A slab of black marble, inlaid with a foliated cross, the arms of the
sees of Chester and Ely, and surrounded by an inscription in brass,
has been laid over the grave of Bishop Sparke, and the gravestones of
Bishops West and Keene have been replaced, and the remainder of the
floor laid with encaustic tiles.
Some fragments of stained glass may be seen in a window on the south
side, under which stand the remains of Bishop West's monument. Just
above this, in seven small arches, closed with as many stones
inscribed with names and dates, are immured the remains of seven
eminent persons[47] of the tenth and eleventh centuries, who were
originally interred in the Conventual church, but from which they were
removed in 1154, and the small chests which contained their remains,
were placed in the north wall of the Choir of the present Cathedral;
and when the position of the Choir was altered in 1770 they were again
removed, and deposited in their present resting places.
[Footnote 47: Wolstan, Archbishop of York; Osmund, a Swedish bishop;
Ednoth, Bishop of Dorchester (Lincoln); Alfwyn, Elfgar, and Athelstan,
severally Bishops of Elmham; and Brithnoth, Duke of Northumberland. An
interesting account of the removal of these remains may be found in
the Addenda to Bentham's History, vol. ii. p. 23, &c.]
The perspective view westward through the south aisles of the Choir
and the Nave is worthy of notice for the various intersections of the
arches and groinings, as seen from a narrow window in the west side of
the chapel, or from the door.
The architecture of the south aisle is similar to the north aisle, and
the windows were probably altered to their present form about the same
period as those in the north aisle. Five of them (as on the other
side) have been filled with stained glass:
The first window from the chapel, executed by Messrs.
Clayton and Bell, contains subjects taken from the Parables;
designed as a memorial of Astley Sparke, Esq., (son of the
Rev. Chancellor Sparke,) who was killed in the celebrated
cavalry charge at Balaclava in 1854.
The second window was executed by Mr. Cottingham, and
contains subjects from the history of Lazarus; the joint
gift of Lady Buxton and of her son, Sir Robert Buxton,
Bart., of Shadwell Park, Norfolk.
The third window contains incidents in the history of the
Saviour, and of St. John; executed by Messrs. Clayton and
Bell: the gift of Mrs. Pratt, youngest daughter of Bishop
Sparke.
The fourth window, by the same artists, contains subjects
illustrative of the history of St. Peter; the gift of the
same lady, as a memorial of her husband, Colonel Pratt.
The fifth window, by the same artists, contains subjects
illustrative of the history of our Lord: given by the same
lady.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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