The Cathedrals of Great Britain: Their History and ArchitectureDitchfield, P. H. (Peter Hampson)
History
The Cathedrals of Great Britain: Their History and Architecture
Ditchfield, P. H. (Peter Hampson)
Cathedrals -- Great Britain; Church architecture -- Great Britain
The _South-East Transept_ is similar to its opposite. It has monuments
of Bishop Charlton (1369); Bishop Coke (1646); Bishop Ironside, who
died in London, 1701, and was buried in a city church, which was
destroyed in 1863, and the body brought here. This was the bishop who,
as Vice-Chancellor of Oxford, resisted the action of James II. in
regard to the expulsion of the Fellows of Magdalen College.
In the _South Choir Aisle_ are four Perpendicular tombs under
Decorated arched recesses, supposed to represent Bishop William de
Vere (1199); Bishop Hugh Foliot (d. 1234); Bishop Robert de Betun
(1148); and Bishop Robert de Melun (1167). There is a brass of Dean
Frowsetown (1529), an effigy of Bishop Mayew (1516), who conducted
Catherine of Arragon to England from Spain; and an effigy
of Bishop de Losinga (1096), erected in Perpendicular period. The
vestries are of Norman construction; the vaulting is the only example
of Norman vaulting in the Cathedral. Here in this south choir aisle is
preserved the famous _Map of the World_, as known in 1300. It was
designed by Richard de Haldingham, Prebendary of Hereford. This was
generally supposed to be the most ancient of its size in the world;
but another map has been discovered at Ebstorp, near Hanover, which is
larger, more highly coloured, and about the same age. The library of
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, has an earlier map of Henry of
Mainz, and there is a small Psalter map in the British Museum. The
world is shown to be round; at the top is Paradise, with its rivers
and trees, Eve's transgression, etc. Above is the last Judgment with
the Virgin interceding for mankind. Jerusalem is in the centre. Rome
proclaims itself the head of the world, and Troy the most warlike
city. The British Isles have much space, and most of the cathedrals
are mentioned. Monstrous animals, birds and fish abound. The monkey
appears to live in Norway, the scorpion on the Rhine. There is very
much that is strange and curious to be seen in this wonderful map.
_The Library_ has a splendid collection of chained books. The building
is modern, having been opened in 1897, and built on the site of the
old west cloister. There is an ancient copy of the Gospels at least
1000 years old, written in Anglo-Saxon characters, a beautiful
twelfth-century MS., a copy of the "Hereford Use" of thirteenth
century, Wycliffe's Bible (1420), "Bangor Use" (1400), with a curious
charm for toothache inserted in the book, _Decreta Gratiani_, of
twelfth century. There are many _Incunabula_, Nicholas de Lyra's Bible
and Commentary (1485), _Polychronycon_, by R. Higden, with additions
by Caxton (1495); Caxton's _Golden Legend_, a very fine copy.
Here is an ancient _Reliquary_, with representation of the martyrdom
of St. Thomas of Canterbury, a pre-Reformation chalice and paten,
taken from the coffin of Bishop Swinfield (1316), and some episcopal
rings. This collection of chained books is the finest in England.
DIMENSIONS
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