Historical Description of Westminster Abbey, Its Monuments and CuriositiesAnonymous
History
Historical Description of Westminster Abbey, Its Monuments and Curiosities
Anonymous
Westminster Abbey
One of the windows in the north aisle of the nave of Westminster Abbey has
recently been filled with stained glass in memory of the late Mr. BRUNEL.
Along the bottom of the window (which consists of two lights, each 23 feet
6 inches high, and 4 feet wide, surmounted by a quatrefoil opening, 6 feet
6 inches across) is the inscription, "In memory of Isambard Kingdom
Brunel, Civil Engineer. Born April 9, 1806. Died September 15, 1859." Over
this are four allegorical figures (two in each light): Fortitude, Justice,
Faith, and Charity. The upper part of the window consists of six panels,
divided by a pattern-work of lilies and pomegranates. The panels contain
subjects from the history of the Temple. The three subjects in the western
light represent scenes from the Old Testament: viz., the Dedication of the
Temple by Solomon, the Finding of the Book of the Law by Hilkiah, and the
Laying the Foundations of the Second Temple. The subjects in the eastern
light are from the New Testament: viz., Simeon Blessing the Infant
Saviour, Christ Disputing with the Doctors, and the Disciples pointing out
to Christ the Buildings of the Temple. In the heads of the lights are
angels kneeling, and in the quatrefoil is a representation of Our Lord in
Glory, surrounded by angels. The work was placed in the hands of Mr. R.
Norman Shaw, of the firm of Nesfield & Shaw, Architects, who prepared the
general design, arranged the scale of the various figures, and designed
the ornamental pattern work. The figure subjects were drawn by Mr. Henry
Holyday, and the whole design was executed in glass by Messrs. Heaton,
Butler, & Bayne, of Garrick Street, Covent Garden.
"To the memory of WILLIAM LEVINZ, Esq., grandson of Sir Cresswell Levinz,
Knt., who was Attorney-General in the reign of Charles II., and afterwards
one of the Justices of Common Pleas, from which station he was displaced
in the reign of James II. for opposing the dispensing power, and was one
of the counsel for the seven Bishops. William Levinz, the son of Sir
Cresswell, represented the county of Nottingham in Parliament, as did his
son, William Levinz, till the year 1747, when he was appointed a
Commissioner of his Majesty's Customs, and in 1763, Receiver-General of
the said revenue, in which office he died, the 17th of August, 1765, aged
fifty-two years."--_R. Hayward, sculptor._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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