of the clerestory to carry the roof, is a good characteristic of
the late Perpendicular style; they are generally of the time of
Henry the Seventh or Eighth. The figure used is generally that of
an angel, and each angel is sometimes represented as carrying a
different musical instrument so as to make up a heavenly
choir.”--(J. H. P.)
Among the best examples of late Perpendicular are Henry VII.’s Chapel,
Westminster Abbey; St. George’s Chapel, Windsor; King’s College Chapel,
Cambridge; and Bath Abbey Church.
In writing of the latter W. D. Howells so beautifully describes this
style that no excuse is needed for bringing his definition into this
place. He says:
“It is mostly of that Perpendicular Gothic which I suppose more
mystically lifts the soul than any other form of architecture, and
it is in a gracious harmony with itself through its lovely
proportions; from the stems of its clustered column, the tracery of
their fans spreads and delicately feels its way over the vaulted
roof as if it were a living growth of something rooted in the earth
beneath.”
ABBREVIATIONS OF AUTHORS QUOTED
A. A.--Alexander Ansted
F. B.--Frederic Bond
J. E. B.--J. E. Bygate
A. B. C.--A. B. Clifton
A. C.-B.--A. Clutton-Brock
J. C.-B.--J. Cavis-Brown
H. C. C.--Hubert C. Corlette
A. D.--Arthur Dimock
C. D.--Charles Dickens, Jr.
P. D.--Percy Dearmer
P. H. D.--P. H. Ditchfield
T. F. D.--Thomas Frognall Dibdin
A. H. F.--A. Hugh Fisher
E. A. F.--E. A. Freeman
F. W. F.--F. W. Farrar
W. H. F.--W. H. Fremantle
H.--Hope
C. H.--Cecil Hallet
L. H.--Leigh Hunt
W. H. H.--W. H. Hart
A. F. K.--A. F. Kendrick
G. W. K.--Dean Kitchin
R. J. K.--Richard J. Knight
L.--Dr. Luckock
W. J. L.--W. J. Loftie
M.--Dean Milman
J. McC.--Justin McCarthy
H. J. L. J. M.--H. J. L. J. Massé
P.--Dean Patrick
P.-C.--Dean Pury-Cust
F. A. P.--F. A. Paley
G. H. P.--G. H. Palmer
J. H. P.--J. H. Parker
T. P.--T. Perkins
C. H. B. Q.--C. H. B. Quennell
R.--Rickman
F. and R.--Field and Routledge
S.--Dean Spence
A. P. S.--Dean Stanley
E. F. S.--Edward F. Strange
G. G. S.--G. G. Scott
W. D. S.--W. D. Sweeting
T.--Canon Talbot
W.--Willis
Wal.--Walcott
A.-à-W.--Anthony-à-Wood
C. W.--Winston
E. W.--Edward Walford
F. S. W.--F. S. Waller
G. W.--Gleeson White
Geo. W.--George Worley
H. W.--Hartley Wither
CONTENTS
PAGE
CANTERBURY 1
ROCHESTER 33
WINCHESTER 46
CHICHESTER 66
SALISBURY 76
EXETER 90
WELLS 107
BATH ABBEY 134
BRISTOL 140
GLOUCESTER 151
HEREFORD 174
WORCESTER 188
LICHFIELD 200
CHESTER 215
MANCHESTER 222
CARLISLE 227
DURHAM 233
RIPON 249
YORK MINSTER 260
LINCOLN 284
SOUTHWELL 313
PETERBOROUGH 319
ELY 334
NORWICH 349
ST. ALBANS 360
OXFORD 375
ST. PAUL’S, LONDON 393
ST. SAVIOUR’S, SOUTHWARK 415
WESTMINSTER ABBEY 425
INDEX 445
ILLUSTRATIONS
Salisbury: Cloisters _Frontispiece_
FACING PAGE
Canterbury: South Porch 12
Canterbury: Nave, east 13
Canterbury: Choir, east 24
Rochester: West front 25
Rochester: Nave, east 40
Rochester: Choir, west 41
Winchester: Nave, west 52
Winchester: Font 53
Winchester: Choir, east 64
Winchester: West front 65
Chichester 72
Chichester: Nave, east 73
Chichester: Screen 76
Salisbury: North 77
Salisbury: Nave, east 88
Exeter: South-west 89
Exeter: Nave, east 98
Exeter: Choir, east 99
Wells: West front 114
Wells: North Porch 115
Wells: Nave, east 128
Wells: South-west 129
Bath Abbey: West front 136
Bath Abbey: Choir, west 137
Bristol: North 144
Bristol: Nave, east 145
Gloucester: East 154
Gloucester: Tomb of Edward II 155
Gloucester: Choir, east 164
Gloucester: Cloisters 165
Hereford: Nave, east 176
Hereford: North-east 177
Hereford: Choir 186
Worcester: South-west 187
Worcester: Nave, east 192
Worcester: Choir, east 193
Lichfield: West front 200
Lichfield: Nave, east 201
Lichfield: from East window 212
Chester: North 213
Chester: Choir, west 218
Chester: Choir-stalls 219
Manchester: South 224
Manchester: Nave, east 225
Carlisle: South-west 228
Carlisle: Choir 229
Carlisle: East End 232
Durham: West front 233
Durham: Nave, east 240
Durham: Galilee Chapel 241
Durham: Neville Screen 248
Ripon: South 249
Ripon: Nave, east 254
Ripon: Choir, east 255
York Minster: West front 268
York Minster: South 269
York Minster: Choir, east 278
York Minster: Choir, west 279
Lincoln: West front 288
Lincoln: Great West Door 289
Lincoln: Angel Choir 298
Lincoln: Choir, east 299
Lincoln: East Window 306
Southwell: North-west 307
Southwell: Chapter-House 316
Peterborough: West front 317
Peterborough: Choir, east 328
Peterborough: South 329
Ely: West Towers 336
Ely: Choir, east 337
Ely: East End and Lady-Chapel 346
Ely: Lady-Chapel 347
Norwich: East 356
Norwich: Choir 357
St. Albans: North 366
St. Albans: Nave, east 367
Oxford: Tower and Entrance 382
Oxford: Choir, east 383
Oxford: Latin Chapel 392
St. Paul’s: West front 393
St. Paul’s: Choir, east 414
St. Saviour’s, Southwark 415
St. Saviour’s, Southwark: Nave, east 424
Westminster Abbey: West front 425
Westminster Abbey: Poets’ Corner 432
Westminster Abbey: Choir, east 433
Westminster Abbey: Chapel and Shrine of
Edward the Confessor 436
Westminster Abbey: Henry VII.’s Chapel 437
Westminster Abbey: Cloisters 440
Westminster Abbey: South-west 441
CANTERBURY
DEDICATION: CHRIST CHURCH. FORMERLY THE CHURCH OF A BENEDICTINE
MONASTERY.
SPECIAL FEATURES: BECKET’S CROWN; DOOR OF CHAPTER-HOUSE; WEST
DOORWAY; CRYPT.
Canterbury Cathedral presents a beautiful effect when seen from a
distance, keeping watch over the city that lies in the valley of the
Stour, girdled by hills. On one of these hills stands the village of
Harbledown, the “Bob Up and Down,” where Chaucer’s Pilgrims halted, and
from which a charming view of the ancient Cathedral is to be enjoyed.
Another fine prospect is gained from St. Martin’s:
“Let any one sit on the hill of the little church of St. Martin,
and look on the view which is there spread before his eyes.
Immediately below are the towers of the great Abbey of St.
Augustine, where Christian learning and civilisation first struck
root in the Anglo-Saxon race; and within which now, after a lapse
of many centuries, a new institution has arisen, intended to carry
far and wide to countries of which Gregory and Augustine never
heard, the blessings which they gave to us. Carry your view
on,--and there rises high above all the magnificent pile of our
Cathedral equal in splendour and state to any, the noblest temple
or church, that Augustine could have seen in ancient Rome, rising
on the very ground which derives its consecration from him. And
still more than the grandeur of the outward buildings that rose
from the little church of St. Augustine, and the little palace of
Ethelbert, have been the institutions of all kinds, of which these
are the earliest cradle. From Canterbury, the first English
Christian city--from Kent, the first English Christian
kingdom--has, by degrees, arisen the whole constitution of Church
and State in England, which now binds together the whole British
Empire.”--(A. P. S.)
This great Cathedral stands on the site of the primitive Roman, or
British, Church, attributed to King Lucius and granted by Ethelbert,
King of Kent, to St. Augustine (who had converted him in 597). It is,
therefore, the earliest monument of the English union of Church and
State, and the cradle of English Christianity. Pope Gregory had intended
to fix the Primacy in London and York alternately; but the sentiment of
St. Augustine’s landing in Kent prevailed; and, therefore, the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the See of which was founded in 597, is still
Primate of England. He crowns the King and ranks next to royalty.
The first Cathedral was injured by the Danes in 1011 and it was burned
down during the Norman Conquest in 1067. Lanfranc, the first Archbishop
after the Conquest (1070-1089), reconstructed both church and monastery
from their foundations. Anselm (1093-1109), took down the eastern part
of the church and reërected it with far greater magnificence. Ernulf,
Prior of the monastery, was responsible for the architecture; but the
chancel being finished by his successor, Prior Conrad, and beautifully
decorated, became known as the “glorious Choir of Conrad.” Canterbury
Cathedral was dedicated by Archbishop William in 1130. Henry I., King of
England, David, King of Scotland, and all the Bishops of England were
present at what Gervase calls “the most famous dedication that had ever
been heard of on the earth since that of the temple of Solomon.” In
1170, Thomas à Becket was murdered here, having fled for protection to
the church after a violent scene in his chamber with Henry’s knights.
Becket was buried at the east end of the Crypt and remained there
forty-six years.
“Most men were persuaded that a new burst of miraculous powers,
such as had been suspended for many generations, had broken out at
the tomb; and the contemporary monk, Benedict, fills a volume with
extraordinary cures, wrought within a very few years after the
‘Martyrdom.’ Far and wide the fame of ‘St. Thomas of Canterbury’
spread. The very name of Christ Church, or of the Holy Trinity, by
which the Cathedral was properly designated, was in popular usage
merged in that of The Church of St. Thomas. For the few years
immediately succeeding his death there was no regular shrine. The
popular enthusiasm still clung to the two spots immediately
connected with the murder. The Transept in which he died, within
five years from that time acquired the name by which it has ever
since been known, ‘The Martyrdom.’ The flagstone on which his skull
was fractured and the solid corner of the masonry in front of which
he fell, are probably the only parts which remain unchanged. But
against that corner may still be seen the marks of the space
occupied by a wooden altar, which continued in its original
simplicity through all the subsequent magnificence of the church
till the time of the Reformation. It was probably the identical
memorial erected in the first haste of enthusiasm after the
reopening of the Cathedral for worship in 1172. It was called the
Altar of the Martyrdom or more commonly the Altar of the Sword’s
Point (_Altare ad Punctum Ensis_) from the circumstance that in a
wooden shed placed upon it was preserved the fragment of Le Bret’s
sword, which had been left on the pavement after accomplishing its
bloody work. Under a piece of rock crystal surmounting the chest,
was kept a portion of the brains. To this altar a regular keeper
was appointed from among the monks, under the name of ‘_Custos
Martyrii_.’ In the first frenzy of desire for relics of St. Thomas,
even this guarantee was inadequate.
“Next to the actual scene of the murder, the object which this
event invested with especial sanctity was the tomb in which his
remains were deposited in the Crypt behind the Altar of the Virgin.
It was to this spot that the first great rush of pilgrims was made
when the church was reopened in 1172, and it was here that Henry
performed his penance. Hither on the 21st of August, 1179, came the
first King of France who ever set foot on the shores of England,
Louis VII., warned by St. Thomas in dreams, and, afterwards, as he
believed, receiving his son back from a dangerous illness through
the Saint’s intercession. He knelt by the tomb and offered upon it
the celebrated jewel,[2] as also his own rich cup of gold.”--(A. P.
S.)
In 1174 a fire destroyed “Conrad’s Glorious Choir.” Rebuilding was
immediately begun under a French architect, William of Sens, who fell
from a scaffolding and had to relinquish the work to another William,
who completed the Choir and eastern buildings in 1184.
Everything was now in readiness for the removal of the Martyr’s remains.
Stephen Langton gave two years’ notice of the intended “Translation”;
and a marvellous assemblage gathered from all parts of Europe on July 7,
1220. The Archbishop opened the tomb the night before the coffin was
carried to the Shrine above in Trinity Chapel, and the “Vigil of the
Translation,” July 6, was kept in the English church until 1537. The
great procession to the Shrine was led by Henry III., then aged
thirteen. Pilgrims came to the new Shrine, as they had done to the one
below, in thousands. Seven great “jubilees” were held before 1530.
“The outer aspect of the Cathedral can be imagined without much
difficulty. A wide cemetery, which, with its numerous gravestones,
such as that on the south side of Petersborough Cathedral, occupied
the vacant space still called the Churchyard, divided from the
garden beyond by the old Norman arch since removed to a more
convenient spot. In the cemetery were interred such pilgrims as
died during their stay in Canterbury. The external aspect of the
Cathedral itself, with the exception of the numerous statues which
then filled its now vacant niches, must have been much what it is
now. Not so its interior. Bright colours on the roof, on the
windows, on the monuments; hangings suspended from the rods which
may still be seen running from pillar to pillar; chapels and
altars, and chantries intercepting the view, where now all is
clear, must have rendered it so different, that at first we should
hardly recognise it to be the same building.”--(A. P. S.)
At the church door the company of pilgrims arranged themselves “every
one after his degree,” and a monk sprinkled their heads with holy water
with the “Sprengel.” The great tide of pilgrims then passed through the
Cathedral. Sometimes they paid their devotions to the Shrine first, and
sometimes they visited the lesser objects first and the Shrine last. In
this case, they entered the Transept of the Martyrdom, through the dark
passage under the steps leading to the Choir. Before the wooden altar
and in the soft radiance of the glorious representation of the Martyr in
the transept window (of which there remains only the central band with
the donors, Edward IV., his Queen, with their daughters and the two sons
who perished in the Tower), while the priest showed them the relics of
which he had charge, including the rusty fragment of Le Bret’s sword,
which all kissed in turn. Proceeding down the steps on the way to the
Crypt, new guardians exhibited in the dim light of a row of lamps
suspended from rings in the roof, the actual relics of St. Thomas,--part
of his skull cased in silver, which all kissed devoutly, and his shirt
and drawers of haircloth.
Mounting the steps of the Choir, the pilgrims were then shown the great
array of about four hundred relics preserved in ivory, gilt or silver
coffers, including the arm of St. George. And now, passing behind the
altar and up the steps, which many ascended on their knees, chanting the
hymn to St. Thomas, they entered Trinity Chapel. They were first led
beyond the Shrine to the easternmost apse to see a golden head of the
Saint studded with gems, in which the scalp or crown of the Saint was
preserved.
“The Shrine occupied the central part of the upper platform, and
the extent of the railed space round it may be readily perceived by
examining the floor on which the depression made by the feet of the
pilgrims is plainly visible. The pavement inside this limit is
composed of the original steps and platform of the Shrine, and
consists in part of rich African marbles, as do also two whole
pillars to north and south, and two half pillars to the east. These
are said to have been the gift of a Pope to the Shrine, and,
indeed, to have once formed part of a Roman Temple. The Shrine
itself was simply the coffin of the Saint, richly adorned and cased
with gold and precious stones. It rested on a structure of stone
arches some five or six feet high, and was, as a rule, concealed
under a wooden cover, working on pulleys, like many covers of fonts
in our churches now. When raised the cover would reveal to the
venerating gaze of the pilgrims, plates of precious metal studded
with jewels of fabulous value, the most remarkable of which would
be pointed out by the attendant with a white wand. When the Shrine
was destroyed, by order of Henry VIII., these treasures filled two
great chests ‘such as six or seven strong men could no more than
convey one of them out of the church.’ West of the Shrine stood an
altar, and west of the altar a gate in the railings, in fact just
between the altar and the beautiful fragment of Italian marble
pavement.”--(F. and R.)
We can imagine the long line of kneeling pilgrims and those who were
allowed behind the iron gates rubbing themselves against the marble, so
that the wonder-working body within could effect a cure in anticipation
of the moment when the wooden canopy would be lifted.
“At a given signal this canopy was drawn up by ropes, and the
Shrine then appeared blazing with gold and jewels; the wooden sides
were plated with gold and damasked with gold wire; cramped together
on this gold ground were innumerable jewels, pearls, sapphires,
blassas, diamonds, rubies and emeralds, and ‘in the midst of the
gold’ rings or cameos of sculptured agates, cornelians and onyx
stones.
“As soon as this magnificent sight was disclosed, every one dropped
on his knees, and probably the tinkling of the silver bells
attached to the canopy would indicate the moment to all the
hundreds of pilgrims in whatever part of the Cathedral they might
be. The body of the Saint in the inner iron chest was not to be
seen except by mounting a ladder, which would be but rarely
allowed. But whilst the votaries knelt around, the Prior, or some
other great officer of the monastery, came forward, and with a
white wand touched the several jewels, naming the giver of each,
and for the benefit of foreigners, adding the French name of each,
with a description of its value and marvellous qualities. A
complete list of them has been preserved to us, curious, but devoid
of general interest. There was one, however, which far outshone the
rest, and indeed was supposed to be the finest in Europe. It was
the great carbuncle, ruby, or diamond, said to be as large as a
hen’s egg or a thumb-nail, and commonly called ‘The Regale of
France.’ The attention of the spectators was riveted by the figure
of an angel pointing to it. It had been given to the original tomb
in the Crypt by Louis VII. of France, when here on his
pilgrimage.[3]
“The lid once more descended on the golden ark; the pilgrims
‘telling heartily their beads
Prayed to St. Thomas in such wise as they could,’
and then withdrew, down the opposite flight of steps from which
they had ascended.”--(A. P. S.)
Next the pilgrims received the small leaden bottles, or _ampulles_,
filled with water mixed with the Martyr’s blood; and in the numerous
booths and stalls that lined Mercery Lane, the narrow street running
from the Cathedral to the Chequers Inn, bought other memorials of the
Pilgrimage, particularly the leaden brooches representing the mitred
head of the saint with the legend, _Caput Thomæ_.
From the middle of the Fourteenth to the end of the Fifteenth Century a
wonder-working well was shown to pilgrims in the Precincts.
Among the great visitors to the shrine of the “holy blissful Martyr”
were all the English kings from Henry II. to Henry VIII.; Edward I.
(1299), who presented the golden crown of Scotland, the crown given by
Edward to John Balliol and carried off by him, but recaptured at Dover;
Richard and John of England; Louis VII. of France; Isabella, wife of
Edward II.; John, the captive king of France; Henry V. on his return
from Agincourt; Emmanuel, Emperor of the East in 1400, and Sigismund,
Emperor of the West in 1417; and great lords and ladies from England,
France and Scotland. The barons of the Cinque Ports, after every
coronation, presented the canopies of silk and gold which they held and
still hold over the head of the king.
In 1538 Henry VIII. issued a writ of summons against Thomas à Becket
accusing him of treason, contumacy and rebellion and had the document
read before the Martyr’s tomb. The suit was tried in Westminster, and
the long defunct Archbishop condemned. His bones were ordered to be
burnt and all his offerings handed over to the Crown. Becket’s body,
however, escaped burning and was re-buried. The Shrine was destroyed and
all the offerings of jewels and gold carried off. They filled twenty-six
carts. Becket was deprived of the name of Saint and his images destroyed
throughout the country.
Returning now to the architectural history of the Cathedral, Prior
Chillenden (1378-1410) took down Lanfranc’s Nave and Transepts. About
1473 Prior Goldstone II. added the splendid Angel Tower that rises from
the centre of the roof, and upon which the figure of a golden angel
welcomed the pilgrims to Canterbury.
In 1642, the Puritans battered the windows, hacked and hewed the altars
and monuments and committed ravages of all kinds under a ringleader,
Richard Culmer, known as “Blue Dick.”
After the Restoration, £10,000 was devoted to repairs. At a later period
the Choir-stalls, said to be carved by Grinling Gibbons, were replaced.
In 1834, the northwest (Arundel) tower had to be pulled down. It was
rebuilt on a different plan.
Nothing of importance happened until 1872, when a fire broke out on the
roof of Trinity Chapel at half-past ten in the morning. Little damage
was done, however; but the Black Prince’s Tomb was in danger and the
relics above it were temporarily removed.
Canterbury was four centuries in building. It, therefore, exhibits
specimens of nearly all the classes of Pointed Architecture. It is
chiefly, however, Transitional Norman and Perpendicular.
“The existing cathedral, although of such various dates, covers, as
nearly as can be ascertained, the same ground as the original
building of Lanfranc, with the exception of the Nave, which is of
greater length westward, and of the Retro-Choir, or extreme eastern
portion, which is also longer.”--(R. J. K.)
Passing the traditional site of the Chequers Inn, where Chaucer’s
Pilgrims were housed, we walk up Mercery Lane to =Christ Church Gate=,
built by Prior Goldstone in 1517. It is a fine example of late
Perpendicular and once contained a figure of Christ in the central
niche.
This gate leads into the =Precincts= of the Cathedral. The close is
surrounded by the gardens of the Canons’ houses. We now look upon the
beautiful south side of the Cathedral.
“In the immediate Precincts, a delightful picture is presented from
the Green Court, which was once the main outer court of the
monastery. Here are noble trees and beautifully kept turf, at once
in perfect harmony and agreeable contrast with the rugged walls of
the weather-beaten Cathedral: the quiet, soft colouring of the
ancient buildings and that look of cloistered seclusion only to be
found in the peaceful nooks of cathedral cities are seen here at
their very best.
“The chief glory of the exterior of Canterbury Cathedral is the
central Angel, or Bell, Tower. This is one of the most perfect
structures that Gothic architecture inspired by the loftiest
purpose that ever stimulated the work of any art, has produced. It
was completed by Prior Selling, who held office in 1472, and has
been variously called the Bell Harry Tower from the mighty Dunstan
bell, weighing three tons and three hundredweight, and the Angel
Tower from the gilded figure of an angel poised on one of the
pinnacles, which has long ago disappeared. The tower itself is of
two stages, with two-light windows in each stage; the windows are
transomed in each face, and the lower tier is canopied; each angle
is rounded off with an octagonal turret; and the whole structure is
a marvellous example of architectural harmony and in every way a
work of transcendent beauty.”--(H. W.)
The =South-west=, or =Chichele, Tower=, (formerly St. Dunstan’s Tower) was
completed by Prior Goldstone (1449-1468). It is now the Bell Tower. The
=Northern=, or Arundel, steeple was rebuilt by Austen in 1840 in place of
the old Norman Tower, which had become dangerous.