Ely Cathedral Part 9

_9th._ The history of the Venerable Bede--by Mr. Wailes: his own gift.

_10th._ David anointed; David playing before Saul; David chosen king; and David reproved by Nathan--by Mr. Hardman: presented by the ladies of the (then) Dean and Canons.

_11th._ The Judgment of Solomon; the Building of the Temple; the Dedication of the Temple; and the Queen of Sheba's visit--designed and executed by the Rev. A. Moore, of Walpole St. Peter, Norfolk, at the cost of the Chapter.

We now turn our attention to the north aisle, and observe a range of arches similar to those in the south aisle, but with the line of chevron moulding in the eastern bay only; an intermission under one of the windows marks the place where probably was a doorway for communication with the church of St. Cross, but closed above two hundred years ago, when the Lady Chapel was given for the use of the parish of the Holy Trinity in lieu of that church which had become ruinous.

The windows in this aisle retain their altered form; and all have been recently filled with stained gla.s.s; in describing them we will commence at the western end, as the subjects are arranged chronologically.

_1st._ From the history of our first parents--Adam tilling the ground; Cain ploughing the earth, and Abel attending sheep; Adam and Eve discovering the body of Abel--by Mr.

Cottingham: presented by Mr. Bacon, Clerk of the Works to the Dean and Chapter, as a memorial of his father.

_2nd._ From the history of Lot--Angels visit Lot; Lot entertaining angels; the mult.i.tude struck with blindness; Sodom destroyed; Lot's departure; Lot entering Zoar--by Mr.

Preedy; as a memorial of the Rev. John Maddy, D.D., Canon of the Cathedral.

_3rd._ From the History of Abraham--the Death of Sarah: Abraham purchasing the cave of Machpelah; and the Burial of Abraham--by Mr. Preedy: designed as a memorial of Mr.

Freeman; given by his family.

_4th._ From the Book of Judges--Gideon and the Angel; Gideon's present consumed; the Midianites put to flight--by Mr. Ward: subscribed for by some of Her Majesty's Judges who were educated at the University of Cambridge.

_5th._ From the history of Samuel--Hannah praying; Samuel presented to Eli; Eli blesses Elkanah and Hannah; Samuel praying; Samuel called; Samuel telling his vision to Eli--by Messrs. Ward and Nixon: as a memorial of H.R. Evans, sen., Esq., for many years Chapter Clerk; given by his family.

_6th._ David and the Minstrels; executed by Mr. Oliphant, from designs by W.R. Dyce, Esq., R.A.: the gift of Mr.

Thomas Ingram, Professor of Music, formerly a Chorister and Pupil in the Cathedral.

_7th._ From the history of Elijah--Elijah feeds the prophets in a cave; Elijah praying for rain; Elijah visited by angels--by Mr. Wailes: presented by Colonel Allix, as a memorial of Dr. Peter Allix, a former Dean of Ely.

_8th._ From the history of Elijah--Elijah fed by ravens; Translation of Elijah; Elijah's burnt offering--by Mr.

Wailes: presented by J.J. Rawlinson, Esq., as a memorial of the Rev. G. Millers, Minor Canon, and author of a "Description of Ely Cathedral."

_9th._ From the history of Elisha--Elisha healing the Shunamite's son--by Mr. Wailes: presented by the Rev. S.

Smith and others, connections and legatees of the Rev. J.

Griffith, B.D., many years Minor Canon of the Cathedral.

_10th._ Events from the history of Hesekiah--by Mr. Wailes; presented as a memorial of Thomas Archer, Esq., of Ely, by his family.

_11th._ From the history of Jonah--the People of Ninevah mourning; Jonah preaching; Repentance of the Ninevites--by Mr. Edgland; presented by C. Steggall, Esq., Mus. Doc., designed as a memorial of his wife.

_12th._ From the history of Daniel--Daniel interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream; Daniel before king Darius; Daniel in the lion's den--by M. Lusson, of Paris: designed to commemorate the establishment of a Savings Bank in Ely, in 1839, being the contribution of certain subscribers, a.s.sisted by a special contribution from Canon J.H. Sparke.

A tablet on the wall, near the eastern window of this aisle, bears the following inscription:--

"1676, _Roger Clopton, Rector of Downham, Gave two hundred pounds, By which The greatest Part of the Nave of This Church Was paved._"

The Nave and aisles do not now require a gift of this kind, having been recently paved at considerable expense, but the floor of the Octagon, South Transept, and Choir aisles will require a large sum to complete them, and if some kind friends will follow the example of Roger Clopton it will indeed be a timely benefaction, and now very much to be desired as an important step towards the completion of the work of restoration.

Before examining the Octagon we will make some observations on

+The Great Transept.+

This includes both arms, although for distinction it is frequently spoken of as the north and south Transept. This is the oldest portion of the Cathedral, having been begun by Abbot Simeon A.D. 1083, of whose work, however, but little more than the ground story remains.

Before the fall of the Norman Tower in 1322, each arm was longer by one bay, which is now included in the plan of the Octagon, in the same manner as the Nave. Both arms have aisles, but those of the south, and one in the north, are enclosed for various purposes. In each arm there is a simple cylindrical shaft, of which no other specimen occurs in any other part of the church. The capitals of the columns and the arches above the lower tier are similar to those of the Nave. The roof in both is of bare rafters with rich cornices, painted with flowers and devices, and angels with wings expanded under the princ.i.p.als; both arms have recently undergone a thorough repair, the rafters and cornices have been re-painted and gilded in their original style, which, with the stained gla.s.s lately inserted in the windows, produces an amount of colour the effect of which is very striking.

We will first refer for details to the north arm; of which the western aisle is open, and is lighted by three Norman windows, all of which have been recently filled with stained gla.s.s:

The south window--executed by M. Lusson, of Paris; the subjects taken from the Parables; as a memorial of the Rev.

A. Moore, of Walpole, who designed and executed three windows in the Cathedral.

The middle window, by the same artist; subject, the Good Samaritan: given by John Muriel, Esq.

The northern window was executed by the Rev. A. Moore; the subject taken from the parable of the Prodigal Son.

At the north end of the Transept is a small colonnade, the arches of which are irregular, those opposite the lower windows being higher than the others to allow free pa.s.sage to the light. At the north-east corner is a doorway communicating with a staircase leading to the upper parts of the church. In the year 1699 the fall of a portion of the north-west corner took place, but it was so well rebuilt as not to be discernable in the interior. The windows in the triforium on the east side are original; those of the triforium on the west side, and the upper ones at the north end, are Perpendicular insertions; the rest are all in their original form, or have been restored to it; those in the north end have been filled with stained gla.s.s:

The two lower, and the western window of the second tier, by Mr. Wailes, at the cost of the late Canon E.B. Sparke.

The eastern window of the second tier, by the Rev. A. Moore.

The subjects of these four windows are incidents in the history of St. Paul.

The windows in the upper tier--by Messrs. Ward and Hughes--also at the cost of the late Canon E.B. Sparke, contain figures of eminent persons in New Testament history, with arms, &c. in the tracery. Those in the western window represent Silas; Clement, bishop; Apollos; Judas Barsabas; Dionysius, areopagite; and Philip, deacon: in the eastern window, t.i.tus, bishop; St. Paul; Timothy; St. Mark; St.

Barnabas; and St. Luke.

The eastern aisle is divided by walls behind the columns into compartments; the northern one forms a communication with the entrance to the Lady Chapel; the middle one a vestry for the Grammar Scholars; and the third a vestry for the Lay-Clerks; remains of fresco paintings may be seen on the walls of both these compartments.

The stained gla.s.s window in the middle compartment contains subjects from the history of our Saviour; executed by Messrs. Clayton and Bell: presented by--Heywood, Esq., as a memorial to his mother.

The window in the third compartment, by the same artists, represents the Entombment and the Ascension, and is the gift of C.L. Higgins, Esq., of Turvey Abbey.

The floor of this portion has been recently re-laid by the munificence of the late Canon E.B. Sparke.

We now cross the Octagon (which we will examine afterwards) to the south arm of the Transept. At the south end is a colonnade, but differing in design to that in the north arm, the arches being all of equal height, but not so high as the others; over these is a row of intersecting arches. It is probable that these galleries were added at a period subsequent to the erection of the Transept, and intended as a means of communication from one triforium to the other; in the south east corner is a staircase leading to the triforium. Some remains of ancient decoration may be observed on the walls and capitals, portions of which have been renewed.

The eastern aisle was formerly divided by a wall behind each column into three compartments, with wooden screens in front; but these were all removed in 1814, when it was enclosed as we now see it to form the Library, which is lighted on the east by three Early English windows, and on the south by a Norman one. The western aisle appears to have been closed for many years, as on the walls built in the arches (and which until lately completely filled the openings,) there is an arcade of intersecting Norman arches. Of this aisle, thus inclosed, one portion is used as a vestry by the Vergers, having an entrance from the south aisle of the Nave; the remaining portion as a vestry for the Clergy. The carved oak door to this vestry deserves attention; it is not exactly known whether it originally belonged to the Cathedral, the carved devices are similar to those in the chapel of Bishop Alc.o.c.k, in the north aisle of the Choir; there is no doubt that it belonged to some building erected by that prelate, if not to this, probably to the chapel of Jesus College, Cambridge, of which Bishop Alc.o.c.k was the founder. It was found at Landbeach, and sent to the Cathedral by Canon Fardell.

The windows of the western aisle and those of the clerestory on both sides are in their original form, and so are those of the two lower tiers at the south end, but the others are of later age; in the gable is a low window of seven lights, very different to the upper windows in the north arm: those in the south end and two in the western aisle have been filled with stained gla.s.s:

The eastern window of the lower tier of the south end, by M.

Henri Gerente, contains incidents in the history of Joseph; presented by the late Canon E.B. Sparke.

The western window by the same artist, contains incidents from the history of Moses: contributed by some of the then Lessees under the Bishop.

The eastern window of the second tier, by Messrs. Henri and Alfred Gerente, contains subjects from the history of Abraham, with parallels: the gift of Inc.u.mbents of livings in the diocese, and in the patronage of the Bishop.

The western window, by M. Alfred Gerente, contains subjects from the history of Jacob; the gift of Inc.u.mbents of livings formerly in the patronage of the Bishop, but not in his diocese.

The gable window contains six figures of the Patriarchs, with a figure of our Lord in the centre; some of which were executed by Mr. Howes and others by Mr. Preedy: the gift of some of the Peers and Prelates educated at the University of Cambridge.

The middle window of the western aisle, by M. Lusson; the subjects taken from the Book of Jeremiah: given by the Rev.

G. Rous, Laverton, as a memorial of Dr. Hugh Thomas, nineteenth Dean of Ely.