Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Winchester: A Description of Its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal SeeSergeant, Philip Walsingham
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Winchester: A Description of Its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal See
Sergeant, Philip Walsingham
Winchester Cathedral
The #Lady Chapel#, due in part to De Lucy and in part to Priors Hunton
and Silkstede, is of rectangular shape, the easternmost portions being
added about 1524. It should be noticed that in De Lucy's work the
central aisle is but little higher than the laterals, which still have
their eastern walls, whereas the actual material of the Lady Chapel east
wall was erected by Hunton. The north and south walls exhibit De Lucy's
Early English arcades and lancets, while they become Perpendicular at
the eastern end, and the east window is of the same period. This large
seven-light window shows "transom and tracery of a peculiar kind of
subordination, or rather inter-penetration of patterns, well worth a
careful study" (Willis). The stone work of the interior is quite plain,
but a large portion of the wall space is concealed by some richly-carved
wooden panelling added by Bishop Fox. Seats, desks, and screen are also
of fine workmanship. Where the walls are not hidden by wood-work are the
very faint remains of some curious old mural paintings of the miracles
of the Virgin, executed under the direction of Prior Silkstede in 1489.
These frescoes are decidedly archaic, but they are extremely
interesting. Starting from the south side the nineteen pictures
represent:--
1. Miracle of an image of the Virgin bending its finger to prevent a
young man taking off a ring which he had placed on the image that it
might not be lost or injured while he played at ball. By this the young
man was won to monastic life.
2. Protection and honour conferred by the Virgin on an ignorant priest,
who knew and could sing only one mass, which was in honour of her.
3. Prior Silkstede kneeling before Virgin, saying: "_Benedicta tu in
mulieribus_." Beneath is the following:--"Prior Silkstede also caused
these polished stones, O Mary, to be ornamented at his expense."
4. Jewish boy, after receiving the Eucharist, thrown into a furnace by
his father, but delivered from the flames by the Virgin.
5. Famous portrait of the Virgin, carried in procession by Pope Gregory
to allay a fearful pestilence. During the procession the destroying
angel is seen sheathing his sword.
6. A widow receives back her son who had been kidnapped, and thereupon
restores the silver image of the child Jesus, which she had taken from
the image of the Virgin on losing her son.
7. Virgin assisting woman taken ill on pilgrimage.
8. Virgin enables boys, with ease, to raise that which strong men could
not.
9. Nun brought to life to confess a sin not confessed before death.
10. Virgin saves a monk from drowning, and from two evil spirits, with
instruments of torture, one who had lived an immoral life.
11. Two Brabancons seized by devils and killed for throwing stones at an
image of the Virgin.
12. Deliverance at sea effected by the Virgin.
13. Mass of the Virgin celebrated by Christ himself, with saints and
angels, on an occasion when the priest was unable to do so.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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