Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Carlisle Part 7

[5] Jefferson, "History of Carlisle," p. 180.

About halfway up the aisle Archdeacon Paley lies buried between his two wives, Jane (d. 1791), and Catherine (d. 1819). On a bra.s.s plate in the centre of the stone is the following inscription:--

Here lie interred the remains of WILLIAM PALEY, D.D.

who died May 25th 1805 Aged 62 years.

Archdeacon Paley wrote both of his well-known works, "Horae Paulinae"

and "Evidences of Christianity," at Carlisle.

#Legendary Paintings.#--Between the bays east and west of the Salkeld screen there is a broad stone plinth panelled in front. The stalls stand on the plinth west of the screen, and the backs are painted with scenes from the monkish legends of St. Anthony the Hermit, St. Cuthbert, and, in the south choir aisle, St. Augustine. A rhymed couplet explains each picture; and the paintings, though rudely executed, give good examples of late fifteenth-century dress and ornament. Prior Gondibour caused the work to be done, and as Richard Bell was bishop at the time he may have suggested ill.u.s.trating the life of St. Cuthbert, who was really the first bishop of Carlisle, and whose body was enshrined at Durham, where Bell had been prior before his elevation to the bishopric.

The following is a detailed account of the _Legendary Paintings_, with short note of the princ.i.p.al persons therein represented:--

St. Cuthbert was born in the Lothians; at eight years he was living under the care of a widow in the village of Wrangholm.

In 651 while keeping watch over his master's flocks near the Lauder, which flows into the Tweed, he had a vision of the soul of Bishop Aidan being carried up to heaven by angels. A few days after, he heard of the death of the good bishop, and straightway journeyed to the monastery of Melrose. Here he was accepted, and in a short time received the tonsure.

The Northumbrian peasants at this time were, mostly, only Christians in name. Cuthbert wandered among them, choosing the most out-of-the-way villages, where other teachers would not go. "He needed no interpreter as he pa.s.sed from village to village; the frugal long-headed Northumbrians listened willingly to one who was himself a peasant of the Lowlands and who had caught the rough Northumbrian burr. His patience, his humorous good sense, the sweetness of his look, told for him, and not less the vigorous frame which fitted the peasant-preacher for the hard life he had chosen.

"Never did man die of hunger who served G.o.d faithfully," he would say, when nightfall found them supperless in the waste. "Look at the eagle overhead! G.o.d can feed us through him if he will"--and once at least he owed his meal to a fish that the scared bird let fall.

In 664 he was made prior of Lindisfarne. "Gentle with others, he was severe with himself, and was unsparing in his acts of mortification and devotion."

In 676 he retired, first to a cave near Howburn, and later to Fame Island, where he remained in strict seclusion for nine years.

He was elected bishop of Hexham in 684, and with much difficulty was persuaded to undertake the duties. He soon exchanged Hexham for Lindisfarne.

As bishop, Cuthbert was diligent in preaching, protected the poor from their oppressors, lived on very little, and fed and clothed the poor.

Towards the end of 686 he gave up his bishopric and returned to his beloved Fame Island, where he died in March 687.

ST. CUTHBERT

1. Her Cuthbert was forbid layks and plays As S. Bede i' hys story says.

2. Her the angel did hym eale And made hys grievous sore to hele.

3. Her saw he Aydan's sawl up go to hevyn bliss w^{th} angels two.

4. Her to hym and hys palfray G.o.d send hem fude in hys jornay.

5. Her on Melross for to converse W^{th} h[~y] Bosle and laws reherse.

6. The angel he did as gest refreshe With met and drynk and hys fete weshe

7. Her Basel told hy yt he must de And after yt bysshop should be

8. Her to hys breder and pepyl eke He preched G.o.dys word myld and mek

9. Her stude he naked in y^e see till all David psalms sayd had he.

10. He was gydyd by ye egle fre And fed w^{th} ye delfyne as ye see

11. Fresh water G.o.d sent owt of ye ston to hym in Farn and befor was noon

12. Consecrate byshop yai made h[~y] her off Lyndisfarne both far and nere.

13. Her by prayers fendys out Farne glad and w^{th} angel h[~a]ds hys hous made

14. To thys child G.o.d grace (here gave) he Thro hys prayers as ye may se.

15. Byshop two yerys when he had beyn In Farne he died both holy and clene

16. The crowys yt did his hous unthek This for full low fell at hys fete

17. xi yere after yt beryd was he Yai fan hym hole as red may ye.

St. Anthony, one of the primitive hermits, and the founder of monasticism, was born at Coma, in Upper Egypt, in A.D. 251. Before he was twenty years old he lost his parents, and inherited great riches from them, but within a year he sold all that he had and gave the money to the poor. He then retired into solitude near Coma, pa.s.sing his time in manual labour, prayer, and study. Later, he went farther into the wilderness, and lived in a cave. Satan is said to have tempted him by sending spirits to him, disguised as beautiful women. Finding this ineffectual, it is related that the Evil One made a violent attack on him, and beat him so severely that he left him for dead. At the age of ninety he heard of another hermit (St. Paul the Hermit), and made a journey to visit him. St. Paul died soon after this meeting, and St.

Anthony, aided by two lions, buried him. In his 105th year he told some of his disciples that he was going to die; then, accompanied by a few monks, he retired deeper into the wilderness, where he died, having first obtained a promise that they would keep the place of his burial secret.

(In the time of Innocent IV. all hermits who lived under no recognised discipline were incorporated and reduced under the rule of St.

Augustine.)

THE LEGEND OF ST. ANTHONY

1. Of Anton story who lyste to here In Egypt was he bornt as doyth aper.

2. Her is he babtyd, Anton they hym call Gret landes and renttes to hym doeth fawl.

3. As scoler to the kyrk here is he gayn To here the sermontt and aftyr itt he's tayn.

4. Here geyffith he to the kyrk boith land and rent To leve in povert is hys intent.

5. Here in Agello to oon oulde man he wentt To lerne perfeccion is hys intent.

6. Here makyth he breder as men of relig', And techyth them vertu to leve in perfecco.

7. Here to the wyldernes as armet geon he And thus temptyth hym covytice with oon gold dys.h.i.+e.

8. The sprytt of fornycacon to h[~y] her doth apper And thus he chast.i.th his body with thorne and brer.

9. The devill thus hat h[~y] wounded w_t lance and staf And levyth h[~y] for deyd lyying at his cayf

10. Here Crist haith hym helyd the devill he doth away And comfortyd his confessor deyd as he lay

11. Here comands he y^{is} bests and ffast away th_a flie Y^e bor h[~y] obbays and w^{th} h[~y] bydeds he.