Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Gloucester Part 6

When the present reredos was erected "the foundations of Abbot Horton's reredos were discovered, and an accurate plan was taken of the remains (_vide_ ill.u.s.tration, p. 51). Provision had evidently been made by him for keeping relics or treasures here, and, in his time, the back screen, as we now see it, and the reredos, were united together at the top, and covered with heavy stone slabs, so as to make a perfectly secure feretory. Great care was taken during the progress of the present new work to preserve these remains, which can be still seen exactly as they were when first discovered. The foundations of the Norman piers removed by Horton were at the same time temporarily exposed to view."

(F. S. W.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE CHOIR IN 1806, FROM A DRAWING BY WILD.]

The original "#High Altar# occupied the same site as the present one, and had behind its reredos a narrow s.p.a.ce containing cupboards for the princ.i.p.al jewels, and, beneath the altar, two large recesses for the keeping of relics." (W. H. St. J. Hope.)

The #Stalls# (sixty in number), with all their graceful carving, and the misereres, with their grotesque ornamentation underneath, have in part had to be restored, while the sub-stalls are new, dating from Sir Gilbert Scott's restoration, which was finished in 1873.

An engraving (reproduced from Wild) will show what the choir was like formerly. The woodwork here shown has been utilised in making stalls and seats in the east end of the nave for the services that are held there on Sundays during a portion of the year.

In the #Presbytery#, or s.p.a.ce between the reredos and the choir, there are some very splendid old tiles; many of them fragments only, but enough to indicate the original beauty of the pavement. From the evidence of the tiles themselves, they were laid down by Thomas Seabroke, R. Brygg (Brydges), J. Applebi, W. Farlei, Joh. Graft(on?).

Others dating back to the thirteenth century are also to be found--_e.g._ those to Richard the King of the Romans, who died in 1271.

Many tiles were transferred here from other parts of the cathedral early in the century by Mr Lysons, and this accounts for the presence of tiles of William Malvern, the last Abbot, and some others. The arms of the Brydges family: _Arg. on a cross sable, a leopard's face, or, differenced by a fir-cone gules_, should be noticed, as they seem clearly the same as those on the armour of the unknown knight in the South Transept.

Beautiful tiles, bearing the arms of Edward the Confessor and the Abbey, and many a crowned M. (for Maria) will be found. These latter will be seen in plenty in Great Malvern Priory, where they have been rescued from the pavement, and inserted in the outside wall of the back of the reredos.

One more tile should be noticed near the sedilia. The words impressed in its surface are "_Croys Crist me spe de +_," followed by _A ME_ or _A MARIA_.

These tiles had a narrow escape in the last century, about the time when the nave was paved, when an offer was made to pave the presbytery with marble.

As part of the restoration programme, the re-paving of the choir was undertaken. New tiles, ostensibly copied from the old ones, but of a different size, with an excessive glaze, and very stiff in design and execution have been put down. It is hard to judge what the effect of the tiles would have been, as it has been quite killed by the white marble which has been mixed with them. The glaring white marble in the floor of the presbytery has been inlaid with biblical scenes filled in with black cement. It is possible from the triforium to get a general idea of the crudity and tastelessness of the pavement, which is so composed and arranged that time--the softener of all things--can never make it look appreciably better.

On the south side of the high altar are four #Sedilia#. These have been very much restored, and the niches and canopies filled with figures, by Redfern, representing Abbot Edric, Bishop Wulstan, also Abbots Aldred, Serlo, Foliot, Thokey, Wygmore, Horton, Froucester, Morwent, Seabroke, and Hanley. The general effect is good, but marred by the hideous gas standards.

Over the canopies are three angels playing on a tambour and trumpets.

The rod and entwined ribbon with T. O. are supposed to refer to Thomas...o...b..rne, Sheriff of Gloucester 1512-1522, and Mayor in 1526.

#Monuments in the Choir.#--On the north side of the presbytery, near the steps to the high altar, is a monument--long supposed to be a cenotaph--to King Osric. The tomb was opened to satisfy inquisitive desecrators some few years ago, and it was conclusively proved that someone had been buried inside.

On the wall is the inscription: _Osricus Rex (primus fundator) hui_ (_Monasterii_ 681). From Leland, to whom is due the part of the inscription in brackets, we learn that "Osric, Founder of Gloucester Abbey, first laye in St. Petronell's Chappell, thence removed with our Lady Chappell, and thence removed of late dayes, and layd under a fayre tombe of stone on the north syde of the high aulter. At the foote of the tombe is thus written in a wall"--_ut supra_.

This "fayre tombe" was erected in "late dayes" _i.e._ in the time of Abbot Parker, whose arms are in the spandrels of the canopy, dated (1514 to 1539), and Leland must have seen the tomb in all the freshness of its beauty.

The Norman piers, which are cut away to receive the tomb, are decorated as to their capitals with the device of Richard II. _i.e._ the white hart chained and gorged, with a ducal coronet. Formerly these devices were painted on the stone, but in 1737 they were blazoned on thin metal by the Heraldic College, and put in position. From the occurrence of the device in this place it was formerly held that the body of Edward II.

was drawn by stages from Berkeley Castle to the abbey.

The other coats-of-arms are those of the abbey (they are blazoned as they should be now--azure, a sword in pale, hilted, pommelled, and crowned, or, surmounted by two keys in saltire of the last), and of Osric as King of Northumbria. Osric is represented as crowned and sceptred (clad in tunic, laced mantle, and a fur hood or collar) bearing the model of a church in his left hand.

The next tomb westwards is, as Leland says, that of "King Edward of Caernarvon (who) lyeth under a fayre tombe, in an arch at the head of King Osric tombe."

The #Tomb of Edward II.# was erected by Edward III., and though it awakens our recollection of a feeble-minded king, and his barbarously brutal murder, it also compels our admiration at the beauty of the work.

It has been restored, renovated or re-edified, but in spite of that, appeals to us from the wealth of very highly ornate tabernacle work, the richness, and at the same time the lightness and elegance of the whole.

The details too are well worth careful examination. It may be, judging from the expression of the face, that there has been some attempt at portraiture, but repair and restoration have practically made it impossible to settle what would otherwise be an interesting question.

The superb canopy has suffered much at the hands of restorers--_e.g._ in 1737, 1789, 1798, and in 1876.

The alabaster figure is possibly the earliest of its kind in England.

The tomb was opened in October 1855 by Dr Jeune, Canon in residence, to satisfy the curious who doubted whether the king had been buried under his tomb. Close by is the chantry tomb of William Malverne (or Parker), Abbot of the Abbey from 1515 up to the time of the Dissolution. It was erected in his lifetime, but he is buried elsewhere.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE TOMB OF EDWARD II.]

On the stone screen the carving of the vine and the grapes will be found worthy of notice. The alabaster figure has been terribly defaced, but the chasuble and the mitre can be seen, and the broken staff. Around the base of the tomb are panels. Both sides are alike, containing the Abbot's own arms, and the emblems of the Crucifixion. At the foot is a cross composed of a tree with its branches growing into the shape of a cross. There is a very good tile on the floor with the arms of the Abbey, and some specimens of tiles, with a very fine greenish glaze upon them. Some of the large 7 in. tiles with the stag--the Abbot's own arms--are particularly good.

On the south side of the choir the bracket tomb or monument, so called from the effigy being placed on a corbel or projecting bracket, should be noted. It is said by some to be Aldred's, by others to be Serlo's monument. The date of the monument is later than either in point of time. The mutilated effigy bears a model of a church in his left hand, and this points to its being the monument to a founder. It is more, than probable that it is to the memory of Abbot Henry Foliot, in whose time (1228-1243) the church was re-dedicated.

The monument, which is Perpendicular and Early English, has been much battered, but it is exceedingly graceful and of an unusual type.

Leland, who visited the Abbey in 1539 or 1540, wrote as follows:--"Serlo, Abbot of Gloucester, lyeth under a fayre marble tombe, on the south side of the Presbytery."

#Gla.s.s in the Choir.#--Mention has been made above of the east window, and it remains to notice the others.

In the clerestory on the north side the windows have been restored by Clayton & Bell. They are best seen from the triforium, but are given here as being part of the choir. Following the example of the lights in the east window, these clerestory windows have alternately red and blue backgrounds. Portions of old gla.s.s remain in the heads of the windows.

Beginning with the windows west to east the _first_ contains:

(1) St. Zacharias. (2) St. Elizabeth. (3) St. John Baptist.

(4) St. Gabriel.

The _second_ contains:

(1) St. Anna. (2) St. Mary. (3) St. Joseph. (4) St. Gabriel.

The _third_ contains:

(1) St. Peter. (2) St. John. (3) St. James (Major). (This light is out of its place.) (4) St. Andrew.

The _fourth_ contains:

(1) St. Philip. (2) St. Bartholomew. (3) St. Simon. (4) St. Jude.

The clerestory windows on the south side are filled with stamped quarries with central medallions and coloured borders, made after the model of remains of ancient painted gla.s.s.

The choir also contains a peculiarity in its six-light west window. This was rendered necessary by the difference in height of the nave as compared with that of the choir. The choir vaulting is about twenty feet higher than that of the nave. The gla.s.s at present in the window consists chiefly of patch-work, arranged by Hardman from pieces collected and saved at different times from other windows in the cathedral. It represents a figure of our Lord, with angels on either side. Below are angels playing on musical instruments.

It is customary to credit the Reformation or the Civil War with most church desecration and destruction, but this window was ruthlessly destroyed by an order of the Chapter in 1679, nearly thirty years after the Civil War was ended, and nearly 140 years after the dissolution of the monastery. The order ran as follows: "That a certain scandalous picture of y'e Holy Trinity being in y'e west window of y'e Quire of y'e said church, should be removed, and other gla.s.s put into y'e place." The gla.s.s of the window was actually broken up by one of the prebendaries (Fowler by name) with his own hands and feet. His action, considering his views, was incomprehensible; but he was made Bishop of the diocese, after Bishop Frampton was deprived of his see. Beneath the west window is an inscription (restored) in the panelling of the stone work:

Hoc quod digestum specularis opusque politum Tullii haec Ex onere Seabroke abbate jubente.

These two Latin verses record that "this work (viz. the tower) which you see built and adorned, was done by the labour of Tully, at the command of Abbot Seabroke."

Robert Tully was a monk of Gloucester, and was Bishop of St. David's, where he died in 1482. There is a bra.s.sless slab to his memory there, but the best monument is the tower that was built by him here in Gloucester.

After pa.s.sing through the iron gate into the last bay of the south aisle, the tomb of Abbot Seabrook or Seabroke will be seen on the left, inside a stone screen, through which formerly was a doorway giving access to the organ loft. The alabaster effigy represents the Abbot in his alb, stole, tunic, dalmatic, chasuble, amice, and mitre, with his pastoral staff on his right side. The chapel has been partially restored. Traces of colour are to be seen in the reredos and the roof over it.

Abbot Seabroke's pastoral staff was discovered in 1741 in his coffin while the tomb was being removed. After changing hands many times it was acquired finally by the Antiquarian Society of Newcastle-on-Tyne.

In the west end of the Seabroke Chapel, against the first pier of the nave, is a mural monument, rather florid in style, to Francis Baber, 1669.