatment is seen at its best. Not only is the composition
of the groups of figures carefully studied, but so also is the adroit
opposing of one colour by another. Particularly daring is the use of
large masses of the same tint. So little was the artist willing to be
hampered in the development of his colour scheme that he even made his
foliage red when he happened to need that hue in a certain part of his
design. Although the pictures here display careful drawing and elaborate
composition, the excellence of the general result is certainly due to
the fact that the artist thought fully as much of colour values as he
did of his designs, something his contemporaries were prone to forget.
These windows come as a delightful relief to one accustomed to the
ill-considered use of Renaissance architecture that so overloads and
encumbers the sixteenth century stained glass pictures on the Continent.
An exquisite sense of balance seems to prevail throughout the interior,
and in no feature of the decoration is it so noticeable as in the
windows. The large expanse of each is broken into two parts by a
horizontal transom, and both the upper and lower divisions are again
subdivided, since the central lancet of each contains a figure in
Renaissance canopy over a similar figure below in the pedestal. This
leaves a space two lancets wide on either side both above and below, and
each of these spaces contains a large subject. This method of avoiding
the monotony which would have been caused by the singlet-lancet
treatment is carried out along both of the long sides. The nine lancets
in the large east window permit the introduction of three pictures
above, each spreading over three lancets, and the same number below.
The three in the upper row set forth the Crucifixion, the central one
displaying the usual subject of Christ crucified between the two
thieves, while to the left is the preparation of the crosses, and to the
right the taking down from the cross. The blues in these pictures are
particularly fine. Above in the traceries are red Lancastrian roses, as
well as some Tudor ones of red and white combined. These roses are
frequently repeated in the carvings of both stone and wood, as is also
the portcullis badge of the Tudors. The beautifully carved wooden
panelling about the walls of the choir is rivalled by the rich stone
screens that shut off the lateral chapels from the nave.
There is some seventeenth century glass in the chapel of Peterhouse
College which should be seen, if only to learn how windows should not be
coloured, for the thick application of blues and other tints have
rendered the glass here and there almost opaque. There was in England
about that time a good deal of thickly coloured, and therefore
unsatisfactory, glass. One does not have to see many examples of it
before the conclusion becomes inevitable that the English glaziers would
better have followed the example of the Frenchmen, who, when their art
became moribund at the end of the sixteenth century, let it die and gave
it decent burial!
* * * * *
Most visitors find it difficult to escape speedily from the fascinations
of Cambridge, and if some of our pilgrims be minded to make a short stay
in these erudite surroundings, we will remind them that there are, not
far away, three pleasing bits of glass, and all of them Trees of
Jesse--one of the Perpendicular period at Margaretting, about fifty
miles south-east in Essex, another one of the same period at Levrington,
thirty-three miles north in Cambridgeshire, and a Decorated example of
the same subject at Lowick, thirty-six miles west in Cambridgeshire. The
Margaretting window is of three lancets and displays twenty-two figures,
each with its own label, and together affording a peculiarly interesting
study of costume. Don't fail to notice how deftly the glazier has
concealed the fact that the same cartoon is made to serve for several
figures by facing them about, or varying the colour in the costumes. The
handling of the whitish vine and the use of leaves is very artistic.
The Levrington window has five lancets, and its Tree of Jesse is larger
and has more figures than the one at Margaretting; it shows the marks of
careful restoration. Including the figures in the tracery lights, there
are sixty in all--an unusually large number. Each figure is placed
within a loop of the deep orange-coloured vine, these enclosures being
about 12 by 8 inches. This great company of personages, and the
agreeable harmony of colour, make this window well worth a visit.
Lowick Church does not have to rely alone upon its stained glass, but
has many other attractions, such as its fine tombs, elaborately carved
pew-heads, wooden ceiling, and last, but not least pleasing, the
venerable prayer-books, dated 1724 and still in their original bindings,
ornamented by coloured coats of arms on the covers. There are some
heraldic panes along the south side of the chancel, but the chief
interest for us is in the very fine series of sixteen personages
originally forming a Decorated Tree of Jesse, but now stationed along
the upper lights on the north side of the nave. The drawing is good and
the colouring strong, with as yet no trace of stain, the frequent
touches of yellow being of pot-metal glass. The four most westerly
figures are kings, and the eastmost is a knight in full armour, his
head, arms and legs being covered with chain-mail. In his hands he holds
a model of the church, upon which can be distinctly seen these windows,
thus clearly indicating that he was the donor.