The Story of LondonWheatley, Henry B. (Henry Benjamin)
History
The Story of London
Wheatley, Henry B. (Henry Benjamin)
London (England) -- History
added in 1255; apparently this was originally of wood, but that stone
vaulting was intended may be inferred from the flying buttresses in some
of the pictures of the Cathedral.
The view along the nave, as represented in Hollar's engraving is very
fine, and reminds one of the noble nave at Ely. Both the nave and choir
had twelve bays counting from the west door. The second bay of the north
side contained the Court of Convocation, and close by was the font near
which Sir John Montacute desired in his will (1388) to be buried. 'If I
die in London, then I desire that my body may be buried in St. Paul's,
near to the font wherein I was baptized.' In the tenth bay was the
Chantry Chapel of Thomas Kempe, bishop of the diocese (1448-1489), and
rebuilder of Paul's Cross.
In the eleventh bay, on the south side, was the tomb of Sir John
Beauchamp, K.G. (d. 1358), Constable of Dover Castle, and son to Guy
Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick. This tomb was commonly called after Duke
Humphrey, and the nave of the church from this misnomer went by the name
of Duke Humphrey's Walk. On May Day watermen and tankard-bearers came to
the tomb early in the morning, strewed herbs upon it and sprinkled it
with water. At the foot of this tomb was the image of the Virgin, before
which a lamp was kept perpetually burning, and every morning after
matins a short office was said before it. A taper was also kept burning
before the Great Crucifix, near to the north door, fabulously said to
have been discovered by King Lucius, A.D. 140. Richard Martin, Bishop of
St. David's in the reign of Edward IV., had a special veneration for
this crucifix, and left an annual gift to the choristers that they might
sing before it _Sancte Deus fortis_.[365]
In the north aisle was the famous _Si quis_ door, on which notices were
fixed; originally these were probably purely ecclesiastical, but in
course of time all classes made their wants known there. Decker writes:
'The first time that you venture into Paul's, pass through the body of
the church like a porter, yet presume not to fetch so much as one whole
turn in the middle aisle, no, nor to cast an eye to _Si quis_ door,
pasted and plastered up with serving-men's supplications, before you
have paid tribute to the top of Paul's steeple with a single penny.'
Bishop Hall, in his _Satires_, shows that Churchmen could be hired there
too--
'Sawst thou ever _Si quis_ patched on Paul's church door,
To seek some vacant vicarage before?'
This practice is alluded to by Chaucer:--
'He sette not his benefice to hyre,
And leet his sheepe encombred in the myre,
And ran to Londoun unto Saint Paules,
To seken hym a chaunterie for soules.'
(Prologue to _Canterbury Tales_.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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