THE JUNIOR IN CHAPEL.
The Late Warden—The Antechapel—The Crimean Memorial—The New
Tower—Hours of Service—The Oath—Cloisters.
Let us tread more gently as we pass through the gates of the beautiful
chapel. Here at any rate our Junior finds some rest and quiet, and is for
a period beyond the reach of the weary call of “Junior, Junior.” I feel
that it is a subject that cannot worthily be treated of by my trivial
pen. The most indifferent stranger cannot enter its sacred precincts
without being struck by the air of peaceful solemnity that pervades it
throughout; how much more, then, must he be affected who revisits,
for the first time after many years, the spot where as a boy he so
often listened to the swelling tones of the organ, or eloquent words of
wisdom—often, alas! but too little heeded! What crowds of reflections are
called forth as he gazes on the scene! How many resolutions have here
been formed, and how have they been kept? Can he flatter himself that
he is really more advanced on the narrow path than when he sat on those
benches years and years ago?
I will not attempt to describe the edifice. Let the reader imagine a
noble choir lighted with large windows of rich painted glass, through
which the slanting rays of the sun throw a many-coloured glow over the
wainscot and stalls of polished oak. How well I know every feature of
those quaint figures of prophets and apostles; and as I sit in my stall
and see the boys trooping in, it is difficult to realise that I am no
longer one of them.
But time has made many changes in the upper ranks; the clear ring of
the melodious tones of the accomplished Head-master’s voice may still
be heard, but he alone remains. In vain we look for the stalwart form
and genial countenance of the late beloved Warden, Barter, who, having
filled his responsible office full thirty years, has gone to his rest.
In the long list of his predecessors there has been none who was more
universally beloved in life, and whose death has been more unfeignedly
regretted.
On our way from Chapel we pass through Antechapel, now somewhat curtailed
in its dimensions, the screen which separates it from Chapel having
been moved in order to give room for the increased number of boys. The
beautiful font, presented by the Head-master, and some mural tablets,
(which formerly stood beneath the Tower,) have been removed to a small
side chapel, the entrance to which is under the organ; one of these,
erected to the memory of a young and lovely wife by her sorrowing
husband, bears the following beautiful inscription:—
“I nimium dilecta, vocat Deus, I bona nostræ”
“Pars animæ, mærens altera disce sequi.”
In the vestibule leading to Cloisters, immediately opposite to the door
of Antechapel, is the memorial erected by Wykehamists in memory of their
brethren who fell in the Crimean war; it is worthy of its object, being
beautifully executed in variegated marble. I have stood by their graves
in the dreary Russian Chersonese, yet it seems but yesterday that I heard
some of them answering their names at this very door.
[Illustration: THE CRIMEAN MEMORIAL.
INSCRIPTION ON THE CRIMEAN MEMORIAL.
Samuel Twyford R.N. Lieutenant H.M.S. London. Killed in the Trenches
while serving in the Royal Naval Brigade 9th April 1855 aged 25 years.
Edward Henry Webb. Lieutenant 88th Connaught Rangers. Killed in the
attack on the Quarries 7th June 1855 aged 22 years.
Frederick Grote Barker. Lieutenant 68th Light Infantry. Killed at the
Battle of Inkerman 5th November 1854 aged 21 years.
Richard Grenville Deane. Ensign 30th Regiment of Foot. Killed at the
assault on the Redan 5th Sept 1855 aged 18 years.
Walter Trevelyan. Colonel Coldstream Guards. Died of Cholera at Varna
21st August 1854 aged 56 years.
Robert Edward Boyle M.P. Son of Edmund Earl of Cork and Orrery. Lieut.
Colonel Coldstream Guards. Died of Fever at Varna 3d September 1854 aged
44 years.
Henry Thomas Butler. Captain 55th Regiment of Foot Deputy Assistant
Adjutant General. Killed at the Battle of Inkerman 5th November 1854 aged
41 years.
THIS PORCH Has been prepared and beautified by WILLIAM of WYKEHAMS Sons
as a sacred shrine in which the memories of their thirteen brethren who
died in the War of the Crimea A.D. 1854-5 may be preserved for an example
to future generations. Think upon them thou who art passing by to day.
Child of the same family bought by the same Lord. Keep thy foot when thou
goest into this house of God. There watch thine armour and make thyself
ready by prayer. To fight and to die. The faithful soldier and servant of
Christ. And of thy Country.
John Jackson Lowth C.B. Lieut Colonel 38th Regiment of Foot. Died on
landing at Portsmouth 28th July 1855. From wounds received on the 18th
June aged 51 years.
John Charles Conolly. Captain 23d Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Killed at the
Battle of the Alma 20th September 1854 aged 33 years.
Frank John Curtis. Lieutenant 46th Regiment of Foot. Killed in the
Trenches 23d May 1855 aged 23 years.
Arthur Francis Main. Lieutenant 77th Regiment of Foot. Died in camp 21st
November 1854 aged 22 years.
James Bullen Dennis. Lieutenant 3d Buffs. Died 4th October 1855 of wounds
received in the trenches before Sebastopol 19th August 1855 aged 21 years.
Charles Henry Beck. Lieutenant 23d Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Died at sea 23d
September 1855 of wounds received at the assault on the Redan aged 19
years.
HE IS NOT A GOD OF THE DEAD BUT OF THE LIVING FOR ALL LIVE TO HIM.]
The beautiful Tower attached to the Chapel had long been in rather a
dilapidated condition, owing to its having been built on a very insecure
foundation; it had inclined considerably to one side, a great crack had
appeared on the contiguous wall of Chapel, which indeed it threatened to
drag down, and it was considered unsafe to ring the bells. For these
reasons the authorities determined to pull it down and rebuild it, stone
for stone, with the old materials; this was commenced in 1860, and the
work is now fully completed. It is called the “Tower of the Two Wardens,”
in memory of the late Dr Williams, who was (many years Head-master of
Winchester, and afterwards) Warden of New College, Oxford, and of Mr
Barter, the late Warden of Winchester; while the work of reconstruction
was going on, the opportunity was seized of enlarging the chapel by
taking in part of the Antechapel, as described in a previous page. If
the school continues to increase as it has done lately, this enlargement
must, I think, be carried on further, and the whole of Antechapel be
added to the main aisle. Beneath the Tower, on the southern side of the
Antechapel, is the following inscription:—
In Memoriam,
DAVID WILLIAMS, I.C.D.,
HUJUS COLLEGII
XIV. ANNOS HOSTIARII: XII. INFORMATORIS
COLL. B.M. WINTON IN OXON
XX. ANNOS CUSTODIS,
VIRI CONSILIO DIGNITATE DOCTRINÂ,
HUMANITATE MUNIFICENTIA,
CANDORE MORUM, ET INTEGRITATE VITÆ,
SI QUIS ALIUS INSIGNIS.
In Memoriam,
ROBERT SPECKOTT BARTER,
I.C.B.,
HUJUS COLLEGII
XXIX. ANNOS CUSTODIS,
VIRI
OB BENEVOLENTIAM CORDIS ET LARGITATEM
CONSTANTIAM ANIMI ET FIDEM,
SUAVITATEM LIBERALITATEM PIETATEM,
NEMINI NON DILECTUM.
Utriusque geminorum horum Collegiorum decoris tutelæ columnæ
Utriusque intra unius anni spatium ad immortalia avocati
Hanc Turrim vetustate diu labantem denuo exædificandam, ab nomine Duorum
Custodum
Perpetuo appellandum censuerunt Wiccamici sui A.S. MDCCCLXIII.
posterorum causa
Id scilicet in animis habentes ut in ipsa acerbissimi desiderii
recordatione manifestum facerent
Non in quibuslibet viris magnis nec in brevem aliquam hominum ætatem
Sed in omne tempus et in perpetua serie virorum ad horum exemplar
Sub his penetralibus ad omnia bona fortia fidelia enutriendorum
STARE REM WICCAMICAM.
The hours of worship (now, I believe, somewhat altered) used to be as
follows:—At six A.M. in summer, at a quarter before seven in winter,
at eight and at half-past ten A.M., and at five P.M., on Sundays,[6]
Saints’-days, and Founder’s Anniversaries. On Fridays at eleven A.M., and
on Saturdays at five P.M. the boys might be seen trooping across the
quadrangle on their way to Chapel—on Sundays and on Saints’-days clad
in white surplices. Besides this, every evening at nine prayers used to
be read by the junior Præfect in Antechapel, who stood on the top of
the steps leading up to one of the curtained and barred pews reserved
for ladies, one of which was placed on each side of Antechapel; the
fair occupants, not being allowed to enter the body of the chapel, were
obliged to content themselves with looking and listening through the
grating.
Once a year all the boys who had passed the age of fifteen, (and who
had not previously gone through the same ceremony,) were marshalled
into Chapel, and, under the inspection of “Semper Testis,” (the legal
aide-de-camp of the College authorities,) went through the form of taking
an oath. I have no distinct recollection of the form of the proceeding,
(it is now abolished,) but I think the official above-mentioned read out
a Latin document, and we were supposed to say Amen. I believe the gist of
it was that we were to defend and befriend the college to the best of
our ability, and never tell anybody what went on within its walls. I am
sure I should require no compulsion to carry out the former obligation,
should the occasion occur, and I had any possible means of fulfilling my
duty, and if I have done no more harm in writing this little sketch of
our proceedings at Winchester than infringing the latter, my conscience
will not be much troubled. Although the making a number of thoughtless
boys go through a ceremony of this kind may seem objectionable, yet it is
not the part of a Wykehamist to exclaim against it, as, according to well
authenticated tradition, Cromwell would have destroyed the College, had
he not yielded to the urgent representations of one of his officers, who
was a Wykehamist, and, mindful of his oath, succeeded in saving the noble
establishment from its impending fate.
I must not take leave of Chapel without noticing the beautiful Cloisters,
with a little gem of a chapel standing in the middle, surrounded by
smooth green turf. It is now used as the Fellows’ library. I think it a
pity that the Cloisters are so little seen, as they are very beautiful.
The Fellows, in general, do not reside at Winchester, and I do not
imagine that those who do spend any very great part of their time in such
absorbing study that the movements of the Præfects in Cloisters on week
days, and of the others on Sundays, would disturb them very much; to such
an extent I think the boys might be admitted without danger of their
injuring the building or the tablets on the walls. At present the extreme
stillness of the place is somewhat overpowering.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]