Coming down now to the carved springers, we must bear in mind that the
building of the chapel is “to the glory and praise of God,” and that it
has been the object of the donors of the chapel to try and express in the
springers and groined roof the spirit of the great festal expressions of
Christian thanksgiving and praise contained in our Prayer Book in the “Te
Deum Laudamus” (verses 1–13) and in the great Eucharistic thanksgiving.
As we raise our eyes to the “angel” bosses of the groining and to the
springers of the eastern bay we can say, “Therefore with the angels and
archangels and all the company of Heaven we laud and magnify Thy glorious
Name,” “To Thee all angels cry aloud,” for the Redeemer looks down upon
us surrounded by the angels, and beneath the springer canopies there
stand the figures of the archangels, “the seven spirits that are ever
before the throne of God,” and of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom was
given by the Early Church the sweet title of the Queen of the Angels,
“Regina Angelorum.”
In the north-east springer stands St. Michael (like unto God)
Captain-General of the Host of Heaven, Patron Saint and Prince of the
Church Militant, the Archangel of the Judgment, bearing in his hands the
sword and scales, and with his armour scarce covered by his ample cloak.
By him stands St. Gabriel (God is my strength), the Archangel of the
Annunciation, bearing in his hands the sceptre, and with the scroll
inscribed “Ave Maria, Gratia Plena.” Facing them, in the south-east
springer stands the Blessed Virgin Mary, and next her St. Raphael (the
medicine of God), the chief of guardian angels, the angel of the
pilgrims, with the pilgrim’s staff and gourd. In the south-west springer
of this bay, Jophiel (the beauty of God), the archangel of Truth and
guardian of the Tree of Knowledge, stands with the flaming sword next to
Chamuel (one who sees God) the archangel of the Sacrament, holding the
chalice in his hand, whilst in the north-west springer, Zadkiel (the
righteousness of God), the angel who stayed the hand of Abraham from
sacrificing Isaac, is seen, holding the sacrificial knife, with Uriel
near him, Uriel, the archangel of the Light of God, bearing the Roll and
Book.
Passing to the western bay we find, as we look round, that the springers
continue the tale of praise to God, from all the glorious company of the
apostles, from the goodly fellowship of the prophets, from Martyred Saint
and Holy Church. St. Paul, the great apostle of the Gentiles, bearing
the emblematic sword, is grouped with the youthful St. John, the beloved
apostle, with the chalice in his hand from which the serpent issues, and
at his feet the symbolic eagle. David the King, the psalmist prophet,
with sceptre and harp, is with Isaiah, the “Prophet of Faith,” the great
foreteller of the Messianic deliverance and of the Coming of the Prince
of Peace. St. Stephen, the sweet proto-martyr of the Christian Church,
stands in the south-west springer with St. Alban, the Christian soldier,
and first of all our British saints and martyrs. Last of all, in the
north-west springer is “Holy Church” represented by St. Peter, prince of
the Apostles, “The Rock upon which the Church of Christ was to be built,”
and by Frederick Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, wearing his cope, and
carrying his archiepiscopal staff. It was said, half musingly, by one
who saw this last springer in the carving, that the builders had, perhaps
unconsciously, elected that Holy Church should be represented by a
temple. The connection between the name and the object to be represented
was, it is true, not perceived by them, but the selection was of fixed
design. To those who knew and valued the great archbishop, who passed
away in 1903 in the fulness of years, his great qualities and his eminent
services to the Church seemed to mark him out as specially fitted to
stand beside St. Peter, both truly representative of the Church of
Christ.