Hastings, is in modern Renaissance _Architecture_. It is about 50 feet
long and 27 wide, seats 100 persons and cost over $150,000. The floor
is inlaid with grey Siena and red Verona marbles, bordered with cream
colored Cenere marble. The walls are lined with Rosato marble. On the
under side of the marble archway at the entrance are reliefs representing
the Three Persons of the Trinity with angels, as follows: (Left) the
Father in human form[36], with triangular nimbus, holding the globe of
sovereignty; angel with lute; angel with lily; (top) the Holy Ghost in
form of the dove; angel with trumpet; angel praying; and (right) the Son
in form of the Paschal Lamb. The false perspective of the side walls
is similar to that in the Sacristy of the Cathedral of Siena. In the
spandrels of the false arches of the left-hand wall (as one faces the
Altar) are figures in relief (reading from entrance toward Altar) of:
Moses and the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel; and on the opposite
wall, in same order, St. Matthew with cherub, St. Mark with lion, St.
Luke with ox, and St. John with eagle. The ceiling is of white marble
carved in low relief. From the ceiling hang four silver lamps, one an
antique Italian lamp and the others copied from it. On the front of the
_Altar_ of alabaster are three golden ornaments, representing the Paschal
Lamb (Christ) between two angels swinging censers, the latter symbolizing
the prayers of all saints (Rev. viii. 3). The _Reredos_, not copied from
any one European prototype but inspired by many examples found in the
transitional and early Renaissance period in Italy, is of carved wood
overlaid with gold leaf. The lower part consists of a triptych, covered
by an elaborate canopy and flanked by niches in which are statues of St.
Francis (left) and St. Ambrose (right). In niches at the left of the
canopy are figures (left to right) of a kneeling angel, St. Benedict with
crozier, St. Agnes in female apparel, and Dante in red gown and hood; and
at the right (same order) Fra Angelico, Galileo with globe, Savonarola,
and kneeling angel. Upon the cross of the canopy is a dove, symbolizing
God the Holy Ghost; above that is the all-seeing eye in a triangle within
a sun-burst, symbolizing God the Father; and on the top-most spire is the
figure of God the Son, holding a cross and pronouncing a benediction.
_The Apse Windows_, one on each side of the Altar, transmit a soft amber
light which gives a peculiar charm to this chapel. Each has a border
of Italian Renaissance tracery, within which is a field of many small
panes of leaded glass. In the _left window_ these panes are ornamented
with repeated designs representing the chalice with emerging serpent and
the eagle (symbols of St. John), flowers, and the chi-rho monogram. In
the upper part are the seven stars and candlesticks from the Cathedral
seal, and the legend, “Sigil. Eccles. Cath. S. Johan;” and in the lower
part the words, “For God is the King of all the Earth. Sing ye Praises
with Understanding.” In the _right window_ the panes are ornamented
with repetitions of the bee-hive, mitre and scourges (symbols of St.
Ambrose), the cross and wreath, flowers, and the ΙϹ-ΧϹ and IHS symbols.
Near the middle is a small fragment of brown glass, marked with an “R”,
from Rheims Cathedral. In the upper part is the coat-of-arms of St.
Ambrose—the bee-hive, mitre and croziers—with the legend, “Sigil. Sanct.
Ambrosii,” and in the lower part are the words, “God is our Refuge and
Strength, a Very Present Help in Trouble.” The windows were made by Mr.
Henry Wynd Young, glass-painter, under the supervision of Messrs. Godwin
& Sullivant, architects, of New York. Along the side walls are _Stalls
and Wainscoting_ of dark Italian walnut, inlaid with pear-wood in designs
including the star of the east, chalice, Latin cross, patriarchal cross,
and Bishop’s mitre. Inlaid in the top border of the wainscoting is this
inscription:
(Left) “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts. Heaven and earth
are ‖ full of thy glory. Glory be to Thee, O Lord Most High.
‖ Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosannah
in the Highest. ‖ (Right) O Lamb of God, that takest away the
sins of the world, grant us thy peace. ‖ Glory be to God on
high, and on earth peace, good will towards men. ‖ Thou only,
O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the Glory of
God the Father.”
The wrought iron _Italian Screen_ at the entrance to the chapel is
best seen from the inside. Upon the finials at either end are angels
blowing trumpets, and the space between them is divided by seven tall
candlesticks into eight spaces, in which are bronze groups representing
scenes in the life of St. Ambrose (left to right:) (1) His youth; (2)
settling the succession of the bishopric of Milan; (3) his baptism; (4)
nuns and (5) monks, listening to the preaching of St. Ambrose, who stands
between them facing the Altar; (6) the public penance before St. Ambrose
of Emperor Theodosius who caused the massacre of the Thessalonians; (7)
laying the corner-stone of the Church of St. Ambrogio in Milan; and (8)
his death. Beneath the figure of St. Ambrose who stands between the nuns
and monks is a bee-hive with crossed croziers. The screen was designed by
Mr. Thomas Hastings and was made by Messrs. E. F. Caldwell & Co., of New
York. On the south wall is inscribed:
“To the ‖ Glory of God ‖ and in ‖ Loving Memory ‖ of ‖
Augustus Whiting ‖ Sarah Swan Whiting ‖ Jane Whiting ‖
Amelia Whiting Davis ‖ Augustus Whiting, Jr., ‖ Natica Rives
Burden ‖ This Chapel ‖ has been Erected by ‖ Sara Whiting
Rives.”
The Chapel of St. Martin of Tours
ST. MARTIN, after whom this chapel is named, born in 316, in his young
manhood was a Roman soldier in Gaul. One wintry day, (according to
the traditional story related by Ruskin in his “Bible of Amiens,”)
when Martin was riding forth from the city of Amiens, he saw a beggar
shivering by the roadside; whereupon he divided his cloak with his sword
and gave one half to the beggar. That night in a vision he saw Christ
wearing the half cloak and surrounded by angels. And Christ said to the
angels: “Know ye who hath thus arrayed me? My servant Martin, though yet
unbaptized, hath done this.” After this, Martin was baptized; but he
remained a soldier for 17 years. Then, after several years of religious
works, he was made Bishop of Tours. It is related that one day, when
going to church in his full robes, he practically repeated the charitable
act beforementioned by giving his stole to a ragged beggar; and when St.
Martin was at the altar, elevating the Host, a globe of light appeared
above him and angels descended and hung chains of gold and jewels (not of
earth) on his bare arms. Sweet, serene and dearly beloved, he was Bishop
and Knight of the Poor, and the divided cloak and sword are his special
symbols. The Memorial Day for St. Martin is kept on November 11.
The Chapel of St. Martin of Tours (15 on plan), designed by Messrs. Cram
& Ferguson, is in early 13th century Gothic _Architecture_; about the
same size as the Chapel of St. Ambrose; and cost about $150,000. Its
interior walls are faced with light colored Bedford, Ind. limestone. The
lower half of the walls is occupied by Gothic arcatures, in the trefoiled
arches of which are fleurs de lis. Under the fleurs de lis, in mediaeval
text, runs the inscription:
(Left side:) “They that ‖ be wise ‖ shall shine ‖ as the
bright- ‖ ness of ‖ the firm- ‖ ament ‖ and they ‖ that
turn ‖ many to ‖ righteous-‖ ness as the ‖ stars forever ‖
and ever ‖ (Right side:) The Peace ‖ of God which ‖ passeth
‖ all under- ‖ standing ‖ shall keep ‖ your hearts ‖ and
minds ‖ through ‖ Christ ‖ Jesus.”
A little above the arcature is a border of roses. The upper half of the
side walls presents a unique feature in a sort of triforium gallery
built in the thickness of the wall. The pavement of Knoxville, Tenn.
pink marble is bordered with black Belgian marble. The simple marble
_Altar_ in the form of a table resting on red marble pillars has no
reredos. The _Seven Windows_, three in the Sanctuary and four in the
clerestory, by Mr. Charles Connick of Boston, Mass., are of grisaille[37]
work in geometrical designs, the Sanctuary windows being inset with
pictorial medallions in painted mosaic glass in the mediaeval style.
In the central window over the Altar the medallions depict scenes in
the life of St. Martin as follows, beginning at the bottom and reading
upward: In the left-hand light (1) St. Martin receives sword and enters
army; (2) divides his cloak with the beggar; (3) has vision of Christ
wearing the severed cloak which he had given to the beggar; and (4) is
baptized. In the middle light, (1) He converts the robber; (2) revives
the dead man; (3) is affectionately welcomed on his return to Tours;
and (4) destroys the heathen temple. In the right-hand light, (1) He
intercedes with Count Avitianus for the release of prisoners; (2) pleads
for Priscillian’s life; (3) dies; and (4) the ship bearing his body is
mysteriously propelled. In the middle light of the window at the left of
the Altar are scenes in the life of St. Louis: (1) His coronation; (2)
his release of prisoners at Paris; (3) his ministration to sick soldiers
during the first Crusade; and (4) his departure on the second Crusade.
In the middle light of the window at the right of the Altar are scenes
in the life of Joan of Arc: (1) Her vision; (2) the capture of Orleans;
(3) the coronation of Charles VII.; and (4) her martyrdom at the stake.
In the circular lights at the top of the seven windows are the following
coats-of-arms (left to right): (1) On a blue field, three golden
fleurs de lis above a white wreath of oak and laurel with red fruit,
representing the City of Rheims.[38] (2) On a blue field sprinkled with
golden fleurs de lis, the Mother and Child, representing the Cathedral
of Notre Dame in Paris. (3) Seven horizontal bars, alternately blue and
gold, being the arms of Bertrand d’Eschaux, Archbishop of Tours. (4) On
a blue field, a white Latin cross with trefoiled ends, being the arms of
the Chapter of Poitiers. (5) On a blue cloak surrounded by red, a white
sword, cross-hilt upward, emblematic of St. Martin. (6) On a blue field
sprinkled with golden fleurs de lis, a red Greek cross, representing
the Archdiocese of Rheims.[39] (7) On a blue field, three golden fleurs
de lis under a white “label” or mark of cadency of eldest son,[40]
being the royal arms of the Dukes of Orleans. A _Statue of Joan of Arc_,
expressing her spiritual character, by Miss Anna Vaughn Hyatt, was placed
in this chapel in 1922. It was given by Mr. J. Sanford Saltus through
Dr. George F. Kunz, President of the Joan of Arc Statue Committee which
erected the equestrian statue of the Maid by the same sculptress in
Riverside Drive. Near it are two rough stones from the Chateau de Rouen
in which the Maid was imprisoned at the time of her trial and from which
she was led to the stake. The wrought-iron _Screen_ of beautiful tracery
at the entrance, designed in the office of Messrs. Cram & Ferguson and
made by Messrs. F. Krasser & Co., of Boston, is a particularly lovely
example of this form of art. While not copied from any existing mediaeval
prototype, it shows the influence of the wrought-iron work of the
Romanesque and early Gothic periods of France. The shell ornament in the
section below the cornice is symbolical of St. Martin as a pilgrim, while
the finials and cresting, blossoming with roses, signify the flowering
of the Christian religion. In the frieze are four panels depicting four
scenes which are described in a quaintly lettered inscription in the
moulding above:
“S. Martin shares cloak with Beggar ‖ Our Lord appears in
cloak to S. Martin ‖ S. Martin receives holy baptism ‖ Saint
Martin journeys to Rome.”
[Illustration: Coats of Arms in Windows of Chapel of St. Martin of Tours.]
An inscription on the wall of the chapel reads:
“The Chapel of ‖ Saint Martin of Tours ‖ Consecrated 1918 ‖
To the worship of ‖ Almighty God ‖ and in Loving Memory of
‖ William P. Furniss ‖ and His Wife ‖ Sophia Furniss ‖ and
their Daughter ‖ Sophia R. C. Furniss.”
In another panel is this inscription:
“To the ‖ Glory of God ‖ and in Loving Memory of ‖
Clementina Furniss ‖by Whose Gift ‖ this Chapel ‖ was
Erected ‖ and ‖ Margaret Elizabeth Zimmerman ‖ Daughters of
‖ William P. Furniss ‖ and his wife ‖ Sophia Furniss.”
The Chapel of St. Saviour
SAINT SAVIOUR, the name of this chapel, means Holy Saviour, the word
Saint being used in its primary sense as an adjective, derived from the
Latin “sanctus.” The Memorial Day for St. Saviour is kept on December 25.
The Chapel of St. Saviour (16 on plan,) is the easternmost of the seven
Chapels of Tongues and forms the eastern extremity of the Cathedral.
Among the languages in which services are held in this chapel are
Japanese and Chinese. When the royal Abyssinian Commission to the United
States Government was formally received at the Cathedral on July 24,
1919, its members knelt at this altar. The chapel is in the English
Decorated Gothic style of _Architecture_ after designs by Messrs. Heins
& LaFarge. It is 56 feet long and 30½ feet wide, seats 150 persons,
and cost about $200,000. Its interior walls are of Minnesota dolomite,
around the base of which runs a foundation course of red jasper with
green serpentine moulding like those which run around the Choir. The
pavement is of stone from Hauteville, France, with a mosaic border. The
Sanctuary steps are of pink marble from Georgia. The _Altar_, made by
Messrs. Batterson & Eislie and carved by Mr. Schwartz, is of snow-white
Carrara marble. Its face and front corners are adorned by the figures of
six angels singing “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Carved on the face of the retable
is the crown of thorns, supported by two cherubs. The _Reredos_ is of
polished red Siena marble, bordered with Venetian mosaic. The _Chair and
Prayer Desk_ of black walnut at the left side of the Sanctuary have an
interesting history recited on a brass tablet on the desk as follows:
“The first use of ‖ this chair and prayer desk was made by ‖
the Most Reverend Randall Thomas Davidson, D.D., ‖ Archbishop
of Canterbury ‖ in the Crypt of the Cathedral of St. John the
Divine ‖ on Wednesday morning, September 28th, A. D. 1904 ‖
at the celebration of the Holy Communion at which ‖ His Grace
was the celebrant and which preceded the ‖ opening of the One
hundred and twenty-first Convention ‖ of the Diocese of New
York, being also the first opening ‖ of the Diocesan Synod
Hall.”
The _East Window_, a glorious work in stained glass by Mr. Hardman of
Birmingham, Eng., completely fills the end of the chapel. Its central
light is occupied by a representation of the Transfiguration (Mat.
xvii. 1-3). In the middle of the scene is the radiant Saviour, with
Moses (left) holding the Ten Commandments, and Elias (right) holding
the receptacle of the scrolls, representing respectively the Law and
the Prophets.[41] Surrounding the group are angels; and below it are
the three Disciples who were with Jesus on the mount: St. Peter (left)
looking up, St. James (middle) covering his eyes, and St. John, the
beardless Disciple (right), shading his face. In the left side light,
above, is Moses putting off his shoes on the holy ground before the
burning bush from which the angel of the Lord appears (Ex. iii. 5); and
below, Moses raising the brazen serpent for healing (Num. xxi. 9). The
serpent, seen indistinctly coiled around the pole, is by artistic license
represented in green. In the right side light, above, is the angel
appearing to Elijah (I. Kings xix. 5-8); and below, Elijah’s sacrifice
miraculously consumed by the fire of the Lord (I. Kings xviii. 30-38).
In niches on either side of the window are the following _Statues_ of
Bishops, saints and scholars of the Eastern church:
_Left._ _Right._
St. Polycarp St. Chrysostom
b. 69 d. 155 b. 347 d. 407
Bishop of Smyrna Archbp. of Constantinople
St. Athanasius St. Basil
b. 296 d. 373 b. 329 d. 379
Primate of Egypt Bishop of Caesarea
Origen St. Clement of Alexandria
b. 185 d. 253 b. circ. 150 d. 213-220
Great eastern scholar Celebrated Church Father
St. Gregory Nazianzen St. Ignatius
b. 330 d. 389 b. circ. 50 d. 107
Bishop of Nazianzus Bishop of Antioch
In a niche in the upper part of the north wall is a statue of St. Peter
with key; and in a corresponding niche in the south wall one of St. Paul
with sword. Turning toward the entrance to the chapel, one sees in niches
between the clustered columns at the sides of the great archway in array
of angels, five on each side, one above the other, corresponding to as
many on the Ambulatory side,—twenty in all—representing the Heavenly
Choir. These lovely figures are worthy of more than passing notice. All
the statuary is by Mr. Gutzon Borglum. The four _Lamp Standards_ of
Carrara marble surmounted by alabaster bowls standing in the four corners
of the chapel, and carved in relief with many symbolical details, were
made by Messrs. E. F. Caldwell & Co. and carved by Messrs. F. Ruggeri and
P. Giuntini of New York. The elaborate wrought iron _Screen_, made by the
Wm. H. Jackson Co. of New York, at the entrance, is in the Italian style
after one in Orvieto, Italy. It is embellished in its upper part by two
golden angels holding a wreath at the foot of the cross. Looking outward
through the screen, one sees the back of the High Altar of the Cathedral.
On one of the walls of the chapel is inscribed:
“This Chapel is Erected to ‖ the Glory of God ‖ and in
Loving Memory of ‖ Bessie Morgan Belmont ‖ by her Husband ‖
August Belmont.”
The Chapel of St. Columba
ST. COLUMBA was born in County Donegal, Ireland, in 521, of royal blood.
After study and religious work in Ireland, he set out in 563 with twelve
disciples and planted upon the Island of Iona, on the west coast of
Scotland, which he received from his kinsman Conal, King of Scots, a
monastery which, from the 6th to the 8th centuries, was second to hardly
any other in Great Britain. From it was conducted a wonderful missionary
work in Scotland, Ireland, the north of England, and small adjacent
islands. Many miracles are attributed to him, and he was accredited with
power to subdue not only wild tribes of men but also the beasts of the
wilderness (see p. 32). He died in 597, and his body was buried at Iona,
which is regarded as one of the great shrines of Christianity in Great
Britain. The Memorial Day for St. Columba is kept on June 9.
The Chapel of St. Columba, (17 on plan), designed by Messrs. Heins &
LaFarge, is in the Norman style of _Architecture_. It is 50 feet long
and 27 wide, seats 100 persons, and cost about $150,000. The interior
walls are of Minnesota dolomite, separated from a base course of polished
Mohegan granite by a moulding of yellow Verona marble. The pavement is a
fine grained gray stone from Illinois. The semi-circular arched window
heads, and particularly the six large cylindrical pillars diversified by
spiral and diaper patterns, convey the idea of the Norman style which
one sees exemplified on a larger scale in Durham Cathedral and other
churches of that period in England. The vaulting over the _Sanctuary_ is
lined with gold mosaic, upon which appear black and white Celtic crosses.
The lectern, communion rail, Glastonbury chairs, and other wood work of
the Sanctuary were designed by Mr. Charles R. Lamb and made by J. & R.
Lamb of New York. They are carved in low relief with ornament expressive
of English Gothic feeling. The lectern shows a composition of three
figures: Christ in the center, between John the Baptist, his Forerunner,
and St. John the Divine, namesake of the Cathedral, who closes the
biblical record with the Book of Revelation. The _Altar_, of cream
colored Italian marble, is in the form of a table supported by marble
pillars. It has no _Reredos_. The _Sanctuary Windows_, three in number,
were made by Messrs. Clayton & Bell of London. In the central light of
the window above the Altar is represented the baptism of Christ by John
the Baptist, and in the side lights are St. John with cup (left), and St.
Paul with sword, (right.) In the bottom of the three lights are the four
symbols previously explained (p. 74), namely, the ΙΗϹ, the Alpha, the
Omega, and the Chi Rho. The windows on either side of the middle window
are in grisaille, copied from the famous lancet windows called the Five
Sisters in the North Transept of York Cathedral, although these windows
have only two lights each instead of five. The six wonderfully graceful
seven-branched _Candelabra_, after Donatello, were brought from Italy
by Mr. George Gordon King. Turning toward the entrance, in which is a
wrought iron _Screen_ in the Spanish style, designed by Mr. Samuel Yellen
and made by the Industrial Ornamental Iron Works of Philadelphia, Penn.,
one sees an extremely interesting feature in the _Statues_ by Mr. Gutzon
Borglum of representatives of the successive stages of the development of
Christianity in England, which stand in the niches between the clustered
columns at the sides of the great entrance archway.[42]
The figures, five on each side, one above the other, and corresponding
to as many on the Ambulatory side,—twenty in all,—are in the following
relative positions, it being understood that the left side as seen from
the chapel is the same as the right side as seen from the Ambulatory.
_Seen from Chapel._
_Left._ _Right._
St. Aidan St. Augustine
Bishop of Northumbrians Archbishop of Canterbury
ac. 635 d. 651 ac. 597 d. 604
St. Anselm King Alfred
Archbishop of Canterbury King of Wessex
ac. 1093 d. 1109 b. 849 d. 901
Thomas Cranmer William of Wykeham
Archbishop of Canterbury Bishop of Winchester
b. 1489 d. 1556 ac. 1367 d. 1405
Joseph Butler Jeremy Taylor
Bishop of Durham Bishop of 3 Irish sees
b. 1692 d. 1752 b. 1613 d. 1667
John Keble Reginald Heber
leader in Oxford movement Bishop of Calcutta
b. 1792 d. 1866 b. 1783 d. 1826
_Seen from Ambulatory._
_Left._ _Right._
St. Alban Theodore of Tarsus
promartyr of Britain Archbishop of Canterbury
d. circ. 304 ac. 668 d. 690
The Venerable Bede Stephen Langton
chronicler and priest Archbishop of Canterbury
b. 673 d. 735 b. 1150 d. 1228
John Wyckliffe Matthew Parker
morning-star of Reformation Archbishop of Canterbury
b. 1325 d. 1384 b. 1504 d. 1575
Richard Hooker George Berkeley
Anglican theologian Bishop of Cloyne, etc.
b. 1554 d. 1600 b. 1684 d. 1753
John Wesley Frederic Denison Maurice
evangelical revivalist preacher and leader
b. 1703 d. 1791 b. 1805 d. 1872
The Cathedral has in its possession a _Stone from the Cathedral, or
Church of St. Mary_ (dating from the 13th-16th centuries) _on the Island
of Iona_, which may fittingly be placed in this chapel at some future
time.
Upon the wall of the chapel is inscribed:
“Chapel ‖ of ‖ Saint Columba ‖ To the Glory of God ‖ and
‖ in Loving Memory of ‖ Mary Leroy King ‖ The Gift of Her
Mother ‖ Mary Augusta King ‖ Consecrated ‖ April 27th, 1911.”
The Chapel of St. Boniface
ST. BONIFACE, whose original name was Winifred, was born in Devonshire,
England, about the year 680. He entered a Benedictine monastery at the
age of 13, learned rhetoric, history and theology, and became a priest
at the age of 30. At a time when England and Ireland were sending
missionaries to the heathen parts of Europe, Winifred was authorized
by Pope Gregory II. to preach the Gospel to the tribes of Germany,
and he is called the Apostle of Germany. While engaged in this work,
Gregory made him a Bishop and gave him the name of Bonifacius, or
Boniface, which means Doer of Good. The Bishoprics of Ratisbon, Erfurt,
Paderborn, Wurzburg, Eichstadt, Salzburg, and several others, owe their
establishment to his efforts. In 746 he was made Archbishop of Mainz. In
755, while carrying on his work in Dokkum, in West Friesland, he and his
congregation of converts there were slain by a mob of armed heathen. His
remains are buried in the famous abbey of Fulda, which he founded. In
art, he is depicted holding a book pierced by a sword, referring to the
manner of his death. The Memorial Day for St. Boniface is kept on June 5.