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
Much more could be written of this assembly of all sorts and
conditions of men, but we have said enough to show that the Cathedral
had suffered greatly from desecration and abuse. Indeed, an old writer
in 1561 declared that the burning of the steeple in that year was a
judgment for the scenes of profanation which were daily witnessed in
old St. Paul's. He writes, "No place has been more abused than Paul's
has been, nor more against the receiving of Christ's Gospel; wherefore
it is more marvel that God spared it so long, rather than He overthrew
it now. From the top of the spire at coronations, or at other solemn
triumphs, some for vain glory used to throw themselves down by a rope,
and so killed themselves vainly to please other men's eyes," and much
more to the same effect.
But the strictness of the worthy divine did not altogether cure the
evils against which he railed. Eight years later the first great
lottery was drawn before the west doors. There were 10,000 lots at ten
shillings each, and day and night from January 11 to May 6 the drawing
went on. The prizes were pieces of plate, and the profits were devoted
to the repair of the havens of England. So profitable was the lottery
that another took place here in 1586, the prizes being some valuable
armour.
At the dawn of the Reformation we see Henry VIII. in all the pomp and
glory of mediæval pageantry riding in state to the Cathedral to be
adorned with a cap of maintenance and a sword presented to him by the
Pope. There was no sign yet of any breach of alliance between the
Roman Pontiff and him whom he honoured with the title of "Defender of
the Faith." Lollardism in spite of some burnings spread, and the
western tower of the Cathedral earned the name of the Lollards' Tower,
as several were imprisoned there.
Wolsey, the great cardinal, in the height of his prosperity often came
to St. Paul's, and very gorgeous were the scenes which took place
there, when thanksgiving for the peace between England, France and
Spain was celebrated, when Princess Mary was betrothed to the Dauphin
of France, and Charles V. proclaimed emperor. But signs of trouble
were evident. Bishop Fisher thundered forth invectives against the
works of Luther, which were publicly burnt in St. Paul's Churchyard. A
few years later there was a burning in the Cathedral of heretical
books in the presence of the cardinal, who caused some of Luther's
followers to march round the blaze, throw in faggots, and thus to
contemplate what a burning of heretics would be like, and be thankful
that only their books and not their bodies were condemned to the
flames.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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