Part 19

In the centre of the choir in front of the altar steps stands the =Tomb of King John=. When John died in the Castle of Newark in 1216, his body was brought to Worcester Cathedral and buried before the High Altar. In 1797 the tomb was opened. The effigy, now gilded, is the earliest royal effigy in England. It dates from the early Thirteenth Century and is probably a good likeness of the Magna Charta king. Bloxam’s description in 1862, gives an idea of its original appearance:

“The effigy was originally the cover of the stone coffin in which the remains of that monarch were deposited in the Chapel of the Virgin, at the east end of the cathedral. The altar tomb is of a much later period, probably constructed early in the sixteenth century, when the tomb of Prince Arthur was erected.... The sides of this tomb are divided into three square compartments by panelled buttresses; each compartment contains a shield bearing the royal arms within a quatrefoil richly cusped; the spandrels are also foliated and cusped.... It is, however, the effigy of the king, sculptured in the early part of the Thirteenth Century, and probably the earliest sepulchral effigy in the cathedral, to which our chief attention should be drawn. This effigy represents him in the royal habiliments; first, the tunic, yellow, or of cloth of gold, reaching nearly to the ankles, with close-fitting sleeves, of which little is apparent. Over the tunic is seen the dalmatic, of a crimson colour, with wide sleeves edged with a gold and jewelled border, and girt about the waist by a girdle buckled in front, the pendant end of the girdle, which is jewelled, falling down as low as the skirt of the dalmatic. Of the yellow mantle lined with green little is visible. On the feet are black shoes, to the heels of which are affixed spurs. On the hands are gloves, jewelled at the back; the right hand held a sceptre, the lower portion of which only is left; the left grasps the hilt of the sword. On the head is the crown; there are moustaches and beard, and the light-brown hair is long. On either side of the head is the figure of a bishop holding a censer, perhaps intended to represent St. Oswald and St. Wulstan, between whose tombs the king was interred in the Chapel of the Virgin.”

On the south side of the sanctuary we find the =Chantry of Prince Arthur=, son of Henry VII., who died at Ludlow Castle in 1502. This is the most famous piece of work in the Cathedral, and one of the best examples of Tudor architecture in existence. It was erected in 1504, and

“consists of six bays of open tracery divided by panels of canopied niches containing figures and heraldic bearings surmounted by a battlemented rail and pinnacles. Within is a richly groined roof, with unusual flying supports, east and west. At the east end are the mutilated remains of a rich stone reredos, containing a figure of our Lord, and others hardly recognisable, which was above the altar formerly placed here. At the west end is a small figure of Henry VII. seated.

“The tomb itself of the Prince stands in the centre of the chantry. It is singularly plain, in contrast to the richness of its surroundings, almost the only ornament being the arms of England and France within panels on the sides. Around the top runs a painted inscription, obviously a late substitute for a brass which has been removed, to this effect: ‘Here lyeth buried prince Arthur, the first begotten sonne of the righte renowned Kinge henry the Seventhe, whiche noble Prince departed oute of this transitory life ate the Castle of Ludlowe, in the seventeenth yeere of hys father’s reign, and in the yeere of our Lorde god on thousande fyve hundred and two.’”--(E. F. S.)

The =Chapel of St. John=, projecting from two bays of the south-choir-aisle, is on the site of a Norman chapel. The Norman arch at the west end is its finest feature. It has three windows filled with modern glass and a piscina in the south wall.

The =Eastern transepts= demand careful attention.

“The design of the walls ... is extremely beautiful. Two lofty triplets of lancet lights are placed the one above the other. The lower triplet has a gallery in front of it immediately above the arcaded wall, and at the same level as the sill of the adjacent side aisle windows. The upper triplet has a similar gallery at the level of the triforium. Rich clustered shafts rise from the lower gallery in two orders; the inner order carries molded arches to correspond with the heads of the lower triplet; the shafts of the outer order rise from the lower gallery up to the impost of the upper triplet, grouping themselves with the shafts that stand in front of the upper triplet, and uniting in one group of capitals at the impost, where they carry a range of three arches with deep rich mouldings. Thus the entire composition represents a gigantic window of six lights.”--(W.)

One of the finest features of the Cathedral is the arcade that runs along the whole extent of the eastern transepts and across the Lady-Chapel.

“This is a series of trefoil headed arcades of three mouldings, resting on slender Early English shafts, each spandrel having been filled with carvings which take high rank among the best of the English school of the Thirteenth Century. They have now been, to a great extent, restored (by Boulton), and many, including all at the east end, are entirely new. The best of the old ones are figured by Aldis; and the most interesting, whether entirely ancient or partly restored, are as follows, starting from the west wall of the south-eastern transept:

“Two crusaders fighting a lion. A centaur. An angel weighing a soul, and the devil pulling down the scale. Devils roasting a soul in hell. The Jaws of Death. A body borne to burial. Expulsion of Adam and Eve. An angel leading a righteous soul to heaven. The dead rising from coffins. Christ enthroned. The archangel blowing the last trump. An angel holding a cross.

“_South Aisle._--Two monks building. A queen instructing an architect. Two monks discussing plans. A devil with bird’s claws, riding on a man’s shoulders. The Crucifixion.

“_Lady-Chapel._--Centaur and crusader. Prophets and Bible subjects (modern), grotesque.

“_North Aisle._--Bishop offering a model of the cathedral at an altar (perhaps Bishop Henry de Blois, d. 1236). The Annunciation. The Visitation. The Nativity.

“_North Transept._--Old Testament subjects. A bishop. A monk chastising a novice.”--(E. F. S.)

The tracery of the windows in the choir aisles and the Lady-Chapel is modern, patterned on Early English models. The entire east wall is modern. The window consists of five lights in two tiers. The glass dates from 1860 and represents the _Crucifixion_ and the _Ascension_.

In the south aisle of the Lady-Chapel we notice one of the finest effigies in the building. It is a Fourteenth Century lady, whose left hand holds the cord of her cloak. A little dog lies at her feet. It is interesting to compare this with another unknown effigy of a lady of the Thirteenth Century in the north aisle of the Lady-Chapel. The left hand holds a glove.

In front of the altar and on the floor of the Lady-Chapel are the effigies of =Bishop William de Blois= (died 1236) and his successor =Bishop Walter de Cantelupe= (died 1265). The latter is in higher relief than the former and was originally set with gems. In the north aisle we must also note the large effigy of =Sir James de Beauchamp=, in complete armour with surcoat and long shield of Henry III.’s reign. Beneath the reredos lies the richly robed figure of =Hawford=, Dean of Worcester in 1553-1557. On the south side lies =William, Earl of Dudley=, in white marble on arches of alabaster. The Lady-Chapel is of the same date as the choir.

From the south transept of the nave we enter the famous =Crypt=, which dates from 1084. It was built after that of Winchester (1079) and before those of Gloucester (1089) and Canterbury (1096). Three rows of pillars form four walks, with an outer aisle of two rows of pillars. It was surrounded by several chapels, but only the southern chapel is now accessible. The pillars are admired for their grace and lightness, when illuminated. It suggests the Mosque of Cordova. In comparing the crypts of Winchester, Gloucester, Canterbury, and Worcester, Willis says:

“The height of all these crypts is nearly the same; so that at Winchester and Gloucester the arches are flattened into ellipses, the pillars are low and squat, and the crypts appear as sepulchral vaults; while at Worcester, where the arches are semicircular and the pillars more slender, the crypt is a complex and beautiful temple.”

The =Cloisters= form an irregular quadrangle enclosing a lovely green garth, 83 feet square. The roof of the walks is richly vaulted. The glass in the windows in the south alley depicted the history and miracles of St. Wulstan, but the glass was destroyed by the Puritans.

Beyond the south walk is the =Refectory=, a handsome building of red sandstone, dating from about 1372. It is now used as a class-room of the Cathedral School founded by King Henry VIII. The monks’ lavatory occupies two bays in the north alley.

From the west walk we enter the =Chapter-House=, originally a Norman building of the Eleventh Century. It was repaired about 1400, when the Norman windows and vaults were supplanted by those we now see. The present Chapter-House

“consists of ten bays, with a Perpendicular vaulted roof rising from a central Norman Column. Each bay contains a light traceried window, of which two are entirely, and two half, blocked up. Below these is a series of slightly hollowed niches in grey, blue and yellow stone in alternate courses, resting on three courses of rough red masonry. These niches have slight traces of ancient fresco painting; they are surmounted by an arcade of intersecting circular arches containing smaller arches. Similar ornamentation is to be found in the chapter-houses at Bristol and Rochester, and in the external wall of Ernulf’s crypt at Canterbury.”--(E. F. S.)

LICHFIELD

DEDICATION: ST. CHAD AND ST. MARY. A CHURCH SERVED BY SECULAR CANONS.

SPECIAL FEATURES: SPIRES; WEST FRONT; NAVE; LADY-CHAPEL; HERKENRODE GLASS.

Lichfield is famed for its three beautiful spires, the only church in England with this distinguishing feature. They are locally known as “Ladies of the Vale,” or “Ladies of the Valley.”

The central spire, which always groups so charmingly with the two that rise above the west front, dates from the Restoration, and is an imitation of the western ones. Its predecessor, destroyed during the Civil Wars, was supposed to have been rebuilt about 1250. The two western spires are said to have been built by Roger de Norbury (1322-1359), but the north-west one was rebuilt in Perpendicular times in imitation of the earlier style. The south-west, or =Jesus Tower=, also the belfry, got its name from the Jesus Bell, given by Dean Heyward in 1477, and destroyed during the Civil Wars. The Jesus is a little higher than the other tower. Both spires are octagonal. At intervals they are broken by windows.

“Of all the cathedral churches of England, Lichfield may be said to be the most lovely. Other cathedrals are larger--indeed, this is one of the smallest;--many are grander, or more magnificent; but for simple beauty, for charm, for delicacy of construction and appearance, Lichfield may rightly claim to take the foremost place. Peterborough, when we stand inside the west door and look down its line of enormous piers, fills us with awe at its immensity and

strength; a feeling which is perhaps a little impaired by the present position of its stalls. Salisbury appeals to us with its perfect simplicity and symmetry, and York with its unequalled grandeur and splendour; but after viewing all the cathedrals of England, it is Lichfield which is most likely to be remembered among them for something which may be most aptly called charm. What can be more delightful than the view which confronts the traveller who, approaching from the town, pauses to look across the sparkling water of the pool at the three graceful spires standing out amid a wealth of green trees and shrubs? Truly a picture to be long remembered.

“The cathedral stands in a close which was once surrounded by strong walls with bastions and a moat. Nature had supplied the moat on the south side, and the Cathedral Pool, as it is now called, is still there. The artificial moat has been drained, but its course can be easily traced running round the bishop’s palace, and its water has been replaced by lovely gardens and gravel walks. Some bits of the old wall remain, the north-east bastion in the palace gardens and a turret on a house at the south corner: the ‘beautiful gates’ of Bishop Langton are gone; but in the Vicars’ Close at the west of the cathedral are two small irregular courtyards with houses so old that we feel sure that their wooden beams and plaster were there when the Royalists of the neighbourhood housed themselves within the fortified close.

“The close is not large, and of course, as Lichfield is a cathedral of the old establishment, there are no monastical buildings, no ruined cloisters. On the north side the ground rises rapidly in a grassy slope to a terrace, behind which are some of the canons’ houses. Opposite the north transept is the deanery, a substantial red brick house in the style of the middle of the last century; next to it, and farther east, is the bishop’s palace.”--(A. B. C.)

Lichfield was built in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries and is, therefore, almost entirely in the styles of Early English and Decorated. The Early English may be studied in the transepts which were begun first; Early Decorated in the nave; and fully developed Decorated in the Lady-Chapel and Presbytery.

There is a curious similarity between the building of Lichfield and York:

“The Norman Cathedral of York was built in 1080, and that of Lichfield at an uncertain date. Between 1154-1181, Archbishop Roger substituted for the original chancel at York a long, square-ended choir, with the aisle carried behind the end. At Lichfield, during the same period, the large chapel was built at the end of the Norman apse; and about the beginning of the Thirteenth Century the whole Norman eastern termination was, as at York, replaced by a long, square-ended choir with the low aisles behind. Next, at York the Norman transepts were rebuilt in Early English: the south transept, 1230-1241; followed by the north transept, 1241-1260. Also at Lichfield the Norman transepts were rebuilt in Early English, beginning with the south and ending with the north. The Early English work of this cathedral is shown by the licenses to dig stone to have been in progress in 1235 and 1238. York nave and Lichfield were next rebuilt in Early Decorated--the first in 1291-1324. Lastly, at Lichfield, the elongation of the eastern part was begun at the extreme east, beyond the existing choir by the Lady-chapel, in late Decorated under Bishop Langton, 1296-1321, and followed by taking down the choir, and continuing the same work on its site westward. The works at York followed in the same order, but forty or fifty years later, by first erecting the presbytery outside the existing choir, and then taking down the latter and continuing the work of the presbytery to form the new choir. The plans of the two cathedrals rival each other in the simplicity of their proportions.”--(W.)

Nothing definite is known of the early history of this Cathedral, as all records were destroyed during the Civil Wars. In all probability there was the same old story of a Saxon church in the Seventh Century succeeded by several other churches until the Norman Cathedral was built, probably like Peterborough, only smaller.

This, of course, fell a victim to the change of fashion, and was pulled down gradually as the new building--the one we know to-day--arose. The first thing that was done was the building of a new choir (Early English) from the central tower to the seventh bay of the present choir. Some of this was destroyed at a later period. The sacristy and adjoining room were also built. Then, about 1220, the south transept was begun, then the nave, north transept and west front, with the two towers.

Walter de Langton (1296-1321) began the Lady-Chapel; and while this was being built the Early English presbytery was pulled down and rebuilt in the Decorated style, to be uniform with the Lady-Chapel. The old clerestory of the choir was also rebuilt in the same style. Walter de Langton also built the Bishop’s Palace, which was destroyed in 1643, bridged the Cathedral Pool, and erected a splendid shrine to St. Chad, which cost £2,000. This stood behind the high altar in the eastern bay of the retro-choir, with an altar to this saint on its west.

St. Chad, or Ceadda (669-672), was the patron saint of Lichfield, who, when Bishop of Mercia, chose Lichfield as his seat and thus founded the diocese; and he built a small church near St. Chad’s Well. His service was short and he died in 672.

Miracles were immediately performed at his shrine in Stowe Church; but his remains were removed to the Cathedral. St. Chad’s Head was placed in a separate chapel (see page 213).

When Henry VIII. despoiled the shrine he found a great horde of treasures--jewels, golden and silver crosses, chalices, maces, and copes, and other vestments had accumulated in great number. In the Fourteenth Century a document mentions “the head of Blessed Chad, in a certain painted wooden case; also an arm of Blessed Chad; also bones of the said saint in a certain portable shrine.”

Lichfield suffered greatly during the Civil Wars. The Royalists hoisted the king’s flag on the central steeple and defied the Roundheads led by Lord Brooke. The Cathedral was besieged in March, 1643; and on the second day of that month, which happened to be St. Chad’s Day, Lord Brooke was killed by a shot fired by a son of Sir Richard Dyott, called “Dumb Dyott,” because he was deaf and dumb. This was regarded as a miracle. A contemporary letter notes:

“We have had the honour in these parts to bring my Lord Brooke to a quiet condition. That enemy of our Church (March 2) was slain in his quarrel against our Church, by the God of our Church, with a shot out of the Cathedral, by a bullet made of Church lead, through the mouth which reviled our Church; and (if this be worth your reading) this Cathedral was dedicated to the memory of an old Saxon holy man (called Ceadda, commonly Chad); the blow of death came from St. Chad’s Church upon St. Chad’s Day.”

The Cathedral remained in a ruinous condition for a year or more after the Restoration. Then Bishop Hackett (1661-1671) went to work to clear away the rubbish and make repairs. In eight years’ time the Cathedral was ready for a new dedication.

Perpendicular tracery was inserted in some of the windows in the Fifteenth Century, when the Cathedral was at the height of its beauty.

The present =West Front= is a restoration of the beautiful work of the Middle Ages.

In 1820 the west front was completely covered with cement which concealed all its beauty until 1877, when the authorities began to remove it. Only five of the original statues remained and it was decided to fill all the 113 niches. Tradition said the long row of figures over the doors represented the Saxon and English kings with St. Chad in the centre; but the others were unknown. They are now as follows:

“The two rows on the northern tower to the north of the great west window: higher row, St. Editha, David, St. Helena, Solomon, St. Gabriel, Zechariah, Nahum, Amos, Jeremiah; lower row, Dean Bickersteth, St. Mark, Queen Victoria, St. Luke, St. Uriel, Malachi, Habakkuk, Obadiah, Daniel (Jeremiah just above Daniel by the window).

“The two rows on the southern tower to the south of the great west window: higher row, Isaiah, Hosea, Jonah, Zephaniah, St. Michael, Bishop Hacket, Bishop Lonsdale, Bishop Selwyn; lower row, Ezekiel, Joel, Micah, Haggai, St. Raphael, Bishop Clinton, Bishop Patteshall, Bishop Langton.

“Next is the long row of kings with St. Chad in the centre, stretching right across the cathedral: William the Conqueror, William Rufus, Henry I., Stephen, Henry II., Richard I., John, Henry III., Edward I., Edward II., Edward III., Richard II., St. Chad, Penda, Wilphere, Ethelred, Offa, Egbert, Ethelwolf, Ethelbert, Ethelred, Alfred, Edgar, Canute, Edward the Confessor.

“Lowest row, broken three times by the doors: St. Cyprian, St. Bartholomew, St. Simon, St. James the Less, St. Thomas (northern door), St. Philip, St. Andrew (central door), St. Paul, St. Matthew (southern door), St. James the Greater, St. Jude, St. Stephen, St. Clement, St. Werburga.”

The Duke of York (James II.) gave the money for the tracery of the large =West Window= after the original had been destroyed during the Civil Wars. This was removed in 1869, for another more in sympathy with the style of the Fourteenth Century.

The =West Door= is one of the most beautiful in England, taking rank with the Prior’s Door of Lincoln Cathedral. The porch is recessed and the outer arch, cusped. Within, a central support rises to form two arches. The whole is richly carved. Above the central pillar is a bas-relief representing Christ in Glory, with angels by his side. On the central column stands a figure of the Virgin and Child, and on either side of the door beneath canopies are Mary Magdalene and St. John the Evangelist (north), and Mary, wife of Cleophas, and St. Peter (south).

What the original statues were is not known. Most of the ironwork on the doors is supposed to be original.

The two side doors are deeply recessed. The figures in the northern doorway are of princes and princesses who promoted Christianity in England; and in the southern, the chief missionaries. The gable and towers are also adorned with statues of Biblical fame.

The nave is ornamented and strengthened by buttresses and flying-buttresses. In the north transept we find a handsome =North Doorway=, a splendid specimen of Early English with traces of the Norman. It is deeply recessed and revealing a double arch carved with foliage. The mouldings are also carved. The outer one contains bas-reliefs showing the genealogy of Christ, beginning with Jesse and ending with the Virgin and Child. On the right side, opposite Jesse, is St. Chad baptizing the sons of King Wulphere, and above are the Apostles. The architrave is surmounted by a weather moulding in the form of a gable on the top of which is a cross. The pillars on each side of the doorway have finely carved capitals and dog-tooth ornamentation. The graceful centre pillar consists of four slender shafts with carved capitals. Next comes the octagonal Chapter-House; then the choir and presbytery; and then the Lady-Chapel, entirely restored and with new saints in the niches. On the south side of the Lady-Chapel are mortuary chapels.