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diff --git a/13618.txt b/13618.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d99eaa8 --- /dev/null +++ b/13618.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4402 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Cathedral Church of Peterborough, by W.D. Sweeting + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Cathedral Church of Peterborough + A Description Of Its Fabric And A Brief History Of The Episcopal See + +Author: W.D. Sweeting + +Release Date: October 5, 2004 [EBook #13618] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHURCH OF PETERBOROUGH *** + + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: Peterborough Cathedral, From The South-east.] + + THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF + + PETERBOROUGH + + A DESCRIPTION OF ITS FABRIC + AND A BRIEF HISTORY OF + THE EPISCOPAL SEE + + BY + + THE REV. W.D. SWEETING, M.A. + + WITH FIFTY ILLUSTRATIONS + +LONDON: G. BELL AND SONS, LTD. 1926 + +First Published, February 1898 + Second Edition, Revised, 1899. + Reprinted, 1906, 1911, 1922, 1926. + + + + +PREFACE. + + +The chief authorities consulted in the preparation of this book are +named in the text. Besides the well-known works of reference on the +English Cathedrals, and the "Monastic Chronicles," there are several +that deal with Peterborough alone, of which the most important and +valuable are "Gunton's History" with Dean Patrick's Supplement, +"Craddock's History," the monographs by Professor Paley and Mr Poole, +and the Guide of Canon Davys. If I have ventured to differ from some of +these writers on various points, I must appeal, in justification, to a +careful and painstaking study of the Cathedral and its history, during a +residence at Peterborough of more than twenty years. + +My best thanks are due to Mr Caster of Peterborough, for permission to +incorporate with this account the substance of a Guide, which I prepared +for him, published in 1893; and to Mr Robert Davison of London, for his +description of the Mosaic Pavement, executed by him for the Choir. I +desire also to express my thanks for the drawings supplied by Mr W.H. +Lord, Mr H.P. Clifford, and Mr O.R. Allbrow; and to acknowledge my +indebtedness to the Photochrom Company, Ld., and to Messrs S.B. Bolas & +Co., for their excellent photographs. + +W.D. SWEETING. + + +In this new edition the corrections are limited almost entirely to +alterations necessitated by lapse of time. In connexion with which I +have to thank Mr H. Plowman of Minster Precincts, Peterborough. + +E. BELL. + +_June 1922._ + +CONTENTS. + +CHAPTER I.--History of the Cathedral Church of S. Peter 3 + +CHAPTER II.--The Cathedral--Exterior 36 +The West Front 39 +The Towers 44 +The Porch and Parvise 45 +The Bell-Tower 48 +The Dean's Door 50 +The Lantern-Tower 51 +The North Transept 52 +The New Building 55 +The South Transept 55 + +CHAPTER III.--The Cathedral--Interior 57 +The Choir 60 +The Choir Stalls 67 +The Pulpit and Throne 70 +The Organ, Baldachino, and Pavement 72 +The Screens 74 +The Lectern 74 +The New Building 76 +The Transepts 77 +The Saxon Church 80 +The Nave 81 +The Nave Ceiling 84 +The West Transept 87 +Altars 87 +Stained Glass 88 +The Parvise 90 +Monuments and Inscriptions 91 + +CHAPTER IV.--The Minster Precincts and City 99 +The Chapel of S. Thomas of Canterbury 100 +The Knights' Chamber 101 +The Deanery Gateway 102 +The Infirmary and Cloisters 103 +The Palace 106 +The City and Guild Hall 108 +The Tithe Barn 111 + +CHAPTER V.--History of the Monastery 112 + +CHAPTER VI.--History of the Diocese 127 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS. + +The Cathedral, from the South-East _Frontispiece_ +Arms of the Diocese _Title_ +The Cathedral and Palace 2 +The Cathedral; from the North, c. 1730 7 +Remains of Saxon Church 10 +Map, 1610 23 +The West Front in the Seventeenth Century 25 +Iron Railings, 1721 27 +Finial of the Central Gable of the West Front 34 +The West Front 37 +Plan of Central Portion of the West Front 41 +West Porch and Parvise 43 +Gates to West Porch 44 +South-West Spire and Bell-Tower 47 +The West Front, restored according to Gunton, 1780 49 +The Dean's Door 51 +Apse and New Building, from the South-East 53 +Plan of Monastery Buildings 58 +The Choir 61 +View from the Triforium South of Choir 63 +North Transept and Morning Chapel 65 +The Pulpit 71 +Apse and Canopied Reredos 73 +The New Building--Interior 78 +The Transepts, looking North 79 +Evangelistic Symbols, from Lantern Tower Roof 80, 81 +Boss from Lantern Tower Roof 82 +The Nave, looking East 83 +The Choir and Nave, looking West 85 +Head of S. Peter in Ancient Stained Glass 89 +Part of the Monks' Stone 92 +Saxon Coffin Lids in North Transept 93 +Portions of Abbots' Tombs 94, 95, 96 +South Aisles of Choir and Nave 97 +South Side of the Close, 1801 99 +Cathedral Gateway, 1791 101 +Door to Palace Grounds from the Cloisters, 1797 104 +Door way to Cathedral from the Cloisters 105 +Archway from Cloisters, North-West 107 +Church of S. John the Baptist and Guildhall 109 +Rose Windows and Details of West Front 117 +Tomb of an Abbot, possibly Abbot Andrew, 1201 120 +Iron Railings, 1721 123 +Details of Chasuble on Abbot's Tomb 129 +Details of Albs on Abbots' Tombs 133 +PLAN OF THE CATHEDRAL. 135 + +[Illustration: The Cathedral And Palace, From The South-west.] + + + + +PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +HISTORY OF THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF S. PETER. + + +Until the middle of the nineteenth century, Peterborough remained one of +the most unchanged examples in the kingdom of the monastic borough. The +place was called into existence by the monastery and was entirely +dependent on it. The Abbot was supreme lord, and had his own gaol. He +possessed great power over the whole hundred. And even after the See of +Peterborough was constituted, and the Abbey Church became a cathedral, +many of the ancient privileges were retained by the newly formed Dean +and Chapter. They still retained the proclamation and control of the +fairs; their officer, the high bailiff, was the returning officer at +elections for parliament; they regulated the markets; they appointed the +coroner. Professor Freeman contrasts an Abbot's town with a Bishop's +town, when speaking about the city of Wells.[1] "An Abbot's borough +might arise anywhere; no better instance can be found than the borough +of S. Peter itself, that Golden Borough which often came to be called +distinctively the Borough without further epithet." And again, "the +settlement which arose around the great fenland monastery of S. Peter, +the holy house of Medeshampstead, grew by degrees into a borough, and by +later ecclesiastical arrangements, into a city, a city and borough to +which the changes of our own day have given a growth such as it never +knew before." + +Situated on the edge of the Fens, some miles to the east of the great +north road, without any special trade, and without any neighbouring +territorial magnates, it is hardly surprising that the place seemed +incapable of progress, and remained long eminently respectable and +stagnant. In one of his caustic epigrams Dean Duport does indeed speak +of the wool-combers as if there were a recognised calling that employed +some numbers of men; but he is not complimentary to those employed, for +he says that the men that comb the wool, and the sheep that bear it, are +on a par as regards intelligence: + + "At vos simplicitate pares et moribus estis, + Lanificique homines, lanigerique greges." + +In another epigram he derides the city itself, calling it contemptuously +"Urbicula"; and he suggests, with a humour that to modern ideas savours +of irreverence, that this little city of S. Peter's, "Petropolis," +unless S. Peter had the keys, would run away through its own gates. + +The great development of the last half of the nineteenth century is due +to the railway works at New England, and to the Great Northern Line +making Peterborough an important railway centre. In 1807 the entire +population of the city and hamlets was under 3,500. In 1843 it was just +over 5,500, and when the railway was laid it was not much more than +6,000. It has since gone up by leaps and bounds. In 1861 the population +exceeded 11,000. By 1911 it had grown by steady increments to 33,578. +The private diary of a resident of about 1850 would read like an old +world record. The watchman in the Minster Precincts still went his +rounds at night and called out the time and the weather; sedan-chairs +were in use; the corn-market of the neighbourhood was held in the open +street; turnpikes took toll at every road out of the town; a weekly +paper had only just been started on a humble scale, being at first +little more than a railway time-table with a few items of local news at +the back; a couple of rooms more than sufficed for the business of the +post office. + +In 1874 a charter of incorporation was granted, not without some +opposition; it had been, up to that time, the only city in England +without a mayor, except Ely and Westminster. + +An account of the church which is now the cathedral church of a diocese +that was only constituted in 1541, must of necessity trace its history +for some centuries before it attained its present dignity, and when it +was simply the church of an abbey. Three centuries and a half of +cathedral dignity have not made its old name of Minster obsolete; it is +indeed the term usually employed.[2] + +The village was first known by the name of Medeshamstede, the homestead +in the meadows. There is no evidence that any houses were built at all +before the foundation of the monastery. There was probably not a single +habitation on the spot before the rising walls of the religious house +made dwelling-places for the workmen a necessity. As time went on the +requirements of the inmates brought together a population, which for +centuries had no interests unconnected with the abbey. The establishment +of the monastery is due to the conversion of the royal family to +Christianity. It was in the middle of the seventh century when Penda was +King of the Mercians, and his children, three sons, Peada, Wulfere, and +Ethelred, and two daughters, Kyneburga, and Kyneswitha, became converted +to the Christian faith. On succeeding to the throne, Peada the eldest +son, founded this monastery of Medeshamstede. The first Abbot, Saxulf, +had been in a high position at court; he is described as an earl +(_comes_); and most likely had the practical duty of building and +organising the monastery, as he is called by Bede the builder of the +place as well as first Abbot (_Constructor et abbas_). This was in the +year 654 or 655 (for the date is given differently by different +authorities), and Peada only lived two or three years afterwards. His +brothers in turn came to the throne, and both helped to enrich the +rising foundation. The elder of the two, however, had lapsed from +Christianity, and killed his own two sons in his rage at finding they +had become Christians; but afterwards stung with remorse he confessed +his offence to S. Chad, who had brought the princes to the knowledge of +Christ, and offered to expiate it in any way he was directed. He was +bidden to restore the Christian Religion, to repair the ruined churches, +and to found new ones. The whole story is told with great particularity +by the chronicler, and it was represented in stained glass in the +cloisters of the abbey, as described hereafter. + +The church thus built must have been of considerable substance, if, as +recorded, Peada in the foundation of it "laid such stones as that eight +yoke of oxen could scarce draw one of them."[1] It has nevertheless, +utterly perished. We read of the continued support bestowed by a +succession of princes and nobles, of the increasing dignity of the +house, and of the privileges it acquired; but there is nowhere a single +line descriptive of the buildings themselves. Gunton does indeed speak +of a goodly house for the Abbot constructed by King Peada; but he must +have been capable of strange credulity if he imagined, as his words seem +to imply, that this very house was in existence in the time of Henry +VIII. He writes thus:[3] "The Royal Founder ... built also an house for +the Abbot, which upon the dissolution by Henry the Eighth, became the +Bishop's Palace. A building very large and stately, as the present age +can testifie; all the rooms of common habitation being built above +stairs, and underneath are very fair vaults and goodly cellars for +several uses. The great Hall, a magnificent room, had, at the upper end, +in the Wall, very high above the ground, three stately Thrones, wherein +were placed sitting, the three Royal Founders carved curiously of Wood, +painted and guilt, which in the year 1644 were pulled down and broken to +pieces." + +[Illustration: The Cathedral; from the North, c. 1730] + +There is no doubt that this first monastery was utterly destroyed by the +Danes about the year 870. The very circumstantial account given in the +chronicle of Abbot John, derived from Ingulf, is well known; but as it +is entirely without corroboration in any of the historians who mention +the destruction of the monastery, recent criticism has not hesitated to +pronounce the whole account a mere invention. It is unnecessary, +therefore, to give it here. The account "may have some foundation in +fact," Professor Freeman admits, "but if so, it is strange to find no +mention of it in Orderic."[4] But the discredit thrown upon the minutely +graphic story of Ingulf, does not of course apply to the actual fact, of +which there is ample evidence, that the monastery was burnt by the +Danes. Matthew of Westminster says:[5]--"And so the wicked leaders, +passing through the district of York, burned the churches, cities, and +villages ... and thence advancing they destroyed all the monasteries +(_coenobia_) of monks and nuns situated in the fens, and slew the +inmates. The names of these monasteries are, Crowland, Thorney, Ramsey, +Hamstede, now called Burgh S. Peter, with the Isle of Ely, and that once +very famous house of nuns, wherein the holy Virgin and Queen Etheldreda +laudably discharged the office of abbess for many years." + +The re-edification of the monastery, henceforth known as Burgh, is due +to Bishop Ethelwold, of Winchester, with the approval and support of +King Edgar. This was accomplished in 972. We have now reached a point +where all can take a practical interest in the subject, because portions +of this church are to be seen to this day. The exact site of the Saxon +church had always been a matter of conjecture until the excavations made +in the course of the works incidental to the rebuilding of the lantern +tower (1883-1893) finally settled the question. Many students of the +fabric supposed that the existing church practically followed the main +outlines of the former one, possibly with increased length and breadth, +but at any rate on the old site. It is now ascertained that the east end +of the Saxon church was nearly under the east wall of the present south +transept and the south walls of the south transepts of both buildings +were but a very few feet apart. The dimensions of the former church both +its length and breadth, were as nearly as possible half of those of the +existing one. A description of the present appearance of the remains +will be found in a later chapter (see page 80). + +The Church of Bishop Ethelwold was not without its vicissitudes. Nothing +was more promising than its origin, and the circumstances of its +building. King Edgar and Dunstan, whom he had made Archbishop of +Canterbury, were very enthusiastic in extending the growth of monastic +influence in the country. No less than forty Benedictine convents are +said to have been either founded or restored by Edgar. Bishop Ethelwold +was entirely of one mind with the King and Archbishop, in the +ecclesiastical reforms of the day. Mr Poole well describes the +commencement of the work. "At Medeshamstede the ruins were made to their +hands, and they at once commenced the grateful task of their restoration +and appropriation. As usual, we find certain supernatural interferences +assigned as indications of the divine approval of the work. It is +related how Ethelwold was directed by God, in a dream, to go to the +monastery of S. Peter, among the Mid-English; how he halted first at +Oundle, supposing that to be the monastery intended; but being warned in +a dream to continue his eastward course, at length discovered the ashes +of the desolated Medeshamstede. It needs but little ingenuity to collect +from this that Ethelwold, having received some vague intelligence of the +present condition both of Oundle and Medeshamstede, started from +Winchester, determined on reaching either or both; and that being less +pleased with what he saw at Oundle than he expected, he extended his +progress to Medeshamstede."[6] The Queen is said to have overheard the +Bishop's fervent prayers for the success of his object, and to have used +her influence with the King; but he probably required very little +persuasion to undertake what was so much to his taste. It may be +mentioned that if we accept the date 972 for the completion of the +re-building (the Chronicle gives 970 for its commencement), the very +same year witnessed that well-known scene on the River Dee, when King +Edgar held the helm of a royal barge as it was being rowed by eight +vassal kings. + +[Illustration: Remains of Saxon Church] + +The King came to visit the monastery thus rebuilt under his direction. +The Archbishops, Dunstan and Oswald, with a large company of the +nobility and clergy attended at the same time. The King is said to have +inspected some old deeds which had been saved from the general +destruction a century before, and to have wept for joy at reading the +privileges belonging to the place. He therefore granted a new charter, +confirming all the old privileges and possessions. Since in this charter +no allusion is made to the triple dedication of the church, but S. Peter +alone seems named as the Patron Saint, it is not unreasonable to +conclude that the first church of Burgh monastery was dedicated to S. +Peter only, and that the dedication of the original minster to SS. +Peter, Paul, and Andrew, was not repeated. Edgar says that he renews the +ancient privileges "_pro gratia Sancti Petri_"; and that certain +immunities shall continue as long as the Abbot and the inmates of the +house remain in the peace of God, and the Patron Saint continues his +protection, "_ipso Abbate cum subjecta Christi familia in pace Dei, et +superni Janitoris Petro patrocinio illud (sc. coenobium) regente._" This +charter is noteworthy for the title the King gives himself, "_Ego Edgar +totius Albionis Basileus._" + +For some time this establishment continued to flourish. But the +troublous times that followed the Norman conquest did not leave Burgh +undamaged. It plays a considerable part in the story of Hereward, the +Saxon patriot. Situated on the direct line between Bourne, his paternal +inheritance, and the Camp of Refuge near Ely, it was exposed to the +attacks of both the contending parties. Brando (1066-1069) had made +Hereward, who was his nephew, a knight; and the patriot might be +credited with a regard for the holy place where he had been girt at a +solemn service with the sword and belt of knighthood; but upon Brando's +death the abbacy had been granted to a Norman, doubtless with the +intention of making the place available as a military centre. Hereward +joined the Danes, who had again begun to infest the district, in an +attack upon the abbey. The accounts vary as to the time at which this +attack was made. One says that it was before Turold, the Norman Abbot, +had entered upon possession: another says that Turold had in person +joined Ivo Taillebois in an attempt to surprise Hereward and his men in +the woods near Bourne, but had been taken prisoner and only released +after paying a large ransom. When dismissed there seems to have been +something in the nature of an undertaking that the Abbot would not again +fight against Hereward; but as soon as he was free he organised fresh +attacks, obliging all the tenants of the abbey to supply assistance. In +revenge for this Hereward went with his men to Burgh, and laid waste the +whole town with fire, plundered all the treasure of the church, and +destroyed all the buildings of the abbey except the church itself. + +Though Hereward spared the church and went away, yet very soon +afterwards the monks, possibly sympathising more with Hereward than with +their Norman Abbot (who had left them for a time), allowed themselves to +indulge in a drunken revel; and while carousing, a fire seized upon the +church and other remaining buildings, from which Gunton says they +rescued only a few relics, and little else. But, as Mr Poole has well +observed[7], "we must receive such accounts with some allowance; and, in +fact, neither was the abbey so despoiled, nor the church so destroyed, +but that there was wealth enough to tempt robbers in the next abbacy, +and fuel enough for another conflagration." The robbers in question were +foreigners who got into the church by a ladder over the altar of SS. +Philip and James, one of them standing with a drawn sword over the +sleeping sacrist. The plunder they carried off was valuable, but it was +recovered when the thieves were overtaken. The King, though he may have +punished the robbers, retained the goods so that they were never +restored to the abbey. + +That Ernulf (1107-1114) should not have done anything towards improving +the church is a fact that speaks as plainly as possible of its being +already in good condition. Had there been anything like the desolation +that some accounts pretend, Ernulf would have spared no exertions in his +endeavours to put things right. He came from Canterbury, where he was +Prior, and where he had already distinguished himself as a zealous +builder; but all that is recorded as due to him at Burgh is the +completion of some unfinished buildings, the dormitory, the refectory, +and the chapter-house. We may feel confident therefore that the Saxon +Church built by Ethelwold remained substantially as first erected until +the time of Ernulf's successor; and that the remains to be seen to this +day were in their present position when Edgar and Dunstan visited the +place. + +These newly erected buildings were all that escaped a terrible +conflagration that occurred in the time of John of Sais (1114-1125). +Hugo Candidus, the chronicler, was an eye-witness of this fire, and has +left us an account of it. On the second day of the nones of August, +being the vigil of Saint Oswald, King and Martyr (4th Aug. 1116), +through neglect, the whole monastery was burnt down, except the +chapter-house, dormitory, refectory, and a few outside offices. The +refectory had only been in use for three days, having been apparently +opened (as we should say in these days) by an entertainment given to the +poor. The whole town shared the fate of the monastery. The Abbot was a +very passionate man, and being in a great rage, when he was disturbed at +a meal by some of the brethren who had come into the refectory to clear +the tables, cursed the house, incautiously commended it to the enemy of +mankind, and went off immediately to attend to some law-business at +Castor. Then one of the servants, who had tried unsuccessfully to light +a fire, lost his temper, and (following the evil example of his +superior) cried out, "_Veni, Diabole, et insuffla ignem_." Forthwith the +flames rose, and reached to the roof, and spread through all the offices +to the town. The whole church was consumed, and the town as well, all +the statues (or perhaps _signa_ may mean the bells) were broken, and the +fire continued burning in the tower for nine days. On the ninth night a +mighty wind arose and scattered the fire and burning fragments +_(carbones vivos)_ from the tower over the Abbot's house, so that there +was a fear that nothing would escape the devouring element. + +The very next year John of Sais commenced the building of a new minster. +He laid the foundation on the 8th of March 1118. Much work was probably +necessary before a foundation stone could be laid; and Abbot John's +Chronicle, wherein it is said that the foundation of the new church at +Burgh was laid, on the 12th of March, 1117, may be speaking of the +actual commencement of the operations; and Candidus, who gives the later +date, and who was present, may refer to a ceremonial laying of a stone, +after the ground had been cleared and new designs prepared. The church +then begun is the minster we now see. The works commenced, as we find +almost universally the case, at the east end. The choir is here +terminated by an apse; and before the eastern addition was built in the +fifteenth century, this apse, with the two lesser ones at the ends of +the choir aisles, must have presented an appearance of much grandeur. + +The Abbot who began the church did not live to see much progress made, +as he died in 1125. He is said to have worked hard at it, but how much +was finished we do not know. The next Abbot, after an interval of two +years, was Henry of Anjou, a kinsman of King Henry I. He appears to have +been a scandalous pluralist, restless and greedy, continually seeking +and obtaining additional preferment, and as often being forced to +resign. He was not the man to prosecute such a work as was to be done at +Burgh; "he lived even as a drone in a hive; as the drone eateth and +draggeth forward to himself all that is brought near, even so did +he."[8] It is likely that for eight years after the death of John de +Sais nothing was done to advance the building. But the Prior of S. +Neots, Martin de Bee, who was appointed to succeed Henry, was +continually employed in building about the monastery; and in particular +he completed the presbytery of the church, and brought back the sacred +relics, and the monks, on Saint Peter's day into the new church, with +great joy. Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, was present; but there was no +service of consecration. According to the Saxon Chronicle this took +place in 1140; Abbot John says in 1143. + +Before proceeding further with the architectural history of the +cathedral (as distinguished from the description of it, which will be +given in due course), it may be well to say a few words upon the +principles which have guided the writer in his treatment of the subject. +These cannot be better expressed than in a very pithy sentence uttered +by Professor Willis at the meeting of the Archaeological Institute at +this very place in 1861. "In all investigations of this nature, I am of +opinion that it is requisite to ascertain first whether there exist any +contemporary documents which may throw light upon the history of the +fabric, and then to let the stones tell their own tale." Now there is an +abundance of documentary evidence for our purpose; but recent criticism +has shewn that not all is to be relied upon as authentic. And the Latin +expressions for different portions of the building can, in many +instances, not be interpreted with certainty; while the absence of all +reference to some works of importance (the West Front, for example), is +very mysterious. Most of these documents had been studied in manuscript +by Gunton and Patrick, and the result of their studies was published in +1686. The work is entitled "The History of the church of Peterburgh ... +By Symon Gunton, late Prebendary of that church.... And set forth by +Symon Patrick, D.D., now Dean of the same." Gunton was Prebendary from +1646 to his death in 1676; Patrick was Dean from 1679 till his +consecration as Bishop of Chichester in 1689. Most of the documents in +question have since been printed. Two writers in the last half century +have published monographs on the cathedral, both of great value, both +treating the subject after Professor Willis's method. These are G.A. +Poole, formerly Vicar of Welford, whose paper on the Abbey Church of +Peterborough was published among the Transactions of the Architectural +Society of the Archdeaconry of Northampton in 1855, and the late +Professor F.A. Paley, a second edition of whose pamphlet, "Remarks on +the Architecture of Peterborough Cathedral," was issued in 1859. It by +no means detracts from the value of the method employed that the results +of the investigations of these two careful students of the fabric do not +accord with one another. Much must always be left to inference or +conjecture. Since they wrote many discoveries have been made which have +shewn some of their conclusions to have been inaccurate. But the rule +is a sound one, and indeed it is only by studying the documents and the +fabric together that one can hope to learn the history of any great +building. + +Thus, when the chronicle records that Abbot Martin completed the +presbytery, and that then the monks entered into the new church, we +should naturally understand that he built no more than the existing +choir and its aisles. But there can be little doubt that his work +included the eastern bays and aisles of both transepts. The style of the +architecture speaks for itself, "the stones tell their own tale," and +the most careful study, and the most painstaking investigations, have +failed to detect the slightest break in the continuity or character of +the work. This applies to the whole of the eastern part of the +transepts, excepting of course the alterations that were made in later +times. As Martin remained abbot till 1155, it is probable that he went +on with his building after the choir had been opened, and that this work +in the transepts was done in the latter part of his abbacy, but there is +no record of it. + +Of Abbot William of Waterville (1155-1175) we are told that in his time +were erected the transepts (_ambae cruces_) and three stages of the +central tower (_tres ystoriae magistrae turris_). This does not contradict +what has been said above as to the eastern part of the transepts being +built in Abbot Martin's time. For the walls and aisles to the east only +would be in position; and his successor might well be credited with the +erection of the transepts, if he built the ends and western walls, and +roofed in the whole. It is tolerably clear also that this same abbot +must have built the two bays of the nave adjoining the central tower. A +tower of three stages, presumably of the massive character that marks +all large Norman towers, must have had some western supports. Two bays +of the nave would act as buttresses; and it is easy to see the +difference between these two bays and the rest of the nave. Apart from +many minute points of difference which only an expert architectural +student could fully appreciate, there is one conspicuous variation which +all can see. This is in the tympanum of the triforium arches; in all +four instances we notice rugged ornamentation here which occurs nowhere +else in the nave. + +Exclusive of the western transept we may assign eighty years as the +period during which the Norman Minster was being erected. And it is one +of the most noteworthy points in connection with its architectural +history, and one that has produced the happiest result in the grandeur +of the whole effect of the building upon the spectator, that each +successive architect carried on faithfully the ideas of his +predecessors. The whole work has been continued, as it were, in the +spirit of one design; and the differences in details, while quite +observable when once pointed out, are yet so unobtrusive that they +seldom attract notice. To mention one such instance, Mr Paley calls +attention to the different ornamentation on the windows of the south +transept when compared with those in the north transept, as well as to +the fact that on the south those windows have straight sides to the +inner surface of the wall, while those on the north have the sides +splayed. He justly argues, from these and other considerations, that the +south transept was built first. + +To Abbot William of Waterville succeeded Benedict (1177-1193). Of him we +are told that he built the whole nave in stone and wood-work, from the +tower of the choir to the front, and also erected a rood-loft. He built +also the great gate-way at the west of the precincts, with the chapel of +S. Nicolas above it, the chapel of S. Thomas of Canterbury and the +hospital attached to it, the great hall with the buildings connected; +and he also commenced that wonderful work (_illud mirificum opus_) near +the brewery, but his death occurred before it could be completed. What +this last named great work was we do not know. It is at least possible +that the reference is to the western transept. + +Considerable controversy has arisen as to the work in the church thus +attributed to Benedict. Both chronicles give him credit for building the +whole nave from the tower of the choir to the front. The wording, +however, of the two is so similar as to cause some doubt as to their +being independent authorities. Granting that some small portion of the +nave to the east, as before described, must have been built as a support +to Waterville's tower, the question remains, what is the front to which +this record alludes? There is of course no doubt that the words speak of +the nave only, exclusive of the front. But was this the present west +front, as now remaining, or was there previously a Norman front to the +church? There is much to be said on both sides. Mr Paley believes the +latter; Mr Poole, the former. And possibly the true solution may be +found in a combination of both theories, though at first sight that +seems impossible. That a west front in Norman times was designed, and in +part built, Mr Paley has shewn most conclusively. He indeed thinks it +was finished, but that is open to considerable doubt. The evidence on +which he proves that two western towers were at least designed is quite +conclusive; and the whole passage in which he discusses the matter may +be quoted.[9] "Proceeding towards the west end of the nave, we observe a +very singular feature. The third pillar from the west end on each side +is considerably larger and wider than the others; and it also projects +further into the aisles. The arch also, springing from it westward, is +of a much greater span. The opposite vaulting shafts, in the aisle +walls, are brought forward, beyond the line of the rest, to meet the +pillars in question; so that the arch across the aisles is, in this +part, very much contracted, and, instead of being a mere groin rib, like +the rest, is a strong moulded arch of considerable depth in the soffit. +What appears at first sight, still more strange, the wall of the aisles +opposite to the wider nave-arch just mentioned, is brought forward at +least a foot internally, but again retires to the old level at the last +bay; so that in this particular part the whole thickness of the +aisle-wall is considerably greater. Not less remarkable is the +circumstance, that the half-pillars on each side of this wider arch +resume the complex[10] form already described at the eastern end of the +nave, though they do not accurately agree either in plan or details.... +Now it seems highly probable that it was at this very spot that it +[_i.e._, a Norman west front] stood, with two flanking Norman towers at +the end of the aisles. The wider nave-arch, with its massive and complex +pillars, was the entrance into the tower from each side of the nave. The +thicker aisle-wall opposite to it was, in fact, _the tower wall_. The +larger and heavier group of vaulting-shafts against the aisle-wall, and +the strong arch spanning the aisle across this point in place of the +groin-rib, were all parts of the tower.... The transformation of the +base of these two immense towers into a compartment of the aisle, so +similar to all the rest that its real nature has never been hitherto +suspected, is highly ingenious. It is only when once detected that the +anomalies above mentioned are at all intelligible." + +These arguments prove to demonstration that the intention was to make +the Norman church end at the spot where now stand the third pillars of +the nave; and that the two western towers had begun to be built. As an +after thought another bay was added to the nave, with western transept, +and last of all the grand west front was another after thought. But they +do not establish the fact that the towers were ever finished, or the +Norman west front actually erected. The considerations adduced are +perfectly consistent with the theory that the additional length of the +nave was decided upon while the towers were still unfinished, and the +lower part of the towers transformed as Mr Paley has described. Thus we +combine the rival theories. For Mr Poole[11] maintains that the point, +up to which Benedict's work was carried, must mean the front we now see. +One argument he advances appears unanswerable.[12] Of the two +chroniclers, Swapham takes his history down to 1246; Abbot John ruled +from 1249 to 1262. Both these writers therefore, beyond all question, +were alive when the present front was finished. "Here are two people +writing after the present west front was erected, and for persons before +whose eyes the present west front appeared every day, and speaking of +the tower and of the west front as well-known limits to a certain work. +Surely they not only meant, but _must have meant_, the front that _then_ +was, in other words, the west front as it is _now_." + +The conclusion of the controversy may perhaps not yet have been reached. +But all the difficulties appear to be explained by understanding that +Benedict's work extended to the west end of the present nave, and that +he carried the whole building further west than was originally intended, +and managed to do this without destroying the lower part of the towers +which had actually been raised. + +When, therefore, the Norman nave, as originally designed, was +approaching completion, the designers determined upon an extension of +the nave, and a much grander western finish to the church than had +before been contemplated. This idea included a dignified western +transept, the dimensions of which, from north to south, should exceed +the entire width of the nave and aisles. This would of necessity involve +the lengthening of the nave, because the monastic buildings came close +to the south aisle of the nave, at the point where the original +termination of the church was to have been, as may be seen by the old +western wall of the cloister, which is still standing. + +The two next abbots were Andrew (1193-1200), and Acharius (1200-1210). +To one or both of these may be assigned the western transept. By their +time the Norman style was giving place to the lighter and more elegant +architecture of the Early English period, the round arch was beginning +to be superseded by the pointed arch, and the massive ornamentation +which marks the earlier style was displaced by the conventional foliage +that soon came to be very generally employed. Most wisely, however, the +Peterborough builders made their work at the west end of the nave +intentionally uniform with what was already built. Very numerous +indications of this can be seen by careful observers. The bases of the +western pillars, the change in the depth of the mouldings, +characteristic changes in the capitals in the triforium range, and +especially the grand arches below the transept towers, which are +pointed, but enriched with ornamentation of pronounced Norman character, +all point to the later date of this western transept. + +At the west wall of the church all trace of Norman work disappears. The +arcade near the ground, the large round arch above the door, the great +west window and its adjacent arches (not, of course, including the late +tracery), are all of distinct Early English character. The whole of this +wall may be held to be an integral part of the west front, and not of +the transept which it bounds. + +When we come to the most distinctive feature of the cathedral, the +glorious west front, we find we have no help whatever from the +chronicles. Nowhere is there the smallest reference to its building. +Other works raised by the Abbots of the period are named, but the noble +western portico is never once mentioned. Perhaps the rapid succession of +abbots after Acharius may account for this. The building must have +taken some years, and the credit of the whole cannot be given to one. +There were four Abbots after Acharius before the church was dedicated. +They were Robert of Lindsey (1214-1222), Alexander (1222-1226), Martin +of Ramsey (1226-1233), and Walter of S. Edmunds (1233-1245). During the +abbacy of this last the church was dedicated on the 4th of October 1237, +(according to the _Chronicon Angliae Petriburgense_), or on the 28th of +September 1238, according to Matthew Paris. The Bishop of Lincoln, +Robert Grostete, took the chief part in the ceremony, assisted by +William Brewer, Bishop of Exeter. The other chronicle calls the second +bishop suffragan of the Bishop of Lincoln, which may mean no more than +that he assisted on the occasion. The dedication took place in +accordance with the provisions of certain constitutions which had been +drawn up at a council held in London. No doubt the building had before +this been completed. This date agrees well with the period which all +architectural experts accept as the probable date of the erection of the +west front. It may have been, and probably was, finished some few years +before the dedication. The very fine gables at the north and south ends +of the western transept are of the same date as the west front. + +Considerable changes in the fabric, as well as additional buildings, +belong to the latter part of the thirteenth century. The documents +mention two of these. In the time of Richard of London (1274-1295), but +before his election to the abbacy, while he was still sacrist, the +bell-tower was erected, in which were hung the great bells which were +called Les Londreis, because he was himself a Londoner, and had caused +them to be brought from London. A previous abbot, John of Calais +(1249-1262), had contributed a great bell to the monastery, which he had +dedicated to S. Oswald. On it was inscribed the rhyming hexameter _Jon +de Caux abbas Oswaldo consecrat hoc vas_. The other great work of this +period was a magnificent Lady Chapel, since destroyed, begun in 1272 by +William Parys, then Prior, who laid the first stone with his own hand, +and placed beneath it some writings from the gospels. He lived to see it +completed, and at last his body was interred within it. Its altar was +consecrated in 1290, as is recorded in the register of Bishop Oliver +Sutton. It is described as having been built of stone and wood, with a +leaden roof, and with glass windows. There was a statue of the Virgin, +and round the walls, or perhaps in the stained glass in the windows, +there were figures of those named in the genealogy, with a compendium of +their lives beneath each. The Prior contributed five pounds of silver +and upwards of his annual revenues towards the decoration of this +chapel. From an engraving in Gunton's History, which may be taken as +fairly representing its appearance, for it was standing in his time, +although the drawing is manifestly inaccurate and must have been +sketched from memory, we gather that the windows were of the same +character as four which are still to be seen, three of them in the +eastern chapels of the south transept, and the fourth on the north side, +near the site of the Lady Chapel. These are all of excellent geometric +work, and precisely of the date given. This chapel was built, as at Ely, +to the east of the north transept. The position of the roof can be +traced on the east wall of the transept; and it can be there seen how +the Norman triforium windows were originally arranged. These being +covered by the Lady Chapel, had not been altered like those in other +parts of the church. + +Other works of this century, not mentioned in the annals, are the entire +removal of the lower stage of Norman windows in the aisles, these were +replaced by wide windows of five lights each; the addition of a parapet +to the apse; the erection of piscinas and other accompaniments to side +altars, at the east ends of the choir aisles. + +For the rest of the architectural history we have no chronicles to guide +us, and are left to the stones themselves. But there is very little +difficulty in fixing at least approximate dates for all the later work. +The most important alteration in the fourteenth century was the removal +of the stages above the four great arches of the central tower, and the +substitution of a lighter lantern. When this was done, the great round +arches east and west of the tower were changed into pointed arches, but +those north and south were left unaltered. There is every probability +that some signs of insecurity had made themselves evident. We have seen +that three stages of the Norman tower were erected by Abbot William of +Waterville. Though not so stated we infer from this that at least one +more stage was afterwards added. In any case the tower must have been a +very massive structure, considerably higher than the present one. In the +early part of this century, in 1321, the great tower of Ely had fallen; +and its fate may have warned the monks of Peterborough to see that the +disaster was not repeated here. This alteration must have been made, +judging by the details of the architecture, in the second quarter of the +century. Above the lantern was a wooden octagon. The views that are +given of this hardly warrant the admiration that has been sometimes +expressed, or the regrets that have been uttered at its removal. It may +have been designed to carry a wooden spire, such as was afterwards +erected on the bell-tower. But most will agree with the criticism that +it was "a low and unsightly structure." It hardly rose more than eight +or ten feet above the top of the lantern, and the whole height of the +central tower, including the octagon, was less than the height of the +south-western spire of the front. + +To this century belongs the transformation of the triforium windows all +through the nave and choir. Parapets were at the same time added above +the Norman corbel tables. The change effected in the apse was the most +noticeable; not only were the two upper tiers of Norman windows replaced +by Decorated ones of larger size, but the three lowest ones in the +centre were altogether removed, and their place taken by lofty archways, +when the new building was built. But we can judge of their appearance +from the two side windows which still remain; these, being not now +external, have had all the glass removed; but the mullions and tracery +are perfect, and even the iron-bars across are still there. At the inner +surface of the wall the five lower windows have very good hanging +tracery, of different designs. + +The south-western spire of the west front is also of this period, +probably a little earlier in date than the lantern. This is of very +remarkable beauty, and very much more elegant than the corresponding +spire to the north. The triangular section of the pinnacles at the base +of the spire, the crockets with which they are enriched, and the open +canopies around, combine to produce a most graceful feature. To the +latter years of this century may be assigned the central porch, with +room above, inserted between the two middle piers of the west front. +Some regard this as a blemish; others as a distinct improvement. One +party maintains[13] that it is "an unsightly encumbrance, in its present +position, seeing that it violates the uniformity of design displayed in +the west front"; the other party contends[14] that it is "an extremely +judicious insertion, and that it really does, just as if it was intended +for that purpose only, restore its proper dignity to the central arch of +the facade." It was most likely built as a matter of structural +necessity, to secure the stability of the front. From a settlement of +the foundations, or from a failure of the two central piers, or from the +great weight of masonry above, for there are no western buttresses, the +whole must have been in danger of falling. Mr Paley points out that the +"construction of this elegant little edifice is extremely scientific, +especially in the manner in which the thrust is distributed through the +medium of the side turrets so as to fall upon the buttresses in front. +These turrets being erected against one side of the triangular columns, +on the right and the left hand, support them in two directions at once, +viz., from collapsing towards each other, and from falling forward. The +latter pressure is thrown wholly upon the buttresses in front, which +project seven feet beyond the base of the great pillars." The room above +is called by Browne Willis the Consistory Court. It is now used for the +Minster Library. + +[Illustration: Map, 1610.] + +The alterations and additions during the Perpendicular period can be +detected at a glance. All the Norman windows which had remained +unaltered were now filled with tracery, not of particularly good design; +the great west window and the others in the west wall were similarly +treated; the conical tops to the transeptal corner turrets were altered +into battlements; the screens in the transepts were made, and, probably, +the groined wooden ceiling in the choir. The most important addition was +the New Building at the east end of the choir. This is often erroneously +called the Lady Chapel; but when this edifice was erected the Lady +Chapel to the east of the north transept, and for more than 150 years +afterwards, was still standing. The new building was begun by Abbot +Ashton (1438-1471), and finished by Abbot Kirton (1496-1528). The rebus +of each of these abbots can be seen in its decorations: an ash growing +out of a tun or barrel, and a church or kirk with a tun. + +[Illustration: The West Front in the Seventeenth Century.] + +In 1540 the reign of the abbots came to an end, and in 1541 the church +became a cathedral. For a hundred years the church itself, as well as +all the buildings attached to it, appear to have remained in their full +glory. There is no reason to discredit the account given of the +preservation of this church, when so many others were dismantled or sold +at the suppression of the monasteries. It was suggested to King Henry +VIII, after the interment here of Queen Katharine of Aragon, that it +would become his greatness to erect a suitable monument of her in the +place where she was buried; and in reply the King said he would leave +her one of the goodliest monuments in Christendom, meaning that he would +spare the church for her sake. We conclude, however, from what we know +of the state of the fabric in the reign of Charles I, that although no +buildings may have been demolished, yet the church itself was falling +into disrepair. No doubt the diminished resources of the establishment, +as well as the numerous demands upon the stipends (never large) of the +members of the chapter, most of whom had duties and claims elsewhere +besides having families to support, materially reduced the amount that +could be annually devoted to the sustentation of the fabric. In the time +of the civil war much wanton destruction took place. Nearly everything +in the nature of ornamentation or embellishment was destroyed. A full +account of the mischief wrought has been preserved. Without particularly +naming such things as books, documents, vestments, and the movable +ornaments, we find the damage done to the fabric itself was terrible +indeed. The organs, "of which there were two pair," were broken down. +All the stalls of the choir, the altar rails, and the great brass +chandelier, were knocked to pieces. The altar of course did not escape. +Of the reredos, or altar-piece, and its destruction, Patrick writes as +follows: "Now behind the Communion Table, there stood a curious piece of +stone-work, admired much by strangers and travellers; a stately skreen +it was, well wrought, painted and gilt, which rose up as high almost as +the roof of the church in a row of three lofty spires, with other lesser +spires, growing out of each of them, as it is represented in the annexed +draught.[15] This had now no Imagery-work upon it, or anything else that +might justly give offence, and yet because it bore the name of the High +Altar, was pulled all down with ropes, lay'd low and level with the +ground." All the tombs were mutilated or hacked down. The hearse over +the tomb of Queen Katherine was demolished, as well as the arms and +escutcheons which still remained above the spot where Mary Queen of +Scots had been buried. All the other chief monuments were defaced in +like manner. One in particular is worth mentioning. It was a monument in +the new building erected to himself by Sir Humfrey Orme in his lifetime. +Two words on the inscription, "Altar" and "Sacrifice," are said to have +excited the fury of the rabble, and it was broken down with axes, +pole-axes, and hammers. So this good old knight "outlived his own +monument, and lived to see himself carried in effigie on a Souldiers +back, to the publick market-place, there to be sported withall, a Crew +of Souldiers going before in procession, some with surplices, some with +organ pipes, to make up the solemnity." This monument, as it was left +after this profanity, is still to be seen exactly as it remained when +the soldiers had done their work. The brasses in the floor, the bells in +the steeple, were regarded as lawful plunder. The same would not be said +of the stained glass, of which there was a great quantity. This was +especially the case with the windows in the cloisters, which were "most +famed of all, for their great art and pleasing variety." All the glass +was broken to pieces. Much that escaped the violence of these +irresponsible zealots fell before the more regular proceedings of +commissioners. By their orders many of the buildings belonging to the +cathedral were pulled down and the materials sold. This was the case +with the cloisters, the chapter-house, the Bishop's hall and chapel. The +merchant that bought the lead from the palace roofs did not make a very +prosperous bargain, for he lost it all (as Dean Patrick says, within his +own knowledge) and the ship which carried it, on the voyage to Holland. + +[Illustration: Iron Railings, 1721.] + +For some time nothing was done to repair the damage. At length the Chief +Justice of the Common Pleas, Oliver St. John, obtained a grant of the +ruined Minster, which he gave to the town for use as a parish church, +their own parish church having also gone to decay. This gentleman was +doubly allied to the Cromwell family, his first wife being +great-grand-daughter of Sir Henry Cromwell, of Hinchinbrooke, and his +second wife daughter of Henry Cromwell, of Upwood. He had been sent upon +a distasteful embassy to Holland, where he experienced many indignities; +and on his return, according to Mark Noble,[16] "he protested, that all +the favour which he received in reward for this embassy, was, that he +obtained the cathedral of Peterborough, which was propounded to be sold +and demolished, to be granted to the citizens of that place." The +interest that he took in Peterborough arose from the fact that he +resided at Longthorpe Hall, about two miles off. + +The burden of restoring the church to a decent condition being too great +for the inhabitants, they agreed to pull down the Lady Chapel, and sell +the materials. This was done, except that some portion of the woodwork +was utilised in repairs. The painted boards from the roof were made into +backs for the seats in the choir. An engraving of the choir as it +appeared in the eighteenth century shews these boards. They are mostly +adorned with the letter M surmounted by a crown, and the three lions of +England, in alternate lozenges. Until the Restoration the church was +served by a school-master of the Charterhouse, Samuel Wilson, appointed +by the London Committee. When the cathedral body was restored, further +repairs were gradually effected, and when Dean Patrick wrote, he says +that the church was "recovering her ancient beauty and lustre again." + +But the same causes which operated to prevent very much being done for +years after the dissolution of monasteries, the absence of any special +fabric fund, and the inadequacy of the revenues, again produced the same +results. Browne Willis published his survey of this cathedral in 1742. +He says that considering the pillaging of the church by King Henry +VIII., and the subsequent despoiling by King Edward VI., and Queen +Elizabeth, "we may less wonder that so large a fabrick has not had more +care taken of it as it ought; for I cannot but say, that it is ill kept +in repair, and lies very slovenly in the inside, and several of the +windows are stopped up with bricks, and the glazing in others sadly +broken; and the boards in the roof of the middle Isle or Nave, which +with the Cross Isle is not archt with stone (but wainscotted with +painted boards, as at S. Albans) are several of them damaged and broken, +as is also the pavement; insomuch that scarce any cathedral in England +is more neglected." He proceeds to say that the Dean and Chapter had +recently set apart L700 for repairs, and intended to apply more money to +the same purpose when certain leases were expired. + +While Willis was collecting information for his book, Francis Lockier +was Dean. In his time new seats were erected in the choir which were +"very plain and tasteless." They remained until 1827. A new organ was +also obtained. L1500 was spent on these alterations. + +The record of other changes, until the time of Dean Monk, is meagre. +Dean Tarrant (1764-1791) collected the fragments of stained glass and +had them all inserted in the windows of the apse. He also repaved the +church, but most unfortunately without carefully preserving the ancient +inscribed monumental stones. An altar screen and organ screen, from +designs by Carter, were erected; but neither seems to have possessed +much merit. + +Dean Kipling (1798-1822) is chiefly remembered from his alterations to +the lantern tower. He erected unsightly turrets at the four corners and +removed the octagon. These turrets, commonly spoken of with derision as +"Dean Kipling's chimneys" were of unsuitable height, and poor detail; +they were terminated with battlements. They were happily removed when +the tower was rebuilt. + +Dean Monk (1822-1830) inaugurated and carried out an extensive scheme of +reparation. The appeal to the public for subscriptions is dated 31st +July 1827. It states that the altar screen, choir screen, and all the +woodwork in the choir are unworthy of the structure to which they +belong: that the Dean and Chapter had substantially repaired the +exterior of the church at their own expense; that they had procured +plans from Mr Blore, and an estimate of upwards of L5000 for the +projected work. The members of the chapter in their corporate capacity +had given L1000, and had further individually subscribed L1050. The +result of this appeal was that by June 1828 a sum of L5021 11s. had been +collected. + +The improvements effected before this appeal to the public was made are +enumerated by Britton. As has been intimated, the cost was defrayed by +Dean Monk and the Chapter from their own resources. The chief repairs +and restorations were these:--new roofs were put to the transepts and +bell-tower; columns, mouldings, and ornaments in various parts of the +church were renewed; several windows, till then blocked up with rubble, +were opened and glazed, and in some cases the stonework made good; the +pinnacles, spires, and shafts of the west front were carefully restored; +two Norman doorways, which had been obscured for ages, were exposed to +view. The work in the choir included new stalls and seats, pulpit, and +throne; an altar screen of clunch, filling up the lower part of the +apse; and an organ screen, also of clunch, with an open parapet, and +enriched with much diaper-work and many canopies, and adorned on the +west face with large shields of arms,[17] very brightly coloured, +charged with the heraldic bearings of the principal subscribers. At +first there were only four stalls on each side of the entrance to the +choir; others were added, in front of the ladies' pews, when Honorary +Canons were created in 1844. This organ-loft did not occupy the place of +the former screen, which was where the monastic choir had always +terminated, at the second bay west of the tower, but was placed under +the eastern arch of the lantern tower. The former screen was called by +Rickman "a barbarous piece of painted wood-work." It was either sold, or +taken by the contractors as a perquisite; it ultimately found its way +into a little garden at Woodston, just across the river, where it was +transformed into a summer-house, or arbour.[18] + +Great admiration was universally expressed at the conclusion of this +work. It was esteemed a marvel of beauty. Harriet Martineau, in her +"History of England during the Thirty Years' Peace," thought the +re-opening of the choir a matter of sufficient national importance to be +recorded in her book. She writes thus: "A new choir of great beauty, was +erected in Peterborough Cathedral during this period, and the church was +made once more what it was before it was devastated by the Puritans." +All must admire the enthusiasm and devotion which brought this +restoration to a successful issue, although to the taste of the present +day it would all appear cumbrous and heavy. + +In the time of Dean Saunders (1853-1878) the choir roof was painted +anew, and much valuable and important work was done towards securing the +stability of the fabric, by underpinning some of the walls, and in other +ways; but all the expense was defrayed out of the resources of the Dean +and Chapter, and no public appeal was made for assistance. Indications +of the insecurity of the lantern tower had begun to appear, one or more +fragments of the masonry having fallen from a great height; and for some +years before the tower was condemned as unsafe, a wooden stage had been +erected, above the four great arches, as a protection in case more +stones should fall. The great pier to the south cast had been, time out +of memory, bound all round with strong iron bands. As far back as 1593, +there is an entry among the cathedral accounts, which mentions that L47 +4s. 9d. had been spent on "the great column near the choir repaired with +iron and timber." In 1882 the evidences of failure in the lantern stage +were found to be increasing, and its condition was pronounced dangerous. +Large gaps made their appearance towards the end of the year, and in +January 1883, the greater part of the tower was said to be in a "state +of movement." + +It was very soon realised that nothing short of rebuilding the tower +from the foundation would meet the case. The first stone was taken down +on April 5th, and the tower and two eastern piers were removed by +August. The western piers were soon afterwards condemned, and taken down +the following year. The chief corner stone of the new tower at the +north-eastern pier, was laid with full masonic ceremonial on May 7th +1884, by the Earl of Carnarvon, acting for the Prince of Wales. All the +stones, as taken down, were numbered, and every one that could be used +again was replaced in its original position. During this year there +commenced a controversy as to the correct way of finishing the building +of the tower. When the Decorated lantern was first built, the great +arches, east and west, to the choir and nave, were altered from the +round to the pointed shape. A few of the stones of the original Norman +arches having been brought to light during the work, some persons wished +round arches to be built as at first. Some stones of the Norman tower +were also found; and it was proposed to heighten the central tower by +one stage of work in the Norman style, using original stones where +possible, and placing the Decorated stage above it. Others again, wanted +a lofty central spire to be added. The matter was referred to Archbishop +Benson for his decision. In the result the whole was rebuilt exactly as +before, with the exception that the four corner turrets, erected by Dean +Kipling, were not replaced. + +In 1886 the tower was finished. The transept ceilings were repaired in +this and the next year. All unsound wood was removed and replaced by +good oak. The diamond shapes are still to be seen, but the black, white, +and brown patterns have been improved away. The discovery of the site of +the Saxon church, which will be described hereafter, was made in 1883. +Steady progress continued to be made in securing the safety of various +parts of the church; and on July 11th, 1889, a temporary choir having +been fitted up, divine service was again held in the ancient ritual +choir, which extended two bays into the nave. + +During the next two years many contributors to the general fund for the +restoration, and some others, made gifts of special objects for the +embellishment of the choir. By the end of May, 1892, the mosaic pavement +was almost completed, and the bishop's throne, the pulpit, the litany +desk, and eighteen stalls had been erected. These gifts were solemnly +dedicated at a stately service held on June 2nd, when, after the litany +and an anthem, the special service was taken by the Archbishop of +Canterbury at the altar, and after that _Te Deum_ was sung. A sermon was +preached by the Bishop of Durham, formerly Canon. The Archbishop and +Bishops wore their convocation robes. + +Two years later the fitting up of the choir was very nearly complete, +four stalls only remaining to be supplied. At a second dedication of +gifts on May 10th, 1894, these additional gifts were in position; new +organ and case, canopied reredos, retable, iron screens inclosing the +four eastern bays of the choir, pillars and choir gates (part of a +design for an elaborate screen), eight stalls, extension of mosaic +pavement, fourteen sub-stalls and seats for lay-clerks and choristers, +altar-rails, and credence table. Up to this date, since the commencement +of the restoration in 1883, upwards of L32,400 had been expended upon +the fabric, besides more than L17,800 upon the internal fittings of the +choir. All the woodwork of the choir is now quite complete. + +In speaking of the repairs carried out on the west front at the end of +the nineteenth century we touch on a matter which gave rise to no little +controversy. The insecure state of the west front had been known for +years. In the early part of 1896, a scaffold was raised in order to +enable Mr Pearson, the architect of the cathedral, to make a complete +examination of the front, special causes for alarm having lately been +detected. At first it was believed that underpinning the central piers +would secure the stability of the whole. This was done, as well as the +shoring and strutting to the gables of the two outer arches. The +clearing away of the dirt and rubbish, and the cleaning of the groining, +disclosed greater danger than had been expected, and the architect +recommended the rebuilding of parts of the gables. Before acting on this +advice the Restoration Committee took the opinion of Sir A.W. Blomfield, +and his report not only confirmed the opinion expressed by Mr Pearson, +but said further that much of the superstructure was so disintegrated, +that it was impossible to render substantial and lasting repair as it +stood, "and that the inner parts of the walls were such as would not +permit of the superstructure being preserved or successfully dealt with +by any of the well-known expedients frequently recommended and sometimes +employed with success." When it became generally known that the Dean and +Chapter intended to act upon the advice given in these two reports, the +knowledge created the greatest possible excitement. Other plans were +suggested; the mere removal of a single stone to make it more secure was +declared quite unnecessary; the taking down a gable to rebuild it was +denounced as Vandalism. Much strong language and many hard words were +used which had better be forgotten. It certainly seems difficult to +explain how the objectors to the course that had been decided upon could +write of the west front that it was "superficially, in a fair state of +preservation," or that it was "literally without a patch or blemish." +The present writer was for twenty years a member of the cathedral +foundation, and lived just opposite the west front. He made a special +study of the history and fabric of the cathedral. Hardly a year passed +without something falling down; sometimes a piece of a pinnacle, +sometimes a crocket or other ornament, sometimes a shaft. Old engravings +of the spires show the pinnacles broken. Many of the shafts are wanting. +Some have been replaced in wood. Many wholly new ones were put up by +Dean Monk. And concerning the north arch, which was notoriously the most +dangerous, Dean Patrick has recorded that Bishop Laney gave L100 toward +the repairing one of the great arches of the church porch "which was +faln down in the late times." Dean Monk also, in a memoir of his +predecessor Dean Duport,[19] speaks of the efforts of the cathedral body +to repair the devastation caused by the civil war, and says "in +particular one of the three large arches of the West Front, the beauty +of which is acknowledged to be without rival, having fallen down, it was +restored in all its original magnificence." In an account of the +cathedral published by the writer thirty years ago, he says of this +arch: "Its present state looks dangerous from below. The stones in the +arch have some sad gaps. It is tied up by iron bands, and further +protected within by a great number of wooden pegs, not of recent +construction. When last observed it leant forward 141/2 inches." In 1893 +he wrote: "there is no doubt that the security of the whole front is a +most serious question that before long must demand energetic action." + +[Illustration: Finial of the Central Gable of the West Front.] + +A very great preponderance of local opinion was in favour of the action +of the Dean and Chapter. When it came to moving the stones, after all +the rubbish was removed, it was found that the mortar had crumbled into +mere dust, and could be swept away; and that the stones themselves could +be lifted from their positions, without the use of any tool. What has +actually been done is this: the north gable has been taken down with the +outer orders of the archivolt for a depth of some feet, and rebuilt; the +innermost order has not been moved. Relieving arches have been put in at +the back. The gable is now believed to be perfectly secure. The cross on +the summit was replaced in its position on July 2nd, 1897. The south +gable was afterwards taken down and rebuilt, a very few new stones being +used to bond the masonry where a fracture had been found on the left +side of the great arch below. This is what has been called "the +destruction" of the west front. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +THE CATHEDRAL--EXTERIOR. + +Nearly every cathedral and large abbey church has some one conspicuous +feature by which it is remembered, and with which it is specially +associated in the minds of most persons. Nearly every one also claims +for itself to have the best example of some one architectural feature, +or the largest, or the oldest, or in some other way the most remarkable. +Occasionally the claim is indisputable, because the boasted object is +unique in the country; as is the case with the octagon at Ely, the three +spires at Lichfield, the situation and western Galilee of Durham, and +the almost perfect unity of design at Salisbury. Sometimes, if not +unique, there is no question as to the justice of the claim for +superiority; whether it be for a thing of beauty, like the cloisters at +Gloucester, or the Norman tower at Norwich, or the east window of +Carlisle, or the angel-choir at Lincoln; or for size or extent, when the +question narrows itself to a mere matter of measurement. + +But it is not always by any means the fact that this prominent feature, +though it is the pride of the inhabitants and a source of admiration to +visitors, is really the most noteworthy thing belonging to the church. +This seems specially the case at Peterborough. Probably nobody speaks or +thinks of Peterborough cathedral without immediately associating it with +its glorious west front. Many believe that there is little else in the +building that is worthy of any particular attention. And yet nowhere in +the kingdom is there to be found a finer and more complete Norman +church. Arches, windows, mouldings, more elaborate and more grand may no +doubt be found elsewhere; but where else can we find, as here, choir, +transepts, and nave, with all the original Norman, from ground to roof, +with two insignificant exceptions, remaining unaltered? It is natural +to compare the three great East Anglian Cathedrals, as all have superb +work of the Norman period. But at Norwich the lower arches in the choir +have been rebuilt in the Perpendicular style, while the vaulted roof of +the nave, raised in the fifteenth century, is less in keeping with the +sturdy architecture beneath it than the wooden ceiling at Peterborough. +At Ely, beautiful as is the work in the octagon and choir, there is no +Norman work east of the transepts. Of course we are referring to the +main arches and pillars of the building, and not to the tracery of the +windows, or to alterations to the walls. The two exceptions mentioned +above are the pointed arches, east and west of the central tower, and +the removal of the three lowest windows in the apse. + +[Illustration: The West Front.] + +The greatest attraction to the world at large is undoubtedly =the West +Front=, which is seen in its full beauty on entering the close. + +The following lines, from Morris's "Earthly Paradise," may fitly +introduce the subject. + + "For other tales they told, and one of these + Not all the washing of the troublous seas, + Nor all the changeful days whereof ye know, + Have swept from out my memory: even so + Small things far off will be remembered clear + When matters both more mighty and more near, + Are waxing dim to us. I, who have seen + So many lands, and midst such marvels been, + Clearer than these abodes of outland men, + Can see above the green and unburnt fen + The little houses of an English town, + Cross-timbered, thatched with fen-reeds coarse and brown, + And high o'er these, three gables, great and fair, + That slender rods of columns do upbear + Over the minster doors, and imagery + Of kings, and flowers no summer field doth see, + Wrought in these gables.--Yea I heard withal, + In the fresh morning air, the trowels fall + Upon the stone, a thin noise far away; + For high up wrought the masons on that day, + Since to the monks that house seemed scarcely well + Till they had set a spire or pinnacle + Each side the great porch. In that burgh I heard + This tale, and late have set down every word + That I remembered, when the thoughts would come + Of what we did in our deserted home, + And of the days, long past, when we were young, + Nor knew the cloudy days that o'er us hung. + And howsoever I am now grown old, + Yet is it still the tale I then heard told + Within the guest house of that Minster Close, + Whose walls, like cliffs new made, before us rose." + +It is rather a porch, or piazza, than a front; for it consists of a +paved walk of some extent outside the wall of the cathedral covered at a +great height by a vaulted roof which is supported by the wall and by the +three great arches. Mr Fergusson, in his "Handbook of Architecture,"[20] +pronounces that "as a portico, using the term in its classical sense, +the west front of Peterborough is the grandest and finest in Europe": +and there are few that will not agree with him. Professor Freeman +says:[21]--"The portico of Peterborough is unique; the noblest +conception of the old Greek translated into the speech of Christendom +and of England has no fellow before it or after it." Exclusive of the +spires, and the central porch and parvise, the dates of which have been +given previously, the whole is of the best and purest Early English +style. The effect is certainly improved by the middle arch being +narrower than the others. But if the gables above had been of unequal +angles, the result would have been far less satisfactory. Wisely, +therefore, these angles have been made equal, and all of the same +height: and the device of the architect to secure this, by making the +central gable rise from points somewhat higher than the others, is +admirable. It is to be observed also that the turrets, or large +pinnacles, that are placed between the gables, are not placed exactly +above the central line of the great piers beneath them, but are in each +case a little further towards the outer arches; and it will be seen, +immediately that this is pointed out, how much the upper part of the +facade is thereby improved. The two great piers may be roughly taken as +having for section an isosceles right-angled triangle, the right angle +being towards the west. The mouldings of the arches are supported by a +series of banded shafts, six on each side of each arch. In the spaces +between the shafts of the middle arch, but not of the others, are +crockets for the whole height, and the innermost cavetto is entirely +filled with dog-tooth ornament. All the shafts have floriated +capitals; and the great arches have similar mouldings. Four sets of +ornaments run round each arch; a continuous chevron, a richly floriated +roll, a roll with bands, and a series of billets. Between the arches +there rises a clustered shaft which reaches to the level of the highest +points of the arches: here these shafts combine with an ornamented +stringcourse which runs in a straight line along the entire front. In +each of the six spandrels are a deeply recessed quatrefoil, two +trefoiled arches (like the upper part of a niche), a pair of +lancet-shaped niches containing figures, and a beautifully designed +hexagonal ornament, with wavy edges, the cusps uniting in a central +boss. The pinnacles on each side of the middle gable are at first +square, then there are two octagonal stages, the uppermost pierced, and +finally a short spire. The lowest stage has a double lancet with +floriated capitals; the second has a lancet, also with floriated +capitals, filling up each face of the octagon; the last stage has +round-headed lancets, without capitals, entirely surrounded by zigzags. + +[Illustration: Plan of Central Portion of the West Front.] + +The gables are richly ornamented. At the head of each is a massive cross +of very fine workmanship. Along the edges of the gables are two rows of +billets and the wavy ornament. Just below the crosses are three large +statues, in niches of which the gable mouldings form the heads. That in +the centre is S. Peter, with a mitre, the right hand uplifted in +blessing, and two keys in the left hand; the other two are S. John and +S. Andrew. Below plain, straight stringcourses, at the foot of these +statues, are three rose windows of exceptional grace and beauty. The +central one has eight spokes radiating from a flat medallion enriched +with conventional foliage; these support trefoil-headed arches which +have their outer mouldings thickly covered with dog-tooth; the whole is +bounded by two circular bands, the inner one ornamented. The two other +rose windows have six spokes instead of eight, the trefoiled arches have +foliage, and the inner moulding of the bounding circles is continuously +waving. The spokes in all three windows have the dog-tooth on each side. +On each side of the lower part of these windows is a trefoil-headed +niche containing a figure. Below these, and resting upon the long +stringcourse that runs above the great arches, are sets of seven +trefoil-headed niches, with a half-niche at each end. Four of these +niches are pierced for windows, which have trefoils with pointed heads, +though the trefoil heads of the niches themselves are round at the +top. The three intervening niches contain figures. All these nine +figures have a nimbus; and as these, with the three under the crosses, +make up twelve, it is assumed that they represent the Apostles. The six +smaller statues, just above, are said to be kings; the twelve below, +benefactors. There are thus thirty statues in all, and most were no +doubt carved at the time of the erection of the front; but two or three +appear to be of earlier date, and may possibly have formed part of the +embellishments of the Saxon church. + +[Illustration: Gates to West Porch.] + +=The Towers north and south=, up to the height of the parapets, are of +the same date as the portion already described. They are ornamented with +blank arcading in six stages, of different dimensions and character; all +is in perfect harmony with the rest of the composition. The loftiest of +the stages of this arcading has a sub-division with round arches; and +the stage above the great stringcourse has round-headed trefoils so as +to be in keeping with the row of similar arches in the gables; but with +these two exceptions all the arches on the arcades of the tower are +pointed and without cusps. Of the spires which surmount these towers +that on the south is by far the more elegant. It has pinnacles at the +corners of square section, and then another set of triangular pinnacles, +resting on open arches connecting the corner pinnacles with the spire. +These triangular pinnacles are double the height of those at the +corners. All the pinnacles and canopies over the arches have crockets. +This spire is some few feet loftier than that to the north, though most +measurements of the cathedral have hitherto given them as being of the +same height. + +The inner wall of the portico, forming the west wall of the cathedral, +is covered with elaborate arcading, and so also are the ends, north and +south. The designs are nearly a continuation of the arcading on the two +towers. There are five lofty windows, now filled with tracery inserted +in the Perpendicular period, the great west window having been enlarged +at the same time. The two side doorways are exceedingly good, and should +be carefully examined. The central doorway must have been of still +greater beauty; but the whole of the upper part of it is hidden by the +porch and parvise inserted beneath the central arch. This doorway is +divided by a fine pillar rising from a well-carved base, with a very +curious scene depicted on it. "It represents," writes Canon Davys,[22] +"a Benedictine tortured by demons, and was doubtless intended as a +significant hint to the monks that a sacred calling demands a consistent +life." The portico retains its original Early English vaulting. + +[Illustration: West Porch and Parvise.] + +The =Porch= and =Parvise= beneath the middle arch was inserted, as has +been previously stated, as a support to the two great piers. It is +vaulted in two bays, the first being of the same dimensions as the inner +width of the portico; the western bay (of the same size) thus reaches +beyond the two great piers, and the corner turrets and buttresses in all +project about seven feet. This gives a very substantial support to the +piers. The whole composition is very fine, and quite worthy of the great +portico to which it is an adjunct. It must be left to each spectator to +decide for himself if it improves or diminishes the effect of the +whole. It is of late Decorated date, highly enriched with profuse +carving. The staircase turrets, as well as the great window are +embattled. Possibly there may have been pinnacles now lost. The spaces +north and south, and within the portico, have tracery on the walls +similar to the window. The groining is very fine. One of the central +bosses has a representation of the Trinity. The Father is represented as +the Ancient of Days, with a Dove for the Holy Spirit above the shoulder, +and the figure of the Saviour on the Cross in front. Freemasons are +recommended to look for a special symbol which they alone can understand +and appreciate. + +The floor of the portico is paved with gravestones, some apparently in +their original position. This place was at one time appropriated as a +burial place for the Minor Canons.[23] Some of the stones, however, are +of mediaeval date, and it can be seen where the brasses have been +wrenched from them: some of these have been used again for later +inscriptions. One stone bears an incised cross originally filled with +some coloured composition. Some of the marble wall-shafts had fallen, +and their places had been filled by stone substitutes. Others had been +cheaply replaced by wood. The stone shafts still remain, but the wooden +imitations have all been replaced by new marble which was specially +quarried for this reconstruction. + +Wood had also been used for the repair of the battlements on the gable +of the porch under the centre arch of the west front. These have, of +course, been reconstructed in stone. All the criticisms that have been +passed by amateur architects upon the front, as a termination to the +building, cannot be discussed here. It is clear, however, that the +existence of the portico does away with any objection that could be made +(as has been done with regard to the west fronts at Lincoln, Wells, and +elsewhere), that the front might be considered to hide rather than to +bring out the construction of the nave and aisles. It is true that the +side gables are not the gables of the aisles, and indeed the roofs that +are built against the gables are built only for them; but they are a +legitimate finish to the great arches, and to the vaulted roof of the +portico. Possibly the inequality of the great arches may be explained +when we reflect that the central gable is the honest termination of the +nave roof; the two central piers were therefore bound to be built so as +to give support to the existing nave roof, and to fit it. The position +of these piers being fixed, the outer ones might be as distant as was +desired, for the front must of course extend to the entire length of the +western transept. It has been commonly supposed that the three great +arches of the Lincoln front suggested the idea to the Peterborough +builders. If so, they improved upon their model. The central arch at +Lincoln even before the round arch was altered, must have been half as +high again as the side arches; and as they all are integral parts of the +wall, and therefore not open, they have somewhat the appearance of +magnified doorways that have been blocked up. At Snettisham, in Norfolk, +is a western doorway protected by a porch with three open arches; and +this has sometimes been mentioned when Peterborough west front is a +subject of discussion; not, of course, as a fitting comparison, but as +an illustration of the architectural method employed. At Snettisham, +however, the porch is a small erection even for the church to which it +gives entrance, and does not nearly extend to the entire width of the +building. + +[Illustration: South-West Spire and Bell-Tower.] + +The following is the quaint description given in "Magna Britannia," +published 1724:--"The western Front is very Noble and Majestick of +Columel Work, and supported by three such tall Arches, as England can +scarcely shew the like, which are adorned with a great Variety of +curious Imagery. The Form of Arches is by the modern Architects called, +The Bull's Eye, not Semicircular. The whole is one of the noblest pieces +of Gothick Building in England." + +=The Bell-tower=, which rises from the western transept, immediately +behind the north gable of the front (p. 37), is a little later than the +front itself. It is of good workmanship, and quite in keeping with the +older part. There are rows of lancets in the belfry stage, and the four +corner pinnacles are very similar to the large pinnacles that are placed +between the gables of the front, but all the lancets are pointed, and +there are little gables above each. This tower was once surmounted by a +wooden spire. When this was erected does not seem to be known. It was +not of particularly graceful design, judging from views of the cathedral +taken when it was standing. It was removed in the early part of the last +century (see page 25). + +[Illustration: The West Front, restored according to Gunton, 1780.] + +Passing round to the north side of the cathedral we are at once struck +with the beauty of the termination of the western transept. The arcading +on the north side of the tower of the front is identical with that on +the west side; but to the east there is only arcading in the three upper +stages. Mr. Paley's remarks upon the great windows of the western +transept may be quoted. He says[24] they "deserve particular +examination, not only because they are very early and fine specimens +of cusped and traceried windows--indeed, among the best in the +kingdom--but for a remarkable peculiarity in the jambs; whereof one side +is Norman, with the square capitals to the jamb-shafts both within and +without, and the other Early English, as are the arch-mouldings and +hoods round the whole arches, which were probably semicircular at first, +for at present the point cuts through a stringcourse inside. The frames +of the entire windows are later work, having no attachment or bonding to +the jambs, as is clearly manifested to the eye." These windows rise as +high as the top of those of the triforium. Above is a round-headed +window with a slightly smaller arch on each side, with cushion capitals. +The gable itself is designedly made to resemble one of the gables of the +west front. It is surmounted by a cross, and bordered by the wavy +ornament; it has a rose window; and beneath is an arcade of five +round-headed trefoiled arches supported by shafts, having at the inner +wall three lancet windows. The circular window is without tracery; it +has twelve cusps. At each side of the gable is a pinnacle, almost a copy +of those on the front, except that the lowest stage is here octagonal +instead of square. + +On the north side of the nave is a single door, now called =the Dean's +door=, of good Norman work. On each side are three shafts with cushion +capitals slightly ornamented; and in the round arches above are +different mouldings of the style. The windows to the aisle, ten in +number, are very broad, of five lights each, under depressed arches. The +tracery and mouldings indicate that these were substituted for the +original windows towards the close of the thirteenth century. At the +same time it would seem that the walls above, in the triforium range, +were heightened, because the parapet at the top is of Early English +work, although the three-light windows beneath it are Decorated, and +were not inserted until the next century. At the foot of the triforium +range is the original Norman arcade of round-headed arches: below the +existing Decorated windows is now a blank space of wall, where at first +was the Norman window, rising somewhat higher than the arcade. What the +original arrangement was can be seen on the east side of the north +transept. The Norman clerestory range has been altered only by having +Perpendicular tracery put in the windows, and by the addition of a +Decorated parapet. The original corbel-table was allowed to remain. + +[Illustration: The Dean's Door.] + +=The Lantern-tower= has on each face two large windows with transoms, of +three lights. The tracery is that known as net-tracery. Between these +windows is a blank window, if the term may be allowed; the tracery +exists, but there never was a window; it is in four divisions; while +between the windows and the corner turrets are similar traceries of two +parts. The whole is surmounted by a parapet above a plain arcade. The +corner turrets are octangular. As at present finished at the top there +is undoubtedly an appearance of their being incomplete. + +The west side of the =North Transept= is a very excellent specimen of +Norman work; and we find less change here than in any other part of the +cathedral that belongs to the same period. The tracery of the windows is +Perpendicular, but the windows themselves are otherwise unaltered: at +the top of all is a Decorated parapet, which is here composed of a +series of quatrefoils; and the parapet to the corner turrets is not +Norman. As there is no aisle on the west side of this transept, there +has been no alteration in the wall, as was the case with the nave +aisles. + +The north end of the transept is similar; but the shallow buttresses +between the windows rise to a greater height, and there is another +arcade above the upper tier of windows, and a blank arch in the gable. +The gable has crockets, and a cross at the apex. The lower Norman window +in the aisle here is unlike any others on this side of the church, but +there are four others like it on the south. The upper aisle window here +is of three lights, with a large pointed trefoil above them instead of +tracery. + +The east wall of this transept is specially worthy of note. We can trace +the lines of the roof of the Lady Chapel which formerly stood to the +east of the wall; and beneath this are two bays of the original +triforium range, showing two of the simple Norman windows. Between these +and the roof are six Early English lancets. Below are the upper parts of +the two great arches which were constructed as an entrance to the Lady +Chapel. When the Lady Chapel was pulled down in the seventeenth century +these were converted into windows filled with late tracery in imitation +of Perpendicular work, and the lower part was walled up, except that a +doorway was constructed. This was afterwards blocked up for many years, +and only reopened during the recent restoration works. The same +alteration has been effected in the western part of the choir aisle, the +arches towards the Lady Chapel having been in like manner made into +windows. The lower window nearest the tower is a very graceful geometric +window of three lights, exactly like the three in the south transept; +the window above is of the same period as all the other Decorated +windows of the triforium range. + +Between the Lady Chapel and the north aisle of the choir was a passage +(to which the two great arches were open), and at the eastern end of it +was a small vaulted chapel, the remains of which are clearly to be seen, +including the broken piscina. Above this were chambers, concerning which +Gunton[25] has preserved a tradition that they were "the habitation of a +devout Lady, called Agnes, or Dame Agnes, out of whose Lodging-Chamber +there was a hole made askew in the window walled up, having its prospect +just upon the altar of the Ladies Chappel, and no more. It seems she was +devout in her generation, that she chose this place for her retirement, +and was desirous that her eyes, as well as ears, might wait upon her +publick Devotions." He says also that little is known of her except that +she was a benefactress to the church, and that a wood she bestowed upon +it is still called by her name. + +[Illustration: Apse and New Building, from the South-East.] + +At the extreme east is the =New Building=. Its side walls are built in +continuation of the walls of the choir aisles, and it has a square end. +It is lit by thirteen large windows, all of the same design, of which +the five at the east end, and the two most western of the sides, are of +four lights each, the remaining four having three lights each. Between +each pair of the latter there is no buttress; there are thus in all +twelve buttresses, six being at the east end. These are massive, having +to support the heavy fan-tracery within. Each buttress has a seated +figure at the top, commonly believed to represent an Apostle; but the +outlines are much worn, and it is not possible to distinguish them by +any symbols they may bear. There is a very handsome open parapet, +adorned with ornaments and shields bearing letters or monograms. + +The parapet of quatrefoils, which runs round the sides of the transepts +and choir, is not continued in the apse; an Early English parapet, with +five circular medallions cusped, having been erected previously. The +Decorated windows of the apse are particularly fine. The arcade beneath +the upper tier, unlike the arcade in similar positions in other parts of +the church, is here intersecting. + +The three beautiful geometric windows in the east wall of the =South +Transept=, which have three circles in the heads with five cusps, are +most likely of exactly the same design as the windows in the demolished +Lady Chapel. At the south end of this transept is a Norman door, and +outside are the remains of a short covered passage which communicated +with the cloisters. These will be described hereafter. + +The south side of the nave differs only from the north side in its +having two doorways from the cloisters, in the superior elegance of the +south-west spire, and in the unfinished state of the south-west tower. +The portion of this tower above the roof Mr Paley pronounces, from the +details of the windows on the east side, to be of much later date than +the other tower; and he adds that it is hard to see how the roof of the +transept was terminated before this stage was built to abut it. Both +towers are longer from east to west than from north to south. + +Of the two doorways from the cloister to the cathedral, that at the east +end of the north walk, which is called the Canons' door, is a fine +specimen of Norman work. The arch is of four orders supported by +nook-shafts with plain cushion-capitals. The innermost order has a very +uncommon moulding--large chevrons with a fleur-de-lis in the angles. The +outermost order has a double zigzag moulding, and a double-billet hood +moulding surrounds the whole arch. The other archway at the west end, +called the Bishop's door, is an insertion of the thirteenth century, +with bold tooth-ornament on each side. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +THE CATHEDRAL--INTERIOR. + + +The plan of the =Monastery= given on page 58 has been taken from one +prepared by the late Precentor Walcott of Chichester, and communicated +to "The Building News," in 1878. In this plan the choir is represented +as it was arranged in olden times, and not as it appeared after it was +shortened by the erection of the organ-screen under the eastern arch of +the tower in Dean Monk's time. The position of the ancient buildings is +also indicated, though some of them, as the Lady Chapel, Dormitory, +Chapter-house and Infirmary Chapel, have long been destroyed. The +various portions will be understood by the following references. + +(1) New Building. (2) Reredos, or Altar-screen. (3) Screens. Recent +discoveries have proved that the choir aisles originally ended, or at +least were designed to end, in apses. (4) High Altar. (5) Entry to +passage to Lady Chapel; a small chapel to the east. (6) Lady Chapel. (7) +Door to it from north transept aisle. (8) Chapel of S. John. (9) Chapel +of S. James. (10) Chapel of S. Oswald, the Holy Trinity Chapel above it. +(11) Chapel of S. Benedict. (12) Chapel of SS. Kyneburga and Kyneswitha, +sisters of Peada and Wulfere, the original founders of the monastery. +(13) Choir. (14) Sacristy. (15) Choir-screen. (16) Front of rood-loft. +(17) Nave. (18) Gate to grave-yard. (19) Gate to Prior's lodging. (20) +Minster close. (21) Gatehouse to Abbot's lodging, with the Knights' +chamber above. (22) Chancel of the chapel of S. Thomas of Canterbury. +(23) Great gateway of the close. (24, 25) Doorways from the cloisters. +(26) Slype. (27) Parlour. (28)Chapter-house. (29) Porch. (30) Dormitory. +(31) Cloisters. (32) Lavatory. (33) Refectory. (34) Dark entry. (35) +Gong. (36) Kitchen. (37) Abbot's lodging. (38) Prior's lodging. (39) +Infirmarer's hall. (40) Chapel to Infirmary, dedicated to S. Laurence. +(41) The chancel, and (42) the nave of this chapel. (43) Hall of +Infirmary, the inmates occupying the aisles. (44) Door to Infirmary. +(45) Precinct wall and stables. The building close to the south side of +the Infirmary, not numbered in this plan, is an ancient residence now +used as a dwelling for one of the canons in residence. The small +building south-west of the front is an old vaulted room, now used as a +clerk's office, originally believed to have been the Penitentiary. The +old abbey gaol has escaped notice, though it in part remains. Its door +is immediately to the right upon entering the close through the great +gateway. + +[Illustration: Plan of Monastery Buildings.] + +=The Interior=.--With few exceptions, to be noticed in due course, the +whole of the interior of the cathedral is in the Norman style, and many +judge it to be the most perfect specimen in England. The plan consists +of a nave of ten bays, with aisles, and a western transept; transepts of +four bays with eastern chapels, the south transept having also a groined +chamber to the west, extending for its whole length; a choir of four +bays, terminating in an apse, nearly semicircular, with aisles; and +beyond the apse a large square-ended addition for more chapels, having a +groined stone roof of fan tracery, now known as the New Building. The +ritual choir, as distinguished from the architectural choir, extends two +bays into the nave. This arrangement is a return to the ancient one used +by the Benedictines, the choir in Dean Monk's alterations having been +limited to the portion east of the central tower. + +As we enter at the west door we see at a glance the entire length, and +the whole beauty of the admirable proportion of the several parts. While +many may wish that the great arches of the tower which can be seen from +the west end had never been altered from the round form of the Norman +builders, few will regret that the Decorated arches which took their +place were retained when the tower was rebuilt, instead of having new +arches in the Norman style substituted. The want of colour which is so +marked a defect in many English cathedrals is not so conspicuous here, +because of the painted ceiling. + +The Norman work being in the main so complete, it will be best to begin +the description where the building itself was begun, at the apse. At the +west door we stand where the work was finished. We know when the +building commenced, in 1117, but we do not know exactly when the whole +was finished to the western wall; but, speaking roughly, though not very +far from the truth, we may say that the minster took eighty years to +complete. This may be slightly more than was actually taken. During that +time the work was not continuous: there were some Abbots who appear to +have done little or nothing towards extending the works, and sometimes +accordingly there was an entire cessation from active operations. +Including the west front, we should have to assign nearly 120 years to +the completion of the building. + +=The Choir=.--Up to the commencement of the apse the choir is of four +bays. The pillars are alternately round and with eight or twelve sides; +all have cushioned capitals, indented to agree with the mouldings above; +all had a shaft on the inner side rising to the roof, to support the +wooden groining, but the lower parts of some of these shafts were cut +away to make room for the woodwork of Dean Monk's choir. The +ornamentation throughout is plentiful, but we see nothing but the +billet, the chevron, and the hatchet moulding, all indicative of early +work. The triforium has two recessed arches, beneath the principal arch, +divided by a plain shaft. It is specially to be noticed that all the +tympana in the triforium range are differently ornamented. In each bay +of the clerestory range are three arches, one large and two small ones; +the capitals to the shafts have the plain cushion (as in the triforium) +and from these shafts a narrower arch connects them with the outer wall. +There is a passage here all round the choir. Below the triforium a +stringcourse of chevrons runs all along. + +[Illustration: The Choir.] + +Between the choir bays and the apse is solid wall, rather longer than +the distance between the central lines of adjoining piers. Here are two +massive half-pillars, reaching to the roof, undoubtedly meant to be +crowned with a round arch like those to the transepts; and this seems to +shew that the intention was to vault the apse with stone. The apse is by +far the best large Norman apse remaining in this country. At Norwich, +where is the only possible rival, the lower part only is semicircular +and original, the whole of the upper part being of Decorated date, and +pentagonal. This apse is in five divisions, separated by clustered +shafts which rise to the roof. Originally there were three tiers of +round-headed Norman windows; the nine windows in the centre were +enlarged and filled with very good tracery in the Decorated period, and +the lower windows also on the other two sides. When, in the +Perpendicular age, the new building was added, the three lowest windows +were removed altogether and the wall beneath them, leaving three open +arches. The inner wall surface of the five lowest windows has been +filled with elegant hanging tracery of fourteenth century date, the +designs being all different. In some cases this tracery is placed just +below the Norman stringcourse, but in others the stringcourse has +been removed to make room for it. There was no necessity to convert the +two lowest side windows into arches; and they accordingly remain there +to this day; but being no longer exposed to the outer air all the glass +is gone, though the notches that held it, and the strong bars that +protected it, have been suffered to stay. There was never any ambulatory +round the apse outside; we can still see, from the new building, +portions of a stringcourse which was external, as well as other +evidences that the apse was the end of the church. It is also known that +there was a highway at the east end of the church, almost touching it. +In the stage corresponding to the triforium are to be seen on the walls +the remains of painted coats of arms, the shape of the shield suggesting +that they are as early as the thirteenth century; some also have been +cut in half by the later Decorated alterations. + +[Illustration: View from the Triforium South of Choir.] + +The choir roof is vaulted in wood. In the time of Dean Saunders it was +repainted with gold and colours. From the character of the bosses, and +the capitals where the wood is joined to the tall shafts rising from the +pillars in the choir, and from the general ornamentation, it is manifest +that this was constructed towards the end of the fifteenth century. It +was at one time painted all over yellow and white. The carving of the +different bosses is well worth attention. There has not been discovered +any mark or initials that might help us to assign a positive date. We +can see, among other designs, the cross keys of the patron Saint; the +Saviour on the Cross accompanied by S. Mary and S. John (this is in the +central line, near the tower); three lilies; three fishes with +intersecting tails. The roof over the apse is flat. It has been +decorated from a design by Sir G.G. Scott, with an emblematical +representation of Christ as a Vine, the Disciples being half-figures in +medallions among the foliage. An inscription bearing upon the subject +forms the border. The general effect will be like, though not identical +with, the original painting in this place. This was one of the +decorations of the church that excited the fury of the soldiers and +others who dismantled the minster in the civil war in the seventeenth +century. "This is the Idol they worship and adore" was the cry of some +of the party; upon which muskets were discharged, and the picture wholly +defaced. The description of the design is given in these words:[26] +"Over this place" (that is, the altar-screen) "in the Roof of the +Church, in a large Oval yet to be seen, was the Picture of our Saviour +seated on a Throne, one hand erected, and holding a Globe in the other: +attended with the four Evangelists and Saints on each side, with Crowns +in their hands; intended, I suppose, for a Representation of our +Saviour's coming to judgment." + +[Illustration: North Transept and Morning Chapel.] + +The flat roof of the apse being lower than the roof of the choir, the +space between the levels is filled with twelve painted figures. + +The whole of the internal fittings of the choir (speaking now of the +ritual choir) are new, and are part of the recent restoration. The new +woodwork began to be placed in position in 1890. There is indeed a +little old work, which was in the old choir before it was altered in the +early part of this century. When removed, some of the front desks had +been placed in the morning chapel, though much of the projecting tracery +work was taken off. It was realised, when the existing stall-work was +being designed, that these would be very suitable for use in their old +position. Accordingly, all that could be so used have been placed again +in the choir, with their traceried panels restored; and the new work is +made of the same character. The =New Stalls= are of the finest oak, with +miserere seats; the backs have rich tracery, with raised shields, +moulded groined ceilings, and carved bosses at the intersection of the +ribs. They are surmounted by octagonal canopies, in three stages, the +uppermost containing a niche for a carved figure to each stall, while +other figures, of much smaller size, are to be seen below. A few have at +the back the armorial bearings of the donor, or some other symbol, such +as the masonic emblems in those given by the Freemasons of England. The +names of the cathedral officers and others to whom the different stalls +are assigned, have been inscribed on the label at the head of each; the +donor's name is recorded on the seats. + +With the exception of the first figure, the whole of the larger figures +at the top of the canopies have some special connection with the +monastery or the cathedral. Beginning at the Dean's stall, and +proceeding eastwards, the statues on the south side represent the +following:-- + +Two at the summit of the Dean's stall, SS. Paul and +Andrew. + +1. S. Peter, the Patron Saint. +2. Saxulf (656), the first Abbot. +3. Adulf (971), Abbot, afterwards Archbishop of York. +4. Kenulf (992), Abbot, afterwards Bishop of Winchester. +5. Leofric (1057), Abbot. +6. Turold (1069), Abbot, appointed by William the Conqueror. +7. Ernulf (1107), Abbot, afterwards Bishop of Rochester. +8. Martin de Bee (1133), Abbot when the choir was dedicated. +9. Benedict (1175), Abbot. He built the greater part, if +not all, of the nave. +10. Martin of Ramsey (1226), Abbot. +11. John of Calais (1249), Abbot. He built the infirmary, +probably the refectory, and part of the cloisters. +12. Richard of London (1274), Abbot. He built the north-western tower. +13. Adam of Boothby (1321), Abbot. +14. William Genge (1396), first mitred Abbot. +15. Richard Ashton (1438), Abbot. He began the new building. +16. Robert Kirton (1496), Abbot. He finished the new +building, and built the Deanery gateway. +17. John Towers (1638), Bishop. Previously Dean (1630). +18. Thomas White (1685), Bishop. Nonjuror. +19. William Connor Magee (1868), Bishop, afterwards Archbishop of York. +20. Simon Patrick (1679), Dean, afterwards Bishop of Chichester, +and finally of Ely. +21. Augustus Page Saunders (1853), Dean. +22. John James Stewart Perowne (1878), Dean, afterwards Bishop of +Worcester. + +The upper figures on the north side are these:-- + +Two at the summit of the Vice-Dean's stall, Kings Wolfere +and Ethelred.[27] + +1. Peada, King of Mercia, founder of the monastery. +2. Cuthbald (675), second Abbot. +3. Edgar, King of Mercia and Wessex, restorer of the monastery. +4. Ethelfleda, his queen. +5. Brando (1066), Abbot. +6. Hereward, the Saxon patriot (1070), nephew of Abbot +Brando, and knighted by him. +7. John deSais (1114), Abbot. He commenced the building +of the existing choir. +8. Hedda (died 870), Abbot, murdered by the Danes. +9. Robert of Lindsey (1214), Abbot. He holds a model of +the west front, probably built or begun in his time. +10. Godfrey of Crowland (1299), Abbot. He bears a model +of the gateway to the palace grounds. +11. William Ramsey (1471), Abbot. He was one of the +donors of the brass eagle lectern still in use. +12. William Parys (died 1286), Prior. He built the Lady Chapel. +13. S. Giles, the famous Benedictine Abbot, with his tame +hind beside him. +14. Hugo Candidus, the chronicler. +15. Henry of Overton (1361), Abbot. +16. Queen Katherine of Arragon. +17. John Cosin (1640), Dean, afterwards Bishop of Durham. +18. Simon Gunton (1646), Prebendary, the historian of the church. +19. Herbert Marsh (1819), Bishop. +20. George Davys (1839), Bishop. +21. James Henry Monk (1822), Dean, afterwards Bishop of +Gloucester and Bristol. +22. Marsham Argles (1891), Dean. Previously Canon +(1849). + +The dates in the above lists, unless stated otherwise, are the dates of +appointment. With the single exception of Henry of Overton, of whom very +little indeed is known except that he was abbot for nearly thirty years, +the selection that has been made appears to be very good. In some way or +other all the persons represented are eminent. The authorities are to be +congratulated upon their including in the series several dignitaries of +the last century. + +The smaller figures on the south side are all characters from the New +Testament; those on the north side are taken from the Old Testament. The +carving on the sides of the two westernmost stalls is of great interest. +The panels on the south represent the miraculous preservation of the arm +of S. Oswald. This arm was one of the greatest treasures of the house, +and was reputed to be the cause of many cures. The legend is given +hereafter in the notice of Abbot Elsinus, the great collector of relics. +In the corresponding position on the north side is represented the story +of S. Ethelwold, Bishop of Winchester. On the back of the stalls in the +south aisle are two pieces of tapestry, picturing the release of S. +Peter and the healing of the lame man at the Gate Beautiful. + +The carving on the =Pulpit= and =Throne= will repay careful study. In +the niches at the base of the pulpit are four abbots, chiefly connected +with the erection of the building. They are John de Sais, who holds a +model of the apse, Martin de Bec, William of Waterville, and Walter of +S. Edmunds. Round the main body of the pulpit are four saints in niches, +SS. Peter, Paul, John and James, each easily identified by what is held +in the hand. Between these niches are wide panels carved with subjects +associated with preaching. Abbot Saxulf preaching to the Mercians; +Christ sending forth the Apostles; S. Peter preaching after the descent +of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. + +The throne is raised on three steps. Above the canopy is a lofty spire. +On the sides of the seat are SS. Peter and Paul. On the book board are +symbolical representations of the virtues of Temperance, Wisdom, +Fortitude, and Justice. In the lower tier on the canopy are six figures: +Saxulf, first Abbot; Cuthwin, first Bishop of Leicester; John de Sais; +Benedict; S. Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, his hand resting on the head of +his tame swan; and John Chambers, last Abbot and first Bishop of +Peterborough. In the upper tier are four Bishops: Bishop Dove, the +theologian; Bishop Cumberland, the philosopher; Bishop Kennett, the +antiquary; and Archbishop Magee, the orator. + +One of the statues over the stalls, that representing S. Giles, has also +a figure of a hind; in the representation of S. Hugh of Lincoln on the +throne we see a swan. The hind was really a type of solitude and purity +of life, and as such is found in many ancient carvings and paintings +accompanying various Saints. There is also a legend specially connecting +this creature with S. Giles. In a retreat in a forest in the diocese of +Nismes, the recluse, with one companion, is said to have lived on the +fruits of the earth and the milk of a hind. Some dogs that were out +hunting pursued this hind, and she took refuge in the dwelling of the +Saint. The sportsman, Flavius Wamba, King of the Goths, treated him with +every mark of respect, and gave him land wherewith to endow a monastery. +Of S. Hugh's swan a long account is given in the "Vita S. Hugonis +Lincolniensis" published in the Rolls Series. A swan never before seen +at the place flew to the Bishop at his manor at Stowe directly after he +had been enthroned at Lincoln. He became passionately attached to the +bishop, but exhibited no liking for anyone else, he considered himself +bound to protect his master, driving other people away from him, "As I +myself," writes Giraldus Cambrensis, "have often with wonder seen," +with his wings and beak. + +[Illustration: The Pulpit.] + +=The Organ= was rebuilt in 1894 by Hill and Son at a cost, including the +case, of L4,400, and at the expense of the late Mr. W.H. Foster of +Witley, Surrey, though his name, at his own wish, remained undisclosed +during his lifetime. The action is now controlled by electricity. + +The Great, Swell, Solo, and Pedal Organ (except the two stops Bourdon +and Bass Flute of the last) are placed in four bays of the north +triforium of the nave; the choir organ and the two Pedal stops are in +the first bay of the north aisle, and the Console in the second bay +behind the stalls. There are 68 speaking stops and 4,453 pipes as +follows: + +Great Organ (Compass CC to C in Alt.) 17 stops 1,342 pipes. +Choir " 11 " 671 " +Swell " 17 " 1,330 " +Solo " 11 " 720 " +Pedal " (Compass CCCC to F) 12 " 390 " + +[Illustration: Apse and Canopied Reredos.] + +=The Canopied Reredos= or =Baldachino= was given by the eight surviving +children of Dean Saunders as a memorial of their parents. The retable +was given by the Old Boys of the King's School. The reredos is a +magnificent erection, and renders the east end of this cathedral one of +the most dignified in the kingdom. The dais on which it stands is +thirteen feet square, and the summit reaches to the height of +thirty-five feet. Four large marble columns stand at the corners, from +the capitals of which spring cusped arches, the spandrels being enriched +with mosaic; while at the angles, above the columns, are figures of the +Evangelists in niches. The large central panel in front has the figure +of Our Lord; at the back is S. Peter. The material is Derbyshire +alabaster; the work was executed by Mr Robert Davison, of London. + +=The Mosaic Pavement=, also the work of Mr Davison, was the gift of the +late Dean and Miss Argles. The following description of it is from the +pen of Mr Davison. + +"Passing into the choir from the west, the pavement between the stalls +is of tesselated Roman mosaic, in an effective geometrical pattern of +squares, and oblongs of red, green and white marbles. The first bay of +the chancel is also in Roman mosaic, but of more elaborate design, the +central portion being a framework of interlacing cream bands, forming +diamond shaped panels alternating with circles, the centres of these +panels being varied reds and greens; the framework surrounds four large +panels of Pavonazzo d'Italie, each in six slabs. This is a beautiful +marble of feathery purple grey veinings on a creamy white ground. This +central part is flanked on each side by a broad band of the same +Pavonazzo, which separates it from the large side panels of a bold +design of squares of red, green and cream placed diagonally, interlaced +by white bands; upon these panels stand the pulpit on the north side, +and the bishop's throne on the south. This bay is approached from the +choir by the first marble step which is in Frosterley, a marble with +beautiful madrepores of light colour on a dark ground. The next bay is +of similar design to the first, but is approached by two steps of +Levanto marble of reddish brown tint with small veinings of white. The +third and fourth bays are in a marble mosaic called _Opus Alexandrinum_, +composed of various rich marbles of brilliant reds, greens, greys, +yellows, and creams, divided into the main design by bands of +Pavonazzo. The design of the third bay is divided into three equal +panels, in the centre of which are four large slabs of Cipolino, a +charming marble of a light green tint in broad wavy lines on a lighter +ground, which are framed in by a combination of small panels of mosaic +of varied rich patterns of triangles and squares, which are again +enclosed by a broad border of mosaic of white squares on a ground of +light green Vert de Suede. The step up to this bay, and also the step to +the next and to the altar pace, all of which stretch the full length of +the chancel, as well as the three steps to the altar dais, are in +carefully selected Pavonazzo. The design of the fourth bay is a system +of interlacing bands, forming alternately large and small octagons, +between which are squares and oblongs. The small octagons are rich +plaques of marble, while the large ones are divided radially into eight +panels. All these parts are filled with mosaic of varying patterns and +colours. At each end of this bay is a long panel of overlapping circles, +filled in with rich mosaic. The panel on the altar pace and the three +panels on the altar dais are in the same mosaic, each of a different +design; the long plaques of marble in the upper panel are red and green +of rich dark marbles. The two panels at the side of the dais are in opus +sectile, a design of hexagons of Pavonazzo, with diamonds of Vert des +Alpes between them. The broad band of red, the whole length of the +chancel on the outsides of the pavement, is of Levanto marble, forming a +finish to the work." + +=The Screens=, enclosing the four eastern bays of the choir, were given +as a public memorial to Dean Argles. They are of very admirable +wrought-iron. The same may be said of the choir gates. The former are +the work of White & Son, of London; the latter of Singer & Son, of +Frome. The short pillars that support the choir gates, and the +unrelieved backs of the returned stalls, have at present the +unsatisfactory appearance of all unfinished work. A drawing of the +complete design is exhibited in a frame on an adjacent pillar. + +The single ancient object among the fittings in the choir is the brass +eagle Lectern. This was given to the monastery by William Ramsey, Abbot, +and John Malden, Prior; it is consequently of late fifteenth century +date. An inscription recording the names of the donors, in two Latin +lines, was engraved round a projection in the middle of the stem. +Centuries of hard scouring have obliterated this; but the upper and +lower ends of most of the letters can just be traced. An expert can +satisfy himself that the inscription as preserved by Gunton is +practically correct. It seems to have been this, though it is not +possible to vouch for every letter. + + _Haec tibi lectrina dant Petre metallica bina + Iohes Malden prior et Wills de Ramiseya_. + +Besides the donors already named, the following became contributors for +special objects, many of them having in addition given substantial +assistance in money to the restoration fund. The choir pulpit, Bishop's +throne, and the cost of cleaning the whitewash from the nave were given +by Dean Argles. Enlargement of foot-pace, and extension of mosaic +pavement, by Mrs Argles. Decoration of ceiling of lantern tower, and new +frames for the bells, by Mr H.P. Gates, Chapter Clerk. Litany desk, by +Mrs Rigg. Altar ornaments, by Canon Alderson. The 44 stalls were given +by Archbishop Magee, Lady Elizabeth Villiers (7), Lady Louisa Wells, Mr +H.P. Gates, Friends of Canon Clayton, Family of Canon Pratt, Hon. Canon +Willes, Hon. Canon Twells, an ex-chorister of the cathedral, Mr James +Bristow, Mr. W.U. Heygate, Mr S.G. Stopford-Sackville, Mrs Yard, Mr J.D. +Goodman, Miss Pears, Mrs Perry Herrick, Mrs W.L. Collins and Mrs H.L. +Hansel, Mr Albert Pell, Mrs Dawson Rowley, The Mayor and Corporation, Mr +F. James, the Freemasons of England (3), Friends of Lady Isham and Miss +Perowne (2), Rev. W.R.P. Waudby, Mr G.L. Watson, Major-General Sotheby, +Mrs Hunt, Rev. A. Redifer, Mr J.G. Dearden, Mrs Percival, the Misses +Broughton, Rev. S.A.T. Yates (in memory of Mr Charles Davys Argles), +Rev. W.H. Cooper, Mr T.A. Argles, Mrs Argles. + +The choir aisles are vaulted; the section of the vaulting ribs is much +heavier than in the aisles of the nave, and shews an earlier date. It +has recently been discovered that these aisles, contrary to what was +usually believed, were terminated with apses and were not square-ended. +In the south aisle is traced on the floor the position of the old +semicircular ending. The windows here were altered at the same time as +those in the nave aisles: but in the north choir aisle the windows were +taken out and arches formed leading to the passage between this aisle +and the Lady Chapel, the most western arch being Perpendicular: in the +seventeenth century, when the Lady Chapel was pulled down, these arches +were again filled up with masonry and windows. The third window in this +aisle has escaped alteration in form; but Perpendicular tracery has been +inserted. + +The eastern ends of both aisles were altered in Early English times. +They have now a groined roof of one bay of that period, and very +handsome double piscinas. The aumbry on the north side in the south +choir aisle has been glazed, and is utilised as a cupboard to hold some +curiosities. In the north choir aisle there is an approach to the +morning chapel through a screen; but in the south choir aisle the +corresponding space is filled by a Norman monumental arch. + +=The New Building= built beyond the apse is a very noble specimen of +late Perpendicular work. It was begun by Abbot Richard Ashton +(1438-1471), and completed by Abbot Robert Kirton (1496-1528): the works +seem to have been suspended between these periods. The roof has the +beautiful fan tracery, very similar on a smaller scale to that at King's +College Chapel at Cambridge. The building is of the width of the choir +and aisles together. It contained three altars at the date of the +suppression of monasteries, "upon each altar a Table of the Passion of +Christ, Gilt." + +The central bay has been recently fitted up for early celebrations of +the Holy Communion. The junction of this addition with the original +Norman apse is admirable, and should be specially noticed. Parts of the +original external stringcourse of the apse can be seen. The +ornamentation on the bosses of the roof, and in the cavetto below the +windows, and round the great arches from the choir aisles, is very +varied. It must be sufficient here to indicate some of the designs. Most +need little explanation, but a few are hard to understand. On the roof +may be seen the three lions of England, a cross between four martlets, +three crowns each pierced by an arrow, and another design. The smaller +designs include four-leaved flowers, Tudor roses, fleurs-de-lys, the +portcullis, some undescribable creatures, crossed keys, crossed swords, +crossed crosiers, crosses, crowns, crowns pierced with arrows, crowned +female heads, an eagle, the head of the Baptist in a charger, an angel, +mitres, three feathers rising from a crown, S. Andrew's cross, and +perhaps others. There are also some rebuses, and some lettering. On the +north wall, in six several squares, are the letters of the name Ashton +interwoven with scrolls; the letters AR before a church, and a bird on a +tun occur more than once. This certainly refers to Abbot Robert Kirton; +but what the bird means is not clear. In the moulding over the large +arch to the south choir aisle are four sets of letters. They form the +last verse of the psalter. The words are contracted: they stand for +_Omnis spiritus laudet Dominum_. + +=The Transepts=, including the arch to the aisles, are of four bays, +and, as has before been pointed out, are of precisely the same character +as the work in the choir. The central piers here are octagonal. All +round the Norman portion of the church, below the windows, is an arcade +of round arches with simple round mouldings and plain cushion capitals: +in the transepts these have not intersecting heads, as in the choir and +nave. The western sides of the transepts have no proper triforium, but a +passage runs along in front of the windows in the triforium range. The +chapels to the east have Perpendicular screens. In the north transept +those three chapels were made into one which was used for early service, +and called the morning chapel. We read in the chapter records of a minor +canon being appointed to read the prayers at 6 o'clock, and once at +least the hour is named as 5 o'clock, in the morning. This chapel was +fitted up with some of the desks from the choir; and, judging from a +number of names and initials that had been cut upon the desks, it has +been conjectured that it was at one time used for the chapel of the +King's School. At the north end is a desk for the reader or readers made +out of two Early English stalls; there are three double shafts with +admirably carved wooden foliage in the capitals. A very fine little +Norman door leads to the staircase to the triforium. It should be +mentioned that in the triforium is arranged an excellent series of +stones, fragments, mouldings, and various ornaments, found in different +places during the recent restoration. + +[Illustration: The New Building--Interior.] + +The series of basins of Alwalton marble was found, during the recent +underpinning of the west front, in use as foundation stones; they appear +to be of late Norman date. One window in the north transept aisle and +all three in the south have fine geometrical tracery. The three chapels +in the south transept were used as vestries until a few years ago, when +the space beneath the bell-tower and part of the north aisle of the nave +was converted into a large vestry for both clergy and choir. In the +chapel here nearest the choir there remains the lower part of the newel +staircase which led to an upper chapel. On the west side of the south +transept has been erected a building which has in its time served many +different purposes. It can hardly be called an aisle, as there is only +access to the transept by a single ogee-headed doorway, which is a +Decorated insertion. This building is of late, almost transition, Norman +date; and is not very many years later than the transept itself. It can +be seen from the cloister court that it had originally three gables. The +roof is vaulted. In an inventory of goods made in 1539, printed in +Gunton, there is one chapel described as the "Ostrie Chapel," which is +believed to refer to this building. In a plan drawn in Bishop Kennett's +time and dedicated to him, the south part is called "The Hostry Chapel, +now the Chapter-House," and the north part is called the "Chapel of St. +Sprite or the Holy Ghost." In some plans it is called the vestry. It has +also been employed as a muniment room, as a Chapter-house, and (as now) +as a practising room for the choir. + +[Illustration: The Transepts, looking North.] + +Near the south-western pier of the central tower access can be obtained +to what remains of the =Saxon Church=. It was when the foundations of +this pier were reached, in 1883, that the first indications of an +earlier building were brought to light. First a solid piece of wall was +discovered, and soon after a substantial piece of plaster attached to +the wall, running north and south, which has since proved to be the +eastern wall of the north transept of the Saxon Church. The workmen also +came upon a plaster floor, on which were remains of burnt wood, reddened +stone, and other evidences of a conflagration. As the work of excavation +proceeded at intervals, fresh discoveries were made. The walls of the +north transept, choir, and part of the south transept, can be traced. +Just outside the eastern wall can be seen portions of two Saxon tombs +which were originally in the grave-yard. + +The width of both choir and transepts is about 23 feet. The choir was +not apsidal. The south wall of the south transept was just beyond the +wall of the existing building; the extreme east end was almost exactly +underneath the pillars in the present transept; the west wall of the +south transept of the Saxon church was under the practising room; the +nave extended into the cloister court. Near the south end of the +excavations was discovered a portion of a Saxon altar _in situ_. No +remains have been found of the nave (see plan, p. 9). + +[Illustration: Evangelistic Symbols, from Lantern Tower Roof.] + +The roofs of both transepts are flat, and, except where rotten boards +have been replaced, original. They are now uncoloured, but formerly were +painted in black and white diamond patterns. All the windows at the +north and south ends are Norman, with Perpendicular tracery. + +[Illustration: Evangelistic Symbols, from Lantern Tower Roof.] + +The lantern tower has a fine groined roof, carefully restored and well +painted. In the centre is a representation of the Saviour; eight +coloured shields have the emblems of the Passion; four have the +evangelistic symbols. + +[Illustration: Boss from Lantern Tower Roof.] + +=The Nave=, notwithstanding the years it took to build, the change of +architecture that was coming into use as it was being finished, and the +alteration in plan that was decided upon towards the end, is a very +complete and almost uniform structure. There are ten bays, all having +round arches; in the triforium each large arch has two smaller ones +beneath it; and in each bay of the clerestory is one high arch and two +smaller ones. The triforium arches in the two easternmost bays, on both +sides, have the hatchet ornamentation in the tympanum; this may either +mark the limits of the old Benedictine choir, or may simply suggest +earlier work. Almost the only indication of distinct later work, as we +proceed towards the west, is in the different forms of the bases of the +piers. The arcading of the aisles curiously changes towards the west in +both aisles, but not at corresponding points; the change consists in +the reversing the interlacing of the arches. The third pillars from the +west end on either side are not really, strictly speaking, pillars at +all. They were built as supports to two western towers which it was +intended certainly to erect at this point, even if they were not at +least in part built. There are many other little details in the +neighbourhood of these piers, all confirming Mr Paley's discovery with +respect to these contemplated towers, one at any rate of which he thinks +was actually erected. The pillars are cylindrical with numerous attached +shafts. In addition to the changed form of the bases, careful observers +can detect proofs of later work in the capitals of the shafts in the +triforium. In front of each pier a shaft rises to the roof; and on these +the original ceiling rested. On some of the piers in the south aisle, +near the west end, may be seen several very curious masons' marks. In +the nave is a very massive pulpit given in 1873 by the family of Dr +James, for forty years Canon, bearing an inscription to his memory. It +is from the design of Mr Edward Barry, and was meant to be in keeping +with the Norman architecture of the nave. The central shaft is of +Devonshire marble, the main body of the pulpit of red Dumfries stone, +and some of the smaller pillars are of green Greek marble. At the angles +are four large figures of the Evangelists. There is a wooden eagle +lectern, carved by the late Rev. R.S. Baker, behind the choir-stalls on +the south side. + +[Illustration: The Nave, looking East.] + +=The Nave Ceiling= is very curious and remarkable. If originally flat, +and supported on the tall shafts last mentioned, it would be just above +the great arch of the central tower before that was altered from the +round form. It is supposed that this was the case; and that when the +pointed arch was substituted the central compartment of the ceiling was +raised, and the two outer ones made to slope as we see it now. But if +the Norman roof was flat, its outer compartments would manifestly not be +broad enough to fill the space now occupied by the sloping sides. And +yet there is no alteration in the style of ornamentation: nor are the +diamonds, which are divided by the line where the slope joins the +horizontal portion, unduly elongated, as would seem to be necessary in +the part nearest the wall. Some change was clearly made when the +Decorated arches were built; for above the Norman cornice on which the +roof was originally laid, there is now a length of painted wood +containing coats of arms obviously of later date than the ceiling. It is +not possible to pronounce with certainty on the question. But +considering (1), that the whole ceiling was certainly raised in +consequence of the superior height of the tower arch (2), that no +difference can be detected between the centre compartments and those at +the side in the patterns, and (3), that additional height has been +secured by the Decorated boarding above mentioned, the most probable +solution seems to be that the whole is the original Norman work, +practically unaltered, and that it was never flat, but had always +sloping sides as at present. All agree that the style of the painting is +perfectly characteristic of the period. The divisions are of the lozenge +shape; in each lozenge of the central line is a figure, and in each +alternate one of the sides. The middle set has more elongated lozenges +than the others. The borders are black and white, with some coloured +lines, in odd zigzag patterns. The figures, which are mostly seated, are +very quaint and strange. Some are sacred, some grotesque. We can see +S. Peter with the keys, kings, queens, and minstrels; we find also a +head with two faces, a monkey riding backwards on a goat, a human figure +with head and hoofs of an ass, a donkey playing a harp, a winged dragon, +a dancing lion, an eagle, and other curious devices. + +[Illustration: The Choir and Nave, looking West.] + +=The Font= stands between the first and second piers on the north side +of the nave; the basin is of a local marble of thirteenth century date, +but the lower part is modern. For many years it was used as a flower pot +in one of the prebendal gardens, whence it was rescued by Dean Monk and +ultimately restored to its original use in the south end of the western +transept. It was placed where it is in 1920. Another font had been +erected in 1615, as appears by an entry in the cathedral register of +that date, when the son of one of the prebendaries was baptized "in the +new font in the bodye of the Cathedral Church here." + +=The West Transept= extends beyond the aisles. The huge pointed arches +covered with Norman mouldings are very remarkable. The arcading which +goes round the lower part of the aisle walls was continued round the +east sides and the ends of this transept, but it has all been hacked +away, and the walls now are flat. The position of the arcade is very +plainly to be seen. The south end in 1921 was again restored to its +former use as a chapel by the Dean of Winchester, Dr. Hutton. The north +end of this transept is used as a vestry. It is screened off, with the +adjacent bays of the north aisle, by some of the woodwork that has been +removed from Dean Monk's choir. From these specimens the general +character of the whole can be easily gathered. + +The west wall has no trace of Norman work. The arcade by the ground +consists of pointed arches, though the great doorway has a round arch; +all have Early English mouldings. The great doors themselves are of the +same date, as shown by the carved capital at the top. The west window, +with its Perpendicular tracery, is set inside an Early English arch, +which has two lofty lancets by the side; and in looking at it from the +east it can hardly be detected that this arch is not the very framework +of the window. The very lofty lancets on the east of the projecting +parts of this transept, as well as the decoration of the arches in the +triforium above the aisles, should be noticed. + +The number of =Altars= in the church was considerable. They were of +course all served by members of the foundation. but they had not +separate endowments like chantries in a parish church. Nor does any one +appear to have been associated with any company or guild. There were, +besides the High Altar and that in the Lady Chapel, three in the new +building, one in the little chapel between the choir and Lady Chapel, +one in each choir aisle, two (SS. John and James) in the north transept, +four (SS. Oswald, Benedict, and Kyneburga, and the Holy Trinity) in the +south transept, two (the Ostrie Chapel and that of the Holy Spirit) in +the building west of the south transept, one in the rood-loft, most +likely four against pillars in the nave (a bracket on a pillar on the +north side marks the position of one), and apparently one in the south +part of the west transept. If this enumeration is correct there were not +less than twenty-two. There seems also to have been an altar in the +hearse over Queen Katherine's tomb; and, though no mention of them +occurs, we should suppose there must have been one on each side of the +entrance beneath the rood-loft. + +Two altar-stones only have been found. One is marked on a plan made +about 180 years ago as being laid down in the choir a little to the east +of where the eagle lectern now stands. It was subsequently taken up, +sawn into three pieces, and placed beneath the arch leading from the +western transept to the south aisle. Some twenty-five years ago it was +again removed from the pavement and is preserved elsewhere. The five +crosses are large and deeply cut, and are in the form of +cross-crosslets. The other has been taken up from the pavement in the +eastern chapel. It is a very curious example, and one that might well +escape notice. The stone is of the usual size, and uninscribed. It is +much worn by constant treadings, and the five crosses are nearly +obliterated, though quite distinctly to be seen. But instead of there +being, as usual, one in each corner of the stone, or nearly so, all the +five are towards the centre of the stone, within a space of about two +square feet. There is also an extra cross on the front edge. This stone +is now used for the altar in S. Oswald's Chapel, in the south transept, +refitted in 1900. + +Of =Stained Glass= the only ancient examples are some fragments that +have been collected from different parts of the church, mostly as it +seems from the cloister, and put together in two central windows in the +apse. These are well worth observing with care. No scenes of course can +be made out, but the faces, when examined closely, are found to be +singularly good. Most of the pieces formed portions of a window or +series of windows representing incidents in the life of S. Peter. This +is apparent from the few words that can still be made out on the labels, +which are all fragments of texts referring to that Saint. The large +west window is in memory of soldiers of Northamptonshire who fell during +the South African War, 1899-1902; the window has five lights in two +tiers; in the upper are representations of King Peada, S. Paul, S. +Peter, S. Andrew, and Bishop Ethelwold; in the lower, S. George, Joshua, +S. Michael, Gideon, and S. Alban. Brass plates below give the roll of +honour. + +[Illustration: Head of S. Peter in Ancient Stained Glass.] + +Five windows of the eastern chapel have now been refilled with-stained +glass, one facing north to the late Dean Barlow, 1908; another behind +the altar was given by Canon Argles (afterwards Dean) in memory of his +father-in-law, Bishop Davys. In the south-east corner the east window is +to the memory of Dean Butler, 1861, and the south one to Canon Alderson; +the churches pictured are S. Mary's, Lutterworth, All Saints', Holdenby, +and a view of the south-east of this cathedral. The next window is in +memory of Canon Twells, author of several hymns, including "At even ere +the sun was set." In S. Oswald's Chapel is a very beautiful window given +in 1900. In the north choir aisle is a memorial window to Thomas Mills, +Hon. Canon, 1856. In the south transept some in memory of Payne Edwards, +LL.B., 1861; Sir Chapman Marshall, Kt., Alderman of London, whose son +was Precentor here; and James Cattel, cathedral librarian, 1877. In the +north transept are several given by Mr G.W. Johnson, two in memory of +his father and mother, one to the Prince Consort, and some unconnected +with any names; there are also two in memory of George John Gates, 1860, +and John Hewitt Paley "juvenis desideratissimi," 1857. + +The architecture of =The Parvise=, over the western porch, has been +already described. It now contains the library, removed to this place +from the new building by Dean Tarrant. The collection was begun by Dean +Duport, who presented books himself, and obtained more from the +Prebendaries and other persons; it was afterwards enriched with the +whole of the valuable library of Bishop Kennett, and part of Dean +Lockier's, and has since had many considerable additions. The +manuscripts are not numerous, the chief being the very important book +known as Swapham. The greater part of this has been printed by Sparkes. +His publication includes Abbot John's Chronicle, The History of Burgh by +Hugo Candidus with its continuation by Swapham, the Chronicle of Walter +of Whittlesey, and two other works. There are also kept here some of +the fabric rolls of the monastery. Bishop Kennett's library contained a +most valuable collection of tracts and pamphlets published in the latter +part of the seventeenth century. There are also some books of much +earlier date, a few of great rarity. A memorandum written in the Book of +Swapham above mentioned tells us that the Precentor, Humphrey Austin, +had hidden it in 1642 in anticipation of coming troubles. But Cromwell's +soldiers found it, and would probably have destroyed it; the Precentor, +however, under pretence of enquiring after an old Latin bible, found out +where it was, and redeemed it for the sum of ten shillings. + +=Monuments and Inscriptions=.--We proceed to speak of these, treated as +a single subject, instead of describing them at the various parts of the +building where they are to be found. + +At first sight it is thought that this cathedral is singularly deficient +in monuments of interest. To a certain extent this is the case. There +are no memorial chantries, such as add to the beauty of many of our +noblest churches; no effigies of warriors or statesmen; no series of +ancient tablets or inscriptions that illustrate the history of the +neighbourhood; not a single brass. With few exceptions all the monuments +and inscriptions that remain commemorate abbots or other members of the +monastery, or, after the Reformation, bishops, and members of the +cathedral foundation and their families. While of famous persons known +to have been buried within the walls, such as Katherine of Arragon, Mary +Queen of Scots, the Archbishops Elfricus and Kinsius of York, Sir +Geoffrey de la Mare, Sir Robert de Thorpe, and others, no memorials +worthy of their fame and importance are in existence. The wanton +destruction during the civil war in great part explains this; but it is +sad to remember that numbers of mediaeval inscriptions in the floor were +hidden or destroyed during some well-meaning but ill-judged alterations +in the eighteenth century. + +First in interest and importance is that known as the Monks' Stone, now +preserved in the new building. It is generally thought that this was +constructed in commemoration of the massacre of Abbot Hedda and his +monks in 870, by the Danes. It was not till nearly a century later that +any attempt was made to rebuild the monastery. But Mr Bloxam read a +paper at Peterborough in 1861 in which he disputed the authenticity of +this monument, which had been previously regarded as one of the most +ancient monumental stones extant. He pronounced it to be Norman, and not +Saxon work, and some centuries later in date than the massacre of the +monks. He considered the figures did not represent the slain monks and +their abbot, but Christ and eleven disciples. It has been further +conjectured by Bishop Westcott that it may have been part of the shrine +erected over the relics of S. Kyneburga, when they were removed from +Castor to Peterborough in the former half of the eleventh century. A +fragment of sculpture in the same style is built into the west wall of +the south transept. Even if the latter years of the ninth century are +deemed too early a date for the stone, at any rate the style of the +sculpture and ornamentation seems much earlier than anything we can now +see in position in the building itself. May it not have been erected +when the minster was reconstructed at the end of the tenth century? It +was formerly in the churchyard; sometimes testators (like Dr +Pocklington) desired in their wills that they might be interred near it. +It has been usually stated that the stone was erected by Abbot Godric of +Crowland, who died in 941. Unvarying tradition has associated it with +the Danish massacre; its dimensions almost exactly agree with the +earliest records of the stone said to have been so erected. The +cruciform nimbus round the head of one figure leaves no doubt that it +was designed for the Saviour; but this had been recognised many years +before Mr Bloxam wrote. + +[Illustration: Part of the Monks' Stone.] + +In the north transept, below the level of the floor, and protected by +wooden doors, are several richly ornamented slabs or coffin lids, of +undoubted Saxon date; and they form a series which may be considered one +of the very best in England. They are in their original position, the +spot on which they lie being outside the Saxon church and they were then +in the grave-yard. They were discovered in 1888. The interlacing work, +and other carvings, are deeply cut and in excellent preservation. + +[Illustration: Saxon Coffin Lids in North Transept.] + +The six recumbent effigies of abbots are the very best series of +Benedictine memorials in the country. Attempts have been made to +identify them from the character of the carvings. But as four are +certainly of thirteenth century date, and one late in the twelfth +century, and as thirteen abbots ruled during that period, it may be +pronounced impossible to name each one. One only, manifestly the latest +in date, and also in poorest preservation (being carved in clunch), has +the mitre; this is now temporarily placed in the New Building; there is +little doubt that it represents John Chambers, the last Abbot and first +Bishop. All the other five abbots are represented in alb and chasuble, +holding a book (signifying, it is said, the statutes of the Benedictine +order), in the left hand; while in the right hand is a crosier. In one +instance this is not very clear. Four have their feet resting on +fanciful creatures, which, in three cases, hold the lower ends of the +crosiers in their mouths. Two of these crosiers, at least, are turned +outwards: this is contrary to the commonly received opinion that the +turning inward symbolised the domestic rule over a monastic house. The +head of one abbot rests on a square cushion. Four of these effigies are +in the south choir aisle; one of them being beneath the Norman +sepulchral arch raised to commemorate three abbots, John de Sais, who +died in 1125, Martin of Bee, in 1155, and Andrew, in 1199. It seems +unlikely that the one placed beneath the arch should represent one of +those three, although usually assigned to the latest, Andrew. The next +two in the aisle were found in the ruins of the old chapter-house, and +brought into the church.[28] The date of the easternmost is known. It is +more richly ornamented than the rest, and the entire coffin is above +ground, with handsome quatrefoils and other carving. This commemorates +Alexander of Holderness, 1226. It was found under the woodwork of the +old choir which was removed in 1830, beneath the second arch, on the +north of the choir. The coffin contained the body, in a large coarse +garment, with boots on, and a crosier in the left hand. The boots were +what are called "rights and lefts," and in fair preservation. The head +was gone. A piece of lead was found inscribed "Abbas: Alexandr:" The +remains were gathered together and re-interred beneath the present +position of the coffin. At the same time in all likelihood the effigy +that was already on the spot (one of those that had been found in the +ruins of the chapter-house) was removed to one of the chapels in the +south transept; from which place it was afterwards moved to the New +Building immediately behind the apse, where now is the monument to +Bishop Chambers; and now it has been put on a stone plinth on the spot +where the coffin of Abbot Alexander was found, under the mistaken +impression that it was the figure found there in 1830. + +[Illustration: Portion of Abbot's Tomb.] + +The other prae-Reformation memorials are very few. Two have lately been +found concealed by the paving, Abbot Godfrey, 1321, moved from the choir +to the north aisle, and sub-prior Fraunceys, at the east end of the +south nave aisle. In the morning chapel is an early stone with +inscription in capitals, and three stone coffin lids; other fragmentary +inscriptions remain in S. Oswald's chapel, in the north choir aisle, and +under the bell-tower. + +In the floor on the north side of the choir, near the altar rails, is a +stone with modern inscription recording the burial places of Elfrieus +and Kinsius, both Archbishops of York: the former died in 1051, the +latter in 1060. An old guide-book says that "on the north side, in two +hollow places of wall, were found two chests about three feet long, in +each of which were the bones of a man: and of whom appeared by a plate +of lead in each chest, whereon the name of the person was engraved," +these names being those given above. The chronicle expressly records of +Kinsius, "_jacet tumulatus in scrinio juxta magnum altare in parte +boreali_." + +[Illustration: Portion of Abbot's Tomb.] + +Queen Katherine of Arragon was buried in the north choir aisle, just +outside the most eastern arch, in 1535. A hearse was placed near, +probably between the two piers. Four years later this is described as +"the inclosed place where the Lady Katherine lieth," and there seems to +have been a small altar within it. Some banners that adorned it remained +in the cathedral till 1586. About the same time some persons were +imprisoned for defacing the "monument," and required to "reform the +same." The only monument, strictly so called, of which there is any +record, was a low table monument, raised on two shallow steps, with +simple quatrefoils, carved in squares set diamond-wise. Engravings of +this shew it to have been an insignificant and mean erection. A few +slabs of it were lately found buried beneath the floor, and they are now +placed against the wall of the aisle. One of the prebendaries repaired +this monument at his own cost, about 1725, and supplied a tiny brass +plate with name and date, part of which remains in the floor. This +monument was removed in 1792. A handsome marble stone has quite recently +been laid down to the Queen's memory above her grave, with incised +inscription and coats of arms. + +A tablet has been erected in the south choir aisle to record the fact +that Mary Queen of Scots had been buried near the spot. Recent +explorations have proved that the exact spot was just within the choir. +The funeral took place on the first of August, 1587. Remains of the +hearse between the pillars were to be seen so lately as 1800. On Oct. +11, 1612, the body was removed to Westminster Abbey, by order of King +James I., the Queen's son. A photograph of the letter ordering the +removal, the original of which is still in possession of the Dean and +Chapter, is framed and hung on an adjacent pillar. + +[Illustration: Portion of Abbot's Tomb.] + +In the south choir aisle is a fine monument with a life-size effigy of +Archbishop Magee in his robes. It is carved in pure white marble. On the +side are impaled coats of arms and an inscription. The likeness is +excellent. + +[Illustration: Portion of Abbot's Tomb.] + +The other tablets and inscriptions hardly require detailed descriptions. +In the New Building is the mutilated monument to Sir Humfrey Orme: no +names or dates remain; at the top are the words _Sanguis Iesu Christi +purgat nos ab omnibus Peccatis nostris_. Near this is an elaborate +erection to Thomas Deacon, 1721, a great benefactor to the town. On a +stone to John Brimble, organist of S. John's College, Cambridge, 1670, +we read that he was _Musis et musicae devotissimus, ad coelestem evectus +Academiam_. Among many inscriptions some interesting items will be +found. John Benson, 1827, was the "oldest Committee Clerk at the House +of Commons." Humfrey Orme, 1670, was _A supremo Ang'iae senatu ad +superiorem sanctorum conventum evocatus._ On the memorial to Bishop +Madan, 1813, are the lines:-- + + In sacred sleep the pious Bishop lies, + Say not in death--A good Man never dies. + +[Illustration: South Aisles of Choir and Nave.] + +On the tablet to Bishop Cumberland, 1718, are four Latin lines from +Dean Duport's epigram upon the Bishop's confutation of Hobbes. In the +south choir aisle, on the tablet to Dean Lockier, 1740, is the only +instance of the arms of the Deanery impaling another shield, on a +monument. Near this is a wooden tablet executed in good taste, recording +the fact that the iron screens are a memorial to Dean Argles, whose +munificent gifts to the cathedral are well known. The Norman arch at +the west end of this aisle has a modern painted inscription, believed to +be an exact copy of the original:-- + + _Hos tres Abbates, Quibus est Prior Abba Johannes + Alter Martinus, Andreas Ultimus, unus + Hic claudit Tumulus; pro Clausis ergo rogemus_. + +Near this is a tablet to Roger Pemberton, 1695, with a line from Homer +in Greek, "The race of men is as the race of leaves." In the north choir +aisle John Workman, Prebendary, 1685, is described as _Proto-Canonicus_, +probably meaning that he held the first stall. The tablet to Frances +Cosin (d. 1642), wife of the Dean, afterwards Bishop of Durham, was not +erected till after the Bishop's death in 1672. He prescribed in his will +the words of the inscription. On the large tablet above the piscina is a +punning motto, _Temperantia te Temperatrice_, the person commemorated +being Richard Tryce, 1767. + +Two tablets of interest in connexion with the Great War are to be seen +in the south aisle of the nave, one in marble to Nurse Cavell, and the +other in bronze to the "lonely Anzac," Thomas Hunter, an Australian who +died in Peterborough from wounds received in France. + +Last of all we must speak of the one memorial which is usually looked at +first, the famous picture of Old Scarlett, on the wall of the western +transept. He is represented with a spade, pickaxe, keys, and a whip in +his leathern girdle; at his feet is a skull. At the top of the picture +are the arms of the cathedral. Beneath the portrait are these lines:-- + + YOV SEE OLD SCARLEITS PICTVRE STAND ON HIE + BVT AT YOVR FEETE THERE DOTH HIS BODY LYE + HIS GRAVESTONE DOTH HIS AGE AND DEATH TIME SHOW + HIS OFFICE BY THEIS TOKENS YOV MAY KNOW + SECOND TO NONE FOR STRENGTH AND STVRDYE LIMM + A SCARBABE MIGHTY VOICE WITH VISAGE GRIM + HEE HAD INTER'D TWO QVEENES WITHIN THIS PLACE + AND THIS TOWNES HOVSEHOLDERS IN HIS LIVES SPACE + TWICE OVER: BVT AT LENGTH HIS ONE TVRNE CAME + WHAT HEE FOR OTHERS DID FOR HIM THE SAME + WAS DONE: NO DOVBT HIS SOVL DOTH LIVE FOR AYE + IN HEAVEN: THOVGH HERE HIS BODY CLAD IN CLAY. + +On the floor is a stone inscribed: "Ivly 2 1594 R S aetatis 98." This +painting is not a contemporary portrait, but a copy made in 1747. In +1866 it was sent on loan to the South Kensington Museum. + +[Illustration: South Side of the Close, 1801.] + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +THE MINSTER PRECINCTS AND CITY. + + +There are many objects of great interest to be seen in the Minster Yard. +This name is not unfrequently given to the whole of the territory +belonging to the Dean and Chapter surrounding the church. The correct +title is, however, as given above, the Minster Precincts; and it is by +this name that the parish is described, for the Abbey Church, like a few +others, is a parish church, as well as the Cathedral of the diocese. +Although without churchwardens, this parish still appoints its own +overseers of the poor. Old residents distinguish the Close from the +Precincts, limiting the use of the former expression to the area west of +the Cathedral. Contrary to what all would expect, the great gateway to +the west is not the boundary of the Precincts, for they extend a little +further west, and include one or two houses beyond the gateway. + +This ancient entrance to the monastic grounds naturally first arrests +the attention. It was built by Abbot Benedict in the last quarter of the +twelfth century. Though it has been much altered, a considerable part of +the original structure remains. As we see it from the Marketplace we +observe a fifteenth century look about it: on closer inspection we see +that a late Decorated arch has been built in front of the Norman arch, +and that a facing of the same date has been carried above. Here is an +arcade, with the alternate panels pierced for windows. On each side of +the gateway are also good Norman arcades; the doorway in the arcade to +the north opens into a residence, that on the south gives access to the +room above. This was originally the Chapel of S. Nicolas. On the +eastern side of the room is a three-light window, manifestly a late +insertion, and adapted from some other building. It is said to be part +of a shrine which formerly was in the Cathedral, a portion of which +still remains in the new building. This statement has been repeated over +and over again; but it is difficult to see any resemblance between the +two. + +The chapel over the gateway has been put to various uses since the +dissolution of monasteries. In 1617 it was assigned to the porter as +part of his residence. At a later period it was let. It has served the +purposes of a muniment room, a Masonic lodge room, a tailor's workshop, +a practising room for the choristers, a class-room for the Grammar +School. In the flourishing days of the Gentlemen's Society, when members +met and read papers, and kept up a considerable literary correspondence +with learned men in various parts of the kingdom, its meetings were held +here; and it is now used as a Record Room for the Diocese of +Peterborough. + +On the left hand, as we pass through the gate, is all that remains of +the =Chapel of S. Thomas of Canterbury=. It is the chancel of a much +larger building. Originally the chapel was begun by Waterville and +finished by Benedict: it was therefore of Norman date. The present +chancel was built in the latter part of the fourteenth century. While +the east window, with its graceful net tracery and very elegant cross +above, might suggest an earlier date, yet a glance at the side windows, +which are distinctly of transitional character, tells us that 1360 or +1370 may be assigned as the period of erection. About 1404 the abbey +gave the materials of the nave of this chapel to the town, to assist in +rebuilding the parish church on the present site; but the chancel had +been too recently built to be removed. Since the establishment of the +Cathedral the chancel seems always to have been used as the Cathedral +Grammar School, until the year 1885, when the School was removed to new +buildings in the Park Road. It was next used as a museum by the Natural +History and Archaeological Society, until their collection outgrew the +room and they removed to larger premises in Queen Street (see p. 111). +For a time it was a Needlework School of Art, and now it is a Rovers Den +in connexion with the Scout movement. + +All the other ancient buildings on the west, the Plumber's Office, the +Sister House, the Treasurer's Office, have long disappeared. The Minster +Almshouses, adjoining the wall of the Deanery garden, are the only +buildings on the north side. They have no ancient features. + +[Illustration: Cathedral Gateway, 1791.] + +The door immediately to the right of the great gateway as we enter the +close leads to a vaulted chamber which was once the gaol. A few steps +bring us to a very magnificent gateway, leading to the Palace grounds, +over which is a chamber, called the =Knights' Chamber=. This is of Early +English date, with a fine groined roof. The gates and postern are placed +at some distance from the outer archway, adding greatly to the dignity +and effect of the whole composition. The delicate arcading of the sides, +and the excellent clustered shafts, are good examples of the period: +unfortunately the bases of the shafts are now hidden by accumulation of +earth. On the north and south faces are long niches with figures: three +on the north are said to be King Edward II., and the Abbot and Prior of +the period; those on the south are Apostles. The chamber above is used +for meetings, etc. + +Much of the line of buildings to the east of this gateway is modern, but +it harmonizes excellently with the ancient work. Near the Cathedral is +some mediaeval work, and the office at the end, on the ground floor, +has a good stone groined roof. This is believed to have been the +Penitentiary. + +The _Deanery Gateway_, at the north-eastern corner of the close is a +fine specimen of architecture. In the spandrels above the great +four-centred arch are two coats of arms, one with the keys and +crosslets, the other with swords and crosses. These are now the arms of +the See and the Cathedral respectively: but it is difficult to say what +was their special significance when this gate was erected. Are we to +suppose that the Abbot and Prior used different armorial bearings before +the Reformation? Above the smaller door is a boldly carved rebus of the +Abbot in whose time the gate was erected, a church on a tun, Robert +Kirton (Kirkton). His initials in stone are also carved beneath the +parapet. Several of the details are well worthy of attention. We find +the Tudor rose and portcullis: the arms of S. Edward and of S. Edmund, +the Martyr King; an early instance in stone of the Prince of Wales' +feathers; and the triangular symbol of the Holy Trinity. The date is +about 1520. + +Through an open archway to the east we enter the burial ground. Until +1804 this was the only place of burial for the whole city. On the left +is the Deanery, but nothing of antiquity is to be seen from the +exterior. In the hall are some good fragments of old glass, some of it +probably part of the original embellishments of the house, though some +may have been brought from the Cathedral, and some is again quite +modern. Some panels of early date, brought from another room, have also +lately been put up in the hall. The churchyard has been planted with +trees and shrubs, and is well kept. It has, however, become much more +publicly used than was the case in the last century, owing to a +thoroughfare for foot-passengers which has been opened at the +north-western end of the close; and the usual results of such publicity +have followed in the treading down of the turf and in the damage +inflicted on the shrubs. One of the most striking views of the Cathedral +is seen from the north-eastern corner of the precincts, near the house +known as "The Vineyard." This was the house occupied by the officers who +came down to superintend the spoliation of the building in 1643. This +view takes in the whole of the great length of the Cathedral, the +bell-tower and the north-western spire forming a very effective group. + +Passing round the east end and proceeding to the south we come to the +ruins of the =Infirmary=. Here we may see some very excellent Early +English work, most elegant and graceful. It was erected about 1260. The +plan was similar to a large church with aisles. The nave was used as the +hall, the aisles were the quarters of the inmates, and the chancel was +the chapel of the institution. Many of the main arches remain, and the +details of the ornamentation and mouldings will repay careful study. At +the west end is a very perfect piece of arcading. The large arch, seen +above a low wall to the east, was the arch leading to the chapel; in +exactly the same position as the chancel arch in a church. At each side +of this arch is a lancet never pierced. The main arch is now blocked up, +forming a wall to one of the prebendal houses. The dining room of this +same house was the Infirmarer's house, and has much very interesting +Early English work. To the south of the Infirmary is another ancient +house, though much modernised. + +Before entering the Cloister court we pass through the old slype, once a +simple vaulted passage, but now open to the sky. It was the means of +communication between the Refectory, which was situated to the west, and +the Chapter House, which was on the east side of the Cloister. Quite +recently some of the arches on the west side have been opened to view, +and interesting tracery brought to light. + +The =Cloister Court= is always called the Laurel Court. The origin of +this name is not known. The northern part of the area covers the site of +the nave of the Saxon church; but though search was made, during the +recent works, for remains of the old foundations, nothing was +discovered. On the south and west sides are to be seen remains of the +arches and groining, but the appearance of the south wall of the +cathedral suggests that there could not have been any covered alley to +the north, so completely have all evidences of such an erection been +removed. But it is known that there did exist an alley there, when the +Cloisters were complete; for Gunton, describing it, says "The Cloyster +about four square, in length 168 yards, in breadth 6 yards." The +windows, contrary to the usual practice, were all glazed, and they +contained a very fine series of painted glass, all destroyed in 1643. +Gunton gives the subjects:--"The windows were all compleat and fair, +adorned with glass of excellent painting: In the South Cloyster was the +History of the Old Testament: In the East Cloyster of the New: In the +North Cloyster, the Figures of the successive Kings from King Peada: In +the West Cloyster, was the History from the foundation of the Monastery +of King Peada, to the restoring of it by King Edgar." Each light had two +lines of verse at the foot, explaining the subject matter of the glass +above. All the verses in the windows of the west alley are given; and +from this we gather that there were nine windows there of four lights +each. Although Gunton only gives the verses belonging to the west +cloister, yet as he said previously that "every window had at the bottom +the explanation of the history thus in verse," it is supposed that +similar legends appeared in all the other alleys of the cloister. The +verses are very quaint. + +[Illustration: Door to Palace Grounds from the Cloisters, 1797.] + +[Illustration: Door way to Cathedral from the Cloisters.] + +The archway at the south-eastern corner is very elegant, the open +quatrefoil above the round arch and below the pointed arch being +especially good. The south wall indicates that there were two sets of +cloisters here, as the remains of early English arcading are to be +clearly seen. Towards the west was the lavatory, the remains indicating +work of late fourteenth century date. It is on record that Robert of +Lindsey (1214-1222) erected a lavatory in the south cloister: this would +be contemporary with the Early English work remaining in this wall, and +with the archway to the slype; but it must have been removed when the +cloisters were enlarged, and another lavatory, of which we see the +remains under three arches, built in its stead. The Refectory was +immediately to the south of this wall: some beautiful carving is to be +seen in the Bishop's garden. The south-western doorway gives access to +the Bishop's grounds. The depth of the hollows behind the carved foliage +above the door is remarkable. + +In the west wall are remains of a Norman cloister; there are three +arches and a door. From the architectural character it seems almost +certain that these are older than any part of the present Cathedral. +William of Waterville (1155-1175) "built the Cloister and covered it +with lead." Canon Davys conjectures that this Abbot in reality repaired +and made sound the old cloisters that had been built by Ernulf +(1107-1115), "whose recent additions to the buildings of the monastery, +we learn, alone escaped the fire, which consumed the other parts of the +Abbey in the time of John de Sais." One of these arches has the cheese +moulding; and on each jamb is a small incised cross, a very few inches +long. If these are consecration crosses they are the only ones that have +been noticed in any part of the Abbey. + +On the wall of the building west of the south transept are some stone +brackets. These shew that after the destruction of the ancient cloister +a covered way of some kind was erected here. Marks can also be seen, in +the masonry, which indicate that the building once had three gables. Two +of the Norman buttresses of the south nave aisle have very curious +terminations, which might well puzzle any observer. They are fireplaces +for the use of plumbers. Passing through the Norman doorway at the +north-western corner of the Laurel Court, we come into a narrow passage +leading to the Minster Close. + +[Illustration: Archway from Cloisters, North-West.] + +In the =Bishop's Palace=, besides the remains of the Refectory, which, +though so scanty, shew what a beautiful building it once was, there is +very little worthy of note. The hall is a vaulted chamber, of no great +height, with piers to support the roof; most of it is part of the +Abbot's dwelling, and of thirteenth century date. The Heaven's Gate +Chamber, previously noticed, built by Abbot Kirton (1496-1528), lies to +the south-east of the hall. The chapel was erected by Bishop Magee soon +after he came to the diocese. + +=The City.=--The mother church of S. John the Baptist is the only parish +church in the city of mediaeval date. Until 1856 it was the only parish +church in the place. Originally the church stood east of the Minster. +But, following what seems to be almost a universal law, the main +population spread westward as the number of inhabitants increased, and +the earlier buildings were left to the occupation of the poorer class. +An insignificant little house in the old town is traditionally said to +have been the Vicar's residence. It has some evidence of antiquity about +it. The present church was built early in the fifteenth century. It was +opened in 1407 with much solemnity by Abbot Genge. It is a spacious and +dignified building, having a nave of seven bays; and there are two bays +to the chancel, besides the sanctuary. The west tower is good, but +hardly of sufficient dignity for such a church. The interior was +reseated, and new roofs were added in 1883; they were designed by the +late Mr. Pearson. + +In 1891 the south porch was restored in memory of Dr. James, a former +vicar. The arches under the tower which had been bricked up for many +years were underpinned and repaired; and in 1909 were again opened to +the church. By 1919 the fittings were almost complete, several rich +stained glass windows and beautiful oak screens had been given as +memorials. A carved reredos, oak panelling and seats, and a marble +pavement have been fitted in the Sanctuary. The organ was rebuilt and +enlarged by Messrs. Harrison of Durham. + +Towards the west end of the church in the north aisle is a tablet to +William Squire by Flaxman; close by is a large picture of King Charles I +and two curious specimens of early embroidery are also to be seen; they +were once portions of altar-cloths, or of copes. In each case the work +is in the form of a cross, about two feet long. Each has the figure of +the Saviour on the Cross; but the details are not identical. + +[Illustration: Church of S. John the Baptist and Guildhall.] + +=The Guild Hall=, in the Market Place, is an effective little building, +dated 1671. The lower part is open, and is used for the butter market. +While sufficient for the transaction of borough business 100 years ago, +it is altogether inadequate now to the requirements of a corporation. + +Until a very few years ago there was a mediaeval building at +Peterborough of the greatest interest. This was the old =Tithe Barn= of +the Abbey, situated in the Manor of Boroughbury, on the Lincoln Road. It +was much the finest in the kingdom. Unhappily the "enterprising builder" +has obtained possession of it, and it has been pulled down, the +materials, all Barnack stone, having been employed in building houses. +It was of good thirteenth century work, and in perfect condition. On the +east side were two large porches, by which a waggon fully laden could +enter the barn. The roof was supported by very massive timbers rising +from the ground, the whole arrangement resembling a wooden church with +aisles. + +=The Museum= in Queen Street is noted for its collection of Roman and +Saxon antiquities from the city and district; amongst the former are the +noted coffin tile stamped LEG IX. HISP.; the vase showing a coursing +match with the hare and hounds in relief, coins, pottery, brooches, and +other jewellery. The Saxon specimens consist of pottery, jewellery, and +weapons chiefly exhumed at Woodston, about one mile south-west of the +river bridge. + +The interesting collection of bone, wood, horn, and straw marquetry work +made at Norman Cross (5 miles) by the French prisoners during the years +1797 to 1814, is unique. MSS. of the Northamptonshire poet, John Clare, +are preserved in this institution, together with a large number of other +local works. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +HISTORY OF THE MONASTERY. + + +The inhabitants of the Fen country, when first distinguished by a +special name, were known as the Gyrvii. Their district included the +south part of Lincolnshire, the north part of Northamptonshire, and the +greater part of Cambridgeshire. The southern Gyrvii were a province of +East Anglia; the Gyrvii of the north appear to have been allied to the +East Anglians, and perhaps inclined to become united with them; but they +were ultimately absorbed in the great Midland Kingdom of Mercia. Bishop +Stubbs,[29] speaking of the early Fasti of Peterborough, says: "Mercia, +late in its formation as a kingdom, sprang at once into a great state +under Penda; late in its adoption of Christianity, it seems from the +period of its conversion to have taken a prominent place at once among +the Christian powers. The Chronicle places the conversion in 655, and a +very few years saw it the best governed and best organised province of +the Church. In less than thirty years it was divided into five dioceses, +amongst which the place of the Fen country is more clearly definable. +The bishopric of Lindsey occupied the north of Lincolnshire, reaching to +the Witham: a line drawn from the south point of Nottinghamshire to the +Cam would probably represent the western border of the Gyrvii; the +border of Cambridgeshire was the boundary of the dioceses of Elmham and +Dunwich. The Fen country thus falls into the eastern portion of the +great Lichfield diocese, which for a few years after 680 had its own +bishop at Leicester, but was not finally separated from the mother see +until 737." + +The date given above for the conversion of Mercia, 655, is the date of +the laying of the foundation of the monastery of Medeshamstede. Penda +had been succeeded on the throne of Mercia by his eldest son, Peada; and +he, in conjunction with Oswy, brother of King Oswald, determined to +"rear a minster to the glory of Christ and honour of Saint Peter." + +=Saxulf= (656-675), was the first Abbot. In Bede no mention is made of +royal patronage, and the whole credit of founding the abbey is given to +Saxulf. Another account represents him as having been a thane of great +wealth and renown, and that this abbey was dedicated by him "as the +first fruits of the Mercian church." He was made Bishop of Lichfield in +675, but continued to take an active part in the affairs of the abbey. +He died in 691. + +=Cuthbald= (675), is named in the Chronicle as having been second Abbot. +One of this name, possibly the same, was ruling the monastery at Oundle +in 709, when S. Wilfrid died there. Nothing further is known of him; and +nothing at all of =Egbald=, who appears in the usual lists as his +successor. + +The chroniclers give for the fourth Abbot one Pusa. But Bishop Stubbs +has proved that =Bothwin= was Abbot from 758 to 789; and concludes that +the introduction of Pusa into the list is a mistake, if not a mere +invention. + +Abbot =Beonna= came next, probably in 789 or very soon afterwards. +"Possibly this Beonna is the same who was made Bishop of Hereford in +823, and died in 830." + +=Ceolred= succeeded, and in the year 852 signs a grant of land as Abbot. +Patrick conjectures that he became a bishop, but does not name his +diocese. There is no certainty about the dates at which these early +abbots entered upon their office; and possibly some names have been +altogether lost. But all accounts agree that the last Abbot of +Medeshamstede was =Hedda=; and that he perished when the monastery was +destroyed and its inmates killed by the Danes in 870. A graphic account +of the circumstances attending this attack is given by Ingulf; but as +authentic historians like Orderic and Malmesbury have no reference +whatever to the occurrences described by Ingulf, Bishop Stubbs +unwillingly is obliged to consider his version to be a pure romance. But +of the fact itself, the utter destruction of the monastery, there is no +question; nor of the fact that all the inmates, or nearly all, perished. +We read that at Crowland some monks escaped the general slaughter, and +met again, after the departure of the Danes, and elected a fresh abbot. +They then came to Medeshamstede, and buried the bodies of those that had +been murdered, in one vast tomb. It has been commonly supposed that the +Monks' Stone, before described, was the stone erected at the time in +commemoration of the disaster. The arguments against this supposition +have been already given. + +The Fen monasteries remained desolate for 100 years. During that period +the lands were constantly being seized by different intruders. It was +not till the time of Alfred the Great, who came to the throne in 871, +that the invasions of the Danes were finally checked, and tranquillity +restored to the kingdom. Security being assured, the people began again +to improve their public buildings and the religious houses. Crowland was +the first in the neighbourhood to be restored. This restoration was +effected by Thurketyl. Instigated probably by his example, Ethelwold, +Bishop of Winchester, encouraged and supported by King Edgar, rebuilt +the monastery of Medeshamstede after the old model. The rebuilding was +completed in 972; and the name of Burgh was given to the place, and the +old name went altogether out of use. + +The first Abbot, after the re-establishment of the monastery, was +=Aldulf= (971-992), formerly Chancellor to the King. He is said to have +accidentally caused the death of his only son, and feeling that he could +no longer live happily in the midst of earthly vanities, he endowed this +monastery with all his possessions, and was appointed to govern it. +Gunton declares that the prosperous and wealthy condition of the abbey +under the rule of Aldulf caused its name to be improved into +Gildenburgh, the Golden Borough. At this time most of the neighbouring +woods were cut down and the land brought into cultivation. Aldulf became +Bishop of Worcester after remaining twenty years at Burgh; and in 995 +was made Archbishop of York. He died in May 1002, and is buried at +Worcester. He held indeed the See of Worcester with that of York till +his death. + +He was succeeded at Burgh by =Kenulf= (992-1005). He is described as +famous for his wisdom and learning, and as having governed his abbey +"most admirably and sweetly." In 1005 he was made Bishop of Winchester, +not without suspicion of a corrupt purchase (_episcopatum nummis +nundinatus fuerat_), and died the following year. + +The next Abbot, =Elsinus= (1006-1055), was remarkable chiefly for the +number of relics he collected, designing thereby to increase the fame +and wealth of the monastery. Dean Patrick thinks that before Elsinus +there was an abbot named KINSINUS, whose name he found in one record; +but he adds that if he were really abbot it could at most have been for +a few days or months. The list of relics gathered together by Elsinus is +extensive. At least eighty are enumerated. It speaks volumes for the +credulity of the age when we find in this list such things as the +following:--A portion of Aaron's rod that budded; a portion of one of +the five loaves that fed the five thousand; a shoulder-blade of one of +the Holy Innocents; two pieces of the Virgin Mary's veil; part of the +stone paten of the Evangelist S. John. The great relic of the house was +the arm of S. Oswald. The date when this was acquired is not certainly +known, some thinking that this period is too early a date to assign to +its acquisition. Bede relates[30] "that this Oswald, King of +Northumberland, was very free and liberal in giving of alms to the poor; +and one day whilst he sate at meat, one of his servants told him of a +great number of poor people come to his gate for relief; whereupon King +Oswald sent them meat from his own table, and there not being enough to +serve them all, he caused one of his silver dishes to be cut in pieces, +and to be distributed amongst the rest; which Aydanus, a Bishop (who +came out of Scotland to convert, and instruct those Northern parts of +England), beholding, took the King by the right hand, saying, _nunquam +inveterascat haec manus_, let this hand never wax old, or be corrupted; +which came to pass. This arm was first deposited at Bamburgh, a +religious place in Yorkshire.[31] Walter of Whittlesey writing the story +thereof, tells that it was brought to the monastery of Burgh by +Winegotus of Bebeberch, but saith not when, therefore I cannot +conjecture better than that it was by the procurement of this Abbot +Elsinus. It is said that this arm wrought many cures upon several +diseased folk; and that it was of such fame in the days of King +Stephen, as that he himself came to Peterburgh purposely to see it; and +offered his ring to S. Oswald, and also remitted to the monastery the +sum of forty marks wherein it was indebted unto him." It is specially +recorded in the Chronicle that this abbot took advantage of the poverty +of an abbey in Normandy, the district having been afflicted with a +grievous famine, and purchased from it the body of S. Florentinus, with +the exception of the head, for one hundred pounds of silver. + +He was succeeded by =Arwinus= (1055-1057), a monk of the house, but he +resigned the government in two years. Next came =Leofric= (1057-1066), a +very eminent man, said to have been of royal descent. He was nephew to +Leofric, Earl of Coventry. In the time of this abbot, William of +Normandy invaded England, and Leofric was for some time with the English +army. But in consequence of ill health he was obliged to leave it and +return to his monastery, where he died the same year. He is highly +praised in the Chronicle as "_pulcherrimus Monachorum, flos et decus +Abbatum_." + +=Brando= (1066-1069), succeeded, and greatly offended King William by +applying to Edgar Atheling for confirmation of his appointment. He was +uncle to Hereward, the Saxon patriot, and created him knight. At his +death a Norman was appointed, =Turold=, of Fescamp (1069-1098); but "he +neither loved his monastery, nor his convent him." During the interval +between Brando's death and Turold's arrival, a partial destruction of +the monastery took place. This has been already described. Some account +for Hereward's share in the attack and in the carrying off of the +treasures by supposing that he meant to restore them when the rule of +the Norman Abbot came to an end. When Turold arrived at Peterborough he +brought with him a force of 160 well-armed Normans. Joining the forces +of Ivo Taillebois he attacked the Camp of Refuge near Ely. The attacking +party was repulsed by Hereward, and Turold taken prisoner, and only +liberated upon paying a heavy ransom. Soon afterwards the Abbot is said +to have received into the monastery two monks from beyond sea, "who +secretly stole away, and carried many of the Church Goods with them." At +length he was made Bishop in France, and the monastery trusted they had +seen the last of him. But he was ignominiously expelled in four days, +and was permitted, upon paying a large sum of money to the king, to +resume his abbacy. + +[Illustration: Rose Windows and Details of West Front.] + +Another uncle of Hereward's, =Godric= (1099-1103), brother of Brando, +became the next abbot. The monks had purchased from the king the right +to elect their own abbot; and Godric, being considered by this +transaction to have committed simony, was (with the neighbouring abbots +of Ely and Ramsey) deposed by a council held under the presidency of +Archbishop Anselm. + +=Matthias= (1103-1105), was brother of Geoffrey, the Chief Justice, who +was drowned at the foundering of The White Ship, when Prince William, +the King's son, was lost. After the death of Matthias there was a +vacancy of three years, until =Ernulf= (1107-1114), Prior of Canterbury +came. He became Bishop of Rochester, and died in 1124. + +=John de Sais= (1114-1125), probably came from Sees, in Normandy; though +he is sometimes called John of Salisbury. In 1116 nearly the whole town +was consumed by a fire that lasted nine days. It began in the bakehouse +of the monastery and completely destroyed the church and most of the +abbey buildings, the Chapter House, Refectory and Dormitory alone +escaping. In March 1118 (or, as then written, 1117), the commencement +was made of the building that now exists. Abbot John died in 1125; and +again the King kept the abbey in his own hands for more than two years. + +=Henry of Anjou= (1128-1133), where he was Abbot, was a kinsman of the +King. He had numerous preferments abroad; and after five years here was +forced to resign and to betake himself to Anjou. + +=Martin de Vecti= (1133-1155), had been Prior of S. Neots. Gunton +considers he came originally from the Isle of Wight, Vectis; Dean +Patrick thinks he derived his name from Bec, in Normandy. He was a great +builder, and was very industrious in repairing the abbey, and especially +the church. + +=William of Waterville= (1155-1175), was chaplain to King Henry II. He +devoted himself to the building of the church, and the portion +attributed to him has been indicated in a previous chapter. He was also +very attentive to the management of the estates of the monastery, and to +acquiring new ones; but his business capacity seems to have brought him +into some disrepute and to have raised some enemies, who accused him to +the King; and by the King's order he was deposed in the Chapter-house, +as Dean Patrick relates[32] "before a multitude of abbots and monks; +being neither convicted of any crime, nor confessing any, but privily +accused to the Archbishop by some monks." It is recorded that he +appealed to the Pope against the sentence of deprivation, but without +success. + +=Benedict= (1177-1193), was Prior of Canterbury; and, towards the end of +his life, Keeper of the Great Seal. He had a heavy task at the beginning +of his rule in restoring discipline, which had become lax, and in +reforming many evil customs that had crept into the house. He was an +author, and produced a work on the career of S. Thomas of Canterbury, +whose murder had taken place only seven years before Benedict came to +Peterborough. He gave many ornaments and vestments to the church, and +brought several relics; and in particular some of Thomas a Becket (and +those we can certainly believe were more authentic than most relics), +among which are mentioned his shirt and surplice, a great quantity of +his blood in two crystal vessels, and two altars of the stone on which +he fell when he was murdered. He was, as might be expected, very zealous +in completing the chapel at the monastery gate which his predecessor had +begun to raise in honour of the martyred Archbishop. Dean Stanley[33] +speaks of Benedict's acquisition of the relics as "one of two memorable +acts of plunder ... curiously illustrative of the prevalent passion for +such objects." He says Benedict was probably the most distinguished monk +of Christ Church, and after his appointment to Peterborough, "finding +that great establishment almost entirely destitute of relics, he +returned to his own cathedral, and carried off with him the flagstones +immediately surrounding the sacred spot, with which he formed two altars +in the conventual church of his new appointment, besides two vases of +blood and part of Becket's clothing." Benedict, though a member of the +house and probably within the precincts, was not actually present at the +Archbishop's murder. Besides his building operations (he built nearly +all the nave of the church) he was very attentive to the landed property +of the house, successfully recovering some estates which had been +alienated. + +=Andrew= (1193-1201) had been Prior. He was "very mild and peaceable, +and made it his endeavour to plant and establish peace and tranquillity +in his flock." Several fresh acquisitions of land were made in his time, +and the monastery was very flourishing. + +=Acharius= (1201-1214) came here from S. Albans, where he was Prior. He +devoted himself entirely to the administration of his office, managing +the affairs of the monastery with the greatest care and judgement. He +left behind him a reputation for "order, honesty, kindness and bounty, +that from him posterity might learn how to behave themselves both in the +cloister and in the world." + +[Illustration: Tomb of an Abbot, possibly Abbot Andrew, 1201.] + +=Robert of Lindsey= (1214-1222) succeeded. This was four years after the +death of his predecessor, during which period King John had kept the +monastery in his own hands. This expression, which is of frequent +occurrence, must be understood to mean that the king took possession of +all the revenues belonging to the Abbot, and probably much more from the +property of the monastery, the expenses of which would be materially +lessened by the mere fact of there being no Abbot. Robert had been +Sacrist here, and when he was advanced to the highest office he effected +many improvements in the furniture and ornaments of the church, and in +the buildings, not only of the monastery itself, but also of the manors +and farms belonging to it. One alteration he effected is worth special +mention; many of the windows of the church previously stuffed with reeds +and straw, were glazed. The civil wars in this reign brought desolation +to many religious houses: but we do not read that Peterborough suffered. +Robert is said to have written a history of the monastery. He died in +1222. He had attended the fourth Lateran Council at Rome, in 1215; and +had fought in person for King Henry III. at Rockingham. + +=Alexander of Holderness= (1222-1226), the Prior, was next appointed. +Dean Patrick gives, from Swapham, an account of a noteworthy agreement +that was made for mutual benefit between this Abbot and the Abbot of S. +Edmunds Bury. The convents "by this league were tied in a bond of +special affection, for mutual counsel and assistance for ever. They were +so linkt together, as to account themselves one and the same convent: so +that if one of the abbots died, the survivor being desired was +immediately to go to his convent; and there before him they were to make +a canonical election; or if already made, they were to declare it in his +presence. If the friars of either place were by any necessity driven +from their monastery, the other was to receive them, and afford them a +familiar refuge and aid: with a place in their Quire Chapterhouse and +Refectory, _secundum conversionis suae tempus_." This abbot is said to +have been much beloved by the monks. He died in 1226. + +=Martin of Ramsey= (1226-1233), one of the monks, was chosen to succeed +Alexander. He remained only six years. After his death another monk, +=Walter of S. Edmunds= (1233-1245), was elected. He was a great builder. +It was during his time that the minster was solemnly re-dedicated. This +abbot made no less than three visits to Rome. On the third occasion he +was summoned in consequence of some irregularity in an appointment to +the living of Castor; but he seems to have managed his case very +adroitly, and to have escaped all censure by assigning an annuity of L10 +a year to the Pope's nephew. Another account, however, represents the +abbot as being so distressed at the indignities he suffered at the Papal +Court, that, being unwell before he went there and his infirmities being +increased by his journey, he died very soon after his return to England. +"He left the abbey abounding in all good things; stored with horses, +oxen, sheep and all cattle in great multitudes, and corn in some places +for three years." He died in 1245. + +=William de Hotot= (1246-1249), another monk of the house, succeeded +Walter. He held the office only three years, when he resigned and was +assigned a residence at the manor of Cottingham, afterwards exchanged +for one at Oxney, a few miles only from Peterborough. It is said that +his resignation was caused by complaints being made of his enriching his +own kinsfolk, "whereof he had great multitudes swarming about him," at +the expense of the monastery. But the injury he did could not have been +very considerable, for his body was brought to Peterborough to be +buried, and he had an honourable commemoration in the Church's calendar. + +=John de Caleto= (1249-1262), that is, of Calais, came here from +Winchester, where he was prior. He was related to the queen. As one of +the Chief Justices he went on circuit. But he seems to have taken the +side of the Barons in the civil war, and is said to have held the office +of treasurer to them for the last two years of his life. He was seldom +in residence at Peterborough, but appointed a very efficient deputy, who +afterwards succeeded him as abbot. + +=Robert of Button= (1262-1274) fought in the battle of Northampton +against the king. The king, coming to assault the town, "espied amongst +his enemies' ensigns on the wall the ensign of the Abbey of Peterburgh, +whereat he was so angry that he vowed to destroy the nest of such ill +birds. But the town of Northampton being reduced, Abbot Robert, by +mediation of friends to the king, saved both himself and church, but was +forced to pay for his delinquency, to the king 300 marks, to the queen +L20, to Prince Edward L60, to the Lord Souch L6, 13s. 4d." When the +fortune of war changed and the Barons were victorious at Lewes, "then +did the other side fleece the Abbot of Peterburgh for his contribution +to the king." After Evesham again the king repeated his exactions, and +the unfortunate abbot had to pay enormously. The total amount that he +paid on these several occasions is put down at a sum which seems almost +impossible, being upwards of L4320. This abbot attended the Council of +Lyons in 1273, and died abroad as he was returning to England. He was +buried abroad; his heart, being brought to Peterborough, was interred +before the altar in one of the chapels in the south transept. + +=Richard of London= (1274-1295) is said to have been born in the parish +of S. Pancras. He was a monk of the house, and while sacrist had erected +the Bell-tower and given two bells. A great deal of litigation was +carried on in his time, and he and the abbey were fortunate in having in +one of the monks, William of Woodford, a man of great skill and +judgement, to conduct the different cases before the courts. So +uniformly successful was he and so wisely did he act as coadjutor of +Richard when he became very old and infirm, that he was elected to the +abbacy on the death of Richard of London in 1295. + +=William of Woodford= (1295-1299) only lived four years after he became +abbot. After him came =Godfrey of Crowland= (1299-1321), the celerarius +of the monastery. He is very highly praised in the chronicles for the +various services he rendered to the abbey. More than once he was at the +heavy charge of entertaining the king and his court, and he contributed +largely to the expenses of the war with Scotland. + +[Illustration: Iron Railings, 1721.] + +=Adam of Boothby= (1321-1338), one of the monks, was a man of great +"innocence and simplicity" His revenues were much employed in +contributions to the king's expenses and in royal entertainments; and +his energies devoted to divers legal difficulties connected with manors, +wardships, repairs of bridges, rights of hunting, and the like. Of the +last eleven abbots, whose rule extended over a period of 124 years, all +but one had been monks of the place. + +=Henry of Morcot= (1338-1353) in all probability was also one of the +monks, but this is not so recorded. And the same may be said of all the +remaining abbots, but the historians do not say so until the time of +William in 1471. At the same time it is never said that any of them came +from elsewhere. + +=Robert of Ramsey= (1353-1361) ruled for eight years, and nothing else +is known about him. + +=Henry of Overton= (1361-1391) was abbot during the commotions in King +Richard II.'s reign. The tenants with others rose up against the abbey, +intending to destroy it. The Bishop of Norwich "coming to the assistance +of the monastery with a strong power, forced the villains to desist from +their enterprise: nay, dispersed them, and took some of them, and killed +others; the rest, taking the church for sanctuary, which they intended +to have destroyed, were there run through with lances and swords; some +of them hard by the altar, others by the walls of the church, both +within and without." + +=Nicholas= (1391-1396), =William Genge= (1396-1408) the first mitred +abbot, =John Deeping= (1408-1438) in turn succeeded. Nothing remarkable +is told of them. The name of the last and the names of the next two are +really the names of places; but the prefix "de" seems now to have been +discontinued, and the place-name to have become a surname. Abbot John +resigned his office the year before he died. + +=Richard Ashton= (1438-1471) took great pains about the regulation of +the services in the church, and drew up a customary out of the ancient +usages of the place. + +=William Ramsey= (1471-1496) appears to have devoted his time to the +management of the estates and to upholding the territorial privileges of +the house. If the epitaph formerly to be seen on a brass on his tomb is +to be believed, he was a man prudent, just, pious, esteemed by all, +chaste, kind, and adorned with every virtue. + +=Robert Kirton= (1496-1528) has left several proofs of his energy in +building, signing, as it were, the stones with his autograph. His +rebus, a kirk on a ton, sometimes accompanied by the initial of his +Christian name, is to be seen in the New Building, which he completed, +on the Deanery gateway, and on the graceful oriel window in the Bishop's +Palace. The chamber to which this window gives light still retains the +name originally given of "Heaven's Gate Chamber." Much other work done +by him towards the beautifying of the church and buildings has perished. + +The last abbot was =John Chambers= (1528-1540). One incident of +considerable interest is related as having taken place in his first +year. "Cardinal Wolsey came to Peterburgh, where he kept his Easter. +Upon Palm Sunday he carried his palm, going with the monks in +procession, and the Thursday following he kept his Maundy, washing and +kissing the feet of fifty-nine poor people, and having dried them, he +gave to every one of them 12d. and three ells of canvas for a shirt; he +gave also to each of them a pair of shoes and a portion of red herrings. +On Easter day he went in procession in his cardinal's vestments, and +sang the High-Mass himself after a solemn manner, which he concluded +with his benediction and remission upon all the hearers." This abbot was +a native of Peterborough, and was sometimes known as John Burgh; and on +the brass placed on his tomb he was called "Johannes Burgh, Burgo +natus." A monumental effigy was also erected to him, "made of white +chalkstone"; and this is almost certainly the figure now placed +(temporarily) at the back of the apse. This abbot was B.D. of Cambridge +and one of the king's chaplains. It was during his time that Queen +Katherine of Arragon was interred in the minster. The well-known story +that the building was spared by the king out of regard to the memory of +his first wife is told by Dean Patrick in these words:--[34]"There is +this traditional story goes concerning the preservation of this church +at the dissolution of abbeys: that a little after Queen Katherine's +interment here (which Mr G. mentions), some courtiers suggesting to the +king how well it would become his greatness to erect a fair monument for +her, he answered, 'Yes, he would leave her one of the goodliest +monuments in Christendom,' meaning this church, for he had then in his +thoughts the demolishing of abbeys, which shortly after followed." Abbot +Chambers surrendered the monastery to the king in 1540, and was +appointed guardian of the temporalities, with a pension of L266, 13s. +4d. and 100 loads of wood. The king divided the whole property of the +abbey into three parts, retaining one-third for himself, and assigning +the other parts upon the foundation of the see to the Bishop and Chapter +respectively. If the annual value of the portion he reserved for his own +use may be taken to be exactly one-third of the possessions of the +abbey, the entire property must have been worth as nearly as possible +L2200 per annum. The last abbot became the first bishop. + +It is remarkable that of the two queens buried at Peterborough, the body +of one has been removed to Westminster by the orders of her son, and +that a similar removal had been previously designed for the body of the +other. Queen Katherine's daughter, Queen Mary, left directions in her +will that "the body of the virtuous Lady and my most dere and +well-beloved mother of happy memory, Queen Kateryn, which lyeth now +buried at Peterborowh," should be removed and laid near the place of her +own sepulture, and that honourable monuments should be made for both. It +would have been a singular coincidence if this intention had been +carried out. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +HISTORY OF THE DIOCESE. + + +The Abbey Church was converted into the Cathedral of the newly-founded +diocese of Peterborough by deed bearing date September 4, 1541. The +counties of Northampton and Rutland were the limits of the new see. The +king's original plan for the establishment of bishoprics out of the +confiscated estates of monastic establishments was too generous to be +put into practice. He designed the foundation of no less than twenty-one +new sees. In this scheme Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire were +assigned to the diocese of Peterborough; and, considering the situation +of the new cathedral, this would have been a more satisfactory +arrangement than the one which was ultimately carried out. The only +change that has been made in the limits of the diocese is that, in the +year 1839, the county of Leicester was detached from the see of Lincoln +and joined to Peterborough. + +As has been said above, the first bishop was =John Chambers= +(1541-1556). He was consecrated[35] in the minster on the 23rd of +October 1541, by Thomas (Thirlby), Bishop of Ely, Robert (Blyth), Bishop +of Down, last Abbot of Thorney, Suffragan of Ely, and Thomas (Hallam or +Swillington), Bishop of Philadelphia, Suffragan of Lincoln. Strype has +an account of his costly funeral. The two memorials to him in the church +had been erected by himself in his lifetime. + +=David Pole= (1556-1559) is generally held to have been a relative (some +say a nephew) of Cardinal Reginald Pole. He was Dean of the Arches. He +was not consecrated till August 1557, and so held the bishopric less +than two years, being deprived by Queen Elizabeth in June 1559. He lived +quietly in London till his death in 1568. + +=Edmund Scambler= (1560-1584) in the Roman index of books prohibited is +called Pseudo-Episcopus, no doubt because there was another Bishop of +Peterborough, Pole, still living. He alienated many of the lands and +manors of his bishopric to the queen and to her courtiers; and as a +reward he was translated to Norwich, where he died ten years later. + +=Richard Howland= (1584-1600) was Master of Magdalene, and afterwards of +S. John's, Cambridge. He was present at the funeral of Mary Queen of +Scots. He was buried at the upper end of the choir, but no stone or +monument exists to his memory. + +=Thomas Dove= (1600-1630) was Dean of Norwich. He was[36] "a lover of +hospitality, keeping a very free house, and having always a numerous +family, yet was so careful of posterity that he left a fair estate to +his heirs." He was buried in the north transept. "Over his body was +erected a very comely monument of long quadrangular form, having four +corner pilasters supporting a fair table of black marble, and, within, +the pourtraiture of the bishop lying in his Episcopal habit." This was +destroyed in 1643. There was a long Latin inscription in prose and +verse, and among the verses these occur:-- + + "Hoc addam: Hie illa est senio argentata Columba + Davidis, coelos hinc petit ille suos." + +This monument was erected by the bishop's eldest son, Sir William Dove, +Kt., of Upton. + +=William Peirse= (1630-1632) was promoted from the Deanery. He only +remained here as bishop two years, when he was translated to Bath and +Wells. "A man of excellent parts, both in divinity and knowledge of the +laws: very vigilant and active he was for the good both of the +ecclesiastical and civil state." He was silenced during the civil war, +but restored in 1660. On his tombstone, at Walthamstow, it is said +"_Templum Cathedrale Wellense reparavit, Episcopale Palatium +exaedificavit, coelis maturus terris valedixit an. aet._ 94 _salut_. +1670." + +=Augustine Lindsell= (1632-1634) was Dean of Lichfield. He was +translated to Hereford after being bishop here two years, but died +within a few months. + +=Francis Dee= (1634-1638) was Dean of Chichester. "He was a man of very +pious life and affable behaviour." He founded scholarships and +fellowships at S. John's College, Cambridge, of which he had been +Fellow, for boys from the King's School, Peterborough, of his name or +kindred. In 1637 Archbishop Laud reported to the King that "My Lord of +Peterborough hath taken a great deal of pains and brought his diocese +into very good order." He left by will L100 to the repairs of the +Cathedral, and the same amount to the repairs of S. Paul's. He was +buried in the choir, near the throne. + +=John Towers= (1638-1649) was one of the King's chaplains. He was +promoted from the Deanery. He protested, with eleven other bishops, +against the opposition that was made by the Parliamentary party to their +taking their seats in the House of Lords, in which protest it was +declared that all laws, orders, votes, or resolutions, were in +themselves null and of none effect, which in their absence from Dec. +27th 1641, had been passed, or should afterwards be passed, during the +time of their enforced absence. For this they were committed to the +Tower, and kept there four or five months. Being set free he was allowed +to return to Peterborough, but his revenues were taken away. Living here +in a state of continual alarm, he betook himself to the king's forces at +Oxford, where he remained until the surrender of the place. Coming back +here in 1646 his health failed, and he died about three weeks before the +king was beheaded. He was buried in the choir. + +[Illustration: Details of Chasuble on Abbot's Tomb.] + +No successor was appointed until the Restoration. =Benjamin Laney= +(1660-1663) was then made Bishop. He was Dean of Rochester, and had been +Master of Pembroke, Cambridge. He was translated to Lincoln in 1663, and +to Ely in 1667. He died in 1675, and is buried at Lambeth. + +=Joseph Henshaw= (1663-1679) was Dean of Chichester. He died suddenly on +March 9, 1679, on his return from attending service at Westminster +Abbey. He was buried at East Lavant in Sussex, where he had been rector. + +=William Lloyd= (1679-1685) was translated from Llandaff, and was +further translated to Norwich in 1685. He was deprived of his see as a +Nonjuror in 1691. He lived at Hammersmith till his death in 1710. He was +the last survivor of the seven deprived bishops. It is singular that his +namesake, William Lloyd, bishop of S. Asaph, should have been one of the +seven bishops committed to the Tower by King James II. in 1688; but he +had no scruples about taking the oaths to the new sovereigns, and became +afterwards Bishop of Lichfield, and ultimately of Worcester. + +=Thomas White= (1685-1691) was one of the seven committed to the Tower, +and also one of the seven deprived in 1691 as Nonjurors. He attended Sir +John Fenwick on the scaffold. This bishop, with his predecessor, Bishop +Lloyd, the deprived Bishop of Norwich, were two of the consecrators of +the Nonjuring Bishops, Hickes and Wagstaffe. There were really ten +bishops (including Archbishop Sancroft) who refused the oaths to William +and Mary; but the Bishops of Worcester, Chichester, and Chester died +before the time fixed for the deprivation. Bishop White lived in +retirement after he left his diocese. He died in 1698, and his funeral +is mentioned in Evelyn's _Diary_, under date June 5th: "Dr White, late +Bishop of Peterborough, who had been deprived for not complying with +Government, was buried in St Gregory's churchyard or vault, at St +Paul's. His hearse was accompanied by two Nonjuror bishops, Dr. Turner +of Ely, and Dr. Lloyd, with forty Nonjuror clergymen, who could not stay +the office of the burial, because the Dean of St Paul's had appointed a +conforming minister to read the office, at which all much wondered, +there being nothing in that office which mentioned the present king." +Lathbury remarks on this retirement from the grave, that it was a +singular circumstance, and contrary to the practice of the Nonjurors in +many other cases. + +=Richard Cumberland= (1691-1718) had a reputation as a philosophical +writer. The only memoir of him is to be found in the preface to +_Sanchoniathon's History_,[37] a posthumous work, in which his chaplain +(and son-in-law) thus describes his appointment:--"The king was told +that Dr Cumberland was the fittest man he could nominate to the +bishopric of Peterborough. Thus a private country clergyman, without +posting to Court--a place he had rarely seen--without suing to great +men, without taking the least step towards soliciting for it, was +pitched upon to fill a great trust, only because he was fittest for it. +He walked after his usual manner on a post-day to the coffee-house, and +read in the newspaper that one Dr Cumberland of Stamford was named to +the bishopric of Peterborough, a greater surprise to himself than to +anybody else." His chaplain speaks of the bishop's character, zeal, and +learning in terms of unqualified praise. One of the bishop's sons, +Richard, was Archdeacon of Northampton, and father of Denison +Cumberland, Bishop of Clonfert and of Kilmore. This last named married a +daughter of Dr Bentley, the famous Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, +and one of their sons was Richard Cumberland, the dramatist. Bishop +Richard Cumberland is buried in the Cathedral, and a tablet to his +memory remains in the New Building. + +=White Kennett= (1718-1728) had been Dean. He was a most industrious +writer, many of his works, which are upwards of fifty in number, being +most laborious. His manuscript collections in the British Museum are +also of great value. He is best known from his antiquarian tastes and +studies, and for having directed the attention of his clergy to the +value of parish registers. It would seem that before his time no +transcripts of parish registers were ever sent to the Bishop's Registry +at Peterborough. The earliest transcripts now to be found date only from +the beginning of his episcopate, except that, in a few instances, some +incumbents appear to have sent the entries for six or eight years +previously. Notwithstanding the efficiency of his predecessor he "found +the irregularities of the diocese great and many." The Cathedral service +was negligently conducted, many clergy were non-resident, some small +benefices had been left unfilled. Many other abuses were discovered from +time to time. Bishop Kennett was most active and conscientious in +administering his office, and thoroughly re-organised the diocese; but +his strong political partisanship made for him a great number of +enemies. The enmity he raised came to a culminating point while he was +still dean. An altar-piece representing the Last Supper had been +painted for Whitechapel Church.[38] In this Judas was painted turning +round to the spectator, and was intended to represent Kennett. We do not +know whether the likeness in itself was sufficiently good to be +recognised, but the intention was sufficiently indicated by a black +patch in the centre of the forehead, just under the wig. Kennett always +wore such a patch, to hide a scar which had remained after being +trepanned in early manhood. Judas is, moreover, represented as +clean-shaven, being the only figure so drawn except the Evangelist S. +John. Great scandal and excitement were caused by this picture, and it +was removed. It ultimately found a home at S. Albans Abbey, where it may +still be seen (patch and all), but no longer in the position it once +occupied over the high altar. Bishop Kennett died in 1728, and is buried +in the New Building. + +=Robert Clavering= (1728-1747) was consecrated Bishop of Llandaff in +1725, and translated to Peterborough in 1728. He is buried here, but no +memorial exists. + +=John Thomas= (1747-1757) was Canon of S. Paul's. He was translated to +Sarum in 1757, and to Winchester in 1761. He was preceptor to Prince +George, afterwards King George III., who used to visit him at Farnham +Castle. In the early part of his episcopate he had a namesake on the +bench, John Thomas, formerly Dean of Peterborough, who was made Bishop +of Lincoln in 1744, and of Sarum in 1761; and during the latter part +another namesake, John Thomas, Bishop of Rochester from 1775 to 1793. +Bishop Thomas of Winchester died in 1781, in his 85th year, and is +buried in his cathedral. + +=Richard Terrick= (1757-1764) was Canon of S. Paul's. He was translated +to London in 1764, and died in 1777. + +=Robert Lamb= (1764-1769) had been Dean. He is buried at Hatfield, where +he had been rector. + +=John Hinchcliffe= (1769-1794) is an instance of a man, rising from an +inferior station to positions of the greatest eminence. His father was a +stable-master in London. Proceeding from Westminster School to Trinity +College, Cambridge, he obtained a Fellowship there. He afterwards, +through a gentleman of wealth to whom he was tutor, secured some very +influential friends, and became Head Master of Westminster School, +Chaplain to the King, and Master of Trinity. This last appointment he +continued to hold with his bishopric until 1789, when he was made Dean +of Durham. A memoir published at the time of his death describes him as +learned, assiduous in his duties, obliging in his manners, and honest +and sincere in his religious and political principles. He died in 1794, +and is buried in the cathedral. + +=Spencer Madan= (1794-1813) was a prebendary and king's chaplain, and +first cousin to the poet Cowper. He came back to Peterborough from +Bristol, to which see he was consecrated in 1792. He is buried in the +New Building. + +[Illustration: Details of Albs on Abbots' Tombs.] + +=John Parsons= (1813-1819) was Master of Balliol and Dean of Bristol. He +was a man of great mark and influence at Oxford, where he died and was +buried. There is a monument to him in the chapel of Balliol. + +=Herbert Marsh= (1819-1839) was the author of many controversial works. +He was translated to this see from Llandaff, where he had been bishop +since 1816. He was buried in the New Building--the last bishop interred +in the cathedral. + +=George Davys= (1839-1864) was Dean of Chester, and had been preceptor +to Queen Victoria. He was buried in the Cathedral Yard; the Queen sent +one of her carriages with servants in state liveries to attend the +funeral as a mark of her affection and esteem. + +=Francis Jeune= (1864-1868) had been Dean of Jersey, Master of Pembroke, +Oxford, and Dean of Lincoln. His eldest son was the well-known judge. +Bishop Jeune is buried in the Cathedral Yard. + +=William Connor Magee= (1868-1891) was Dean of Cork. He was translated +to the Archbishopric of York, but died within a very few months, May +5th, 1891. He is buried in the Cathedral Yard, where a massive cross of +Irish marble has been erected over his grave. In the south choir aisle +of the cathedral there is also a recumbent effigy, the likeness to the +deceased prelate being most remarkably good. His career is so recent and +his eminence so well known that it is unnecessary to speak of them. + +=Mandell Creighton= (1891-1897) had been Canon of Windsor, and +previously of Worcester. He was translated to London when Bishop Temple +became Archbishop of Canterbury. He died in 1901, and is buried in the +crypt of S. Paul's; an inlaid marble slab copied from the one over his +grave is in the south choir aisle of the cathedral. + +=Hon. Edward Carr Glyn= (1897-1916), Vicar of Kensington, Chaplain to +the Queen; resigned 1916. + +=Frank Theodore Woods= (1916), Vicar of Bradford, Yorks, 1912-1916, is +the present bishop. + +[Illustration: PLAN OF THE CATHEDRAL.] + + PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS. + +Interior length, 426 feet. +Interior height, 78 " +Nave length, 228 " +Nave width, 35 " +Nave and Aisles, 79 " +Transept length, 185 " +Transept width, 58 " +Area, 41,090 sq feet + +DEANS OF PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL. + +1541 Francis Abree, B.D. +1543 Gerard Carleton, B.D., Canon of Westminster. +1549 James Curthop, M.A., Canon of Christ Church. +1557 James Boxall, LL.D., Archdeacon of Ely, Warden of Winchester, Dean of Norwich, Dean of Windsor. +1560 William Latimer, D.D., Archdeacon of Westminster. +1585 Richard Fletcher, D.D., Bishop of Bristol, of Worcester, and finally of London. +1590 Thomas Nevill, D.D., Master of Magdalene, and afterwards of Trinity, Cambridge, Canon of Ely, Dean of Canterbury. +1597 John Palmer, D.D., Prebendary of Lichfield, Master of Magdalene, Cambridge. +1607 Richard Clayton, D.D., Archdeacon of Ely, Master of Magdalene, and afterwards of S. John's, Cambridge. +1612 George Meriton, D.D., Dean of Bucking, Dean of York. +1616 Henry Beaumont, D.D., Dean of Windsor. +1622 William Peirse, D.D., Prebendary of S. Paul's, Canon of Christ Church, Bishop of Peterborough, and afterwards of Bath and Wells. +1630 John Towers, D.D., Bishop of Peterborough. +1638 Thomas Jackson, D.D., Prebendary of Winchester, President of Corpus, Oxford. +1640 John Cosin, D.D., Prebendary of Durham, Archdeacon of Cleveland, Master of Peterhouse, Dean of Durham. +1660 Edward Rainbow, D.D., Master of Magdalene, Cambridge, Bishop of Carlisle. +1664 James Duport, D.D., Master of Magdalene, Cambridge, Professor of Greek, Prebendary of Lincoln. +1679 Simon Patrick, D.D., Canon of Westminster, Bishop of Chichester, and afterwards of Ely. +1689 Richard Kidder, D.D., Prebendary of Norwich, Bishop of Bath and Wells. +1601 Samuel Freeman D.D. +1707 White Kermett, D.D., Archdeacon of Huntingdon, Prebendary of Lincoln and of Sarum, Bishop of Peterborough. +1718 Richard Reynolds, LL.D., Prebendary and Chancellor of Peterborough, Bishop of Bangor, and afterwards of Lincoln. +1721 William Gee, D.D., Canon of Westminster, Prebendary and Dean of Lincoln. +1722 John Mandeville, D.D., Archdeacon and Chancellor of Lincoln, Canon of Windsor. +1725 Francis Lockier, D.D. +1740 John Thomas, D.D., Canon of Westminster and of S. Paul's, Bishop of Lincoln, and afterwards of Salisbury. +1744 Robert Lamb, D.D., Bishop of Peterborough. +1764 Charles Tarrant, D.D., Canon of Bristol, Dean of Carlisle, Prebendary of Rochester, Prebendary of Sarum. +1791 Charles Manners Sutton, D.D., Bishop of Norwich, Dean of Windsor, Archbishop of Canterbury. +1792 Peter Peckard, D.D., Prebendary of Southwell, Master of Magdalene, Cambridge. +1798 Thomas Kipling, D.D. +1822 James Henry Monk, D.D., Professor of Greek, Cambridge, Canon of Westminster, Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol. +1830 Thomas Turton, D.D., Professor of Mathematics, Regius Professor of Divinity, Cambridge, Prebendary of Lincoln, Dean of Westminster, Bishop of Ely. +1842 George Butler, D.D., Headmaster of Harrow. +1853 Augustus Page Saunders, D.D., Headmaster of Charterhouse. +1878 John James Stewart Perowne, D.D., Prebendary of S. David's, Canon of Llandaff, Margaret Professor of Divinity, Cambridge, Bishop of Worcester. +1891 Marsham Argles, D.D., Canon of Peterborough. +1893 William Clavell Ingram, D.D., Hon. Canon of Peterborough. +1901 William Hagger Barlow, D.D., Prebendary of S. Paul's Cathedral. +1908 Arnold Henry Page, M.A. + + + + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote 1: "English Towns and Districts," 1883, pp. 103, 130.] + +[Footnote 2: A few other cathedrals which were originally churches of +monasteries are still called Minsters, as York (nearly always), +Canterbury (occasionally), Ripon, Southwell, and perhaps more. Lincoln +Cathedral though often called a Minster was a Cathedral from the first, +and was never attached to a monastery.] + +[Footnote 3: Gunton, p. 4.] + +[Footnote 4: "Ingulf and the Historia Croylandensis." By W.G. Searle, +M.A., Camb. Antiq. Soc., 8vo. xxvii. p. 65.] + +[Footnote 5: Searle: Ingulf, p. 63.] + +[Footnote 6: "On the Abbey Church of Peterborough." By G.A. Poole, M.A. +Arch. Soc. Archdeac. Northampton, 1855, p. 190.] + +[Footnote 7: Poole, p. 193.] + +[Footnote 8: Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, anno 1128.] + +[Footnote 9: "Remarks on the Architecture of Peterborough Cathedral." By +F.A. Paley, M.A. 2nd Ed., 1859, p. 21.] + +[Footnote 10: The two eastern pillars of the nave are circular; and the +third pillar from the tower, on both sides, is "composed of nook-shafts +set in rectangular recesses against the body of the pier."] + +[Footnote 11: Some of Mr Poole's reasoning, as to the different parts of +the nave to be attributed to different abbots, depends upon an +assumption that the Saxon church was on the site of the present one, and +that some part of the nave was still existing in a ruinous condition +while the present choir and tower were being built. Recent discoveries +have proved that this assumption is groundless, for the nave of the +Saxon church was beyond the south aisle of the existing nave.] + +[Footnote 12: Poole, p. 204.] + +[Footnote 13: Paley, p. 54.] + +[Footnote 14: Poole, p. 216.] + +[Footnote 15: The engraving that accompanies this description represents +a dignified altar-piece, but seems taken from a rough drawing, or +possibly from memory. On the altar were two tapers burning, an alms +dish, and two books. The Abbot's chair, of stone, is to the south, +facing west.] + +[Footnote 16: "Memoirs of the Protectoral-House of Cromwell," ii, 18.] + +[Footnote 17: These shields, which were of metal, are now arranged on +the walls of the library.] + +[Footnote 18: Where the author has often seen it. It was at last +destroyed in a fire.] + +[Footnote 19: Museum Criticum, viii, 672.] + +[Footnote 20: "Handbook of Architecture," 2nd ed., 1859, p. 869.] + +[Footnote 21: "English Towns and Districts," 1883, p. 29.] + +[Footnote 22: Guide, p. 48.] + +[Footnote 23: Sir William Feeld, Peticanon, in his will dated 1558, +desires that his body may be buried in the Gallery before the church +door, where all his fellows are buried. "Gallery" here is probably a +corruption of "Galilee."] + +[Footnote 24: Paley, p. 30.] + +[Footnote 25: Gunton, p. 91.] + +[Footnote 26: Patrick's Supplement to Gunton, p. 334.] + +[Footnote 27: King Ethelred resigned his crown and became Abbot of Bardney. +He is here figured with a mitre.] + +[Footnote 28: As well as one other, probably the one now under one of +the arches on the north of the choir.] + +[Footnote 29: Archaeological Journal, 1861, p. 196.] + +[Footnote 30: Gunton, p. 12.] + +[Footnote 31: Properly Northumberland. See Bede's Eccl. Hist. iii. 6.] + +[Footnote 32: Patrick, p. 284.] + +[Footnote 33: Historical Memorials of Canterbury, p. 184.] + +[Footnote 35: Patrick, p. 330.] + +[Footnote 35: Stubbs' _Episcopal Succession_, p. 79.] + +[Footnote 36: Gunton, p. 82.] + +[Footnote 37: P. 12; quoted in the account of Bishop Cumberland in the +_Penny Cyclopeia_, viii. 229.] + +[Footnote 38: A full account of this famous picture with an engraving is +given in _Northamptonshire Notes and Queries_, iv. 209.] + + + + + + + +INDEX + +Abbots, account of, 112-126. +Altars, 87. +Apse, 22. + +Bell-tower, 48. +Benedict, Abbot, 16. +Bishops, account of, 127-134. + +Canons' door, 56. +Ceiling of nave, 84; of choir, 64. +Chapel of St. Thomas, 100. +Choir, 60-76. +Church of S. John Baptist, 108. +City, 108. +Cloister Court, 103. + +Danes, ravages of, 6, 8, 11. +Deanery, 102. +Deans, 136. +Dean's door, 50. +Diocese, history of, 127. + +Edgar, King, 8-10. +Ernulf, Abbot, 12. +Ethelwold, Bishop of Winchester, 8. + +Fire of 1116, 12. + +Gateway of Monastery, 99. of Deanery, 102. +Glass, stained, 88. +Guildhall, 108. +Gunton, Prebendary, historian, 6, 14. + +Hereward, 11. + +Infirmary, 103. + +John of Sais, Abbot, 12-13. + +Katharine of Aragon, Queen, 24, 26, 95. +Knights' Chamber, 101. + +Lady Chapel (destroyed), 20, 52. +Laurel Court, 103. +Lectern, 74. + +Magee, Archbishop, monument, 96. +Martin, Abbot, 15. +Mary Queen of Scots, burial, 95. +Monastery, foundation of, 5. +Monastery, history of, 112. +Monastery, plan of, 51, 52. +Monuments, 91. +Museum, 111. + +Nave, 81. +New building, 24, 55, 76. +Norman church built, 13, 15 + +Organ, 72. + +Palace, Bishop's, 106. +Patrick, Dean, 14. +Parvise, 45, 90. +Pavement of choir, 72-74 +Porch, western, 22, 45, 90. +Pulpit, 70. +Puritanical destruction, 26. + +Reredos, 72. +Reredos, destroyed, 26. +Restoration, first, 28; recent, 31-35. + +Saxon church, 8-10, 18, 80. +Saxulf, Abbot, 5. +Scarlett's monument, 98. +Screens of choir, 74. +Spire of south-west tower, 22. +Stalls, 67-69. + +Throne, 70. +Transept, north, 52; south, 55; interior, 77. +Transept, western, 87. +Tower, central, 21, 29-32, 51. +Towers, western, 17, 44. + +West front, 19, 33, 39-44. +William of Waterville, Abbot, 15. + + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Cathedral Church of Peterborough +by W.D. 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