_SOME GREAT CHURCHES AND CATHEDRALS._
EARLY BASILICA CHURCH ARCHITECTURE.
The basilicas of Pagan Rome were long rectangular buildings, divided along
their whole length sometimes by two, not seldom by four, lines of columns,
and serving as halls or courts of justice. The Christians of the fourth
and fifth centuries often obtained from favouring emperors leave to turn
these basilicas into churches. It was thought that this gave a pattern to
early churches. The roof was gradually raised proportionately and the arms
thrown out wider to accommodate an increased congregation, thereby
assuming a cruciform outline. St. Peter's at Rome, before Michael Angelo's
design, was a basilica, also St. Paul's without the walls, and the church
of Maria Maggiore: these and the church of St. Apollinaris at Ravenna were
the grandest of this class of churches. Justinian, the Emperor, reared
many basilicas, and his masterpiece was St. Sophia's church at
Constantinople, which was imitated in the church of St. Vitalis at
Ravenna. The period is uncertain when the central dome or cupola came to
be added. In the eleventh century a new era of church-building began,
called the Romanesque, and lasted about two centuries in Italy and Norman
England. Then came the Gothic, though the Goths had nothing to do with the
invention: the pointed arch is the characteristic, and it was first
noticed in Sicily, and then spread rapidly in Germany, Northern France,
and England. In Italy the Renaissance was equally making its way, with its
rich marbles, mosaics, and gold and silver decorations.
EARLY CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE.
Lord Lindsay, in his "Christian Art," says that the buildings required for
the religious ceremonies of the Church in the fourth century were of
three descriptions: (1) baptisteries for the performance of the initiatory
rite of Christianity; (2) churches for the united worship of the initiated
and the celebration of the mystery of the Lord's Supper; (3) sepulchral
chapels for the commemorative prayers offered up for the welfare of the
departed who sleep in Christ. For the first of these, the public baths;
for the second, the basilicas or courts of justice; for the third, the
subterranean cells of the Catacombs, presented ready models. The basilicas
were models of everything that could be desired. Their plan was an oblong
area, divided by pillars into a nave and two aisles, the nave being
sometimes open to the sky, sometimes roofed in, the aisles always so
protected, the whole bounded by a transverse aisle or transept, raised by
several steps and terminating at the extremity opposite the door of the
building in a semicircular niche or tribune where the judge sat. Nothing
could be easier than to accommodate an edifice like this to the demands of
Christian worship. Two basilicas, the Laterana and Vaticana at Rome, were
actually converted by Constantine into churches. The basilica retained its
form unchanged for ages.
THE COPTIC CHURCH.
The name of Coptic Church is given to the Church among the descendants of
the ancient Egyptians, so called from Coptos, a city in Upper Egypt. This
Church traces its origin to St. Mark, and had Origen, St. Antony, St.
Athanasius, St. Cyril, and others as its early champions. The Coptic
Church was almost identified with other Churches up to the council of
Chalcedon in 451, from which date it was viewed as an unorthodox Church.
One Timothy the Cat was the leader of the heretics, and he got this name
from visiting the cells of the monks by night, and proclaiming himself an
angel from heaven, and charging them to forsake the people whom he viewed
as heretics, but whom we would call orthodox. The Timotheans murdered the
arch-priest of the opposite party. Two rival sets of patriarchs headed
these factions. The Copt who enters his church takes off his shoes, walks
up to the curtain, kisses the hem, and prostrates himself before the
sanctuary. Standing during the service is usual; hence all are supplied
with crutches of a height to enable the worshippers to lean upon them.
There are no organs, but musical accompaniments are made by cymbals,
triangles, and small brass bells struck with a little rod. There are no
images permitted, but paintings adorn the walls on every side, the
principal of which is one of Christ blessing His Church.
SPIRES AND TOWERS OF CATHEDRALS AND CHURCHES.
The spire has for centuries been a frequent ornament of churches in all
countries, though in England there were few spires in the earliest
churches. The highest spires have been as follows: Old St. Paul's, 527
feet; Cologne, 510 feet; Strasburg, 500 feet; Vienna, 441 feet; St.
Peter's dome, 434 feet; Amiens, 422 feet; Antwerp, 406 feet; Salisbury,
404 feet; Florence, 387 feet; Freiburg, 385 feet; Milan, 355 feet;
Chartres, 353 feet; Segovia, 330 feet; St. Michael's, Coventry, 320 feet;
Norwich, 309 feet; Louth, 294 feet; Chichester, 271 feet; Glasgow, 225
feet; St. Patrick's, Dublin, 223 feet. The towers of churches were also
rare until the eleventh century. Owing to a faulty foundation or
subsidence, some towers lean considerably out of the perpendicular, as St.
Marian at Este, Pisa, and Bologna, Vienna, Delft, Saragossa, Weston
(Lincolnshire), The Temple (Bristol), Wynunbury (Cheshire), and Surfleet.
Galileo took advantage of the leaning tower at Pisa to make experiments on
falling bodies. The following is the height of the highest towers: Bruges,
442 feet; Mechlin, 348 feet; Utrecht, 321 feet; Tournay, 320 feet; Ludlow,
294 feet; Grantham, 274 feet; Boston, 268 feet; Lincoln, 262 feet;
Canterbury, 229 feet; Gloucester and Westminster, 225 feet; Durham, 216
feet; York, 198 feet.
INTERNAL DIMENSIONS OF CATHEDRALS.
The length, width at transept, and height in feet of the largest
cathedrals are said to be: St. Peter's, Rome, 613, 450, 152; Old St.
Paul's, 590, 300, 102; Modern St. Paul's, 460, 240, 88; Canterbury, 514,
130, 80; Winchester, 545, 209, 78; St. Albans, 543, 175, 66; Westminster,
505, 190, 103; Ely, 517, 185, 72; York, 486, 222, 101; Durham, 473, 170,
70; Lincoln, 468, 220, 82; Salisbury, 450, 206, 84; Florence, 458, 334,
153; Saltzburg, 466; Cologne, 445, 250, 161; Milan, 443, 287, 153;
Granada, 425, 249; Amiens, 442, 194, 140; Paris, 432, 186; Chartres, 418,
200, 114; Rouen, 415, 176, 89; Valladolid, 414, 204; Seville, 398, 291,
132; Ratisbon, 384, 128, 118; Constantinople, 360; Palermo, 346, 138, 74;
Drontheim, 334, 166; Upsala, 330, 140, 105; Vienna, 337, 115, 92; St.
Patrick's, Dublin, 300, 157, 58; Glasgow, 282; Venice, 205, 164.
THE GOTHIC CATHEDRALS.
The birthplace of true Gothic architecture was north of the Alps--it would
seem on the Rhine. The northern climate may have had something to do with
its rise and development. Its high roof would cast off more easily the
heavy snows; the numerous windows would welcome the flooding light; and to
restore the solemnity and subdue the glare painted glass was resorted to.
The Gothic cathedral, says Milman, was the consummation, the completion,
of mediæval, of hierarchical, Christianity. The church might seem to
expand and lay itself out in long and narrow avenues with the most
gracefully converging perspective, in order that the worshipper might
contemplate with deeper awe the more remote central ceremonial. The
enormous height more than compensated for the contracted breadth. Nothing
could be more finely arranged for the impressive services; and the
processional services became more frequent, more imposing. The music,
instead of being beaten down by low, broad arches, or lost within the
heavier aisles, soared freely to the lofty roof, pervaded the whole
building, was infinitely multiplied as it died and rose again to the
fretted roof. Even the incense, curling more freely up to the immeasurable
height, might give the notion of clouds of adoration finding their way to
heaven. The Gothic cathedral remains an imperishable monument of
hierarchical wealth, power, devotion. It has been described as a vast book
in stone--a book which taught by symbolic language, partly plain and
obvious to the simplest man, partly shrouded in not less attractive
mystery. Even its height, its vastness, might appear to suggest the
inconceivable, the incomprehensible, the infinite, the incalculable
grandeur and majesty of the Divine works. The mind felt humble under its
shadow, as before an awful presence.
THE ALTAR IN CHURCHES.
Christian churches had an altar, which, to distinguish it from the old
altars of the Jewish and Pagan temples, on which sacrifices of blood were
offered, was only a table, shaped in memory of the Last Supper. Altars of
stone began to be used in the fourth century, and were directed by several
councils to be used, as these were symbolical of Christ, the Rock. About
the thirteenth century, the altar began to be shaped like a tomb. At first
there was only one altar allowed in one church, to signify the unity of
the Church; but at later dates more than one were introduced for
convenience. The altar at first stood in the centre of the church, but in
later times stood at the east end of the building. In the tenth century
the cross began to be put on the altar, but neither cross nor candles were
put permanently there till the fourteenth century. The great distinction
in England after the Reformation was the substitution of a plain movable
wooden table for the celebration of the Communion instead of the fixed
altar.
INCENSE AND HOLY WATER IN CHURCHES.
Incense was a mode of symbolising the prayers offered to God. Some trace
its origin to the fifth, and others no higher than the eighth or ninth,
century. In the Catacombs it may have been useful to dispel damp and
noisome smells. It was a very frequent accompaniment of Divine service in
all Christian churches before the Reformation. Holy water was suggested as
a mode of exorcising devils, and Pope Alexander I. directed it to be used
in churches, and it was mixed with salt. A stone basin, called a
holy-water stock, was kept at the entrance of churches, with a brush for
scattering it.
ST. PETER'S AT ROME.
The great attraction of Christendom for centuries was the church of St.
Peter's at Rome, built on the site of the original church in which it was
said the Apostle Peter officiated. In 306 Constantine founded a basilica
on the same spot. In 1450, the structure being ruinous, Pope Nicholas V.
commenced the present extensive building, but it was long before it
advanced. When Michael Angelo completed the design for a Papal tomb, it
gave a stimulus to this undertaking, and Julius II. engaged Bramante to
complete a design, and that was proceeded with. After two or three
successors had been engaged, one of them being Raphael, Michael Angelo was
appointed to complete the works, and he acted as chief designer till 1563,
when he died at the age of eighty-nine. The main design was not completed
till 1590. The number of architects has thus marred the unity of the
building, and each having added or altered something, alterations still
went on till 1780, so that nearly three and a half centuries passed in
maturing it. It covers about six acres, and is about 100 feet longer than
St. Paul's, London. The interior is of magnificent and harmonious
proportions. The height of the nave is 152 feet, and 88 feet wide; the
side aisles are 34 feet wide. The diameter of the interior of the cupola
is 139 feet. The exterior height to the top of the cross is 448 feet. The
nave is richly decorated with gilding and stucco ornaments, and colossal
statues fill the lower niches. The dome is supported by four massive
piers, each with two recesses. Above the lower recesses are four
balconies, in which are preserved the relics of saints. One is the
_sudarium_ or handkerchief of Veronica, containing a likeness of the
Saviour. There is also a portion of the true cross discovered by St.
Helena. The head of St. Andrew is also here. The cupola above the dome is
divided into sixteen compartments, ornamented with gilded stuccoes and
mosaics. The design, altitude, and decorations of the cupola are described
as glorious, and the mind dilates with wonder and rapture as the details
are examined. The Baldacchino or grand canopy over the high altar is under
the centre of the dome, and is 95 feet high, supported by four spiral
columns. The high altar is immediately over the relics of St. Peter. This
altar is only used on grand occasions, and the Pope alone can celebrate
Mass there, or a cardinal specially authorised by a Papal brief. On the
right side of the nave is a bronze statue of St. Peter on a marble chair,
and with the foot extended. On entering the basilica devotees kiss the toe
of this foot, and press their foreheads against it. The figure is rude and
of uncertain origin. The tribune, which is behind and east of the high
altar, is decorated with the designs of Michael Angelo, and contains the
chair of St. Peter, in which he is said to have once officiated, and which
is kept in a closet high in the wall safely locked with three keys, and
exhibited only on rare occasions. In one chapel the Pieta of Michael
Angelo, a marble group, and a masterpiece of his, is placed. In another
chapel there is a column in white marble, said to have been brought from
the Temple at Jerusalem, and the one against which the Saviour leaned when
He disputed with the doctors. The illumination of St. Peter's on Easter
Sunday, when all the details are lit up with lamps, is like a blaze of
fireworks. When lit up, there are 6,800 lamps burning.
THE SIXTINE CHAPEL AT ROME.
The Sixtine Chapel at Rome was built in 1473, under Pope Sixtus IV. The
upper walls and roof are adorned with frescoes illustrating scenes in the
Old and New Testaments. The architectural and pictured details are all in
unison. Michael Angelo's genius is here transcendent. And Raphael was an
admirer of the designs. The grand fresco of the Last Judgment by Michael
Angelo is at one end of the building. To encourage the artist in this
great work, the Pope, attended by ten cardinals, often went to visit him,
and this was deemed at the time an unparalleled honour to Art. The Pope,
it is said, was anxious to have this fresco painted in oils, but the
artist declined peremptorily, saying that oil-painting was fit only for
women and idlers who had plenty of time to throw away. The nudity of the
figures in this work was much discussed at the time, and the Pope at last
employed one Daniele da Volterra to cover some of them with drapery, and
he was nicknamed the "Breeches-maker"; at a later date further draperies
were added, which spoiled the picture considerably. The colours are now
dim with age and the smoke of candles and incense.
THE CATHEDRAL OF GENOA.
About 1310 the cathedral of San Lorenzo was erected at Genoa, and the
bas-relief over the principal entrance and a large fresco on the ceiling
represent St. Laurence's martyrdom. The roof and pillars are of alternate
white and black marble. The richest portion of the church is the chapel of
St. John the Baptist, which no female is permitted to enter, except on one
day of the year--an exclusion imposed by Pope Innocent VIII., in
recollection of the daughter of Herodias. The relics of the saint are said
to be contained in an iron-bound chest which is seen through the apertures
of the marble covering. On the day of his nativity they are carried in
procession. In the treasury of the cathedral is preserved the _sacro
catino_, long supposed to be composed of a single piece of emerald, and
also variously asserted by some to be a gift from the Queen of Sheba to
Solomon; by others to be the dish which held the paschal lamb at the Last
Supper; by others the vessel in which Joseph of Arimathæa received the
blood flowing from the side of the Saviour. It was part of the spoils
taken at Cæsarea in 1101. The Crusaders and their allies divided the
booty, and the Genoese selected this precious vessel as their portion. It
is exposed to the veneration of the faithful three times a year. No
stranger is allowed to touch it under a heavy penalty. Yet some daringly
curious have attempted to discover the metal or mineral. Some travellers
affect to have discovered that it is glass, and this is the latest belief.
The dish is hexagonal, the colour is beautiful, and the transparency
perfect.
THE CATHEDRAL OF TURIN.
A church at Turin dedicated to St. John the Baptist was first erected in
602, but the present cathedral was begun in 1498, and the decorations are
comparatively modern. The sacristy contains magnificent crosses, vases,
and reliquaries, the chief object, however, being a large statue of the
Virgin, crowned and standing under a silver-gilt canopy. Behind the
cathedral is the Chapel del Sudario, which contains many unique
architectural effects; the centre of a star-decorated pavement is the
altar, on which is placed the shrine, brilliant with gold, silver, and
precious stones. The _santo sudario_, according to the legend, is one of
the folds of the shroud in which our Lord was wrapped by Joseph of
Arimathæa, and on which an impression was left of His body, other folds
being preserved at Rome, Besançon, and Cadouin. The one at Turin was
brought from Cyprus in 1452 by a descendant of a Crusader. This shrine has
been invoked by kings, and is worshipped with great reverence. In another
church at Turin, called Corpus Domini, which is highly decorated, there is
an inscription to commemorate the miraculous recovery of a piece of
sacramental plate, containing the consecrated wafer. During a pillage a
soldier stole it, and hid it in one of the panniers which an ass was
carrying, but the ass refused to pass the church door. The sacred pyx fell
to the ground, and the wafer, rising into the air, remained suspended
there, encircled with rays of light, until the bishop and his clergy came
out to receive it. This miracle happened in 1453, and three paintings on
the vault of the nave represent it.
THE CATHEDRAL OF MILAN.
At Milan the cathedral has been rebuilt thrice, the present being begun in
1387. The central tower and spire are of great beauty. A statue of the
Madonna crowns the spire, and it is 355 feet high. The interior is
magnificent, and said to be the grandest in the world, and bears a long
examination. The height of the pillars of the nave is 80 feet. The roof is
painted to represent an elaborate fretwork. The painted glass is abundant
and of extraordinary brilliancy. Suspended from the vaulting of the
octagon over the altar is a reliquary, said to contain one of the nails of
the cross, which once a year is exhibited on the altar. The circuit wall
of the choir towards the aisles is covered with bas-reliefs representing
the history of the Virgin. There is an altar with the celebrated crucifix
which was carried about the city before St. Carlo during the plague at
Milan. On the high altar is a magnificent tabernacle of gilt bronze with
figures of the Saviour and the Twelve Apostles. The subterranean chapel of
San Carlo is dedicated to that saint, who was a great sanitary reformer
and excited the enmity of the monks, one of whom fired at him as he was
kneeling at the altar during the anthem. The bullet struck him on the
back, but fell harmless to the ground, and this was deemed an
interposition of Providence. The saint continued in prayer undisturbed. He
died in 1584, and his body is deposited in a gorgeous shrine of silver,
and is seen through panes of rock crystal arrayed in full pontificals. The
flesh has crumbled away, notwithstanding the efforts of the embalmers. St.
Ambrose, who was born in 340, was chosen archbishop of Milan in 375.
THE CATHEDRAL OF FLORENCE.
The Florentines, in 1294, were determined to surpass their contemporaries
in the grandeur of their cathedral, which is said to have given the idea
of St. Peter's at Rome. The cupola is the largest dome in the world,
though the summit of St. Peter's is higher. The interior is rather dark,
owing to the smallness of the windows and the richness of the stained
glass. The whole design is characterised by grandeur and simplicity, and
the pavement in variegated marbles enhances the general effect. The choir
and the high altar are placed beneath the dome. Behind the altar is a
Pieta or group of the Virgin at the entombment, designed by Michael
Angelo. The campanile or bell-tower is 275 feet high, and decorated with
rich tablets from the designs of Giotto. The cost of the tower was said to
be enormous. Six fine bells are hung at the top. The baptistery has as its
chief glory the bronze doors executed by Ghiberti and Andrea Pisano, and
which Michael Angelo said were worthy to be the gates of Paradise. They
illustrate the chief events in the life of our Lord, as well as scenes in
the Old Testament history. The perspective of these sculptures is in
modern times viewed as defective, and too much detail is introduced; but
the borderings are exquisite. The cupola is covered with mosaics, and the
floor is a mosaic of black and white marble. In Florence there is also a
chapel of the Annunziata, with altar and silver-work decorations and
frescoes. The miraculous fresco of the Annunciation is believed to have
been painted by angels, and is exhibited only on great occasions. A
celebrated Madonna was here painted by Andrea del Sarto, which he gave for
a sack of wheat, and hence called "Madonna del Sacco."
THE CATHEDRAL OF PISA.
The first period of Christian architecture was the Roman basilica, the
second the Byzantine, and the third the Lombard and Norman style, which
was followed by the Gothic. The most splendid specimen of the Lombard
style is the cathedral of Pisa. It was the oblation of the richest and
most powerful city in Italy at the height of her prosperity, her industry,
her commerce, her fame; it was made in the pride of her wealth, in a
passion of gratitude for a victory, and for rich plunder taken from the
Mohammedans in the harbour of Palermo. The cathedral makes one of the four
buildings--the dome, the baptistery, the leaning tower, the Campo
Santo--which in their sad grandeur in the deserted city surpass all other
groups of buildings in Europe. The cathedral, standing alone, would
command the highest admiration. The west front displays a profusion of
tiers of arches above arches, arranged with finer proportion, richness,
and upward decreasing order than elsewhere. But its sublimity is within.
Its plan, the Latin cross, in the most perfect proportion, gives an
impressive unity to its central nave, with its double aisles, its aisled
transepts, and its receding apse. Its loftiness is more commanding than
any building of its class in Italy. The Corinthian pillars along the nave
are of admirable height and proportion. The first stone of the cathedral
was laid in 1067, and the whole was completed in 1118. The extraordinary
campanile or bell-tower, now called the leaning tower, was begun in 1174,
and the foundation giving way accounts for its falling from the
perpendicular. The tower is cylindrical, is 53 feet in diameter, and is
179 feet high. On the summit of the tower are seven bells, which are
sonorous and harmonious. The baptistery adjoining has a dome 99 feet in
diameter. On the exterior of the eastern doorway are sculptures
representing the martyrdom of John the Baptist. In the centre of the
building is the font, about 14 feet in diameter. The great ornament of
this building is the _pergamo_ or pulpit, by Nicolo Pisano, of hexagonal
form, with bas-reliefs of the events in Christ's life. The Campo Santo is
a cemetery containing a great collection of sepulchral monuments and a
museum of the dead. Upwards of three hundred statues and sculptures are
here, and six hundred tombs of families. The frescoes on the walls include
pictures of a great variety of sacred subjects from the Old and New
Testaments, and some of these are by superior artists.
CHAPEL OF SAN GENNARO AT NAPLES.
Near the basilica of _Santa Restituta_, which is the cathedral at Naples,
is a chapel of San Gennaro, richly decorated. It is chiefly remarkable for
the blood of St. Januarius, which is exhibited in two phials resting in a
tabernacle behind the high altar. The blood of the saint liquefies three
times a year. The saint was exposed to lions in the amphitheatre about
305, when the beasts prostrated themselves before him and grew tame. He
was afterwards decapitated and his body deposited at Pozzuoli, and then
removed to this church. The blood was said to have been first collected by
a woman present at the martyrdom. In 1696 Lord Perth, the chancellor of
Scotland, being on his travels, described the whole exhibition of the
relics in his time. He said the blood looked like a piece of pitch clotted
and hard in the glass, and when brought near to the head it liquefied; and
"it was an admirable thing to see blood shed upwards of thirteen hundred
years ago liquefy at this approach to the head. The Roman lady who had
gathered it from off the ground with a sponge had, in squeezing of it into
the glass, let a bit of straw fall in too, which one sees in the blood to
this very day."
THE CATHEDRAL OF SANTIAGO COMPOSTELLA.
The cathedral of Santiago (which is the Spanish name for St. James the
Elder) is also called Compostella, because a star is said to have pointed
out where that saint's body was concealed, being in a wood near the
present city. This shrine has been the favourite resort of pilgrims from
all parts of Spain, France, and England. The cathedral was founded in
1078, and is on the same plan and design as that of Toulouse. The statue
of St. James has figures of kings kneeling before it. Here there is a
hospital for pilgrims built in four quadrangles, and so contrived that the
patients can all see the sacrifice of the Mass. The interior of the
cathedral is purposely kept somewhat dark to increase the effect of the
illuminations of the high altar, thus rendering the image of the apostle
the one prominent feature. The dark side aisles, which look almost like
corridors, are filled with confessional boxes dedicated to different
saints, while on those destined for foreign pilgrims are inscribed the
languages which the priest understands. The image of St. James in the
Capilla Mayor, is Gothic, of stone painted and gilt, and so covered with
ornamentation that the head alone is visible. The image is seated, holding
a book in the left hand and blessing with the right. It is placed in a
fine silver shrine. Mass can only be said before this image by bishops or
canons of a certain dignity, of whom seven attend on grand occasions. The
aureola of the saint's head is composed of rubies and emeralds. The
western portico of this church is considered the most glorious achievement
of Christian art, and the Last Judgment is represented with the Saviour as
the chief figure, being twice the size of life. The figures and
architecture are alike exquisite. The ceremonial by pilgrims to this
shrine begins with the ascent of some steps behind the image, and then the
stranger places his hands on the shoulders and kisses the hood. This kiss
is the chief object and end of the pilgrimage, without which all is
ineffectual. He next proceeds to one of the confessors, by whom he is
absolved. He then communicates and receives his certificate or
compostella. This last is a printed document signed by the canon, and
certifies that he has complied with all the devotional ceremonies
necessary to constitute a real pilgrim. This compostella is kept along
with the family title deeds as a voucher of the journey, and it is often
made the condition of succession to landed estates. The ceremonies of the
offertory on the great festival day, July 25th, are various and full of
interest.
THE SPANISH CATHEDRAL OF LEON.
The cathedral of Santa Maria at Leon is one of the oldest in Spain, the
present one being built about 1073. Its lightness of construction is
proverbial. The grand western entrance is said to be the best of its kind
in Spain. There are about fifty large statues and many small sculptures of
admirable finish. On each side of the altar are buried two saints, Froylar
and Alvito. The lofty windows are painted with apostles, saints, virgins,
kings, and bishops; the reds and greens are among the finest specimens of
the art, being executed by Flemish artists. In one of the chapels, called
the Chapel of the Dice, is the miraculous image of the Virgin and Child,
the chapel being so called because a gambler once, after being unlucky,
threw his dice at it, and hit the infant's nose, which immediately bled.
The chapel of St. Andrew, in the same cathedral, has doorways and doors
richly and delicately carved in the finest style. The frescoes illustrate
scenes in the life of the Saviour, and the drawing and colouring are the
best specimens of early Spanish painting. In Leon there is also a church
of St. Isidore, which contains the body of that saint, who worked miracles
after his death. Though he was known only as a learned man in his
lifetime, he is said to have become the tutelar saint of Leon after his
death, and in this capacity to have fought at the battle of Baeza armed
with a sword and cross. He was on that occasion mounted on horseback and
arrayed in his pontificals. The high altar shares with Lugo the rare
privilege of having the Host, the incarnate Deity, always visible; and the
effect at night, when all is lighted up, with figures of angels kneeling
at the side, is described as striking.
THE CATHEDRAL OF SEVILLE.
The cathedral of Seville is one of the largest and finest in Spain; its
characteristic is solemnity, as elegance is the feature of Leon, strength
of Santiago, and wealth of Toledo. The cathedral of Seville was begun in
1401, and its ample revenues and grand decorations long fostered and
employed the artistic genius of Andalusia, and the interior, with its five
mighty aisles and ample choir, remain still unrivalled. The see being
vacant in 1401, the chapter determined to rebuild the fabric. "Let us
build," said these magnificent ecclesiastics, "a church that shall cause
us to be taken for madmen by them who shall come after us, so that at all
events it shall have no equal." The name of the architect, though leaving
his mark in this impressive way, perished with his original plans in a
fire in 1734. The work went on for more than a century and a half,
displaying in its many incongruous parts the successive changes of
architectural style. To provide funds for so vast an undertaking, the
prebendaries and canons gave up the greater part of their incomes--an
instance of devotion not uncommon in those earnest times. The edifice
inside and outside is a museum of fine arts. There are ninety-three
windows, and the painted ones are among the finest in Spain. During Easter
week the exquisite bronze candlestick, twenty-five feet high, when the
_Miserere_ is sung, is lighted with thirteen candles: twelve are put out
one after another, indicating that the Apostles deserted Christ; one alone
of white wax remains burning, being a symbol of the Virgin true to the
last. A great picture of the descent from the cross in the principal
vestry was considered, before the colours somewhat faded, so lifelike,
that Pacheco was afraid to remain after dusk alone, and here Murillo used
to stand watching, as he said, till those holy men should have finished
taking down the Saviour, and before this picture he desired to be buried.
Underneath this picture the relics of the church are kept. In the Capilla
Real, over the high altar, is an image of the Virgin of life size, like a
movable lay figure, having hair of spun gold and shoes ornamented with the
lilies of France, and seated on a silver throne. The cathedral is always
thronged, not only by the devout, but by idlers and beggars.
THE CATHEDRAL OF TOLEDO.
The cathedral of Toledo is said to have been erected by the Virgin herself
while she was alive, and she is said to have often come down from heaven
to it, accompanied by St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. James. The present
cathedral was built in 1226. It excels in fine, rich furniture,
picturesque effect, and artistic objects of every kind. The one tower
which is finished is 325 feet high. The painted windows are superb, and at
dusk light up and shine like rubies and emeralds. The choir is a museum of
sculpture. The 116 reliquaries are of gold, silver, ivory, and rock
crystal. The church plate rivals that of Loretto in quantity. The Queen of
the Cathedral is the image of the Virgin carved of black wood. It was
saved in 711 from the infidels by an Englishman, who hid it in a vault. It
is seated on a silver throne under a silver-gilt canopy, supported by
pillars. The superb crown and bracelets of precious stones, made in the
sixteenth century, were stolen in 1865. In a wardrobe near the Custodia,
the famous manto of the Virgin is kept, which was embroidered with pearls
in 1615. There are 257 pearls used, 300 ozs. of gold thread, 160 ozs. of
small pieces of enamelled gold, and 8 ozs. of emeralds and precious
stones. Her rings, necklaces, and trinkets are countless.
THE CATHEDRAL OF CORDOVA.
The cathedral of Cordova occupies the site of a basilica which had been
erected on a Roman temple. About 780 Abderrahman I. determined to build a
temple which would compete with the finest in the East, and in 786 the
building was begun. At first there were eleven naves, and eight more were
added about 988, so that there are no less than nineteen in all. This
structure is the finest type in Europe of a true temple of Islam. The
forest of columns supporting the low roof are not uniform, nor are they of
the same diameter. Some are of jasper, porphyry, verde-antique, and other
choice marbles. In sanctity this ranked as the third of mosques, second
only to Mecca and equal to Al Aska of Jerusalem. Some of the upper arches
of the pillars are beautifully interlaced like ribands. Some of the
decorations were introduced after it had been converted into a Christian
temple in 1238. The choir was added in 1523. The cinquecento ornaments and
roof are picked out in white and gold. The pulpits are splendid, and the
fine brass balustrades very effective.
THE CATHEDRAL OF AMALFI.
The cathedral of Amalfi is dedicated to St. Andrew. The bronze doors were
made about 1000, and the nave has its roof richly carved and gilded. Below
is the crypt, containing the body of St. Andrew, which was brought from
Constantinople with other relics about 1200. This circumstance has made
Amalfi a place of pilgrimage. The head of the apostle was enclosed in a
silver bust and removed to Rome, where it is still preserved among the
relics in St. Peter's. There is a handsome bell-tower of four storeys at
this cathedral.
THE MISERERE AT VALENCIA.
In the chapel of the Colegia de Corpus, which is a museum of Ribaltas, a
religious service of great interest is made one of the wonders. The chapel
is purposely kept dark by the small windows, which allow only a dim,
religious light. On a Friday morning the _Miserere_ is a service which
interests every stranger. Ladies must go in black, with a manto or some
thick mantilla. At ten a.m. the blinds of all the windows are drawn and
the doors shut, and a gloom is thrown over the building, the whole space
above the high altar being covered with a purple pall, as if in mourning.
The silent choristers alone stand near it. A priest is seen to approach
and prostrate himself; then all kneel, and the solemn chant begins. At the
first verse the picture above the altar descends noiselessly and almost
imperceptibly, and the vacancy is filled with a lilac veil with yellow
stripes. As the chant proceeds this is withdrawn, and discloses one of a
faint grey, which is next removed, then another of deep black, and then
after a pause another veil. The imagination of the audience is worked
upon, and all are hushed with breathless curiosity while the penitential
psalm is sung. At last the veil of the Temple appears to be rent asunder,
and the Saviour on the cross appears resplendent, while silvery voices are
heard in the distance, and the pall again closes over this great central
figure. After the service and later in the day the public are allowed for
a small fee to ascend a ladder and see behind the machinery of ropes and
contrivances for moving the various scenes which make up the impressive
representation.
THE CATHEDRAL OF OVIEDO.
The cathedral of Oviedo was built on the ruins of a previous church in
1388. The western façade has a noble balustraded portico, rich in
ornamentation. The most interesting piece of antiquity here is the Camera
Santa or chapel of San Miguel, the second oldest Christian building after
the Moorish invasion, being built in 802, as a receptacle for sacred
relics. This holy of holies is lit by magnificent silver lamps, and the
devout kneel before a railing while the relics are exhibited every
morning. These relics are enclosed in superb silver workmanship of various
designs. In a small case is kept the _santo sudario_ or shroud of our
Saviour, which thrice a year and each Good Friday, if a bishop preaches,
is displayed from a balcony. There is also a venerable cross, a thousand
years old, inclosed in magnificent filigree work. At Oviedo there is an
ancient church of San Miguel. On July 25th each year a great procession is
seen of the peasants with their offerings of cows and heifers going to
this church, the horns being gaily decorated with ribbons. They go to Mass
on that day, and it is looked forward to as their chief religious event.
NOTRE DAME AND LA SAINTE CHAPELLE, PARIS.
The cathedral of Notre Dame, begun in 528, to commemorate the gratitude of
Childebert on his recovery from sickness, replaced another at its side,
and was in turn replaced in 1163 by the present structure. It is
remarkable for now containing the crown of thorns given by St. Louis and
the nail of the true cross. The crown of thorns was brought there from La
Sainte Chapelle, which was built by St. Louis as a shrine worthy to
contain it. This exquisite chapel, without visible aisles or transept, was
begun in 1242 and finished in 1247. One of the little tourelles at the
side of the shrine still contains the actual wooden stair which was
ascended by St. Louis when he went to take from its tabernacle the crown
of thorns, which he and he alone was permitted to exhibit to the people
below through a large pane of glass purposely inserted and always movable
in the end window of the apse. It is recorded that when St. Louis was in
Paris he would rise to pray three times in the night, always approaching
the altar on his knees. This chapel was called by the old chronicler St.
Louis's arsenal and tower of defence against all the ills of life. The
head of the saintly King was afterwards brought hither from St. Denis at
the instance of Philip the Fair.
CHURCHES AT MARSEILLES AND STRASBURG.
On the rocky hill of Notre Dame de la Garde, above the harbour of
Marseilles, is a Romanesque church, in which is a shrine with a famous
image of the Virgin, carved in olive wood, and of great antiquity. All the
sailors and fishermen in the Mediterranean venerate this object, and hang
their offerings on the walls and roof. All kinds of objects connected with
shipwrecks, plagues, storms, cholera, panics, are here represented. At
Strasburg the cathedral, begun in 1015, is a noble Gothic edifice, the
tower of which is 468 feet above the pavement. There is a circular window
48 feet in diameter, and rising to the height of 230 feet. The interior
has much richly painted glass. There is also a famous clock in the south
transept, dating from 1354, which shows the hour, day of the week, month,
and year, and many other epochs, besides clockwork figures, with mechanism
for moving puppets and images.
CHARTRES CATHEDRAL.
The cathedral of Notre Dame at Chartres, magnificent and strongly built,
attracts the visitor by its two tall but unequal bell-towers and spires.
It is vast and elegant, and excels in painted glass and its three rose
windows. The tower and spire are the finest of their period in France, the
steeple being 339-1/2 feet high without the cross. Above the Porte Royale
or central door is the image of Christ in an oval, with the symbols of the
four evangelists, and below these are the fourteen prophets, and in the
arches above are the twenty-four elders playing on musical instruments.
The church is a storehouse of painted glass, above one hundred and thirty
windows being rich with splendid ornamentation, the rose windows being
thirty or forty feet in diameter. The choir has double aisles and many
bas-reliefs of Scriptural subjects. Outside of the screen which separates
the choir from the aisles is a series of Gothic sculptures of events in
the life of Christ and the Virgin in forty-five compartments, surrounded
with elaborate tracery and tabernacle work begun about 1514. The execution
has been compared to point lace in stone, some of the sculptured threads
being not thicker than the blade of a penknife. This was the earliest and
chief church in France dedicated to the Virgin, and was resorted to by
countless pilgrims. The sacred image dating from the time of the Druids
stood in the crypt. The famous relic of the Sancta Camisia given by
Charles le Chauve is here. And the celebrated black image of the twelfth
century, after having been crowned with a bonnet rouge during the
Revolution, is still a subject of adoration.
THE CATHEDRAL OF AMIENS.
The cathedral of Amiens, one of the noblest Gothic edifices in Europe, was
begun in 1220, about the same time as Salisbury, but the spire is 422
feet, being 20 feet higher than Salisbury. Yet owing to the loftiness of
the roof of the nave, this great height does not strike the beholder. The
interior is one of the most magnificent of spectacles, owing to this great
height of the roof, which is about double the usual height of English
cathedrals. The area of the cathedral is also larger than that of any
other cathedral in France, and is only surpassed by that of St. Peter's at
Rome, and by Cologne. At the crossing of the transept, three magnificent
rose windows of elaborate tracery and rich stained glass, and about 100
feet in circumference, make this cathedral unique. The head of St. John
the Baptist, brought from Constantinople at the time of the Crusades, has
always been prized as an invaluable relic, and is deposited in the side
chapel dedicated to St. John. Several other heads of St. John existed
before the Revolution in other churches of France, but this was deemed the
genuine one. Since the Revolution, however, the skull has been reduced to
the frontal bone and upper jaw. The choir and its elegantly groined roof,
resting on compressed lancet-pointed arches, are of great beauty, and
there are one hundred and ten stalls of elaborately carved woodwork,
showing the finest invention and execution. This carved work was done or
finished in 1528.
THE CATHEDRAL OF RHEIMS.
The cathedral of Rheims is a Gothic edifice of great power and grace,
commenced in 1212. The western front is thought to be unrivalled for the
multiplicity of detail in sculpture and tracery. The interior is perfect
in design, and the gorgeous stained glass in the rose windows, the largest
being forty feet in diameter, adds to the grandeur of the general effect.
The choir was consecrated in 1241. The clock over the sacristy, one of the
oldest clocks known, strikes the hour, when a door opens and the effigy of
a man looks out, while other figures sally forth and make the round. Here
the coronation of the French kings took place. The holy oil, according to
the legend, was at first brought by a dove from heaven.
THE CATHEDRAL OF AIX-LA-CHAPELLE AND RELICS.
The cathedral of Aix-la-Chapelle is the most ancient polygonal church
north of the Alps, the nave of which being octagonal, was erected by
Charlemagne about 796, partly as a tomb for himself, in imitation of the
Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. The Emperor's tomb was opened by Otho III.,
and Charlemagne was found, not lying, but sitting on a throne as one
alive, bearing a sceptre in his hand, and having a copy of the Gospels on
his knees. These relics were removed to Vienna. The choir was rebuilt in
1413. It is 120 feet long, and 114 feet high, having the appearance of a
gigantic lantern. The treasury of the cathedral has a rich collection of
relics in shrines of great beauty. There is a locket of the Virgin's hair;
a piece of the true cross; the leathern girdle of Christ (bearing
Constantine's seal); a nail of the cross; the cord which bound the rod
that smote Him; the sponge which was filled with vinegar; that arm of
Simeon on which he bore the infant Jesus; some blood and bones of St.
Stephen; some manna from the wilderness; and some bits of Aaron's rod.
These relics were presented to Charlemagne by the Patriarch of Jerusalem
and the Caliph Haroun Al Raschid. Another silver-gilt shrine contains the
great relics which are shown only once in seven years. These are the
cotton robe worn by the Virgin at the Nativity; the swaddling clothes of
Jesus; the cloth on which John the Baptist's head was laid; the scarf worn
by the Saviour at the Crucifixion, having stains of His blood.
THE CATHEDRAL OF TREVES.
The cathedral of St. Peter and St. Helen at Treves has five stately
towers, and was completed in the twelfth century, being supposed to be
begun about 550. The vast size of the building is imposing. One of the
remarkable relics here preserved is the holy coat, without seam, and said
to be made of camels' hair, five feet long. When not exhibited, it is
carefully walled up inside the high altar. In 1844, when it was exhibited,
about a million of pilgrims went to view it.
THE CATHEDRAL AND CHURCHES OF ANTWERP.
The cathedral of Notre Dame at Antwerp is one of the largest of the Gothic
cathedrals. The great attractions in the interior are the masterpieces of
Rubens. The steeple is one of the loftiest in the world, being 403 feet
high, and of such delicate workmanship that Charles V. said it deserved to
be kept in a case. Napoleon said it was as minute and elaborate as a piece
of Mechlin lace. It was begun in 1422 and completed in 1518. The framework
is chiefly of iron, with stones interlaced and bolted together with
copper. In the tower there are sixty bells, which are made to chime in
perfection. Another church of Antwerp, more highly decorated even than the
cathedral, is that of St. Jacques, where marbles, glass, carved wood, and
monuments give a rich appearance to the interior. The Holy Family, by
Rubens, adorns the altarpiece, which for colour stands as high as any of
Rubens' works. In another church in Antwerp, that of the Augustines, there
is also an altarpiece by Rubens--the marriage of St. Catherine--where
there are about twenty figures of saints, all of which are rendered with
great skill, and the brilliancy of colour is impressive and fascinating.
In the nave of the same church a picture by Vandyke, the Ecstasy of St.
Augustine, is also famous.
THE CATHEDRAL OF COLOGNE.
The cathedral church of St. Peter at Cologne was commenced in 1248, to
replace an earlier one which had been destroyed by fire. The work
proceeded very slowly, came to a stop in 1509, and stopped for three
hundred years. In 1830 the original plan was resumed. The two principal
towers were to be raised to the height of 500 feet. A handsome terrace has
been raised round the church. The entire length of the body of the church
is 511 feet, equal to the height of the towers. It had always been
intended to be the most regular and most stupendous Gothic monument
existing. The choir consists of five aisles, and from the great height and
arrangement of the pillars and stained windows the interior has a glorious
effect. The exterior also is striking from its double range of vast flying
buttresses and intervening piers bristling with a forest of purfled
pinnacles. Round the choir stand fourteen colossal statues of the twelve
Apostles, the Virgin, and the Saviour, coloured and gilt. The chapel
immediately behind the high altar is that of the three kings of Cologne,
or the Magi, who came from the East with gifts to the Infant at Bethlehem.
The bones of these kings had been carried off from Milan by the Emperor
Frederick Barbarossa in 1162. The shrine containing the bones is of silver
gilt, and curiously wrought. Even the skulls of the kings are exhibited
crowned with diadems.
ST. ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL, ST. PETERSBURG.
The cathedral of St. Isaac's at St. Petersburg is of comparatively modern
origin, being completed in 1801, the former one built in 1710 being
destroyed by fire. The proportions are grand and the porticoes noble. The
cupola, which is 296 feet high, supported by thirty polished granite
pillars, is covered with copper overlaid with gold, and glitters brightly.
The screen is supported by malachite columns 30 feet high, and on either
side of the door of the screen there are pillars of lapis-lazuli. Into
the inmost shrine or sanctuary women are not admitted. The most effective
portion of the service in the Greek Church is the singing, boys always
taking the soprano parts. Certain half-recitative solos are delivered by
deacons with very strong and deep bass voices. One of the most impressive
parts of the service occurs when the doors of the ikonostas or screen are
shut; the chanting then ceases, the incense-bearers withdraw, and every
one seems breathless with attention. The royal doors are then opened in
the centre, and the chief officiating priest, attended by deacons, comes
forward, carrying the Holy Eucharist, and commences a long recitative,
which is a prayer for the Emperor and Imperial Family. While this prayer
is intoned the audience bend low in attitudes of adoration. The outward
forms of the service are joined in by the men as well as the women with
great fervour. The first proceeding on entering a Russian church is to
purchase a wax candle. With this the worshipper slowly approaches one of
the shrines. He sinks on one knee, bowing his head to the pavement, and
crossing his breast repeatedly with the thumb and two forefingers of his
right hand. Having reached the shrine, he then lights his votive candle at
the holy lamp, and sets it up in one of the various holes in a large
silver stand provided for the purpose, falling at the same time on his
bended knees on the pavement before the altar. He then says his prayers
and retires slowly with his face to the altar, kneeling and crossing
himself at intervals. The kindling of lamps and tapers is a custom in all
Russian churches.
THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. STEPHEN'S OF VIENNA.
The cathedral at Vienna was begun in 1359, and has much rich tracery and
curious carvings. The giant portal is a triumph of Gothic ornament. The
lofty nave has rich sculpture and rich tinted glass, two of the windows
being rose. The tower is a masterpiece, and is 444 feet high, and it is
now made useful by the fire brigade as a watch-tower, there being a
station half-way up, and watchmen posted there night and day.
THE MOSQUE OF ST. SOPHIA, CONSTANTINOPLE.
The cathedral of old Constantinople, dedicated by Constantine to the
Eternal Wisdom, now turned into a mosque, was first built in 325. It was
burnt down and rebuilt in 415, and again in 532 and 548. Justinian at the
last date restored it and placed it on a magnificent footing. He was
proud of the structure, and boasted that he had vanquished Solomon. The
marble columns were the admiration of the world, every variety of marble,
granite, and porphyry being used: white marble with rose-coloured stripes,
green and blue, and white marble with black veins. There were eight
porphyry columns used which Aurelius had taken away from the Temple of the
Sun at Baalbec. This church, when restored by Justinian, was the theatre
of great and solemn State affairs. It was said to have had a hundred
architects, and the plan had been laid down by an angel who appeared to
the Emperor in a dream. A second angel appeared to a boy when guarding the
workmen's tools, and insisted on the works being rapidly completed. The
building was afterwards completed, except as to the cupola, and an angel
for the third time appeared, and as the works were stopped for want of
money, led the mules of the Treasury to a subterranean vault, where 80
cwt. of gold was concealed, whereupon the building advanced with great
speed. The Emperor and the architect having differed as to the position of
certain windows admitting light, the angel again appeared and instructed
the Emperor that the light should fall upon the altar through three
windows, in honour of the Trinity. The altar was to be more costly than
gold, and was one mass of precious stones. Above the altar rose a
tabernacle crowned with a golden cross weighing 75 lbs., and adorned with
precious stones. The doors were of ivory, amber, and cedar. The church was
opened in 548. The building is nearly a square. Fergusson (on
Architecture) doubts whether any Christian church of any age exists whose
interior is so exquisitely beautiful. It contains among the relics the
cradle of the Saviour and a basin in which the Infant was washed by Mary.
THE MOSQUE OF OMAR.
The Saracenic cupola of the Mosque of Omar may be said to defy comparison
even with the proud domes of St. Sophia, St. Peter, and St. Paul. The
marble octagon from which that cupola springs into the air with the
Arabesque frieze and circle of pointed windows has nothing in Europe
excelling it in either grace or strength.
THE CHURCHES OF JERUSALEM.
Though the site of the Holy Sepulchre has not been clearly established,
there was a church erected over the supposed spot by Constantine in 326,
and rebuilt in 614, and again in 1048. The church remained in the same
state as the Crusaders left it till 1808, when it was partly destroyed by
fire and rebuilt. The church is nearly of an oval shape. In the centre of
the rotunda is the Holy Sepulchre, covered by a building 26 feet long by
18 feet wide, cased in white stone, with semicolumns and pilasters. The
sepulchre proper is a vault 6 feet by 7 feet. Over it lamps of gold and
silver burn with a brilliant light. The vault was said to be hewn out of
the rock, but no rock is seen, all being marble. A round marble stone let
into the pavement marks the spot where Christ appeared to Mary Magdalene,
and even the exact spot is shown where Mary stood. The Chapel of the
Apparition marks the spot where Christ appeared to His mother after the
Resurrection. Near that spot St. Helena laid the crosses after she had
discovered them. The column of flagellation is represented by a fragment
of porphyry covered over, and the pilgrim can insert his staff in a hole
and touch it, which he usually does, and then kisses the staff. Adjoining
are various chapels: the Chapel of St. Helena, the Chapel of the Invention
of the Cross and of the Elevation of the Cross, and the Chapel of the
Crucifixion. The latter stands on the spot where Christ was nailed to the
cross. In the south wall is a barred window, marking the place where the
Virgin Mary stood during the Crucifixion.
THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY OF BETHLEHEM.
The extraordinary interest attached by all Christians to the little
village of Bethlehem led to early pilgrimages. St. Helena, the mother of
Constantine, went to the spot and built what was then considered a
splendid church or basilica in 327, and which is the oldest existing
monument of Christian architecture in the world. St. Jerome afterwards
took up his abode there in a cell. The Crusaders also took especial
interest, and at the request of the inhabitants assumed possession. In
1110 Baldwin I. made an episcopal see of this place, though it had an
ephemeral existence. The Church of the Nativity, built partly into the
cave or stable of Bethlehem, is 120 feet long by 110 feet wide, and has
four aisles with marble columns. The Chapel of the Nativity is a vault
hewn out of the rock, 38 feet long by 11 feet wide. On a marble slab in
the pavement a silver star marks the supposed site of the birth of Christ.
The site of the manger is also pointed out, for the real manger was
carried to Rome and is deposited in Santa Maria Maggiore. The various
grottoes here are possessed by rival sects, which keep up constant warfare
about their rights. The convents, together with the church, make up a
large pile of buildings. There are about three thousand inhabitants in
Bethlehem, nearly all Christians, who are peasants, and some of them make
a livelihood by carving heads and crosses for pilgrims.
ANCIENT BRITISH CHURCHES AND THEIR CHIEF FEATURES.
The old British churches in the time of Edward I. had some features which
are now unknown. Under every altar there was a small stone, which closed
up the aperture in which relics were kept, it being a maxim that no altar
could be consecrated without relics. There was a canopy over the altar
with curtains, and here was hung the pyx or box containing the Host, or
consecrated bread. This was considered so sacred a thing, that once, when
it was stolen, Henry V. delayed his whole army for a day in order to
discover the thief. There was a confessional with oblong holes in the
wall, or there was a crypt for the like purpose. The Galilee was the place
marked by circular stones, to show where the processions ended. There were
holy-water stones filled with fresh water every morning. The old fonts
were baths, and in progress of time they grew less and less, and at last a
basin of water only was used. In baptising children, not only water was
used, but oil, or chrism, especially to make the sign of the cross on the
child's breast and between the shoulders. The oil was omitted after the
Reformation. The churches were often mere lounging-places, and the porch
was the place for people meeting and settling their disputes. This state
of things continued slightly changed for some time even after the
Reformation.
ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL, LONDON.
The site of St. Paul's Cathedral in London is traced to the time of Nero;
by others it is alleged that a temple of Diana had stood there, while
another temple to Apollo stood on the site of Westminster Abbey.
Ethelbert, King of Kent, was said to have dedicated a magnificent
cathedral there, which was enlarged and adorned for centuries, till it was
consumed by fire in 1087. Another fire in 1135 consumed the next building.
It was again rebuilt. In 1315 the structure had a tower steeple 285 feet
high, and a spire and then a cross at the summit. The total height was 527
feet. And this spire in 1341 and 1444 was struck by lightning. Again in
1561 the lightning caught and destroyed it and the building also. This was
thought a national calamity, and the Crown, the nobles, and the Church
recognised the duty to rebuild it; subscriptions poured in, in 1566 it was
nearly restored except the steeple, and Queen Elizabeth was greatly
displeased that the city authorities had not exerted themselves to
complete this part also. James I., admitting the poverty of the Crown,
stirred the bishop and appointed a commission to repair the fabric. In
1620 the King on horseback visited the city to attend a service there and
keep up the public interest. He entered the church at the west door, and
knelt and prayed near the brazen pillar; the choir chanted an anthem, and
the bishop preached from the text: "Thy servants think upon her stones,
and it pitieth them to see her in the dust" (Psalm cii. 14). Another royal
commission was issued, and Inigo Jones, the King's surveyor, was one of
that body; but little was done. Under Charles I., Laud, Bishop of London,
laboured to collect funds, and the High Commission Court, which fined
people for all sorts of delinquencies, gave the proceeds to that work, so
that it was made a common jest that St. Paul's was restored out of the
sins of the people. Inigo Jones, who was an Italian by birth, designed a
portico at the west front; and a Turkey merchant, named Sir Paul Pindar,
gave £100,000 to restore the interior and decorate it. The steeple still
remained unfinished. During the Rebellion the cathedral suffered, and at
the Restoration the authorities consulted Sir Christopher Wren, the great
architect, as to the best mode of repair, and great changes were
contemplated. Just at that time the Great Fire of London, in 1666,
destroyed it. The rebuilding of St. Paul's then again became a great
national work, and commissioners were appointed to erect a new church. All
sources were examined for contributions, and the coal duty granted by
Parliament supplied a chief part. Sir C. Wren was designated the
architect, and he planned the present cathedral, slightly varying the
site. St. Peter's at Rome had been the work of twenty Popes, but St.
Paul's had the advantage of having one architect and a more harmonious
design. It has ever been considered the grandest and most beautiful church
in Europe. The first stone was laid in 1675 by Sir C. Wren, without any
parade or ceremonial. The foundations gave great trouble. At the east end
he had to bore down forty feet and build a solid pier of masonry ten feet
square. In 1697 the cathedral was first opened with great pomp on a
thanksgiving day for the Peace of Ryswick. In 1715 Sir C. Wren saw his son
lay the highest stone of the lantern of the cupola. All London poured
forth to watch this spectacle. Yet Wren had been worried for years, and
thwarted in his matchless plans by the little busybodies and bishops of
the time. The height on the south side is 365 feet. Wren had plans for
the painting of the cupola, but, against his wishes, that work was given
to Sir James Thornhill, then a high authority, but whose ponderous figures
and groups were wholly unsuited to the building, which ought to have been
decorated by the free, delicate, and brilliant colouring of a Correggio.
The total sum expended on the cathedral was said to be £736,752.
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL.
The site of Canterbury Cathedral is said to be the same as the primitive
Roman or British church attributed to King Lucius, and is the earliest
monument of the English union of Church and State. Canterbury was the
first English Christian city. It differs from all other cathedrals,
English and foreign, in the great height of the choir above the crypt
below, and the numerous steps which are consequently necessary in order to
reach it from the nave. Part of the skull of St. Dunstan is among the
relics enclosed in a silver reliquary. There are also pieces of Aaron's
rod, some of the clay from which Adam was made, and the right arm of "our
dear lord the knight St. George." The screen is the work of Prior Henry de
Estria, in 1304, being 14 feet high, and of great beauty. The choir is the
longest in England, being 180 feet. When Becket was murdered in 1170, he
was dragged from his chamber along the cloister by the monks, and he was
entering the choir by a door now called the martyr's transept when he was
stopped by the knights and fought and fell. The great window of the north
transept, the gift of Edward IV., had originally seven glorious
appearances of the Virgin with Becket in the centre; but in 1642 it was
demolished by Richard Culmer, an iconoclast. When the pilgrims used to
flock to Becket's shrine, they knelt in the sacristy, where Becket's staff
and his bloody handkerchief were shown. The tomb of Edward the Black
Prince and his coat of mail were always shown here. Cromwell was said to
have carried off the sword. The archbishop's palace, close to the
precincts, has left no trace except an old arched doorway. Yet in that
palace Henry VIII. and Queen Catherine and Charles V. were entertained,
and had a solemn dancing party. Queen Elizabeth was also feasted there.
The Puritans pillaged and ruined the building, which was never afterwards
restored.
YORK MINSTER.
York Minster (monasterium) was rebuilt soon after 1352, and has perhaps
the greatest reputation of all the English cathedrals, replacing the more
ancient Eboracum, a Roman city. Dignity and massive splendour distinguish
the exterior. It exceeds the other English cathedrals in the height of its
roof, being 102 feet high in the choir. Its western front is
architecturally magnificent. The large west window is nearly the same size
as that of Carlisle, which last is considered by Mr. Fergusson "without a
single exception the most beautiful design for window tracery in the
world." The great eastern window, the chief glory, is a great wall of
glass 78 feet high, and the largest in England that retains its original
glazing. The exquisite and unique effect of the tall windows, rising from
the floor to the roof, and occupying the whole width of the transept, is a
most felicitous effort of architectural skill. The stained glass in the
nave is the most extensive collection in the kingdom of the art of the
fourteenth century; and it was little injured at the Reformation. The
relics of Archbishop William of York, who had been interred in 1154, were
removed in presence of Edward I. to another part of the building. His head
was kept by itself in a reliquary of silver gilt and covered with jewels.
The vestry contains the horn of Ulphus, made of an elephant's tusk, the
work of the eleventh century, and presented on the altar by a great lord
of Yorkshire, in token of his bestowing certain lands on the church of St.
Peter. The minster bell in the north-west tower is the largest in England,
weighing 10 tons 15 cwt. Between Canterbury and York there had been
incessant disputes for precedence; but a great synod held in 1072 made the
northern province of England formally inferior to the southern. This
decision was reversed by the Pope in 1125. The contest continuing, the
Pope in 1354 settled it by treating the two provinces as independent of
each other, but that the title of York should be Primate of England, while
Canterbury was to be Primate of all England. One of the archbishops, St.
John of Beverley, in 705, was the most famous of the northern saints next
to St. Cuthbert. Henry IV. and his Queen visited the shrine of this St.
John after the victory of Agincourt, and attributed that victory greatly
to the intercession of the saint. Another of the archbishops was St.
William, who was first elected in 1143, deposed by the Pope in 1147, but
re-elected in 1154, at which date he had become very popular, being
welcomed by a vast crowd, some of whom fell through the wooden bridge into
the Ouse, but were saved by a miracle performed by the saint.
DURHAM CATHEDRAL.
A cathedral was built in 875 at Chester-le-Street, but this see was
transferred in 995 to Durham, which was then a thick wood, one object
being to find a safe deposit for the body of St. Cuthbert. Durham alone
among English cities has its highest point crowned with the minster and
the vast castle of its prince bishop, the building being erected about
1090. Like Lausanne or Chur or Sitten, the bishop was also a powerful
chief. Its situation is most picturesque, and in that respect resembles
Lincoln and Ely cathedrals. Dr. Johnson said this building gave the
impression of "rocky solidity and indeterminate duration." On the north
door is a grotesque knocker with a ring, which is a relic of the ancient
practice of criminals flying for sanctuary to a church. When the murderer
reached this knocker and seized the ring, two monks who sat constantly on
the watch within opened the door, and then rang a bell in the Galilee
tower to announce that an arrival had taken place. The criminal then put
on a black gown, and was maintained safe from pursuit for thirty-seven
days, after which he was bound to banish himself by setting off to the
nearest vessel bound seaward; and he went off with a white cross in his
hand. The altar of the Venerable Bede, one of our great early historians,
who died in 735, is a feature of this cathedral and the work of the
twelfth century. At that time it was deemed the highest virtue to steal
relics, and Elfrid the priest in 1022 was warned in a vision to seek the
relics of various holy persons buried in different parts of Northumbria,
and display them to the veneration of the faithful. So he went and brought
the remains of Boisel, the prior of Melrose, who had received St. Cuthbert
when a youth. Elfrid also stole the relics of the Venerable Bede from the
monks of Jarrow, and placed them in the shrine of St. Cuthbert in Durham
Cathedral. The nine altars dedicated to the Archangel Michael, St. Peter,
St. Paul, St. Cuthbert, and other saints stand against the eastern wall,
and the architecture is greatly admired. Here also is the shrine of St.
Cuthbert, a treasure more precious than gold or topaz. Pilgrims
innumerable have here worn holes in the pavement. The shrine is a superb
work of gold and enamel, hung round with jewels and ornaments offered by
great lords and princes. So precious was this spot that some monk sat
night and day in a watching chamber. The body of Cuthbert had at first
been buried in Lindisfarne Church, and when his coffin was opened eleven
years after, he was found to be uncorrupt and perfect, more like a
sleeping than a dead man. And even so late as 1540, when another view was
taken, the body was still found quite whole and uncorrupt, the face bare
and the beard as of a fortnight's growth, all the vestments as usual, and
crosier of gold lying beside him. In 1827 the tomb was again opened, and a
skeleton found with some vestments once rich, a girdle, two bracelets, and
a golden cross set with garnets; these are now preserved in the library.
The piers of this cathedral have the peculiarity of having ornamentations
of zigzags and lattice-work very prominent. This is thought to be striking
and powerful, and admirably in keeping with the massive grandeur of the
architecture. St. Cuthbert was said to have great suspicion and dislike to
women, the origin of which is variously accounted for, and the cross of
blue stones in the pavement which extends across the bay immediately below
the great north door is said to have been the ancient limit beyond which
women were not allowed to advance into the church of this austere saint.
It is related that in 1153 one Helisend, a damsel in attendance on the
Queen of David of Scotland, entered the church in the disguise of a monk,
but was detected by St. Cuthbert and ignominiously expelled. And in 1333,
when Queen Philippa, who had accompanied Edward III. to Durham, had been
received at the prior's house, and this came to the knowledge of the
community, they were so enraged that in the middle of the night she had to
rise and go half dressed into the castle.
WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL.
The Winchester cathedral was begun in 1079, to supersede other less
convenient sites. The length is 520 feet, exceeding that of any other
cathedral on this side of the Alps with the exception of Ely, which is 560
feet, and of Canterbury, about 570 feet. These three and St. Peter's at
Rome, which is 607 feet long, are said to be the longest in existence. The
forest of piers in the interior of Winchester soon rivets the eye. William
of Wykeham, one of the bishops, in 1367, and soon after Lord Chancellor,
was a great architect and engineer, and he superintended for seven years
the great works of Edward III. at Windsor. He was an opponent of John of
Gaunt, the patron of Wicliff. William founded Winchester College, and was
a munificent patron of learning in his day.
OXFORD CATHEDRAL.
The origin of the cathedral of Christ Church, Oxford, is identified with
the legend of St. Frideswide, a Saxon lady, who was brought up to
venerate the Church, and in order to escape her suitor, the son of a king,
fled with twelve companions, reached a nunnery at Oxford, and died there
after several vicissitudes in 740. She worked many miracles. The church of
her convent was rebuilt in 1111, and it continued to flourish till 1523,
when Wolsey suppressed it. The college of Christ Church was soon
afterwards commenced, and the present see of Oxford was founded in 1542
out of the ancient diocese of Lincoln. Roger of Wendover says that St.
Frideswide's suitor, when entering Oxford with his followers to take her
by force, was suddenly blinded by a heavenly stroke. Perceiving that he
was punished for his pertinacity, he sent to Frideswide and entreated her
intercession with the Lord. The virgin prayed to God, and at her prayer
the young man recovered his sight as quickly as he had before been struck
with blindness. From this cause the kings of England have always been
afraid to enter that city, for it is said to be fatal to them, and they
are unwilling to test the truth of it at their own peril. The virgin
constructed a monastery there, and herself presided over the company of
pious virgins there assembled.
PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL.
This cathedral arose out of the ruins of an abbey founded in the seventh
century by Penda, the first Christian king of Mercia. The abbey was of
great distinction, and took up high ground, and it was a rule that all
visitors of whatever rank should put off their shoes before entering the
precincts of Peterborough the proud. A visit to it was deemed almost as
great an event as a visit to Rome. The cathedral was begun about 1118. The
west front, as a portico, is claimed to be the grandest in Europe, though
wanting in the accompaniments which would enable it to rival some of the
great façades of Continental cathedrals. It consists of three enormous
arches of great height, the central one being rather narrower than the
other two. The lofty flat roof, 81 feet high, is painted in lozenges, with
a figure of some saint in each centre, the only other flat painted roof
being that of the cathedral of St. Albans. The retro-choir, built in 1438,
is admired for the beautiful fan tracery of the roof. This cathedral is
very deficient in stained glass. It was well furnished in this respect
till Cromwell's troops broke open the doors, shattered the windows,
destroyed the organ, and broke in pieces the superb reredos of carved
stone, painted gilt, and inlaid with plates of silver. The soldiers fired
at the evangelists in the roof, rioted in wanton spoil, and they
performed their military exercises daily in the nave of the cathedral. The
body of Mary, Queen of Scots, six months after her execution, was buried
in this cathedral, and there remained for twenty-five years, when her son
James I. removed it to Westminster Abbey.
SALISBURY CATHEDRAL.
The cathedral of Salisbury was begun in 1220, the former one having been
built by St. Oswald in the fortified town or castle of Old Sarum, on a
higher ground near the present place. The present site was said to be
chosen by an arrow shot from the ramparts of Old Sarum, or, as some prefer
it, by a vision of the Virgin who appeared to Bishop Poore. One of the
bishops was William Ayscough, the most learned man of his day, who in Jack
Cade's insurrection in 1450 was seized while celebrating Mass and brutally
murdered by the mob, and his vestments divided by lot as memorials. This
cathedral, built about 1225, while Westminster Abbey was begun in 1245,
ranks next to the latter as the choicest great building in England. On the
Continent the great rival of Salisbury is Amiens Cathedral; but though it
covers nearly twice as much ground as Salisbury, its high roof dwarfs the
steeple. Much of the painted glass here was removed during the Reformation
times, but the cathedral was not much injured during the Civil War. In
1782 an ignorant architect was said to have done much mischief by
so-called improvements. The central spire of Salisbury, the loftiest in
England, is said to be about 400 feet high; but Amiens is 20 feet higher
than Salisbury, the highest in the world being Cologne and Strasburg,
which last is 468 feet.
WELLS CATHEDRAL.
Wells Cathedral is earlier than any other in Great Britain, for a legend
ascribes its origin to Joseph of Arimathæa, who, with eleven companions,
arrived soon after the Crucifixion and built a chapel at Glastonbury, and
this was even said to be the first church erected in all Christendom. A
bishopric was said to be founded at Wells about 904, an abbot of
Glastonbury being the first bishop. The cathedral, though one of the
smallest, is the most beautiful in England, its group of well-proportioned
towers and pinnacles having an enhanced beauty from the picturesqueness of
the situation. It suffered considerably in the troublous times of
Monmouth's rebellion, when the rebels tore the lead off the roof to make
bullets, and wantonly defaced many ornaments. The great west front
contains some choice sculptures, such as can only be equalled by Rheims
and Chartres. The breadth of the front is greater than that of Notre Dame
or of Amiens, being 147 feet, and thus gives great scope for the variety
of the sculpture. There are in the whole of the west front about three
hundred figures, half of which are life-size, being those of kings,
queens, princes, knights, and mitred ecclesiastics, saints, martyrs, and
angels, the whole being a glorious company and goodly fellowship of
prophets and worthies. Altogether this is one of the most impressive
church fronts either in England or on the Continent.
SOME OTHER ENGLISH CATHEDRALS.
The cathedral of _Norwich_ arose out of a more ancient cathedral built at
Dummoc, now Dunwich, on the coast of Suffolk, in 630; afterwards another
was substituted at Elmham in Norfolk, and in 1075 again transferred to
Thetford, and in 1091 the place was finally fixed at Norwich. In 1094 the
cathedral of Norwich was commenced. The nave is the longest in England
except St. Albans, which is 300 feet long, while Norwich is only 250 feet.
The cathedral of _Carlisle_ was begun in 1121, though it was soon
destroyed by fire, and was rebuilt in 1353. The famous window at the east
end has in its lower part more lights or divisions (being nine) than any
other decorated window in existence. Its upper portion exhibits the most
beautiful design for window tracery in the world, all its parts being in
exquisite harmony.
The _Exeter_ cathedral was begun in 1107, as an example of the marvellous
and sumptuous architecture of the Normans, and was considered as a
powerful contrast to the simple Saxon building it displaced. The west
front has in its lower part three rows of figures of apostles, saints,
kings, and a few Old Testament characters; and the whole is
architecturally of great beauty. The roof of the nave, with its slender
vaulting shafts and delicate carving, is graceful and light, and the
clustered pillars of Purbeck marble contrast well with the lighter stone
of the walls and roof. The minstrels' gallery is unique, with its row of
winged angels in front, each playing on a musical instrument, one of these
instruments being a bagpipe. The organ, built in 1665, is said to be the
most ancient in actual use.
A monastery for both men and women had been founded at _Ely_ in 673 by St.
Etheldreda, which the Danes destroyed. It was rebuilt afterwards, and in
1109 this monastery was made the seat of a new bishopric taken out of the
great diocese of Lincoln, and the cathedral built to the north of the old
monastery. This church, which is 565 feet long, is often said to be the
longest Gothic church in Europe, although others, like the cathedral of
Milan, cover more ground. The roof of the nave is decorated with painted
figures, and so is the vaulted roof of the octagon.
The diocese of _Lincoln_ was once the greatest in England, till it was
subdivided in the reign of Henry VIII. About 1072 the present cathedral
was begun, being a substitute for three older sites of smaller sees. It
was destroyed by an earthquake, and rebuilt by St. Hugh of Lincoln, then
bishop. In grandeur of situation this cathedral has no equal in England.
The stone of which it is built becomes black, but is very durable, and
retains its sharpness of outlines. In the great central tower is the bell
called Great Tom of Lincoln, founded in 1610, the third in size, being
exceeded by Oxford and Exeter.
An old nunnery was founded at _Gloucester_ in 681, and this fell into the
hands of the Benedictine monks, who in 1088 began to build a new church. A
fire having destroyed it twice, the cathedral was begun about 1239. The
great central tower is only ten feet lower than that of Canterbury, built
about the same time. The monks themselves were said to have laboured at
the roof of it. The great east window is the largest in England, and owing
to an ingenious construction is wider than the side walls which contain
it; it is also filled with the finest stained glass of the period in this
country. At the back of this window is a passage, 75 feet long, which is
called the Whispering Gallery, owing to the great facility with which the
slightest sound or movement at one end can be heard at the other end.
Like Salisbury, the _Chichester_ cathedral has a spire, which is 271 feet
high; and being in that respect 130 feet lower than the former, it is a
saying in the locality that the master mason built Salisbury spire and his
man Chichester spire. The spire has an ingenious plan inside the top,
devised by Sir Christopher Wren, for keeping it from being blown down and
counteracting the force of the wind. The spire is exactly central. On
entering the nave the eye is at once caught by the five aisles, a
peculiarity which distinguishes this cathedral and that of Manchester from
all the others, and grand effects of light and shade are produced by those
five aisles. Chichester Cathedral was first completed in 1108. One of its
bishops was Reginald Pecock, who flourished in 1450, and was considered a
great champion of the clergy against the rising Lollards, whom he sneered
at as "The Bible-men."
A church of an Augustinian monastery was adopted as the cathedral of
_Bristol_ when the latter see was created in 1542. It is a cathedral
without a nave, the latter portion having once existed; but being removed
for a purpose, it was never restored. The east window, filling the whole
of the end above the reredos, is of singular beauty in tracery and design.
The see of _Hereford_ existed before the arrival of St. Augustine, and the
cathedral was rebuilt in 1012 from the foundations. St. Thomas Cantilupe
was one of the bishops, and his relics were brought from Italy, where he
died in 1282 on his way to Rome, and wrought many miracles long
afterwards. He was canonised in 1320. In the library are many ancient
volumes, all chained in the manner not uncommon in the first century after
printing was discovered.
The church of the monastery of St. Mary was adopted for the see of
_Worcester_ about 680. St. Dunstan was a bishop from 957 to 961. A new
minster was then built by Oswald; but being too small, a larger building
was begun by Wulfstan about 1084. The great Norman tower fell in 1175,
which was said to be a common incident in that style of building. The
present tower was built in 1374.
The cathedral of _Lichfield_ was supposed to be built about 1154. Its west
front is scarcely exceeded by any other cathedral in grace of outline and
in the harmony of its general design. The nave is also admirable for
beauty and gracefulness.
SOME WELSH CATHEDRALS.
The see of _Llandaff_ was founded in the sixth century, and the cathedral
was begun in 1120 to replace a small church on the same site. But the
building became wholly dilapidated, and was only restored in very modern
times. Yet it is said this is the most ancient of all the sees in Great
Britain.
_St. Asaph_ was a see founded in the sixth century, like the other Welsh
sees. The cathedral is small and plain, but stands in a picturesque
situation, and was in recent times restored.
_Bangor_ see is of equal antiquity with the others, and the cathedral,
which is small and plain, has also been restored.
The see of _St. David's_ was supposed to be founded in the sixth century,
and St. David, a Welsh saint, removed it from Caerleon in Monmouthshire,
which was too near the heathen English and in too populous a district. St.
David went to Jerusalem, and was consecrated by the patriarch. He was a
great worker of miracles in his time, according to the popular legends.