England, Picturesque and Descriptive: A Reminiscence of Foreign TravelCook, Joel
History
England, Picturesque and Descriptive: A Reminiscence of Foreign Travel
Cook, Joel
England -- Description and travel
Entering the nave from the westward, this grand apartment is found to
extend two hundred and fifty feet, and to the intersection of the
transepts comprises fourteen bays, three of them being included in the
choir. The triforium is almost as lofty as the nave-arches, and the
solidity of these, surmounted by the grandeur of the upper arcade, gives
a magnificent aspect to the nave. Above is the fine vaulted roof, the
elaborately carved bosses giving a series of scenes from sacred history
extending from the Creation to the Last Judgment. Small chapels were
originally erected against the organ-screen, one of them being dedicated
to the young St. William, a Norfolk saint who in the twelfth century was
tortured and crucified by some Jews. His body, clandestinely buried in a
wood, was found, miracles were wrought, and it was translated to the
cathedral. The Jews of Norwich were then attacked and plundered, and
these outrages were renewed a century later. But times have fortunately
changed since then. The choir extends to the eastern apse, and at the
back of the altar recent alterations have exposed an interesting relic
in a fragment of the original bishop's throne, an elevated chair of
stone placed in the middle of the apse and looking westward. On either
side are apsidal chapels. Among the monuments is that to Sir William
Boleyn, grandfather to the unfortunate Anne Boleyn. He lived at
Blickling, about thirteen miles from Norwich, where Anne is believed to
have been born. Several bishops also lie in the cathedral, and among the
later tombs is that of Dr. Moore, who died in 1779, and whose periwigged
head is in grotesque juxtaposition with a cherub making an ugly face
and appearing to be drying his eyes with his shirt. The spire of Norwich
Cathedral rises two hundred and eighty-seven feet.
[Illustration: NORWICH MARKET-PLACE.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account