THE INTERIOR
The cathedral now consists of part of the original nave (the two eastern
bays only) with aisles; and north and south transepts without aisles,
but with a chapel on the east side of the south transept; the central
tower; and the choir with north and south aisles and ambulatory or
retro-choir.
The #Nave.#--Entering by the modern doorway on the north, we are at once
in the fragmentary nave, of Early Norman work. Its present length is
about 38 feet and width about 60 feet. In 1645 the Scots destroyed about
100 feet of the nave, and it has never been rebuilt. This mutilation has
had a serious effect upon the proportions of the building, and induces a
feeling of want of balance. The open timber roof, raised to the original
height, was substituted at the restoration for a flat ceiling which had
been put up at a previous "embellishment" of the cathedral. Bishop
Walkelin made use of similar roofs in Winchester Cathedral (1070-1097).
The triforium (1140-50) has in each compartment a semi-circular arch
entirely without ornament.
The clerestory consists of three arches supported by columns with carved
capitals; the centre arch, which is larger than the other, is lighted at
the back by a round-headed window.
We may say that the nave is
"propped
With pillars of prodigious girth."
They are massive circular columns nearly six feet in diameter, and
support semi-circular arches. The capitals of those on the south side
are carved with leaf ornament; the rest are plain. Against the wall
between each arch is a semi-circular engaged shaft reaching to the base
of the triforium. The arches near the tower have been partly crushed
owing to the shifting of the tower piers caused by faulty foundations.
About 1870 the west end of the nave was restored by Mr. Christian. The
window is filled with glass, in memory of the Rev. C. Vernon Harcourt,
canon and prebendary of Carlisle (d. 1870).
One of the south aisle windows--the "Soldiers'" window--is in memory of
men and officers of the 34th (or Cumberland) Regiment, who fell in the
Crimea, and in India during the mutiny. Three Old Testament warriors
appear in stained glass--Joshua, Jerubbaal ("who is Gideon"), and Judas
Maccabeus. The battle-torn fragmentary regimental colours hang from the
arch opposite. Just beneath this window a doorway (now blocked up)
formerly led from the cloisters into the nave.
Up to the year 1870 the nave was used as a parish church. The cathedral
from its beginning as the priory church, in accordance with a very
common practice of the Augustinian body, contained two churches
belonging to two separate bodies quite independent of each other.
The choir and transepts formed the priory church, in the possession of
the prior and canons until the dissolution of the monastery, when it
passed to the dean and chapter. The nave formed the parish church of St.
Mary, and belonged to the parishioners. After the civil wars it was cut
off from the transepts by a stone wall, and furnished with galleries and
a pulpit. A new church to accommodate the parishioners having been built
in the abbey grounds in 1870, all these additions were removed, and the
nave was restored to the cathedral, adding greatly to the general
effect. An interesting event in the history of the parish church was the
marriage of Sir Walter Scott to Miss Carpenter on the 24th December
1797.
He had made the acquaintance of Miss Carpenter at Gilsland in July while
touring in the Lake district. She had "a form that was fashioned as
light as a fay's, a complexion of the clearest and lightest olive; eyes
large, deep-set, and dazzling, of the finest Italian brown; and a
profusion of silken tresses black as the raven's wing." Scott was
strongly attracted to her, and within six months she became his wife.
A tombstone under the west window shows the matrix of what was once a
magnificent brass.
The #Font#, standing on a fine marble flooring close to the west window,
has bronze figures of St. John Baptist, the Virgin and Child, and St.
Philip. It was designed by Sir A. Blomfield, and presented by Archdeacon
Prescott 1891.
[Illustration: LONGITUDINAL SECTION, NORTH.]
The #Organ.#--The former organ built by Avery, London, has been given
to Hexham Abbey Church. The present one extends from one side of the
eastern tower arch to the other. It was built by Willis (1856), and the
diaper work was executed by Hardman. About the year 1877 it was enlarged
at a cost of nearly £ 1000.
#North Transept.#--The transept is very lofty and very dark. It is about
22 feet wide, and its length from north to south is nearly 114 feet.
Standing near the entrance to the north choir aisle, looking southwards
and across the nave, a capital general view of the remains of the Norman
portion of the cathedral can be obtained.
This end of the transept was rebuilt after the fire of 1292. Having been
greatly injured by another fire that broke out about a hundred years
later, Bishop Strickland rebuilt it (1400-19.) During the restoration of
the cathedral it was once again rebuilt.
On the west side is a Norman arch, the entrance to the north aisle of
the nave. The sinking of the tower piers has partly crushed it out of
shape. The portion of an arch visible above, acts as a buttress to the
tower arches. To the right is a late thirteenth-century window filled
with glass in memory of the Rev. Walter Fletcher, Chancellor of Carlisle
(died 1846). This window exhibits plate tracery--tracery cut, as it
were, out of a flat plate of stone, without mouldings, not built up in
sections. It is the transitional link between the lancet and tracery
systems.
The doorway in the corner communicates with the transept roof.
The north window is very large, and is filled with stained glass in
memory of five children of A.C. Tait, Dean of Carlisle, afterwards
Archbishop of Canterbury. They all died of scarlet fever in the short
space of five weeks, 6th March to 9th April 1858.
This end of the transept was till quite recently railed off, and used as
the consistory court of the Chancellor of Carlisle.
Originally the transept had a chapel on the eastern side opening with a
single arch, similar to St. Catherine's Chapel in the south transept.
The opening to the north choir aisle is Decorated in style; above this
is a portion of an arch for buttressing the tower-arches.
[Illustration: VIEW ACROSS THE TRANSEPTS IN 1840. From Billings.]
To the right is the blocked-up entrance of the old Norman choir aisle,
an exact counterpart of the present south choir aisle entrance.
The roof is now an open timber one of the original pitch.
Near the north-east pier of the tower is a well, completely covered
over. This, it is said, was done by a former dean, on the supposition
that the well, or the water, in some occult fashion, affected the music
in the cathedral.
The #Tower# was rebuilt by Bishop Strickland (1400-19), who used the
Norman piers, and placed upon them other columns of about the same
length. The Early Norman piers have square-fluted capitals and are a
little higher than the arches of the nave. The added columns have
capitals carved with birds and foliage, and are carried up to the arches
of the tower. This rebuilding was rendered necessary by the shifting of
its foundations. The piers sank nearly one foot, and the arches near
them have been to some extent distorted. Springs of water are said to
run across the transept from north to south, and this may explain the
sinking, which probably happened before the erection of the present
choir.
Clustered columns uphold the transept arches, but the western and
eastern arches are supported on each side by a single column terminating
in a bracket at about the level of the base of the triforium. This was
arranged so as to increase the width of the passage between the piers
from the choir to the nave.
The decoration of the eastern arch capitals consists of the badges of
the Percy family--the crescent and fetterlock. Hotspur was Governor of
the town and Warden of the Marches under Henry IV., and it is probable
that he aided in the work of the bishop. The western arch capitals have,
as decoration, the rose and escallop shell alternately--badges of the
Dacres and Nevilles, who also may have been benefactors to the
cathedral.
Across the north transept from the upper capitals is a depressed arch of
stone with Perpendicular tracery.
#South Transept.#--With the exception of the wall itself, the south arm
of the transept is modern. The ancient wall, eight feet thick, is quite
suitable for a fortress. A richly-decorated modern doorway has been
made, and above it is a window by Powell, representing the "Days of
Creation."
[Illustration: PART OF SOUTH TRANSEPT AND ST. CATHERINE'S CHAPEL. From
Billings.]
The west wall is out of the perpendicular through the shifting of the
tower piers, and the Norman arch, opening to the south aisle of the nave
has also been distorted. To the left is a round-headed window, filled
with glass in memory of the Rev. W. Vansittart, canon and prebendary of
Carlisle 1824.
The triforium has a plain rounded opening.
The clerestory is very much like that of the nave, but is not so regular
in construction, the architecture being merely massive and destitute of
ornament, except in the case of the capitals, which are very sparingly
decorated.
On the east side of the transept, the second arch from the doorway, is
the entrance to the south choir aisle. It is Norman, ornamented with a
simply executed but very pleasing zigzag: the capitals of the piers are
cushioned. On the whole, it is much the same as the arch immediately
opposite, opening on the south aisle of the nave.
All this side of the transept, with the exception of the small doorway
(which was built a few years later), dates from about 1101.
#St Catharine's Chapel.#--Between the choir aisle entrance and the
modern doorway is another Norman arch, which is the entrance to St.
Catherine's Chapel--a chantry of Early Decorated style erected on the
walls of a former Norman building.
Jefferson says: "In most large churches, altars, distinct from that in
the chancel, were founded by wealthy and influential individuals, at
which masses might be sung for the repose of the dead; the portion thus
set apart, which was generally the east end of one of the aisles, was
then denominated a chantry: in it the tomb of the founder was generally
placed, and it was separated from the rest of the church by a screen. In
the fourteenth century this custom greatly increased, and small
additional side aisles and transepts were often annexed to churches and
called mortuary chapels; these were used indeed as chantries, but they
were more independent in their constitution, and in general more ample
in their endowments. The dissolution of all these foundations followed
soon after that of the monasteries.
"In the year 1422 Bishop Whelpdale at his death left the sum of £ 200,
for the purpose of founding and endowing a chantry for the performance
of religious offices for the souls of Sir Thomas Skelton, knight, and
Mr. John Glaston, two gentlemen with whom he had been on terms of
intimate friendship, and who were buried in the cathedral. Nicholson
thinks it probable this was the chantry of St. Roch; its revenues were
valued at £ 2, 14s. per annum.
[Illustration: ONE BAY OF THE NAVE.]
"There was another chantry dedicated to St. Cross; but the period at
which, and the person by whom it was founded are not known. It was
granted by Edward VI. 'with all messuages, lands, tenements, profits,
and hereditaments belonging thereto,' valued at £ 3, 19s. per annum, to
Henry Tanner and Thomas Bucher.
"The chapel of St. Catherine in the Cathedral of Carlisle was founded
at an early period by John de Capella, a wealthy citizen, and endowed by
him with certain rents, lands, and burgage houses. In the year 1366 a
portion of its revenues being fraudulently detained, Bishop Appleby
commanded the chaplains of St. Mary's and St. Cuthbert's to give public
notice that the offenders were required to make restitution within ten
days on pain of excommunication with bell, book, and candle. Its
revenues, according to the rotuli, called the king's books, which were
made up in the reign of Henry VIII., were valued at £ 3, 2s. 8d. per
annum."[3]
[3] "History of Carlisle," page 158.
Some very fine foliated brackets can be seen in the arch between this
chapel and the choir aisle.
Dividing the chapel from the transept and aisle is some exquisite carved
screen-work (Late Decorated) dating from the latter part of the
fifteenth century, and attributed to Prior Gondibour. Its great beauty,
and the skilful variations of the designs, will repay careful
inspection. The chapel now serves as a vestry for the clergy: but it is
to be regretted that it cannot add to the beauty of the cathedral by
being utilised for its proper purpose.
The pointed doorway on the left, originally opened on to a well which
was closed in the course of the restoration of the building. The
position of Carlisle on the border making it liable to sudden attacks in
early times, it is probable that the inhabitants may have taken
sanctuary in the cathedral many a time, when a well of water would be of
great advantage to the refugees.
#Monuments in the Transepts.#--North Transept. Near the entrance to the
north choir aisle stands the altar-tomb of Prior Senhouse. It is covered
with a slab of dark blue marble. An inscription runs thus: "The tomb of
Simon Senhouse, Prior of Carlisle in the reign of Henry VII. The
original inscription being lost, the present plate was substituted by
the senior male branch of the Senhouse family, A.D. 1850. Motto, 'Lothe
to offend.'"
It was on this tomb that the tenants of the priory were accustomed to
pay their rents.
South Transept.--On a stone in the west wall (now covered with a pane of
glass) is an inscription which was discovered in 1853. It is written
in Norse runes, and is as follows:--
"Tolfihn yraita thasi rynr a thisi stain."
"Tolfihn wrote these runes on this stone."
The runes are Norse, not Anglo-Saxon. The latter are not often found,
but the former are scarcer still. The runes, perhaps, date from the
eleventh century.
[Illustration: SCREEN--ST. CATHERINE'S CHAPEL. From Billings.]
There is also a marble tablet containing a medallion likeness of George
Moore.
"A man of rare strength and simplicity of character,
of active benevolence and wide influence.
A yeoman's son
he was not born to wealth
but by ability and industry he gained it,
and he ever used it
as a steward of God and a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ
for the furtherance of all good works."
George Moore was born at Mealsgate, Cumberland, the 9th April 1806. He
went to London in 1825. Two years later he was working for Fisher,
Stroud & Robinson, lace merchants, as town traveller, and, soon after,
as traveller in the north of England. He was so successful that he was
nicknamed "The Napoleon of Watling Street." When he was twenty-three he
accepted an offer from a firm of lace merchants, Groucock & Copestake,
to become a partner. He gave up travelling for orders in 1841, but soon
suffered in health. As a remedy he took to following the hounds, and
later (in 1844) went on a three months' trip to America. On his return
he started on his career of philanthropy which has made him famous. A
few of the institutions for which he worked, and to which he contributed
largely, may be mentioned; the Cumberland Benevolent Society, the
Commercial Travellers' Schools, the British Home for Incurables, the
Warehousemen and Clerks' Schools, the Royal Free Hospital, and the
London City Mission. Various Cumberland charities found in him a
generous supporter. He met with his death in Carlisle. Knocked down by a
runaway horse, 20th November 1876, while on his way to attend a meeting
of the Nurses' Institution, he died the next day from his injuries.
The following was a favourite motto with him:--
"What I spent, I had,
What I saved, I lost,
What I gave, I have."
[Illustration: THE CHOIR, LOOKING WEST. _A. Pumphrey, Photo._]
There is a memorial tablet to Robert Anderson, "the Cumberland Bard,"
1770-1833. Born in Carlisle, he had but little schooling, and at ten
years of age he was earning wages as assistant to a calico printer;
later, he was bound apprentice to a pattern-drawer in his native city.
He went to London to pursue his calling, and he seems to have been led
to attempt to write poetry through hearing some imitation Scottish songs
sung at Vauxhall. He published his first volume in 1798, and his
Cumberland Ballads in 1805. His verses, not altogether destitute of real
poetry, are valuable for the pictures they give of obsolete manners and
customs of the district.
The #Choir.#--A low doorway in the eastern arch of the tower gives
entrance to the choir. Some of the woodwork of the stalls fills the
lower part of this arch, and the entrance has been placed towards the
north, so as to open exactly on the centre of the choir. In point of
beauty the choir compares favourably with any we possess in England, and
the eye can rest upon it again and again with renewed satisfaction and
delight. Its superb main arcade, with the boldly-designed and
finely-carved capitals representing the twelve months of the
year--unrivalled in this country; its handsome clerestory windows; its
great east window (the pride of the cathedral); and, overhead, its
richly-coloured roof, unique in shape, afford a combination not easily
to be surpassed.
The choir is about 134 feet long, 34 feet 6 inches wide between the
columns, and 72 feet 6 inches between the aisle walls.
The nave is not so wide by about 12 feet, and as the columns of both
nave and choir on the south side are on the same line, the extra width
is all on the north.
Looking westward, the view is marred by the tower arch not being in the
centre of the west wall, in consequence of which there is an ugly space
of blank wall between the arch and the north choir aisle.
There are eight bays, averaging about 18 feet in width. Those at the
end, however, east and west, are not so wide. At the east they probably
suffer from the intrusion of the east wall, which is about six feet
thick. The western bays may have lost the space taken for the choir
entrance. They have very acute arches, and at the west end rest on
responds or half-piers against the tower walls. Those at the east end
rest on brackets, and their mouldings lose themselves in the wall on
each side of the great window.
The presbytery is reached by two steps from the choir, and the last bay
but one (in which the altar stands) is raised three steps above the
presbytery.
The main arcade practically dates from after the terrible fire in 1292.
The arches escaped, and are splendid specimens of Early English, "of the
Pointed style in all the purity of its first period." They were
underbuilt with Early Decorated piers, while the capitals were finished
at the same time as the triforium and clerestory (Late Decorated)
1350-1400.
The piers are not equal in diameter to those of the nave; they measure
but five feet and a quarter. Each consists of eight clustered pillars of
red sandstone. The four facing the cardinal points of the compass are
larger than the intermediate ones, which are filleted. The base moulding
is very deep and hollow. These piers support the Early English arches,
with dog-tooth ornament large in the interior, small in the exterior.
Altogether, these fine arches give a very pleasing impression of
lightness and grace, and make us feel "the fascination of the Pointed
style."
At the junctions of the arches are small grotesque heads very well
executed. On the north side, where the presbytery begins, is a queen's
head, and on the opposite side a figure with a dog's head.
There are altogether fourteen complete, and two half piers, the capitals
of which are carved with foliage alone, or with the addition of winged
monsters, birds, beasts, and human figures. Twelve of them represent the
domestic and agricultural occupations of the months. The first capital
on the south side (east end) shows a creature with a man's head, wings,
and a tail terminating in the head of a serpent, which bites the monster
on the temple. January is symbolised on the next one, and the series
continues westward, then crosses over, and proceeds from west to east on
the north side, finishing at the last pier but one.
_January._--A figure in a loose-fitting tunic, sitting down. He has
three faces--two in profile--and is drinking with the right and left
mouths. At his feet is a third vessel.
_February._--A man in a loose tunic, and head closely wrapped up. He
appears to suffer from cold, for his face is woe-begone, and he is
sitting over a fire, holding out one boot upside down as if to drain
water from it, while he lifts up one foot to catch the heat. The
fireplace is very skilfully carved.
_March._--A man, hood on head, digging with a spade at the foot of a
leafless tree. Other decorations are, a squirrel, a bear with hands,
birds, and a beast's body with a mitred head.
_April._--A bare-legged man with his head tied up, pruning a tree. On
this capital are also two figures half-human, half-bestial, clasping
each other round the neck.
[Illustration: ONE BAY OF THE CHOIR.]
_May._--A woman in a long gown holding in each hand a bunch of foliage,
which she offers to a young man clad in a tunic, with his hood thrown
back. In addition there are three winged beasts with human heads, one
mitred.
_June._--A horseman, bareheaded, holding on his right hand a hawk, and
bearing a branch of roses in his left hand. There are also some
half-human figures, and men playing musical instruments. This capital is
more elaborately carved than any of the others.
_July._--A man mowing. In addition there are owls carrying mice in their
mouths.
_August._--A man working in a wheat-field. He wears a conical hat, and
grasps a crutch with one hand while he holds a pruning hook in the
other.
_September._--A man reaping with a sickle.
_October._--A man whose head is tied with a handkerchief; he is engaged
in cutting grapes. A fox carrying off a goose is also vigorously carved
on this capital.
_November._--A man sowing grain from a basket. There is a stag on his
right and a horse on his left hand.
_December._--A man wearing a loose tunic, who is about to fell an ox
which another man holds by the horns. In addition there is a man tending
swine.
The last capital shows several heads, and a man sitting on a tree stump.
In each bay of the #Triforium# there are three arches with curvilinear
tracery. The principal mullions have octagonal bases. On account of
their reduced width, the extreme eastern and western bays have only two
arches.
The courses of stone above the base of the triforium are not by any
means so smooth and well-proportioned as those beneath. The workmen do
not seem to have been actuated by the spirit of those builders "in the
elder days of Art" who
"... wrought with greatest care
Each minute and unseen part,
For the gods see everywhere."
[Illustration: THE CHOIR, LOOKING EAST, IN 1840. From Billings.]
The #Clerestory# consists of two planes. Each compartment on the face
of the choir wall has three high-pitched arches, the middle one being
higher than those at the side, and more than twice as wide in the
opening. The eastern bay has only the central arch, while the western
bay is blank.
The base is decorated with a low parapet pierced with quatrefoils, four
in the centre, and two in each side opening. On the south, however, the
quatrefoil decoration is slightly different. There are only three
quatrefoils in the centre and two smaller ones on each side. This
parapet is in great part a restoration, the original having been almost
entirely removed, in the vain hope of admitting more light to the lower
part of the choir.
In the other plane the windows are in triplets, three lights in the
central and single lights on either side, decorated with flamboyant
tracery.
The eastern bay has no side lights.
Although the windows seem to be all different, there are but six
varieties, distributed as follows:
On the north side beginning at the east the design of the first window
is not repeated. That of the next window occurs in the second window on
the south side. The third and fifth are alike. The sixth and the last
are like the fourth. The design of the seventh window does not occur
again.
On the south side one new pattern appears in three windows--the first,
fourth, and sixth from the east. The second is like the window opposite,
and the third, fifth, and seventh are like the third on the north side.
Of all the windows the second from the east is the most beautiful.
Before 1764 they were filled with stained glass of which some remains
are still to be seen. The trefoil heads above the mullions have a brown
border with the insertion in some cases of a yellow diamond ornament,
and in others of a crown.
The #Roof#--This unique specimen of a waggon-headed ceiling,
semi-circular in all its parts, is of oak. Bishop Welton began its
construction about 1350. A plaster ceiling, put up in the year 1764, hid
this fine timber roof until its removal in 1856. It was then found that
enough remained of the original to allow a faithful restoration to be
made. But the scheme of colouring--red and green upon white--was not
copied. In its stead Owen Jones suggested another--a background of blue
plentifully ornamented with golden stars.
The _Saturday Review_ is responsible for the statement--for the truth of
which, however, it does not vouch--"that on the first occasion when Dean
Close found himself beneath the roof, then glowing in all the brilliancy
of modern painting and gilding, in semblance of 'the spangled firmament
on high,' he solemnly ejaculated, 'Oh my stars!'"
At the triforium base foliated brackets support vaulting shafts of three
clustered columns. At the point of contact with the base of the
quatrefoil parapet they are ornamented with rings, and their capitals
are foliated, but not so naturally as the capitals below. Great
semi-circular rafters spring from the capitals and cross the choir.
Smaller rafters start from the cornice of the clerestory. These are
intersected in the centre of the ceiling by a longitudinal beam. Small
moulded ribs divide the space between each great rafter and the
longitudinal beam into sixteen panels. The intersections are decorated
with carved bosses.
#Hammer-beams.#--From the foot of three of the principal ribs
hammer-beams project. They seem to indicate an intention on the part of
the builders to cover the choir with an open-timber roof like that of
the Great Hall at Westminster. But having decided on the waggon-headed
roof, they did not trouble to remove these beams. Wall pieces and curved
struts now connect them with the vaulting shafts, and they have been
decorated with "carvèd angels ever eager-eyed, with hair blown back and
wings put cross-wise on their breasts."
More than one hundred carved figures ornament the cornice, and the
following texts in black-letter appear above them:--
NORTH SIDE.--Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of the Lord.
(Eccles. v. 1.)
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and bless the Lord. (Ps. cxxxiv. 2.)
Praise ye the name of the Lord. (Ps. cxxxv. 1.)
Praise God in His sanctuary, (Ps. cl. 1.)
Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at His footstool. (Ps. xcix. 5.)
SOUTH SIDE.--How amiable are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts! (Ps.
lxxxiv. 1.)
My praise shall be of Thee in the great congregation. (Ps. xxii. 25.)
O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together. (Ps.
xxxiv. 3.)
Holiness becometh Thine house for ever. (Ps. xciii. 5.)
The great #East Window# is the crowning ornament and special glory of
the cathedral. It is unsurpassed by any other in the kingdom; perhaps
there is not a window equal to it in the whole world.
Rickman says: "It is one of the finest if not _the_ finest Decorated
window in the kingdom. Its elegance of composition and the easy flow of
its lines rank it even higher than the celebrated west window of York,
which it also excels in the number of divisions. The window is by far
the most free and brilliant example of Decorated tracery in the
kingdom."
Fergusson, in his "History of Architecture," also praises it: "Its upper
part exhibits the most beautiful and perfect design for window tracery
in the world. All the parts are in such just harmony the one to the
other--the whole is so constructively appropriate and at the same time
so artistically elegant--that it stands quite alone, even among windows
of its own age."
"The stone-work of all this part (the east window) is entirely new,
although it reproduces most minutely the original design" (King, 202-3).
"The whole of the _mouldings_, both of the mullions and tracery,
_externally_ are nearly destroyed, owing to the perishable nature of the
stone with which it is constructed" (Billing, p. 60 (1840)).
This great window almost entirely fills the east end of the choir, being
51 feet high from the sill to the top of the tracery and about 26 feet
wide in the clear.
Immediately after the fire in 1292, the work was started, and the jambs
with their slender shafts and foliated capitals were erected. Nothing
more was done till about the middle of the fourteenth century, when the
arch mullions were added; and the tracery dates from about the end of
the same century. The mouldings were left unfinished until the
restoration of the cathedral, 1856. The tracery (Decorated) is composed
of eighty-six pieces struck from 263 centres. Some of the pieces forming
the chief divisions are nearly five feet in length. Although the
stone-work is modern, the design has been most faithfully copied from
the original. In the lower part there are nine lights, no other
Decorated window in existence having so many. The west window of Durham
Cathedral (partly copied from, but inferior to, the west window of York)
and the Rose window in the south transept at Lincoln are of the same
character; but that of York ranks next in importance, and is the only
window able to compete with the east window of Carlisle.
The design consists of two complete compositions united under one head
by interposing a third. The York window, on the contrary, is altogether
one complete design, from which no part can be separated without
breaking the integrity of the composition.
The width of the opening is the same in both windows, but while the
actual tracery of the York window is more than two feet higher, the
Carlisle window is greatly superior in the beautiful arch mouldings
above its tracery, and also in the side shafts and mouldings.
Again some stiffness is imparted to the design of the York window by the
central mullion which reaches from the basement to the top of the arch.
The tracery branches outwards from this on each side, and depends upon
the arch for support; while the tracery in the Carlisle window is not so
dependent. Neither in skilful workmanship nor in variety of ornament is
the York window equal to that at Carlisle. With the exception of four
quatrefoils (placed above each alternate mullion) it is composed of
trefoils. Carlisle, on the contrary, possesses nine quatrefoils, in
addition to four placed like those at York. Nearly all the small
spandrels formed by the various ornaments are perforated, and this
imparts a remarkable air of lightness to the window.
The beautiful stained glass in the tracery is all that remains of the
ancient glass. It is of the time of Richard II., and was no doubt
preserved because of the expense that reglazing its small intricate
forms would have involved.
The subject is a Doom--the Resurrection, the Last Judgment, and the New
Jerusalem.
"We have our Lord sitting in judgment; the Procession of the Blessed to
the Palace of Heaven; the Place of punishment for the wicked; and the
general Resurrection.
"The figure of our Saviour is in the uppermost quatrefoil of the central
compartment; His countenance will bear the closest inspection; it
exhibits evident traces of suffering, but is calm, severe, and
dignified. His head is surrounded by a cruciform nimbus. Below this are
two quatrefoils, easily distinguished by their silvery appearance. These
represent the Procession of the Redeemed to the heavenly Jerusalem,
whose towers and pavilions are shown in the quatrefoil to the right. St.
Peter stands in the gateway in an attitude of welcome; at his feet flows
the River of Life, which some of the Redeemed have reached. The red
glare of the Place of punishment makes it easy to be distinguished; the
tortures represented are of the most realistic character, and the devils
are very material beings, with tails, hoofs, and horns.
"The rest of the picture is occupied with the representation of the
general Resurrection:--the dead rising from their graves--ecclesiastics
are vested, but laity rise naked, though kings wear their crowns:
several bishops are among the crowd, and a pope wearing the triple
tiara. Some of the ecclesiastics are bearded, and probably are intended
for canons of the cathedral, who, being Austin or Black canons, would
wear their beards.
"In one of the quatrefoils, just above the mullions, is a figure
surrounded by a heraldic border; this represents John of Gaunt, who was
Governor of Carlisle from 1380 to 1384. It is said that he supported the
prior, William de Dalston, who refused obedience to the bishop, and had
been excommunicated; and that, out of gratitude, he was thus represented
in the east window."[4]
[4] "Guide to the Cathedral of Carlisle," by R.H. and K.H.
[Illustration: THE CHOIR AND EAST WINDOW. _A. Pumphrey, Photo._]
A "Jesse," which originally filled the lower part of the window, was
destroyed at the Reformation. The present glass was inserted in 1861, in
memory of Bishop Percy (d. 1856). It represents events in the history of
our Lord. Although the colours do not harmonise well with the old glass,
they are in accord with the gorgeous colouring of the ceiling. Like
most of the stained glass in the cathedral, this is by Hardman of
Birmingham.
[Illustration: MISERERE, SOUTH SIDE OF THE STALLS. From Billings.]
Bishop Strickland (1399-1413) erected the #Stalls#, which are of black
oak, and occupy the three western bays of the choir.
Our English cathedrals are far ahead of foreign cathedrals in the
beauty and richness of the tabernacle work of their stalls, which in
many instances are "like a whole wood, say a thicket of old hawthorn,
with its topmost branches spared, slowly transformed into stalls." These
in Carlisle, if not among the finest specimens in England, certainly
take very high rank.
There are forty-six compartments, divided by fifty columns, upon which
the tabernacle work rests. Each compartment consists of a large canopy
decorated with quatrefoils, and battlemented. This is surmounted by
three smaller canopies and pedestals which were originally occupied by
small carved figures. A large pinnacle, richly decorated, like the
others, with crockets and finials, finishes the compartment.
Between each stall is a small buttress beginning at the capital and
finishing somewhat beneath the top of the large pinnacle. These
buttresses have, alternately, a pedestal with a canopy above; and a
pedestal supporting a small flying-buttress terminating in a pinnacle
enriched with small crockets.
Prior Haithwaite is said to have added the tabernacle-work after the
year 1430.
The division between each stall shows either a well-executed foliated
ornament, or an angel. In the north-west and south-west angles the
elbows of the seats are carved with the head of a king supposed to
represent Henry IV. The panels of the desks are elaborately worked, and
the stone plinth which supports them is decorated with quatrefoils.
The stalls at the west end of the choir are wider than the others, and
are used by the higher dignitaries of the cathedral.
The Dean's stall is on the left of the choir entrance, and the Bishop's
on the right. This arrangement is said to have existed since the time of
Æthelwulf. He was the first prior, and upon his elevation to the
bishopric he still kept the prior's seat.
The hinged seats, known as misereres or misericordes, were constructed
to keep the monks from falling asleep while at prayers. The carvings
beneath these seats are of different designs, generally grotesque.
The following is a list of the subjects found carved thereon:--
NORTH SIDE
A dragon swallowing a man.
Bird and young.
Dragon and lions.
Three dragons, one with a human face.
Winged figure with a tabour.
Dragon devouring a bird.
Coronation of the Virgin.
Three griffins.
Pelican in its act of piety.
Dragon and lion fighting.
Griffin and two young ones.
Two dragons joined together.
Two storks eating out of a sack.
Figure with wings, claws, and human face.
Angelic musician.
Two eagles.
Double-headed eagle.
Fox and goose.
Two dragon bodies with a human head.
Angel playing an instrument.
A man with two eagles plucking his beard.
Dragon, and two lions with human faces.
SOUTH SIDE
Two angels.
Dragon.
Bird and beast fighting.
Human head on two animal bodies.
Winged dragon.
Winged serpent.
Two beasts with one head.
Two men fighting.
Griffin with human head.
Dragon and foliage.
Two eagles holding the head of a beast.
Fox and goose.
Human figure with four wings.
Man and dragon fighting.
Angel bearing a shield.
Angel and dragons.
Pelican in its act of piety.
Boar killing a man.
Man holding two dragons.
Dragon killing a beast.
Mermaid.
Dragon and lion in combat.
The #Salkeld Screen.#--On the north side of the choir, the westernmost
bay of the presbytery is filled by a fine wooden screen of Renaissance
work, erected about 1542 by Lancelot Salkeld, last prior and first dean
of Carlisle. It is divided into three compartments; through the central
one entrance could be gained to the choir formerly by an ascent of three
steps from the north choir aisle.
It is very elaborate, and some portions are very beautiful. The lower
part is panelled, each panel having two heads carved in bas-relief. The
upper part is of well-executed tracery work.
Over each compartment is a pediment decorated in the centre with
shields. The western one has been restored. The initials L.S. and D.K.
(Lancelot Salkeld, Decanus Karliolensis) occur on the screen. The other
bays were originally filled with screen-work similar to that in St.
Catherine's Chapel. In 1764 these screens were removed and stored in the
Fratry crypt as lumber. In the end they were used as firewood; only a
few pieces preserved by the neighbouring gentry escaping destruction. A
stone screen now surrounds the sacrarium on three sides. The reredos is
higher than this screen. It is arcaded, and its compartments have
triangular-headed canopies and some well-executed figures. The late Mr.
Street designed it, and its cost was £ 1790.
The #Bishop's Throne#, of English and foreign oak, was also designed by
the late Mr. Street. The canopy of the throne is nearly thirty feet high.
The #Pulpit# is a memorial of Archdeacon Paley, who is buried close at
hand in the north choir aisle. It is of richly-carved Caen stone, on a
plinth of black Manx marble, and ornamented with carvings in white
alabaster, of scenes from the New Testament. In shape it is hexagonal,
with shafts at the angles rising into an enriched cornice. The
lectern--a brass eagle--was given in memory of the late G.C. Mounsey,
sometime diocesan registrar.
In the middle of the choir is a monument to Bishop Bell. On a blue slab
under a triple canopy, the centre pediment of which has I.H.S., and its
point the Deity and Christ, is a brass figure of a bishop _in
pontificalibus_, mitre and gloves; his right hand holds on his breast an
open book inscribed--
_Hec mea_
_Spes in sinu meo_
His left hand, over which hangs the maniple, has a rich crosier. On a
semi-circular scroll over his head--
_Credo q^d redemptor meus vivit et noviss[~i]o die de terra surrect[~u]r
s[~u] et in Carne mea videbo de[~u] salvatore me[~u]._
Under his feet--
_Hac marmor fossa Bell presulis en tenet ossa
Duresme dud[~u] prior his post pontificat[~u]
Gessit atq' renuit primum super o[~m]ia querit
Dispiciens mud[~u] poscendo pramia fratr[~u]_
On the ledge round the slab--
_Hic jacet Reverendus Pater Ricardus Bell quondam Episcopus
Karleolensis qui ab hac luce migravit videlicet vicesimo Quarto
die ... Anno Domini.... Et omnium fidelium defunctorum.
per misericordiam dei requiescant in perpetua pace_. Amen.
The ancient high altar probably stood one bay nearer to the west than
the present altar. There, in the presence of Bishop Halton, Robert Bruce
took an oath of fidelity to Edward I. Ten years later he proved false to
this oath, and the Papal Legate solemnly excommunicated him with bell,
book, and candle.
Very shortly after this, Edward I. dedicated the litter in which he had
journeyed thus far, and mounting his horse at the cathedral door rode
through the priory gateway bent on the conquest of Scotland. He never
lived to reach that country, for he died in sight of the Scottish coast
at Burgh-on-Sands.
#North Choir Aisle.#--This aisle is entered by a handsome Decorated
arch, a very good example of thirteenth-century work.
The north wall, with the exquisite two-light lancet windows, is Early
English, and dates from the period immediately after the demolition of
the Norman choir about 1260.
Each compartment of the cinquefoil #wall-arcade# is separated by triple
columns, and the space divided into four parts by shafts, barely
detached from the wall, supporting foliated arches. This is the general
description for both north and south choir aisles.
The eastern bay belongs to the retro-choir, and is of later date.
Above the wall-arcade are the graceful two-light lancet windows, with
their slender columns, deep mouldings, and rich dog-tooth decoration.
In each bay there are four divisions; the two outer ones blank, and the
two others forming the window. The shafts are detached from the wall;
the central one is higher than the rest, and its capital is foliated.
From the outer columns in the blank divisions, the shoulder, or hipped
rib, after rising a short distance, sinks to the level of the capitals
of the vaulting columns. At the side of the window columns two small
circular mouldings, decorated with small dog-tooth ornament, continue
without a break round the head of each window. A large blank quatrefoil
is inserted in the space between the lights and the outer arch moulding.
[Illustration: NORTH AISLE OF THE CHOIR. From Billings.]
The corner column (north side of entrance) has been inserted by cutting
away part of the east wall of the north transept. Like the aisle it
dates from about the last half of the thirteenth century. On its capital
there is the spring of a pointed arch, enriched with dog-tooth ornament
similar to the entrance arch.
Probably it was intended to pull the north transept down, and rebuild it
with the addition of an eastern aisle. This column would then have been
part of it. The existence of an offset on the north face of the aisle
wall, with the return of the base-course and string-course upon it,
seems to add weight to this theory.
The nearest clustered column to it has also been altered, and consists
of five shafts instead of three. A rib springs from the additional
shafts to the centre of the corner column. There are also remains of
groining like that of the aisle.
The bay near the entrance has a window (Perpendicular) dating from after
the Civil Wars. Beneath this there was formerly an entrance to the
cathedral. This has now been walled up.
The groined stone roof dates from after 1292, although, perhaps, it is
composed of materials of an earlier date.
On the south side of the entrance is a very beautiful foliated bracket;
the foliated boss at its base was at one time ornamented with a very
fine knot.
#Monuments in North Choir Aisles.#--In the third bay from the east are
two low-arched recesses. Being of the same date as the aisle, they may
have been intended to receive the statues of the bishops who did their
best to repair the ravages of the fire in 1292. The arches are almost
flat, and decorated with a kind of chevron moulding very rarely met
with. In Burpham Church, Sussex, there is another example of this
moulding applied to the decoration of the south side of the south
transept arch.
A bishop's effigy is in the eastern recess. It is of Early English date;
and before 1292 was situated within the choir. Afterwards a niche was
cut in the fourth bay from the east for its reception. It was eventually
placed in its present position at the time of the restoration of the
cathedral, and the other niche filled up. It may possibly represent
Bishop Silvester of Everdon. It has suffered damage during its
migrations in the cathedral; and the feet are broken. This was probably
done when it was removed from the choir to the aisle (1856). Jewels
which originally enriched the mitre and the cross on the breast have
disappeared.
In the next bay to the east is a small mural brass plate finely engraved
in memory of Bishop Robinson (1598-1616.) He was a native of Carlisle,
and, entering Queen's College, Oxford, as a "poor serving child,"
eventually became provost, and proved a great benefactor to that
foundation.
"The bishop is represented _in pontificalibus_, kneeling, with one hand
supporting a crosier; the other is sustaining a lighted candle, and
holding a cord to which three dogs are attached, who appear guarding an
equal number of sheepfolds from the attack of wolves. Below the candle
is a group of figures bearing implements of agriculture and peaceful
industry; near their feet is a wolf playing with a lamb; and various
warlike instruments scattered and broken. Each part is illustrated with
appropriate Greek and Latin sentences chiefly selected from the
Scriptures. Behind the bishop is a quadrangular building, enclosing an
open court, and apparently intended to represent the college which he
had so much benefited.
"Over the gateway is a shield charged with three spread eagles, being
the arms of Robert Eglesfield, the founder of that college; on the
college are the words, _Invenit destructum; reliquit extructum et
instructum_ (he found it destroyed; he left it built and furnished).
Above this building is the delineation of a cathedral; over the entrance
is inscribed--_Intravit per ostium_ (he entered by the door); on a label
across the entrance is _Permansit fidelis_ (he endured faithful to the
end), and below, on the steps, under a group of figures, one of whom is
kneeling and receiving a benediction, are the words, _Recessit beatus_
(he departed blessed). Near the top of the plate is the angel of the
Lord bearing a label inscribed in Greek characters, _Tois Episcopois_
(Unto the Bishops).
"Above are the words, _Erant pastores in eadem regione excubantes et
agentes vigilias noctis super gregem suum_ (there were in the same
country shepherds abiding in the field and keeping watch over their
flocks by night). At the bottom of the plate in the cathedral is a Latin
inscription to this effect: 'To Henry Robinson of Carlisle, D.D., a most
careful provost of Queen's College, Oxon, and afterwards a most watchful
bishop of this church for eighteen years, who on the 13th Calend of July
in the year from the delivery of the Virgin, 1616, and of his age 64,
devoutly resigned his spirit unto the Lord. Bernard Robinson, his
brother and heir, set up this memorial as a testimony of his love.'"[5]
[5] Jefferson, "History of Carlisle," p. 180.
About halfway up the aisle Archdeacon Paley lies buried between his two
wives, Jane (d. 1791), and Catherine (d. 1819). On a brass plate in the
centre of the stone is the following inscription:--
Here lie
interred the remains
of
WILLIAM PALEY, D.D.
who died May 25th
1805
Aged 62 years.
Archdeacon Paley wrote both of his well-known works, "Horæ Paulinæ"
and "Evidences of Christianity," at Carlisle.
#Legendary Paintings.#--Between the bays east and west of the Salkeld
screen there is a broad stone plinth panelled in front. The stalls stand
on the plinth west of the screen, and the backs are painted with scenes
from the monkish legends of St. Anthony the Hermit, St. Cuthbert, and,
in the south choir aisle, St. Augustine. A rhymed couplet explains each
picture; and the paintings, though rudely executed, give good examples
of late fifteenth-century dress and ornament. Prior Gondibour caused the
work to be done, and as Richard Bell was bishop at the time he may have
suggested illustrating the life of St. Cuthbert, who was really the
first bishop of Carlisle, and whose body was enshrined at Durham, where
Bell had been prior before his elevation to the bishopric.
The following is a detailed account of the _Legendary Paintings_, with
short note of the principal persons therein represented:--
St. Cuthbert was born in the Lothians; at eight years he was living
under the care of a widow in the village of Wrangholm.
In 651 while keeping watch over his master's flocks near the Lauder,
which flows into the Tweed, he had a vision of the soul of Bishop Aidan
being carried up to heaven by angels. A few days after, he heard of the
death of the good bishop, and straightway journeyed to the monastery of
Melrose. Here he was accepted, and in a short time received the tonsure.
The Northumbrian peasants at this time were, mostly, only Christians in
name. Cuthbert wandered among them, choosing the most out-of-the-way
villages, where other teachers would not go. "He needed no interpreter
as he passed from village to village; the frugal long-headed
Northumbrians listened willingly to one who was himself a peasant of the
Lowlands and who had caught the rough Northumbrian burr. His patience,
his humorous good sense, the sweetness of his look, told for him, and
not less the vigorous frame which fitted the peasant-preacher for the
hard life he had chosen.
"Never did man die of hunger who served God faithfully," he would say,
when nightfall found them supperless in the waste. "Look at the eagle
overhead! God can feed us through him if he will"--and once at least he
owed his meal to a fish that the scared bird let fall.
In 664 he was made prior of Lindisfarne. "Gentle with others, he was
severe with himself, and was unsparing in his acts of mortification and
devotion."
In 676 he retired, first to a cave near Howburn, and later to Fame
Island, where he remained in strict seclusion for nine years.
He was elected bishop of Hexham in 684, and with much difficulty was
persuaded to undertake the duties. He soon exchanged Hexham for
Lindisfarne.
As bishop, Cuthbert was diligent in preaching, protected the poor from
their oppressors, lived on very little, and fed and clothed the poor.
Towards the end of 686 he gave up his bishopric and returned to his
beloved Fame Island, where he died in March 687.
ST. CUTHBERT
1. Her Cuthbert was forbid layks and plays
As S. Bede i' hys story says.
2. Her the angel did hym eale
And made hys grievous sore to hele.
3. Her saw he Aydan's sawl up go
to hevyn bliss w^{th} angels two.
4. Her to hym and hys palfray
God send hem fude in hys jornay.
5. Her on Melross for to converse
W^{th} h[~y] Bosle and laws reherse.
6. The angel he did as gest refreshe
With met and drynk and hys fete weshe
7. Her Basel told hy yt he must de
And after yt bysshop should be
8. Her to hys breder and pepyl eke
He preched godys word myld and mek
9. Her stude he naked in y^e see
till all David psalms sayd had he.
10. He was gydyd by ye egle fre
And fed w^{th} ye delfyne as ye see
11. Fresh water god sent owt of ye ston
to hym in Farn and befor was noon
12. Consecrate byshop yai made h[~y] her
off Lyndisfarne both far and nere.
13. Her by prayers fendys out Farne glad
and w^{th} angel h[~a]ds hys hous made
14. To thys child god grace (here gave) he
Thro hys prayers as ye may se.
15. Byshop two yerys when he had beyn
In Farne he died both holy and clene
16. The crowys yt did his hous unthek
This for full low fell at hys fete
17. xi yere after yt beryd was he
Yai fan hym hole as red may ye.
St. Anthony, one of the primitive hermits, and the founder of
monasticism, was born at Coma, in Upper Egypt, in A.D. 251. Before he
was twenty years old he lost his parents, and inherited great riches
from them, but within a year he sold all that he had and gave the money
to the poor. He then retired into solitude near Coma, passing his time
in manual labour, prayer, and study. Later, he went farther into the
wilderness, and lived in a cave. Satan is said to have tempted him by
sending spirits to him, disguised as beautiful women. Finding this
ineffectual, it is related that the Evil One made a violent attack on
him, and beat him so severely that he left him for dead. At the age of
ninety he heard of another hermit (St. Paul the Hermit), and made a
journey to visit him. St. Paul died soon after this meeting, and St.
Anthony, aided by two lions, buried him. In his 105th year he told some
of his disciples that he was going to die; then, accompanied by a few
monks, he retired deeper into the wilderness, where he died, having
first obtained a promise that they would keep the place of his burial
secret.
(In the time of Innocent IV. all hermits who lived under no recognised
discipline were incorporated and reduced under the rule of St.
Augustine.)
THE LEGEND OF ST. ANTHONY
1. Of Anton story who lyste to here
In Egypt was he bornt as doyth aper.
2. Her is he babtyd, Anton they hym call
Gret landes and renttes to hym doeth fawl.
3. As scoler to the kyrk here is he gayn
To here the sermontt and aftyr itt he's tayn.
4. Here geyffith he to the kyrk boith land and rent
To leve in povert is hys intent.
5. Here in Agello to oon oulde man he wentt
To lerne perfeccion is hys intent.
6. Here makyth he breder as men of relig',
And techyth them vertu to leve in perfecco.
7. Here to the wyldernes as armet geon he
And thus temptyth hym covytice with oon gold dyshie.
8. The sprytt of fornycacon to h[~y] her doth apper
And thus he chastith his body with thorne and brer.
9. The devill thus hat h[~y] wounded w_t lance and staf
And levyth h[~y] for deyd lyying at his cayf
10. Here Crist haith hym helyd the devill he doth away
And comfortyd his confessor deyd as he lay
11. Here comands he y^{is} bests and ffast away th_a flie
Y^e bor h[~y] obbays and w^{th} h[~y] bydeds he.
12. Here makyth he a well and water hath uptayne
And comforted hys breder thyrst was nere slayn.
13. Here commandith he best to make h[~y] a cayf
And thus he berys Paulyn and lay h[~y] in graf
14. Thus walkèd he over the flode water doth h[~y] no der
Theodor h[~y] se and dare nou c[~u] h[~y] nere
15. Here departith Anton, to hevyn his saul is gone
Betwixt his two breder in wilder's th[~e] alone.
16. Here in wilderns they bery hym that no man shud him knaw
For soo he comanded syne hom first tha draw.
17. Thus levyth he i wildern's xx^{ii} yere and more
Without any company bot the wylde boore.
St. Augustine, the first great saint of the Order, and patron of the
canons of the cathedral. He was born at Tagaste, in Numidia, A.D. 354.
His father, Patricius, was a Pagan, while his mother, Monica, was a
Christian. Patricius, perceiving the ability of his son, "spared
nothing to breed him up a scholar." When quite young he had a severe
illness, and expressed a wish to be baptized, but on his recovery the
wish vanished. Later, his morals grew corrupt, and he lived a profligate
life until he became a convert of the Manicheans at the age of nineteen.
After teaching grammar at Tagaste, and rhetoric at Carthage, he
proceeded to Rome, against the wish of Monica. He next became professor
of rhetoric at Milan. Ambrose was then archbishop, and through listening
to his preaching, St. Augustine abandoned the Manichean doctrines, and
was baptized at Easter the following year, A.D. 387. Monica, who had
prayed unceasingly for his conversion, now visited him at Milan, and was
greatly rejoiced at the answer to her prayers. His mother started to
return to Africa with her son, but died at Ostia. At a villa outside
Hippo, St. Augustine passed three years in the company of eleven pious
men. "They had all things in common as in the early Church; and fasting
and prayer, Scripture-reading and almsgiving, formed their regular
occupations. Their mode of life was not formally monastic according to
any special rule, but the experience of this time of seclusion was, no
doubt, the basis of that monastic system which St. Augustine afterwards
sketched, and which derived from him its name." He then entered the
priesthood, A.D. 390, and five years afterward was made coadjutor in the
bishopric of Hippo, and eventually became bishop. The rest of his life
he devoted to defending the Christian religion, both by preaching and by
writing. He died in Hippo, A.D. 430, while the Vandals were besieging
it. St. Augustine is called "the greatest of the Fathers." His great
work "De Civitate Dei," "the highest expression of his thought," engaged
him for seventeen years. In his well-known "Confessions" is given an
account of his spiritual progress, and of his state before he was
converted.
[Illustration: EAST END OF THE FRATRY AND SOUTH TRANSEPT. From
Billings.]
ST. AUGUSTINE
1. Her fader and mod^r of sanct Austyne
Fyrst put hym her to lerne doctryne
2. Her taught he gramor and rethorike
Emongys all doctors non was h[~y] lyke
3. Her promysed he w^{th} hys moder to abide
Bot he left her wepyng and stal y^e tyde grace de diu (on the
ship's sail)
4. There taught he at rome the sevyn science
Y^t was gret prece tyll hys presence
5. Her prechyd Ambrose and oft tymys previd
Qd lettera occid_t wych Austin mevid
6. Her Poinciane hym tald ye lyffe of Sanct Anton
And to Elipius he stonyshed said thus anone
Q^r patim^r surgut indocti et Coelu^m rapiu't
Et nos c[~u] doctrinis [~i] infer_r demergimur
7. Her sore wepying for hys gret syn
He went to morne a garth wythin
8. Her wepyng and walyng as he lay
Sodenly a voice thus herd he say
Tolle lege Tolle lege
9. No word for tothewarke here myght he say
But wrote to the pepil for him to pray
10. Her of Sainct Ambrose chrysteyned was
The gret doctor Austyne throgh Godes grace
Te Deum laudamus Te Dom'm confitemur
11. Her deyd his moder called Monica
As thai were returning in to Affrica
12. Her was he sacred prest and usyd
Of Valery the Bishop thoffe he refusyt
13. Her after (Godes word mylde and mek taught he)
Hys (men of) religion as ye may see
14. Her fortunate the heretyk concludit he
Informyng the laws of Maneche
15. Consecrate Byshop was this doctour
By all the cuntre with gret honour
16. As ys woman come to h[~y] for consolacion
She saw hym wth the Trinite in meditacion
17. When he Complyn had said and come to luke
He was full cleyn owt of y^s knafys buke
(Penitet me tibi ostendisse librum)
18. They beried hys body wyth deligence
her in hys aun kirk of Yponese.
19. Her Lied-brand the kyng of L[~u]berdy
Hym translate fr[~o] Sardyne to Pavye
20. Thei shrynyd hys banes solemnly
In sanct Peter kyrk thus at Pavye
21. Thys prior he bad soon do evynsang her
And helyd hym that was sek thre yer
22. Her he apperyd unto these men thre
And bad yam go to ... y^t hale
[Illustration: THE CRYPT UNDER THE FRATRY. _G.W. Wilson & Co. Ltd.,
Photo._]
Between the compartments devoted to the lives and deeds of St. Anthony
and St. Cuthbert are pictures of the twelve Apostles with the words
which, according to tradition, each one contributed to the Creed.
APOSTLES AND CREED
ST. PETER I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of
heaven and earth
ST. ANDREW And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord
ST. JAMES Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of
the Virgin Mary
ST. JOHN He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified,
dead, and buried
ST. THOMAS He descended into Hell: rose again the third day
from the dead
ST. JAMES And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father
Almighty
ST. PHILIP From whence He shall come to judge the quick and
the dead.
ST. BARTHOLOMEW I believe in the Holy Ghost
ST. MATTHEW The Communion of Saints
ST. SIMON The Forgiveness of Sins
ST. THADDEUS The Resurrection of the Body
ST. MATTHIAS And the Life Everlasting.
At the time of the Reformation these paintings were all whitewashed.
Dean Percy (1778) removed the whitewash from some of them, and they are
now all restored to their original condition as far as possible.
#Retro-choir.#--The extreme eastern bay of each aisle, and the passage
behind the altar, form the retro-choir, which is Late Decorated.
Its acutely-pointed windows are practically of identical pattern, the
mullions and side-mouldings having richly floriated capitals.
The last arch of the main arcade is supported by a bracket of foliage. A
fragment of rib still remaining was for the cross-groining of the aisle;
but as this would have interfered with the arch mouldings, the rib was
terminated higher up the wall upon a bracket in the form of a crouching
figure.
The wall-arcade has three divisions, the capitals of the columns are
foliated, and the point where the hood mouldings meet is ornamented with
the carving of a human head.
The low doorway forms the entrance to a staircase leading to the upper
part of the cathedral, and the belfry.
Beneath the great east window there is a plain tablet in memory of
Archdeacon Paley, and another in memory of his two wives and infant son.
Another tablet is in memory of Dean Cramer: "Apud Oxonienses Historiæ
Profr. Regius," died 1848.
Opposite is a monument to Bishop Law, the work of T. Banks, R.A. A
figure of Religion leaning on a cross is above the tablet. This monument
was originally fixed on the pillar behind the pulpit ("Columnæ hujus
sepultus est ad pedem"). It was removed to the north aisle because of
the weakening of the pillar through having been cut to receive the
memorial; and in 1894 was again removed and fixed here, about as far
away from the bishop's grave as it could possibly be placed.
Under the great window, a little to the south, is a tombstone, similar
to that of Bishop Bell in the choir, but the brass is missing.
On the south side the last arch of the main arcade is supported by a
bracket representing a human figure sustaining mouldings, resembling the
one at the end of the north aisle.
The small east window is in memory of John Heysham, M.D. (1753-1834). He
graduated at Edinburgh in 1777, and settled in Carlisle where he
practised till his death. He is famous for his statistical observations;
a record of the annual births, marriages, diseases, and deaths in
Carlisle (ten years to 1788); a census of the inhabitants in 1780 and
1788. The actuary of the Sun Life Assurance Office used these statistics
as the basis of the well-known "Carlisle Table of Mortality." Aided by
the dean and chapter he established the first dispensary for the poor at
Carlisle. He died in 1834, and was buried in St. Mary's Church.
One of the heads ornamenting the wall-arcade is said to represent Edward
I.
The #South Choir Aisle# is in most particulars the same as the
corresponding aisle on the north. The windows of its two bays next to
St. Catherine's Chapel are Early English of a later period than the
others, but the effect they produce is not by any means so pleasing. The
decorations of the capitals of the Early English columns are not so
elaborate as those in the north choir aisle.
In the third bay east of St. Catherine's Chapel, two arches of the
wall-arcade have been thrown into one, forming a doorway. The arch is
formed by seven segments, and its hood-moulding terminates in the
cornice immediately above the arcade.
#Monuments in South Choir Aisle.#--At the east end is an altar tomb with
recumbent effigy in white marble, of Bishop Waldegrave, by H.H.
Armstead, R.A.
The words "væ mihi si non evangelizavero" (1 Cor. ix. 16) are on the
edge of the upper part of the tomb. Below this is the following
inscription:--
Samuel Waldegrave
57th Bishop of Carlisle
Born Sept. 13, 1817; Consecrated, Nov. 12, 1860;
Entered into rest Oct. 1, 1869.
"To me to live is Christ and to die is gain."
Phil. i. 21.
A tribute of
Affection, Admiration, and Respect.
Raised by public subscription.
A.D. 1872.
A recess with low pointed arch beneath the third window from the east
formerly contained a monument to Sir John Skelton, Knt. (1413-22).
Outside St. Catherine's Chapel is an altar tomb with a damaged effigy in
red sandstone of Bishop Barrow (1423-29). Originally it was painted and
gilt, and, although greatly injured, the remains show that the statue
was well executed.
Opposite, under a carved oak canopy, is a bronze recumbent figure by
Hamo Thornycroft, R.A., of Harvey Goodwin. The following is inscribed on
a bronze tablet:
In memory of Harvey Goodwin,
Fifty-eighth Bishop of Carlisle.
at Cambridge, and Ely, and in this diocese
a proved leader of men.
Learned, eloquent, wise, untiring,
he used his rare gifts of mind and heart
in the service of his master
for the good of the English people,
and of the Church of Christ at home and abroad.
Born, Oct. 9, 1818; Consecrated, Nov. 30, 1869; Died, Nov. 25, 1891.
Next to this, under a richly-carved canopy, is a recumbent figure in
white marble, by H.H. Armstead, R.A., of Dean Close. The monument bears
the following inscription:--
Francis Close, D.D.,
25 years Dean of this cathedral, died 1882, aged 85.
Erected by public subscription as a mark
of affection and esteem (1884).
The canopy, given by his son, bears the words following: "This canopy
was erected by Admiral Close in memory of his father."
Francis Close was born in 1797, and was educated at St. John's,
Cambridge. From 1826 till 1856 he held the living of Cheltenham. He was
a liberal subscriber to societies for various philanthropic purposes
whether in connection with the Established Church or not. In 1856 he was
nominated Dean of Carlisle. Although a very popular preacher his
theological views were far from broad. He was, also, a strenuous
opponent of betting, theatre-going, indulgence in alcoholic liquors, and
smoking. The poor people of Carlisle lost a good friend when he passed
away. His failing health obliged him to give up the deanery in 1881, and
at the end of the following year he died at Penzance, where he was
wintering.
The fourth window is filled with glass in memory of members of the
Mounsey family, and Captain John Oswald Lambert.
The following subjects are represented:--
Our Lord The Transfiguration. Pilate writing
rebuking the title
the Sea. for the Cross.
The Adoration The entry into Our Lord
of the Magi. Jerusalem. before Pilate.
St. Paul St. Paul before St. Paul
before the King Agrippa. on board
Chief Priests. ship.
At the back of the bishop's throne are some shelves containing a few
standard devotional books for the use of the congregation before and
after divine service. It would be a good thing if this custom could be
generally adopted, and every church in the land furnished with a small
library of the works of such men as Thomas a Kempis, St. Augustine,
Taylor, Law, and Keble.
The low doorway in the north-eastern angle of the retro-choir opens on a
staircase leading to the upper part of the cathedral, and the tower.
If we ascend to the clerestory we may pass along the ambulatory, and
obtain a nearer view of the great east window (especially the old glass
in the tracery), the choir roof, and the clerestory windows. At the end
of the ambulatory we come to the belfry.
There are six #Bells#, one of which, bearing the date 1396, was
furnished by Bishop Strickland. It is inscribed as follows:--
In: voce: sum: munda: maria;
sonando: secunda.
Another bell bears the following sentence:--
"Jesus be our speed." Date 1608.
A third has on the rim--"This ringe was made six tuneable bells at the
charge of the Lord Howard and other gentree of the country and citie,
and officers of the garrisson, by the advice of Majer Jeremiah Tolhurst,
governor of the garrisson 1658." This bell was cracked while ringing
during the rejoicings held in honour of the peace after Waterloo.
On a bell dated 1657 can be read, "I warne you how your time doth pass
away, Serve God therefore while life doth last, and say Glorie in
excelsis Deo."
Of the remaining bells, one is dated 1659, and the other 1728.
In war time the tower was useful as a watch-tower, especially when the
enemy was approaching from Scotland. The small turret was used for fire
signals.
There is an interesting record in connection with the tower which is
found in an account of the trial of the Governor of Carlisle in 1745. It
is as follows:--
"I desired that two men might be posted upon the high Tower of the
Cathedral with a very large spying glass I had brought with me, and to
send me a report of what they observed in the country. The Chancellor
proposed to the clergy to take this duty, which they readily did, and
were very exact and vigilant, and when the Rebells came before Carlisle
they took up arms as Volunteers most of whom served under me as
aides-de-camp."[6]
[6] "Guide to the Cathedral of Carlisle," by R.H. and K.H.
[Illustration: THE FRATRY. _A. Pumphrey, Photo._]
THE MONASTIC BUILDINGS
The Monastic Buildings were erected on the land south of the cathedral.
The cloisters, enclosing a large open court, stood west of the south
transept, communicating with the two doors--one in the north-east angle,
the other in the north-west.
The dormitory, built upon an arcade, was joined to the south transept,
and had a door opening into it above the present modern doorway.
West of the dormitory, and parallel with the nave, was the fratry;
adjoining the east end of which, and stretching to the south-east, were
the domestic offices.
West of the fratry was the prior's lodging (now the deanery).
The chapter-house, which was built somewhere in the angle formed by the
choir and the dormitory, has disappeared entirely. It was octagonal in
shape, about 28 feet across, and had a conical roof.
The great fire in 1292 caused great destruction to the priory buildings.
They were put up again about 1350, and Prior Gondibur almost entirely
rebuilt them towards the end of the fifteenth century.
There is no reason for doubting that the various buildings were handed
over in good order at the dissolution of the priory. The destruction
which has left standing only the fratry, the prior's lodging, and the
gate tower (1528), was the act of the Parliamentary troops and their
Scottish allies in 1645, when, in addition to pulling down part of the
nave, they destroyed most of the monastic buildings, in order to use the
materials for the erection of guard-houses, and to strengthen the
fortifications.
Dr. Todd says: "The Abbey Clois^{rs}, part of ye Deanery, and
Chapter-House.... they pulled down, and employed ye stone to build a
maine guard, and a guard-house at every gate; to repair y^e walls, and
other secular uses as they thought fit."
The #Fratry# still remains. It was built about the middle of the
fourteenth century, and rebuilt by Prior Gondibour (1484-1511) towards
the close of the fifteenth century. It contains the canons' dining-hall,
a fine hall, 79 feet by 27. At the upper end is a beautiful little
reader's pulpit, and in the north wall there are two handsome canopied
niches. The Perpendicular windows on the south side are very fine
specimens; the tracery, however, is modern, but that of the west windows
is very old. The late Mr. Street very carefully restored the fratry in
1880, and it is now used as a chapter-house, library, and choir-school.
Beneath the fratry is a very fine Decorated crypt, with a groined roof.
The boss of one of the pillars bears the initials of Prior Gondibour.
Near the fratry, to the south-west, is the prior's lodging, which,
having been enlarged, is now the #Deanery#. It has an embattled tower,
and was a refuge for the abbey inmates when danger was near; in fact, to
all intents and purposes it was a "peel tower." Formerly there was a
covered passage leading from the first floor, over the cloisters, into
the cathedral. There is a remarkable room in the deanery, the priors'
dining-hall, with a very fine ceiling, put up by Prior Senhouse
(1507-1520). It is of oak, richly carved and painted; and covered
profusely with verses, armorial bearings, and devices. In every third
compartment are two birds holding a scroll between them, on which, and
on the cross beams, the following rude verses are written in old English
characters:--
Remember man ye gret pre-emynence,
Geven unto ye by God omnipotente;
Between ye and angels is lytill difference,
And all thinge erthly to the obediente.
By the byrde and beist under ye fyrmament,
Say what excuse mayste thou lay or finde;
Thus you are made by God so excellente
But that you aughteste again to hy' be kinde,
Simon Sonus sette yis Roofe and Scalope here,
To the intent wythin thys place they shall have prayers every day
in the yere.
Lofe God and thy prynce and you neydis not dreid thy enimys.
The abbey gateway is to the north-west of the nave. It is a plain,
round-headed archway, built by Prior Christopher Slee, and bears the
following inscription:--"Ora te p^r anima Christofori Slee Prioris qui
primus hoc opus fieri incipit A.D. MDXXVII." Formerly, it was provided
with battlements, which have now been removed.
Near the south transept, two arches of the vestibule of the
chapter-house are still visible.