The Stranger's Handbook to Chester and Its Environs: Containing a short sketch of its history and antiquities, a descriptive walk round the walls, and a visit to the cathedral, castle, and Eaton Hall.Hughes, Thomas
History
The Stranger's Handbook to Chester and Its Environs: Containing a short sketch of its history and antiquities, a descriptive walk round the walls, and a visit to the cathedral, castle, and Eaton Hall.
Hughes, Thomas
Chester (England) -- Guidebooks
The West Entrance, as we now behold it, has a large and magnificent
window of delicate tracery, recently filled with a series of designs in
stained glass, illustrating the final sentence of the Apostles’ Creed,
“The Resurrection of the Body, and the Life Everlasting.” In the centre
of the main opening, we have the “Appearance of our Lord to St. Mary
Magdalene in the Garden;” and beneath, “Our Lord’s Supper with the
Disciples at Emmaus.” The three lights south of the centre illustrate
the “Resurrection of our Lord,” above Whom are seen the Heavenly Host,
while below are the affrighted soldiers, the angel at the tomb, with the
apostles and holy women. In the three divisions on the north side is
depicted “Our Lord in Judgment,” surrounded by the patriarchs, prophets,
apostles, and saints: beneath is the Archangel Michael trampling upon
Satan, with groups of “the Just” on their way up to Heaven, accompanied
by guardian angels. The rich tracery overhead is filled with the
“Genealogical Tree of our Lord,” commencing with the reclining figure of
Jesse, and its branches spreading through more than one hundred openings,
finishing with the birth, death, and glorification of Jesus Christ. This
is a memorial window, erected by the widow of the Rev. P. W. Hamilton, of
Hoole, near Chester, and cannot fail to be an object of surpassing
interest to every visitor. It was designed and executed by Messrs. M.
and A. O’Connor, of London.
[Picture: West Entrance to the Cathedral]
The door being open, let us step out to the open air, and refresh our
eyes with a momentary glance at the WEST ENTRANCE OF THE CATHEDRAL. This
is, externally, the most beautiful remaining portion of this glorious
edifice. Time has, of course, been at work here, as elsewhere, gnawing
away at the old red sandstone; but there is still enough left to give us
an idea of its ancient beauty.
Forms of saints are meekly kneeling
The Cathedral door above:
the which door is a beautiful double Tudor arch of chaste design,
supported on either side by four canopied niches, once ornamented with
statuettes, but now fast going to decay. Over this is the great west
window of eight lights, the whole flanked by two fine octagonal turrets
with embattled parapets. Altogether, this front is a sight grateful to
look upon, but one eminently suggestive of the ephemeral character of all
things here below.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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