Historic Oddities and Strange EventsBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
Historic Oddities and Strange Events
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History; Mysticism; Patarines
The cathedral stands on a hill called the Mount of Lilies, but the mount
is of so slight an elevation that it does not protect the cathedral from
overflow, and a spring tide with N.W. wind has been known to flood both
town and minster and leave fishes on the sacred floor. The church is
built of granite, brick and sandstone; originally the contrast may have
been striking, but weather has smudged the colours together into an ugly
brown-grey. The tower is lofty, narrow, and wanting a spire. It
resembles a square ruler set up on end; it is too tall for its base. The
church is stately, of early architecture with transepts, and the choir
at their intersection with the nave, domed over, and a small
semi-circular apse beyond, for the altar. The nave was crowded, the
canons occupied the stalls in their purple tippets edged with crimson;
purple, because the chapter of a cathedral; crimson edged, because the
founder of the See was a martyr. Fifteen, and the Dean, sixteen in all,
were in their places. On the altar steps, in the apse, in the centre,
sat Peter Nielsen in his old, worn cassock, without surplice. On the
left side of the altar stood the richly-sculptured Episcopal throne, and
on the seat was placed the jewelled mitre, over the arm the cloth of
gold cope was cast, and against the back leaned the pastoral crook of
silver gilt, encrusted with precious stones.
When the last note of the bell sounded, the Dean rose from his stall,
and stepping up to the apse, made oath before heaven, the whole
congregation and Peter Nielsen, that he was prepared to abide by the
decision of this said Peter, son of Nicolas, parish priest of Roager.
Amen. He was followed by the Archdeacon, then by each of the canons to
the last.
Then mass was said, during which the man in whose hands the fortunes of
the See reposed, knelt with unimpassioned countenance and folded hands.
At the conclusion he resumed his seat, the crucifix was brought forth
and he kissed it.
A moment of anxious silence. The moment for the decision had arrived. He
remained for a short while seated, with his eyes fixed on the ground,
then he turned them on the anxious face of the Dean, and after having
allowed them to rest scrutinisingly there for a minute, he looked at
Hartwig Juel, then at Olaf Petersen, who was deadly white, and whose
frame shook like an aspen leaf. Then he looked long at Jep Mundelstrup
and rose suddenly to his feet.
The fall of a pin might have been heard in the cathedral at that moment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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