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diff --git a/34818.txt b/34818.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..187b408 --- /dev/null +++ b/34818.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5420 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Stained Glass Tours in England, by +Charles Hitchcock Sherrill + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Stained Glass Tours in England + +Author: Charles Hitchcock Sherrill + +Release Date: January 2, 2011 [EBook #34818] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAINED GLASS TOURS IN ENGLAND *** + + + + +Produced by D Alexander and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + + + STAINED GLASS + TOURS IN ENGLAND + + BY CHARLES HITCHCOCK SHERRILL + WITH SIXTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS + + LONDON: JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD + NEW YORK: JOHN LANE COMPANY: MCMX + + + + + SECOND EDITION + + Printed by BALLANTYNE &. CO. LIMITED + Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London + + + + + STAINED GLASS TOURS IN + ENGLAND + + + + + BY THE SAME AUTHOR + + STAINED GLASS TOURS + IN FRANCE. WITH + NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS. + + + + +[Illustration: KING'S COLLEGE CHAPEL, CAMBRIDGE] + + + + + TO + + LEWIS F. DAY + + FROM ONE + WHOM HE TAUGHT + TO LOVE + STAINED GLASS + + + + +FOREWORD + + +Although the purpose of this book is the quest of windows, it happens +that these very windows are so obligingly disposed throughout the length +and breadth of England, and light such different sorts of edifices, that +in the search of them we shall obtain a very comprehensive idea of +English architecture. Not only shall we visit many noble cathedrals +(Canterbury, York, Winchester, Wells, &c. &c.), and smaller religious +edifices (Fairford, St. Neot, Norbury, &c.), but we shall also see +secular buildings of many types. In this latter category will be +included both the great universities of Oxford and Cambridge, a civic +guildhall (Coventry), an ancient hostel for the aged (Guildford), and +one of the finest of the "stately homes of England" (Knole). Thus it +will be seen that our tours are more broadly catholic than their title +would indicate--indeed, we are tempted to promise that by the time the +pilgrim has completed them he will have obtained a well-rounded +impression not only of glass, but also of the history as well as the +ancient manners and customs of England. Unfortunately, no form of +illustration can hope to reproduce the combination of light and colour +which makes the beauty of stained glass; those selected for this book +are the best obtainable, but are chiefly useful in showing how the +windows are set. This is not a technical book, so scale-drawings would +be out of place. + + CHARLES HITCHCOCK SHERRILL. + + 20 EAST 65TH STREET, + NEW YORK CITY. + _March 1, 1909._ + + + + +CONTENTS + + + INTRODUCTION _Page_ 1 + TOURS 17 + + EARLY ENGLISH 21 + EARLY ENGLISH TOUR 29 + SALISBURY 30 + CANTERBURY 36 + LINCOLN 51 + YORK 57 + + DECORATED 65 + DECORATED TOUR 75 + YORK 76 + NORBURY 82 + SHREWSBURY 85 + LUDLOW 92 + HEREFORD 96 + TEWKESBURY 100 + DEERHURST 104 + BRISTOL 107 + WELLS 114 + EXETER 120 + DORCHESTER 124 + OXFORD 129 + + PERPENDICULAR 135 + PERPENDICULAR TOUR 140 + OXFORD 142 + FAIRFORD 148 + CIRENCESTER 154 + GLOUCESTER 158 + GREAT MALVERN 166 + LITTLE MALVERN 172 + ROSS 174 + WARWICK 177 + COVENTRY 181 + YORK 185 + SALISBURY 192 + WINCHESTER 195 + ST. NEOT 203 + + RENAISSANCE 209 + RENAISSANCE TOURS 214 + LONDON 216 + CAMBRIDGE 223 + LICHFIELD 230 + GUILDFORD 236 + GATTON 239 + KNOLE 242 + + ITINERARIES 251 + + LIST OF TOWNS 253 + + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS + + + _To face + page_ + + Cambridge, King's College Chapel _Frontispiece_ + + General Map 18 + + Map of Early English Tour 30 + + Canterbury, "Becket's Crown" 36 + Thirteenth century medallions; notice circular and other + forms enclosing the figures. The heavy iron bars needed + to support the great weight of lead are skilfully adjusted + to the design. The world-famous shrine stood in the centre + of this space. Tombof Black Prince in foreground, and above + it armour he wore at Crecy. + + Lincoln, Rose Window 56 + Tracery unusual in that it does not radiate from centre. + Quantity of greenish grisaille used emphasises leaf-like + design. Thirteenth century medallions in the tall lancets + below. + + York Minster, "Five Sisters" 62 + Softly toned grisaille, with delicate patterns in faint + colour. Of its type unsurpassed in the world. Note + difference between mellow strength of this glass and + thinness of modern glazing in upper tier of lancets. + + Map of Decorated Tour 76 + + York Minster, Chapter-House 78 + Note the grouping together in each embrasure of five narrow + lights below gracefully elaborated tracery openings. Later + on, in the Perpendicular period, these traceries lose their + individuality, become stiffly regular, and part of the window + below. + + Tewkesbury Abbey, Choir 100 + A rare example of rounded apse, generally replaced in England + by a square-ended chancel. Chief charm of these windows is + their rich colouring. + + Wells, "Golden Window" 116 + Notice graceful setting, permitting a glimpse through into + the Lady chapel beyond. The large Tree of Jesse, rising from + the loins of the patriarch, is portrayed in colours of almost + barbaric richness. + + Exeter, East Window 122 + Perpendicular stone frame, glazed chiefly with very typically + decorated figure-and-canopy glass preserved from the earlier + and smaller window. Below and beyond appears the Lady chapel. + + Map of Perpendicular Tour 140 + + Oxford, New College Antechapel 144 + Transition window, presented by William of Wykeham, Founder of + the College. Stone frames are already Perpendicular: note the + "pepper-box" tracery lights. The glazing, as usual, lags behind + the architecture, and, because of its strong colour and flat + drawing, is more Decorated than Perpendicular. + + Gloucester, Choir 162 + Great east window commemorative of knights who fought at Crecy. + Backgrounds of pink and soft blue. Tracery lights no longer + differentiated from window below, as during Decorated period. + Note elaborate masking of earlier walls by later Perpendicular + work. + + Coventry, Guildhall 182 + Splendid row of ancient English kings, and, below, a great + tapestry. In the centre of the window, and again on the + tapestry, appears Henry VI., who was a member of the guild. + Handsome example of mediaeval hall. + + York Minster, East Window 188 + Tremendous sheet of colour, 78 by 32 feet. Lower half of stone + frame built in a double plane, and carries a gallery across + face of the glass. + + Winchester, Nave 200 + The excellent effect produced by the Fifteenth Century + fragments with which this window is glazed proves that colour + is more important than design in glass. Note swerving to right + and left of two principal mullions, thus relieving a monotony + of upright lines. + + Map of Renaissance Tours 214 + + London, St. George's, Hanover Square 220 + A Renaissance Tree of Jesse from Belgium, readjusted to fit its + new embrasures. Figures unusually large for this subject. Fine + colours and drawing. + + Lichfield, Lady Chapel 232 + Excellent example of Renaissance colouring, freer from applied + paint than then customary. This glass was brought from Belgium. + + Guildford, Bishop Abbott's Hospital 240 + Charming and complete glazing of a small chapel. Renaissance + glass coloured by the process of enamelling, often + unsatisfactory because bits are apt to peel off. + + + + + STAINED GLASS TOURS + : : IN ENGLAND : : + +INTRODUCTION + + +The errand of a window seems always to have been that of beauty, +although it has more than one way of performing that service. Sometimes +it seems to have chosen the inspiring manner of recalling ancient wars, +as would appear from the "Dreme" of Chaucer: + + "And sooth to sayn, my chamber was + Full well depainted, and with glass + Were all the windows well y-glazed + Full clear, and not an hole y-crazed, + That to behold it was great joy: + For wholly all the story of Troy + Was in the glazing y-wrought thus, + Of Hector, and of King Priamus; + Of Achilles, and of King Laomedon, + And eke of Medea, and of Jason; + Of Paris, Helen, and of Lavine." + +Sometimes the errand is that of beauty alone, so "mystic, wonderful," as +to make it seem that magic was invoked to yield so fair a result. In +his "Earthly Paradise" Morris voices this feeling: + + "Folk say, a wizard to a northern king + At Christmastide such wondrous things did show, + That through one window men beheld the spring, + And through another saw the summer glow, + And through a third the fruited vines a-row, + While still, unheard, but in its wonted way, + Piped the drear wind of that December day." + +Again, the errand of the window may have been not so much that of a +story-teller, nor of a beautiful object to regale one's eyes withal, but +rather to tint and temper the illumination of some holy place like that +described in the "Lay of the Last Minstrel" (Canto XI.): + + "The silver light, so pale and faint, + Show'd many a prophet and many a saint, + Whose image on the glass was dyed; + Full in the midst, his Cross of Red + Triumphant Michael brandished, + And trampled the Apostate's pride. + The moonbeam kissed the holy pane, + And threw on the pavement a bloody stain." + +Beyond the enjoyment and artistic refreshment to be obtained from the +contemplation of stained glass, who shall say that we do not receive +other benefits, the nature of which are as yet undiscovered? It is only +recently that our learned brothers, the scientists, have acquainted us +with the helpful qualities of those rays of light which, in the +language of the spectrum, are "out beyond the violet." In this +connection, it may be edifying to quote from the "Anecdotes and +Traditions" of Aubrey: "The curious oriental reds, yellows, blews, and +greens in glasse-painting, especially when the sun shines, doe much +refresh the spirits. After this manner did Dr. R. revive the spirits of +a poor distracted gentleman, for whereas his former physitian shutt up +his windows and kept him in utter darknesse, he did open his window +lids, and let in the light, and filled his windows with glasses of +curious tinctures, which the distempered person would always be looking +on, and it did conduce to the quieting of his disturbed spirits." +(Aubrey in "Anecdotes and Traditions," edited for the Camden Society by +W. J. Thomas, p. 96.) + +Nor is this the only _terra incognita_ still awaiting exploration. +During some recent French experiments wide differences have been +observed in the same kind of vegetable when grown under differently +coloured glass covers. However, these are matters that will not be +"dreamed of in our philosophy"--our investigations will be confined to a +geographical search for that with which to delight our eyes. + +When one pauses to consider how fragile the beauty of a stained glass +window, it becomes amazing that even so much as we can now visit has +survived. Over every European country there has, at one time or +another, swept a wave of destruction engulfing things artistic. The +causes for, as well as the agents of, this iconoclasm, differ widely. +Sometimes it comes from within, and is the result of civil war or of +religious fanaticism--less often it is the result of foreign invasion. + +English windows had the good fortune to escape the destruction by +foreigners which the French had to suffer during those dreadful +fourteenth and fifteenth centuries when the Hundred Years' War outlasted +its title, and when the hot-headed Plantagenet kings kept France +continually plagued with English soldiery. Although we must record this +particular immunity, other agencies equally baleful were at work. The +Puritans made a practice of smashing stained glass, either because they +regarded it as one of the hated insignia of popery (some of their +ministers even knocking out the glass in churches under their own +charge, like "Blue Dick" Culmer at Canterbury Cathedral), or for reasons +of revenge, as in the case of the troops infuriated by the death of +their leader in the assault upon Lichfield. Dwellers within the +precincts of Lincoln made a common practice of shooting with crossbows +at the windows! At Great Malvern the possible excuse of crossbow +practice is missing; the villagers quite simply amused themselves by +throwing stones at the great east window, just from the sheer joy of +destruction. In some instances, even the mitigating circumstances of +religious fanaticism, revenge, competitive sport, or even amusement are +entirely lacking. Aubrey tells us in his "History of Surrey," that "At a +later date, one Blesse was hired for half-a-crown a day to break the +painted glass windows of Croydon." Little wonder is it that the citizens +of York should have voted Fairfax, the leader of the Roundheads, a tun +of wine, &c., in reward for his protecting care of the cathedral after +he and his soldiers had captured that city. + +In an earlier book ("Stained Glass Tours in France") we observed that +French windows divided themselves into periods which were practically +coterminous with the centuries, thus enabling us to designate the styles +by their century number. In England the development of this craft +brought about the style-changes at irregular dates; but here also the +steps of this development are so marked as to separate it into distinct +epochs. English glass follows its architecture so closely that one +cannot do better than to accept the period-designation of the latter, +and especially is this true during the so-called Decorated and +Perpendicular epochs. For our purpose we will therefore use the +following sub-divisions: Early English, which will include all the glass +prior to 1280; Decorated, 1280 to 1380; Perpendicular, 1380 to 1500; +Renaissance (sometimes styled sixteenth century or Cinque Cento), 1500 +to 1550. There are extremely few examples of the first and of the last +schools, in marked contrast to the great wealth in France of windows +contemporary thereto. Edward I. came to the throne in 1272, and it was +during his reign that the Decorated period began, running through the +reigns of Edward II. (1307), Edward III. (1327), and Richard II. +(1377)--all of them Plantagenets. This and the succeeding period +produced very little glass anywhere in France, because of the Hundred +Years' War, begun 1337, lasting until 1447, and waged throughout the +length and breadth of the land. The exact opposite is true in England, +where during the Decorated and Perpendicular epochs it reached its +greatest importance and beauty. The Perpendicular period begins in 1380, +shortly before Richard II., the last of the Plantagenets, was succeeded +by the representatives of the rival Houses of Lancaster and York, three +Lancastrians, Henry IV., V., and VI. (1399), (1413), (1422), being +succeeded by three Yorkists, Edward IV. (1461), Edward V. (1483), and +Richard III. (1483). This Perpendicular period came to an end at just +about the same time as that tremendous civil struggle, the War of the +Roses, was concluded by the accession of the House of Tudor, in the +person of Henry VII. (1485). Our Renaissance glass period begins under +him and lasts on through practically all the reigns of the House of +Tudor--Henry VIII. (1509), Edward VI. (1547), Mary (1553), Elizabeth +(1558). At the time that the Tudors were succeeded by the Stuarts (James +I., 1603), there was hardly any English glass being manufactured, save a +little for domestic use, although many Dutch glaziers were then active +in this country, as we shall regretfully observe when we visit Oxford +and Cambridge. + +It is clear from many an entry in ancient English church archives that +French glaziers were often in the early days summoned across the +Channel, and that it is to them that we owe the beginning of English +glass; but we shall see that although it owes its origin to this foreign +assistance, it developed along distinctly original lines, and that +therefore the English glaziers deserve full credit for the charming +traits peculiar to them. + +Although the period styled Early English has left comparatively few +examples north of the Channel, and cannot hope to vie with the many and +rich displays of mosaic glass to be seen in France, we shall be greatly +consoled by the splendid grisaille (or uncoloured glazing) that fills +the "Five Sisters" at York, and by the remains of the great series at +Salisbury. We have just referred to the scarcity of French stained glass +during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, those sorry days during +which the English occupation of a large part of the country, repeated +plagues, and uprisings of the lower classes against the nobles (like the +Jacquerie), vied with each other in the work of devastation. Indeed, it +is not strange that any art so dependent upon the fostering care of a +luxury-loving class should have been entirely superseded by the sterner +requirements of self-defence, to say nothing of the repairs necessitated +by the ravages of war, pestilence, and famine. Those two centuries, so +dreadful to France and so discouraging to French glaziers, produced in +England the greatest flowers of this craft. It is, therefore, clear that +if one wishes to obtain a comprehensively consecutive knowledge of +stained glass on both sides of the Channel, he must leave France and +cross over to England when the thread of his studies has obtained so far +as the Decorated and the Perpendicular. When, however, he reaches the +sixteenth century he must return to France, to revel in the wealth of +Renaissance glass so wofully lacking in England. + +After one has observed a sufficient number of windows to provide a basis +for comparisons, it becomes easy to tell not only the epoch to which +they belong, but also, in most instances, whether they are early or late +in that epoch. In England one is assisted by an unusual amount of +reliable information from two sources, viz., old records and heraldic +indications from the coats of arms which are so often displayed. There +is so little sixteenth century glass in this country as to give but +small opportunity to observe the characteristic Renaissance custom of +placing the dates on the picture itself, which was then common in +France. Of earlier windows, however, English records and a knowledge of +heraldry give us the dates of many more than are obtainable for their +contemporaries in France. By way of example, the original contracts date +the glass at Beauchamp Chapel, Warwick, 1447; at King's College, +Cambridge, 1527; at York, in the nave, 1338, and in the choir, 1405, &c. +A comparative and historical study of their heraldic blazons gives us a +date for many of the windows at Bristol and at Wells, and of more still +in private houses. + +The duty of the glazier was to adorn the window embrasures constructed +for him by the architect, and thus assist in the decoration of the +church. It is obvious that the size and shape of these apertures must +necessarily have had considerable, if not controlling, effect upon the +styles and methods of the glazier. A glance at the conformation of these +openings often tells the sub-divisions in which its glass belongs. +During Norman times the window arch was round and the opening wide. In +the Early English style the arch at the top becomes pointed and the +embrasures narrower. When the Decorated time arrives several narrow +lights are grouped together, separated only by slender stone mullions, +and culminating under the pointed arch at the top in a group of +gracefully adjusted small apertures called tracery lights. The +Perpendicular architect did little but straighten out the lines of his +predecessors, especially in the traceries, so that they, as well as the +mullions, should produce the effect of upright parallels which gave this +type its name. In the sixteenth century the Renaissance architect +provided large windows, and the glazier filled them with great pictures +of splendid colour. + +In our investigation of English glass of the Early English (or mosaic) +period, we shall often find ourselves regretting the almost entire +absence of rose windows, so frequent and splendid across the Channel, +where those great blossoms of Gothic architecture provided such glorious +opportunities for the decorating hand of the glazier. For this lack we +shall later on find ample compensation (especially during Decorated and +Perpendicular times) in the huge sheet of glass filling the great east +window of many English churches. While the southern architect decided in +favour of the rounded apse for the east end of his cathedrals, his +northern neighbour preferred a square ended one, thus permitting a fine +broad embrasure, broken only by narrow mullions, and providing a golden +chance for the glazier, which he lost no time in seizing. Therefore, if +we miss the innumerable rose windows of France, it is but fair to state +that it possesses nothing that can vie with the great expanse of glowing +colour found at the east end of York or Gloucester or Malvern. + +It is clear that the glass artist, whatever his nationality, had at +all times to take heed of the architecture which provided the setting +for his glass, and which his work was to help decorate. It is but +natural, therefore, that his designs should have been influenced by +the prevailing architectural style, and this was particularly true +in England during the prevalence of both the Decorated and the +Perpendicular schools. When the time arrived to change from the mosaic +method of constructing stained glass, the whole effort of the Englishman +seemed to have been devoted to making his new product conform to the new +Decorated style of building. Not so his neighbour across the Channel, +for there everything was then being sacrificed to the demand for better +lighted interiors, even to the extent of filling much of his embrasures +with grisaille, and using deep colour only in the borders or in bands of +canopy-framed figures across parts of the windows (Sees, Evreux). The +need for more illumination did not exist in England, for in that land of +cloudy skies and infrequent sunshine they had already realised how +greatly mosaic medallion glass obscured the light, and, therefore, had +early struck out for themselves, and developed an admirable use of +grisaille, as one may see at York and Salisbury. They had already solved +the problem of better illumination, and were that much ahead of their +French neighbours. In France, because of light-admitting grisaille then +demanded (either alone or in conjunction with the early canopies), the +fourteenth century window gives a lighter effect than when later on, in +the fifteenth century, the artist dispensed with the grisaille, enlarged +his canopy completely to fill its lancet, and, thanks to the development +of coated glass--_i.e._, several layers of different colours permitting, +in combination, a wide range of hues--introduced more varied and richer +colouring in both figures and costumes. In England, however, where +light-admitting grisaille had already been freely used during the mosaic +period, and the glazier began the fourteenth century untrammelled by any +sudden demand for brilliant illumination, we shall easily observe a +tendency directly contrary to that just remarked in France. The English +Decorated windows are much deeper in tone than the Perpendicular ones +which followed them. These latter seemed to have proved a satisfactory +solution of the lighting problem for the English climate. Indeed, we +shall see some at St. Neot, manufactured as late as 1530, that are +copied after others of the preceding century, and yet the later ones +are obviously from the hand of an artist so skilful as to have readily +worked in the contemporary Renaissance manner, had he not deliberately +preferred the earlier one. + +Those who desire to study this subject seriously should read Lewis F. +Day's excellent "Windows of Stained Glass" (1897). + + + EARLY ENGLISH BEFORE 1280 + -------------------------------------------------------------- + PLANTAGENET { Edward I. 1272 1280-1380 + { Edward II. 1307 DECORATED + { Edward III. 1327 + { (Crecy, 1346) + { (Poitiers, 1356) + ------------{------------------------------------------------- + { Richard II. 1377 1380-1500 + PERPENDICULAR + LANCASTER { Henry IV. 1399 + { Henry V. 1413 + { (Agincourt, 1415) + { Henry VI. 1422 + + YORK { Edward IV. 1461 + { Edward V. 1483 + { Richard III. 1483 + + TUDOR { Henry VII. 1485 + ------------{------------------------------------------------- + { Henry VIII. 1509 1500-1550 + { Edward VI. 1547 RENAISSANCE + { Mary, 1553 + { Elizabeth, 1558 + + STUART { James I. 1603 + + +TOURS + +Our glass-hunting tours will take us into almost every part of England. +We shall go up and down the east coast cathedrals, from York in the +north to Canterbury in the south-east. We shall also wander through the +entire range of southern counties, and see the whole coast from +Winchester, west through Salisbury and Exeter to St. Neot, far off in +Cornwall, hard by Land's End. But it will be in that corner of England +which lies between Oxford and the Welsh border, that the greatest wealth +of windows will be found. We shall arrange the tours so that the order +in which the windows are viewed will conform chronologically with the +stages of the craft's development. It will, of course, largely depend on +whether he elects to travel by rail, by automobile, or by bicycle, just +how slavishly the pilgrim follows the order in which the towns have been +set out. The trips have been arranged with an eye to geography rather +than to railway time-tables--geography is so much more stable than +"Bradshaw's General Railway Guide"! The omission from the list of sundry +important cathedrals, like Durham, Ely, Peterborough, Worcester, &c., +is caused by the deplorable fact that all their ancient stained glass +has been destroyed. + +The order of towns is as follows: + + Early English Epoch Salisbury, Canterbury, Lincoln, + York. + + Decorated Epoch York, Norbury, Shrewsbury, + Ludlow, Hereford, + Tewkesbury, Deerhurst, + Bristol, Wells, Exeter, + Dorchester, Oxford. + + Perpendicular Epoch Oxford, Fairford, Cirencester, + Gloucester, Great + Malvern, Little Malvern, + Ross, Warwick, + Coventry, York. + Salisbury. + Winchester. + St. Neot. + + Renaissance Epoch London, Cambridge, Lichfield, + Shrewsbury. + Guildford, Gatton, Knole. + +In selecting the order of the above itineraries, we have ended the +first, or Early English period, at York, because that city is not only +rich in early mosaic glass, but also in that of the Decorated period, +thus making it most convenient for us there to begin the second or +Decorated tour. In the same manner we have concluded the itinerary of +the Decorated period at Oxford, for there are found not only Decorated, +but also Perpendicular windows, thus permitting us to commence the +Perpendicular tour in the same city which ends our Decorated one. +York is set down as the last of the Perpendicular trip, but if our +pilgrim has already visited that city on either the Early English +or the Decorated tour, he will doubtless also have seen all of its +Perpendicular glass, which will obviate the necessity for again making +the long journey north. In that event, with York left out of the +Perpendicular tour, it will prove to be much more condensed, both as to +territory and distance, than either of the two earlier ones. The last, +or Renaissance epoch, has but few examples in England, and these are so +widely separated that it seems best to break them up into two tours. Of +the seven places cited (London, Cambridge, Lichfield, Shrewsbury, +Guildford, Gatton, and Knole) the best English glass is at London and +Cambridge, while that at Lichfield is Flemish, and most of that at +Shrewsbury German. + +For tables of distances, &c., _see_ pp. 251-254. + +[Illustration: GENERAL MAP] + + + + +EARLY ENGLISH + + +We shall find it more convenient to group all early glass under the +heading of "Early English," although it will be found not only in its +own narrow, pointed-arched windows, but also before that, in the +round-arched ones of the Norman style. So slow was the development +of our craft during all the time covered by those two schools of +architecture as to make it hardly proper or necessary that our subject +be likewise divided into two epochs. During both of them there is found +richly coloured glass of the "mosaic" type, and also uncoloured windows +of the sort styled by the French "grisaille." Obviously, uncoloured +glass admits much more light than that made up of rich dark hues, and, +therefore, it is but natural that the glazier who dwelt in a cloudy +northern land should early have realised the need for sufficient light +in his churches, a need which did not concern his fellow craftsmen in +the sunny lands of the south. Indeed if he had not appreciated this +practical side of his craft he would not have been the artist which his +windows prove him to have been. The glaziers of sunny Italy were never +confronted with this problem of sufficient illumination--if anything, +they had too much, no matter how richly they painted the panes. Their +fellows in France had less sunlight than they, but more than the +English, and therefore occupied an intermediate ground in the matter of +church illumination; the result was that the French neglected it so +entirely during both the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and so +darkened their interiors by heavily leaded mosaic glazing as to bring +about, at the opening of the fourteenth century, a sudden revulsion in +favour of better lighted interiors, which went so far as to produce the +excessive light and glare observable at Sees, St. Ouen (Rouen) and +Evreux. This sudden revulsion did not appear in England where, indeed, +there were no grounds for it, because, as we have just seen, the +glaziers had already thoroughly grasped the need for, as well as the +value of, light-admitting grisaille. That they thoroughly mastered the +technique of uncoloured glass we will readily conclude from the splendid +monuments to their genius in the "Five Sisters" at York, and the +grisaille in the south transept at Salisbury, ideal glazing for a land +of infrequent sunshine. Turning from these untinted windows to those +filled with colour, one notices at once that the early examples of the +latter are made up of very small pieces of different hues bound together +by winding strips of lead having little sunken channels on both sides +to hold the glass in place. So small are these pieces that the windows +seem to have been composed much in the same way that the diminutive +cubes are assembled to make a mosaic. It is because of this striking +similarity of method, that this early glazing, constructed of small +fragments, is frequently referred to as "mosaic" glass. Another name +which it often receives is also easily explainable. The stories on these +early windows are told by groups of very small figures, and to prevent a +chaotic multitude of these little persons spread over the glass, each +episode or group is separated from the others by a frame of contrasting +colour, thus breaking up the whole surface into medallions. For this +reason, early mosaic glazing is sometimes spoken of as "medallion +glass." Unfortunately for England, it possesses but few remains of this +delightful product, and therefore suffers sadly by comparison with the +great wealth of it to be seen in France. We shall find enough, however, +at Canterbury and Lincoln to kindle our enthusiasm for the splendid +jewelled glow which the glazier of that time, and of no other, knew how +to make his windows produce. It will not take long for the intelligent +observer to notice that this glitter is due partly to the fact that the +glass is free from paint (except that used to delineate features, folds +of garments, &c.), and partly because its surface is not regular as is +ours to-day. Furthermore, the pieces were small, and the constantly +recurring leadlines (breaking up and combining the rays of light coming +through the little panes) assisted materially to produce the brilliancy +and shimmer which so delight the eye. There is no doubt that the glazier +thoroughly realised this, and availed himself of this mingling of the +coloured rays to suit the purposes of his picture. We frequently see a +thirteenth century window that produces a purple effect, and yet a +closer inspection will reveal that there is only red and blue glass used +in it, but so cunningly have they been intermingled as to produce a much +warmer purple than any sheet of purple glass could render. Some writers +would have us believe that the glazier had no choice but to use these +small bits in building up his picture, and that therefore the rich +glowing effect was the result of chance, and not that of intelligent +deliberation. Any one who has been fortunate enough to visit St. +Maurice's Cathedral at Angers is amply equipped to refute this theory, +and will be prepared to give full credit to the glazier of the +thirteenth century, for, in that church, the twelfth century mosaic +glass of the nave is readily seen to be composed of much larger +fragments than were employed in the choir by the thirteenth century man. +These latter in the choir glisten and glitter, while the earlier ones in +the nave, composed of larger pieces, do not. This indicates that the +improvement shown by the thirteenth century windows over those of the +twelfth century was caused by artistic intelligence, and at the expense +of more labour to the glazier, because in lessening the size of his +panes, he greatly increased the work of leading them together. As he +purposely used smaller fragments, he should receive full credit for his +splendid results. Those who have been so fortunate as to see the French +thirteenth century windows will not only regret the fewness of examples +of that period in England, but will also remark the dearth there of the +great rose windows so frequent in France. Furthermore, he will notice +that in the case of English medallion windows, the medallions are +smaller than those across the Channel; this is caused by the fact that +the lancets of the Early English school were narrower than contemporary +French ones, and therefore necessitated a smaller medallion. While it is +true that it is only at Lincoln that one finds the splendid rose windows +which reach their greatest perfection in France, compensation for their +absence is found in the development in their place of a style of window +almost unknown in France, _i.e._, the great east window, of which such +superb examples will be seen during the next (or Decorated) period at +York, Bristol, and many other places. This difference in the development +of the largest light aperture of a church is due to the architect; in +France he built the eastern end of his churches round, but in England +they were square, thereby permitting a large sheet of glazing at the +east end, which the French rounded apse could not afford. It is +gratifying to note the way in which the genius of the glazier, no matter +where he lived, seized upon and developed to the utmost the artistic +possibilities of his glass, and, furthermore, how cleverly he adapted +them to the structures prepared for him by his architect. We shall see +at Canterbury, more clearly even than elsewhere, that in the manufacture +of this early mosaic glass the English glaziers followed the French +models. In "Stained Glass Tours in France," p. 17, we have made some +conjectures as to the beginnings of glass in France and whence it came +into that country. Indications appear to be in favour of its first steps +being guided by a group of enamellers in Limoges, who were instructed or +influenced by a colony of Venetians that settled near by in 979, +bringing with them their Byzantine art. Whatever opinion we may hold, +there can be no doubt that a striking similarity in drawing, colouring, +&c., is to be remarked between stained glass of the twelfth and +thirteenth centuries, Limoges enamels of those two and the two preceding +centuries, and the Byzantine mosaics of St. Mark's in Venice, &c. + + +EARLY ENGLISH TOUR + +Even though we shall encounter but few examples of this period in +England, a tour of the towns in which they are to be found will perhaps +yield us more interesting glimpses into history than our later tours, +far richer though they may be in glass. Starting at ancient Salisbury +hard by the site of Druid Stonehenge, we follow the oldest of English +national roads, the "Pilgrim's Way," through Winchester (for so long +the English capital) on to Canterbury with its dramatic history of the +martyred archbishop. Close to Canterbury are Chartham and Willesborough; +these may be seen _en route_ from Salisbury. Thence we go north to +Lincoln, and, after an interesting visit to its sanctuary-crowned +hilltop, we will push on still further north to York, that +treasure-house of glass of this as well as of all periods. Although we +end our first tour in that city, we shall also be able there to begin +our second one, and may also, if we choose, inspect the glass of a +still later (the Perpendicular) epoch. + +[Illustration: MAP OF EARLY ENGLISH TOUR] + + +SALISBURY + +There is no country in the world whose ancient history is writ so large +upon its broad acres as old England. It is full of silent testimonials +to past events which render those early days and their happenings more +vivid than any printed page can hope to effect. Many of these remains +are of such remote antiquity as to long antedate our glass, but +nevertheless we must not be so prejudiced as to neglect them when +encountered on our travels. Indeed, it may well be that the existence of +other attractions of this sort may secure for us the company of certain +archaeological friends who at first will have but small interest in +glass. Nor need we distress ourselves about how small that interest may +be; for if they, for any reason, accompany us, our charming windows will +surely make converts of them long before the journey is ended. These +same archaeological folk will tell us that few localities in England can +show more extraordinary historical remains than Stonehenge and Old Sarum +near Salisbury. The great upright monoliths of Stonehenge, stationed in +the form of a horse-shoe within a circle, loom up in such a solitary +and impressive way upon the great reaches of Salisbury Plain as to +produce a mental picture long to be remembered. Their very isolation +makes them much more striking than the voluminous remains of a similar +nature erected also by the Druids on the west coast of Brittany. As +for Old Sarum, it is now nothing but a lofty fortified camp, but the +enclosure within its circle of high walls formerly contained a town +which was the predecessor of Salisbury. The shape of this high truncated +cone recalls the pictures of the Tower of Babel that used to appear in +our child's geographies. Whatever may have been the real cause for the +removal of Salisbury to its present site, the one generally alleged was +that Sarum lacked water--this certainly cannot be charged against the +present city, which is so sorely harassed at certain seasons of the year +by local floods, as well to merit the name often given it of the +"English Venice." Its vast cathedral is much more regular and balanced +in its proportions than are most examples of mediaeval church +architecture. The two great twin spires are esteemed the most beautiful +in England. To one who has become accustomed to the archaic appearance +of most European cathedrals, Salisbury will prove quite a surprise; in +the words of Emerson, "The cathedral, which was finished six hundred +years ago, has even a spruce and modern air." This splendid building, +even if it were not so impressive as it is, would have been rendered +sufficiently picturesque because of the setting provided by the shaded +walks and green swards of its Close. Within the roomy interior are +examples not only of thirteenth century medallion glass, but also some +of the best types of English grisaille of that period. Because of the +belief that the doors, windows and pillars exactly coincide respectively +with the number of months, days and hours in the year, Thomas Fuller +said, "All Europe affords not such an almanac of architecture." We are +concerned only with that portion of the almanac that has to do with the +days. An old rhyme says: + + "As many days as in one year there be + So many windows in this church we see." + +Notwithstanding the great number of light apertures thus provided by the +architect, the glazier was not permitted to make excessive use of the +light-obscuring coloured mosaic glass, as was then the custom in France. +Grisaille was plentifully used, and Salisbury was famous for it. Most of +its remains are found in the upper lancets at the south end of the +easterly transepts, as well as a little in the west windows of the nave +aisles, the east one of the choir aisles, and the lower triplet in the +south end of the small transepts. Two of the easterly clerestory lights +of the large northern transept also show this early pattern glass. +Instead of filling the other embrasures with rudely contrasting modern +glazing, a very intelligent effort has been made throughout the choir +and transept to model as closely as possible upon these ancient +examples. The result is very agreeable--at least it contrives to give us +some idea of how the church must have looked with its original windows +all complete. Little touches of colour are very judiciously interspersed +throughout the strapwork, and serve to correct what otherwise might be +dull-toned. Blue is very extensively used here for this purpose, and to +a greater extent than is usually found elsewhere. It tones in admirably +with the greenish hue of the glass, and enriches it without risking too +striking a contrast. The thirteenth century medallion remains have been +collected into the three lancets at the western end. Note especially the +plentiful and interesting fragments of the Tree of Jesse done in mosaic +style which has been introduced in two parallel columns into the central +lancet: the borders are contemporary. The side lancets are not so +satisfactorily filled, for the combination of strips of later glass +separated by equally wide ones of old grisaille, and all surrounded by +a rich old border on ruby and blue backgrounds, is not pleasing. The +medallions are interesting, but nothing like so fine as we shall see +elsewhere. We shall chiefly remember Salisbury Cathedral for the +effective glazing of its choir and transepts afforded by thirteenth +century grisaille eked out with good modern glass copied after it. + +One does not have to search far in the records of Salisbury to find why +there is so little remaining of its ancient glazing. Time has been +materially aided and abetted in its work of destruction by ruthless +restorations, of which the worst was Wyatt's in the eighteenth century. +We read that "whole cartloads of glass, lead, and other rubbish were +removed from the nave and transepts, and shot into the town ditch, then +in course of being filled up; whilst a good deal of similar rubbish was +used to level the ground near the chapter-house." Nor was destruction +the only means used to get rid of the Salisbury windows, as will appear +from the following letter written to Mr. Lloyd, of London, in 1788, by +John Berry, a glazier of Salisbury: + + "SIR.--This day I have sent you a Box full of old Stained & + Printed glass, as you desired me to due, which I hope will sute + your Purpos, it his the best that I can get at Present. But I + expect to Beate to Peceais a great deal very sune, as it his of + now use to me, and we do it for the lead. If you want more of + the same sorts you may have what thear is, if it will pay you + for taking out, as it is a Deal of Truble to what Beating it to + Peceais his; you will send me a line as soon as Possable, for + we are goain to move our glasing shop to a Nother plase and + thin we hope to save a great deal more of the like sort, which + I ham your most Omble servent--JOHN BERRY." + +There is also later glass to be seen here. St. Thomas's Church, in the +first embrasure from the east of the north aisle, has the remains of a +Decorated Tree of Jesse, in which, as well as in other fragments along +the traceries, there is a good deal of yellow stain observable. In the +vestry, which is off the north aisle, are three small lancets upon which +appear figures against quarry backgrounds not as usual ensconced in +canopies. The wooden ceilings in the north and south aisles are +especially fine. + +For the Perpendicular glass at Salisbury _see_ p. 192. + + +CANTERBURY + +Even a careless observer of the life and customs of the Middle Ages will +have noticed that one of its most extraordinary features is the extent +to which people of every European country went upon pilgrimages. The +nature and object of these religious journeys varied widely, running the +gamut from the Crusades to the visiting of neighbouring shrines. The +history of the Crusades is well known, but perhaps few of us realise the +tremendous interest taken in the more domestic and near-by pilgrimages. +The English were like all the rest of Christendom in this curious craze, +and for several centuries the most revered, as well as the most popular +of their many shrines was that of the martyred Thomas a Becket at +Canterbury. More highly prized than any other similar trophy was the +small leaden flask hung about the neck of one who had taken that +journey, and was thus qualified to bear away this pilgrim's token +filled with water from the holy well beneath the cathedral. A modern +counterpart is afforded by the value Mohammedans set upon the wearing +of a green turban, the privilege accorded to one who has visited Mecca. +Although Canterbury had always since the earliest days possessed many +saintly relics, a marked increase in the number of pilgrims was noted +after the martyrdom of a Becket. These pilgrimages steadily grew in +vogue until when, in the fifteenth century, they had reached their +height, not only did the stream of travellers continue steadily +throughout the year, but during the months of December and July +(anniversaries of the martyrdom and the transference of the relics) +we read that the numbers swelled to such an extent that the housing +facilities of the little city were greatly overtaxed. A jubilee was held +every fifty years, and on these occasions the crowds grew to enormous +size. During the jubilee of 1420 we are told that over 100,000 pilgrims +were gathered in the city at the same time. Hay and wood were provided +gratuitously for them, a bounty which the cathedral could well afford, +because of the great value of the gifts constantly received from these +visitors. It is easy to see how important a nationalising influence must +have resulted from this meeting together of all classes of society from +different parts of the country. How widely these pilgrims varied in +station and occupation can be gathered from Chaucer's inimitable +"Canterbury Tales." Those amusing chronicles also show that while +religion was doubtless a powerful motive in causing these pilgrimages, +there was besides a great deal of what is called to-day "the desire for +foreign travel." In fact, it is difficult to find much religious flavour +in the tales of merriment and adventure which follow each other in this +delightful series. Chaucer probably selected a Canterbury pilgrimage +as the setting for his poem in order to appeal to a great number of +readers, for he well knew the kingdom to be full of people who had taken +this journey, and to whom, therefore, his tales would be of peculiar +interest. Although Chaucer was the son and grandson of vintners, he won +his way into high favour at Court, a hint of which is obtained from the +fact that Edward III. paid L16 (then a considerable sum) to ransom him +after his capture by the French. + + [Illustration: _J. G. Charlton, photo._ + "BECKET'S CROWN," CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL + Thirteenth Century medallions; notice circular and other forms + enclosing the figures. The heavy iron bars needed to support the + great weight of lead are skilfully adjusted to the design. The + world-famous shrine stood in the centre of this space. Tomb of + Black Prince in foreground, and above it armour he wore at + Crecy] + +Another group of equally diverting but more whimsical poems are +inseparably connected with this neighbourhood. Rev. Richard Barham lived +near Canterbury, and many of his engaging Ingoldsby Legends have their +scenes laid there, some within the cathedral precincts. The county of +Kent, of which Canterbury is the chief city, is peopled by a sturdy folk +who have always been jealous of their rights and insistent upon their +own interpretation of the law, as, for example, although primogeniture +existed almost everywhere else in England, Kent always preferred +gavelkind (an equal division of property among the children of the +deceased). As illustrating the strength of Kentish traditions, it is +amusing to note that one must remember carefully to apply the expression +"Kentish man" to a dweller in the western half of the county, and "Man +of Kent" to him of the eastern. Confuse these two designations at your +peril! There is a bit of local history which has a fine heroic flavour, +and which points our moral excellently. After William the Conqueror had +won the battle of Hastings, all Kent, headed by the Archbishop of +Canterbury, gathered to protect its ancient rights against the invader. +They marched forth to meet William at Swanscourt, each man fully armed, +and carrying above him a green bough to mask the numbers of their host. +William's surprise and perplexity at seeing this perambulating forest +approaching him can well be imagined. When he inquired the reason for +it, there came the fine reply that Kent demanded its ancient rights, and +if granted them would live peaceably under his rule, but if they were to +be denied, then there must be instant war! The politic Norman complied +with their request, and the Kentish forest marched off. + +So beautiful are the distant prospects of Canterbury Cathedral that +excellent aesthetic reasons may be advanced for the religious custom that +required all mounted pilgrims to dismount as soon as they could spy the +Angel Steeple, and complete the last stage of the pilgrimage on foot. +Proceeding in this more leisurely fashion, the beauties of the +picturesque grouping of the buildings about the cathedral developed +slowly before their eyes. + +On descending into the town, many interesting sights meet one's view in +the quaint winding streets and narrow lanes. The name of one of these, +Watling Street, recalls the fact that through this city ran that great +Roman road. Another element of the picturesque is added by the +meandering through the town of the river Stour, over whose narrow stream +project many of the houses. Finally we arrive at a large gatehouse, +whose modest portal affords access to the sacred precincts, and +introduces us to a series of most delightful pictures, for there are few +cathedrals in the world placed in so charming a setting. An old legend +gravely narrates that when the walls of the sanctuary were heightened +about the middle of the tenth century, the building was, perforce, +roofless for three years, and that during that period no rain fell +within this favoured enclosure! We need not stop to consider the +different features of the architecture which have delighted so many eyes +and are so well known from photographs and other reproductions. We must, +however, note in passing that during a Becket's exile he chanced to be +in Sens at the very time that the great French architect, William of +Sens, was finishing the first attempt in pointed Gothic. This probably +explains why, when the choir of Canterbury Cathedral was destroyed by +fire, the monks in 1174 summoned William to rebuild it. During the work +he fell from the scaffold and received injuries from which he died. The +selection of that foreign architect assists in explaining why the mosaic +glass at Canterbury so closely resembles the late twelfth century +windows at Sens, and permits us to conjecture that with the French +architect there came over French glaziers. The French Gothic which was +here introduced by William of Sens was, to a certain extent, copied +elsewhere. Traces of it at York Cathedral are doubtless due to the fact +that the Archbishop of York who caused its introduction had been +Archdeacon at Canterbury during the time that William of Sens was +working there. We will enter the church and press on to the northern +transept, where took place that tragic episode resulting from the +constant strife between Henry II. and the proud churchman a Becket. In +the dimness of this old-world corner one can almost live over again the +scene at twilight, December 29, 1170, when the four knights, taunted +into exasperation by a Becket's hot words, cut down the defenceless +priest, thinking thus to serve their royal master. Not only did this +base act bring upon Henry the open shame of being forced to do most +abject penance before the shrine of his sainted victim, but it also +produced many extraordinary results of widely differing nature during +the centuries to follow. Just after the assassination the monks, upon +removing the garments of their murdered chief, found, to their great +surprise, that beneath the rich raiment of him whom they had always +mistrusted as a brilliant courtier, was worn the haircloth shirt of +their monastic order. Their sudden revulsion of feeling, and the +religious enthusiasm which overcame them at that sight, seems prophetic +of other revulsions that were to take place during the Middle Ages in +the attitude of the public mind towards this bloody page of Church +history. Just as then their feelings abruptly changed, so after wealth +and costly gifts had flowed to this shrine for centuries, and almost +every city in Christendom had an altar or a church dedicated to +St. Thomas, suddenly men of thought became disgusted by the many +reprehensible features connected with this cult, which, perhaps, were +only the natural results of the throngs attending the pilgrimages. The +pendulum, which had swung too high on one side, swept back to the other +extreme; and this brings us to one of the strangest parts of this story, +if not, indeed, the weirdest in all the annals of the law. Henry VIII. +cast covetous eyes upon the hoard of jewels gathered together in +Canterbury Cathedral, so he instituted a legal proceeding to enable him +to lay hold upon them. As royal successor to Henry II. he caused the +Attorney-General in 1538 to bring suit against a Becket for treason, and +had the papers duly served upon the famous shrine! Counsel was appointed +to represent the long dead subject, and the case was argued with all the +pomp and circumstance of legal warfare. The martyr was found guilty, and +all the wealth of his shrine was declared escheated to the Crown. We +read that it was necessary to employ twenty-six carts to carry off the +booty. Could anything be more strange and fantastic than so material an +outcome to the wild deed of the four knights! + +Of the other tombs here, the most interesting are those of Henry IV. and +the Black Prince. Above the latter is suspended the armour worn by him +at the battle of Crecy. + +Before commencing to examine the stained glass, we must warn the reader +that it suffered severely at the hands of that arch-ruffian of all glass +destroyers, Dick Culmer (or "Blue Dick," as he was called), the minister +in charge of the Abbey during the Commonwealth. So violently opposed +to his appointment were the townspeople that they locked all the +cathedral's doors against him, thus forcing him to effect his first +entrance by breaking in one of the windows--an evil omen! No sooner was +he installed than he set diligently to work to destroy the stained +glass, and, furthermore, openly boasted of his energy in that respect. +In his "Cathedral News from Canterbury," he says, "A minister on top of +the city ladder, nearly sixty steps high, with a whole pike in his hand, +rattling down proud Becket's glassie bones when others present would not +venture so high." This glass, so destroyed, was in the north transept. + +There is but little mosaic medallion thirteenth century glass in +England, and therefore what there is of it at Canterbury would for that +reason alone have great value, but because the examples there found are +among the best of that period now extant, its importance is thereby +greatly enhanced. An ancient supplement to the "Canterbury Tales" +relates, with amusing conversational detail, how the pilgrims, upon +entering the church by the south-western door of the nave, at once fell +to admiring the windows and studying out their legends. The ruthless +hand of time, assisted by those of Dick Culmer and Co., have made it +impossible for us to enjoy that same pleasure, but certain fragments of +that glass gathered together into the western window give a hint of what +the beauty of the complete series must have been. With this exception +there is nothing to detain one long in the nave, so we will pass on to +the eastern end of the church to inspect the remaining contemporary +windows--they are the finest of their type in England, and will be +found in the north choir aisle, the circular apse at the extreme +easterly end (known as Becket's Crown) and Trinity Chapel. There has +been preserved for us an old Latin list describing and locating all the +windows in their original order, and from this we learn that the ancient +panels now in the north choir aisle between the easterly transept and +the chapel of the Martyrdom (north end of the westerly transepts) were +formerly in the embrasures of the latter. Their workmanship is very +fine, and they tell their parables with great distinctness. Proceeding +eastward to Becket's Crown, we shall be afforded an edifying opportunity +to observe how much more brilliant and generally delightful are the old +mosaic medallions than even the best modern copies. The oldest window +dates from the middle of the thirteenth century, and it takes but a +glance to betray those of its companions which are modern. The +improvements of centuries in glass manufacture fail utterly to yield +us an equivalent for the brilliancy of the crudely constructed panels +of that time. The most interesting and, for various reasons, the most +valuable medallions are those filling the six windows of Trinity Chapel +which retain their original glazing. In those on the north side of where +the shrine used to stand, are medallions whose groups display miracles +performed by the saint, or episodes illustrative of his healing power. +At the top of the second from the east on this side is a medallion of +very peculiar interest because it depicts Benedict's vision of the saint +emerging from his shrine in full canonicals and moving toward the high +altar to say mass. Examine it carefully, for here we have the only +representation now existing of that world-renowned shrine, whose lavish +decoration of gold and jewels so roused the cupidity of Henry VIII. as +to cause its destruction. There is every reason to believe this to be a +veracious reproduction, for being installed directly opposite and a few +yards from the shrine of which it was the counterfeit presentment, any +but a careful copy thereof would have been useless in telling the +window's story. More of this splendid glass is found filling the lower +embrasures along the north side between the two sets of transepts, and +also above in the three upper half-circle windows, both on this and the +opposite side of the church ambulatory; note the mellow richness of +their reds and blues. The central embrasure of the most easterly or +Trinity Chapel retains its early mosaic medallions, easily distinguished +from the modern imitations on either side. High up in the north wall of +the easterly transepts is a rose window which retains its thirteenth +century glazing in the large central circle, but alas! white glass +replaces all but the borders of the outer circles, thus drowning the old +glass in a glare of light and utterly extinguishing the splendid glow +which would otherwise delight our eyes. Although the handsome five-light +Decorated window on the south side of St. Anselm's Chapel (lying off the +south choir aisle) has lost its original glass, the records of the cost +contain features of interest. The contract for its construction is dated +1336, and the items of expense (which total L42 17_s._ 2_d._) indicate +that the heavy iron saddle-bars, &c., required to support the great +quantity of lead used in joining the glass, cost almost as much as the +glazing; L4 4_s._ 0_d._ was paid for twenty hundredweight of iron, L6 +13_s._ 4_d._ "for glass and the labour of the glaziers." + +The chief window of the north-west transept, generally called the chapel +of the Martyrdom, was presented by Edward IV., and when complete must +have been a fine example of the Perpendicular school. Its seven tall +lancets are broken into four tiers, and surmounted by handsome tracery +lights. Here formerly appeared "The Seven Glorious Appearances of the +Virgin," with a Becket in the centre, but "Blue Dick" Culmer destroyed +them all while engaged in his pleasing task of "rattling down proud +Becket's glassie bones." Notwithstanding the treatment to which this +window was subjected, it still presents a very attractive appearance. +The original fragments have been collected within coloured borders and +throw into bold relief the richly toned kneeling figures of Edward IV. +and his wife, which are placed facing each other. Behind the queen are +stationed her five daughters, divided into one group of three and +another of two, while behind the king are the two little princes, who +were later murdered in the Tower of London. The backgrounds behind the +figures are noteworthy because they are composed of repetitions of the +badge of each individual; behind the king are the white roses and suns +of York; behind the queen, green thistles; feathers behind the Prince of +Wales, &c. Above them is a tier of white-robed angels with red wings, +against backgrounds of blue or green, supporting heraldic shields. Just +below this window and leading off to the east is the Dean's Chapel, +lighted on the east by a very pleasant quarry window, upon each of whose +panes appears in yellow stain the double knot which indicates the donor +to have been Archbishop Bourchier, whom we shall encounter later on at +Knole. A relieving note of colour is lent by the shield of arms at the +bottom of each lancet. Three of the small windows that light the +picturesque little baptistery contain effigies of ecclesiastical +dignitaries and saints within richly toned borders, while in the small +traceries above them are heraldic blazons. + +Splendid as this noble cathedral now is, how much more impressive must +it have been when all its windows were filled with mosaic medallions +through which a warmly tinted illumination tempered the minster gloom. +It is difficult to repress the anachronistic wish that the knights who +came here seeking to slay a Becket might instead have wreaked their lust +for blood upon "Blue Dick" Culmer! + + * * * * * + +Near Canterbury there are some Early English fragments at Chartham, four +miles west on the road to Maidstone. They are in the tracery lights on +the north side of the chancel. In one of these small openings there has +been inserted a baptismal scene, but because it is upside down the water +seems like a cross between a shower-bath and the sword of Damocles! The +chief reason for stopping at this church is the very agreeable lighting +of its chancel in the Decorated manner. In the two embrasures on the +north side have been collected all that remains of the original pattern +glass, but the other lights have been glazed as much like these two as +possible. A mellow richness, not often seen, is the chief characteristic +of this low-toned grisaille, overrun with graceful coloured designs. In +its perfection that style was most attractive. In a south-easterly +suburb of Ashford called Willesborough there are in the chancel a couple +of very complete and pleasing Decorated windows. They both have quarry +backgrounds with coloured borders, but the one to the north is much +more attractive. Upon its surface are not only the coloured bosses seen +in the one across the chancel, but also some handsome canopy-framed +figures. The leaf design on the borders should be noted, and also the +labels below the figures. + + +LINCOLN + +A golden-brown cathedral crowning the summit of a solitary hill rising +from a wide plain--so Lincoln lingers in one's memory! + +Few towns have their situation more clearly described by their names +than this one, derived, as it is, from "llin" a mere, and "dun" a hill, +a hill above a mere. The plain is now drained of the marshes which +formerly overspread it, but the great isolated mount remains always the +same, and upon the summit is stationed, like a splendid sentinel, the +mighty bulk of the cathedral. Rarely, indeed, does a great church have +so dominating and superb a site, nor is it often that so prominent a +point is crowned by such a noble structure. Near it is the ancient +castle, built first by the Romans and later strengthened by warriors of +other races equally quick to appreciate the military strength of its +commanding position. From the tower at one corner of its perfectly +preserved ramparts is afforded a most inspiring view in every direction. +Nor were the great walls of the cathedral less serviceable in affording +a strong refuge in war. It needs but a glance at the sturdy west front +to show why Stephen in 1141, during the war of the Barons, finding the +Earls of Lincoln and Chester in possession of the castle, threw himself +into the adjacent cathedral and thus secured as strong a fortress as +they. Not only is the western facade very beautiful, but it is also a +manifestation, rare in England, of the practice usual in France of +making this portion of the exterior the most important of all. Here at +Lincoln it is as if a wide mask of stone had been built on to the end of +the nave, lending as great an impression of width as one gets of height +by a similar trick at Peterborough. These two are almost the only +attempts in England to use this facade for other than simply closing the +end of the edifice. The result at Lincoln is most imposing, but it +produces its best effect when seen from a little distance, because then +one gets the great sweep of the lines, relieved by the galleries of +statues and warmed by the yellowish brown of the stone. A nearer +inspection discloses how the later work has been pieced on to the older, +which tends to distract our attention from the front as a whole. Not +satisfied with the great strength of the building itself, permission was +early obtained from the Crown to surround the Close with walls and +gates, of which the picturesque Exchequer gate survives. This enclosure +goes by the name of the Minster Yard. When visiting the little hamlet +of Dorchester we will remark upon how great was once its glory and how +widely the sway of its Bishop then extended. This glory departed when +Bishop Remigius (who built the central and oldest part of the Lincoln +west front) decided about 1072 to remove his seat to the more lofty and +far safer site upon Lincoln Hill. Before concluding the inspection of +the cathedral's exterior, it is timely to remark that through all the +centuries it has been famous in story and song for its chime of bells. +During the period when that delightful industry, the making of ballads, +prevailed throughout England, there were many whose scenes were laid at +Lincoln, and in almost every one of these some reference is made to "The +bells o' merrie Lincoln." + +Sad havoc has been played with the ancient glass, but here we cannot +blame the Puritans alone. To be sure, they exercised their usual zeal in +destroying the windows as far up as they could reach, but it must be +admitted that they only completed the task earlier begun by the +citizens, who were wont to amuse themselves by shooting with arrows and +crossbow bolts at the roof and at the windows. This appears in the +defence set up by the Dean when, during the time of Henry VIII., charges +had been brought against him for permitting the cathedral to fall into +such shocking disrepair. Notwithstanding the efforts of the crossbow +vandals and their successors, the Puritans, there has been preserved for +us a very considerable amount of old glass, and that, too, of the Early +English type, a period of which there are so few remains in England. +These remnants are so placed as to be seen to great advantage. They fill +the east windows of the north and south aisles of the choir, and the +large windows in the end of the great northerly transept. The old +glazing of the eastern windows of the north and south choir aisles is +complete and very interesting. It is not so beautiful as it would have +been if the spaces between the brilliant medallions had also been filled +with colour instead of the greenish grisaille which the practical +Englishman used so as to admit more light than would have been possible +through the entirely coloured panes of his more artistic, if less +utilitarian, French contemporary. He succeeded in getting his +illumination, but he lost the jewelled shimmer that meets one's eyes at +Chartres and Reims. Moreover, there is also lacking the richness and +solidity of tone which is so enjoyable in France. The French system was +followed at Canterbury, and there is a marked difference in the effect +of that glass from this at Lincoln. Unfortunately, the great east window +between these two excellent aisle ones is filled with modern glass that +suffers sadly by comparison with its ancient neighbours. + +Passing to the transepts we shall encounter the pleasant custom so rare +in England (though common in France) of giving a familiar name to a +great window. Here the splendid northern rose is called "The Dean's +Eye," and its sister to the south "The Bishop's Eye," which names they +have borne for more than six hundred years. Many are the reasons that +have been advanced for these titles, but probably the practical one is +correct, viz., the Dean's Eye faces the Deanery and the Bishop's Eye the +Bishop's palace. Among the many fanciful and more poetic explanations +there is one which, although it is less reasonable, we must be pardoned +for finding more attractive, viz., as the north is the region of the +Evil One, it is proper that the Dean's Eye should look into that +direction in order to guard against any attempt on his part to invade +the sanctuary. The Bishop's Eye is turned toward the sunny south, "The +region of the Holy Spirit whose sweet influence alone can overcome the +wiles of the wicked one." The older of the pair, the Dean's Eye, was +probably glazed about 1220. It is best seen from the gallery or from the +triforium which runs along just below it, and is a fine rose of the +usual type. Below it there extends a row of five pointed lancets +containing very light toned grisaille which almost entirely lacks the +usual touches of colour. Below these are two larger lancets flanking the +doorway; the one to the east has grisaille quarries as a border and +within, geometric designs in colour. The westerly lancet shows a vine in +whose branches are angels playing upon musical instruments, the whole +surrounded by grisaille touched with colour. Across in the southern end +of these transepts is one of the most delightful windows to be seen +anywhere, the Bishop's Eye. Not only is this rose window a jewel of the +glazier's art, but the mason as well has added a wondrous charm by the +lightness of his stone traceries and the curious interpenetrated stone +frame which he has placed about it. The architect, too, has joined in +beautifying the _ensemble_ by stationing below it four large lancets of +such harmonious proportions as admirably to balance and set off their +more important neighbour just above them. In these lancets are found +some Early English glass--broad borders of grisaille enframing the +rich-toned medallions within. The Bishop's Eye was glazed about the +middle of the fourteenth century and yields a warm greenish grey light. +Instead of having its lines radiate from the centre in the customary +manner, its gracefully curved mullions tend to flow up and down and +suggest the fibres of five great leaves standing upright side by side. + + [Illustration: ROSE WINDOW, LINCOLN CATHEDRAL + Tracery unusual in that it does not radiate from centre. + Quantity of greenish grisaille used emphasises leaf-like design. + Thirteenth Century medallions in the tall lancets below] + + +YORK + +To one approaching York by road, especially if coming by way of +Scarcroft Hill, the ancient appearance of the town seems to translate it +out of the Middle Ages. The dust-grey line of walls along the grassy +banks that slope down to the moat, sweep far around in unbroken majesty, +strengthened here and there by bastions or by a sturdy gatehouse. To +complete the old-world picture, above the walls peep red-tiled gables, +or occasionally the towers and spires of numerous churches, all +dominated by the great bulk of the cathedral. + +Insignificant historically ever since the days when the city of Eboren +was the capital of Britain, York is chiefly known for the use of its +name in two prolonged struggles (fought out, however, on other fields), +the one between the House of York and Lancaster, called "The War of the +Roses," and the other the great contest lasting from 601 on till the +middle of the fourteenth century to decide whether the Archbishop of +York or he of Canterbury should be the Primate of England. York's +unimportance in English history may be due partly to its situation too +far north to have been in the heart of the constant struggle for power, +and partly to the fact that it was so repeatedly ravaged by Danes and +other invaders, the worst blow of all being when William the Conqueror +gave all that neighbourhood such a dreadful harrowing that the lands +from York to Durham laid untilled for nine years, and did not fully +recover for centuries. Almost the sole exception to this unimportant +_role_ was the seven years during which Edward I. moved the law courts +to York and made it his royal capital. Fortunately for the city, its +connection with the bloody struggle of the rival Roses was almost +entirely confined to lending its name to one of the Houses, for this +great drama was chiefly enacted to the south of it. Although the other +famous contest to which we alluded, and which dragged its weary length +through nearly eight centuries, had to do only with ecclesiastical +predominance, yet it exercised a potent influence upon the destinies of +the generations it concerned. It is impossible to obtain a realising +sense of men and events in the Middle Ages unless one takes into account +the tremendous force, and that, too, a militant one, exercised by the +great ecclesiastics. A striking example is provided by Archbishop Scrope +of York, who aspired so high that he rebelled against his king and was +only defeated after the strenuous campaign described in Shakespeare's +"Henry IV." He was executed at York in 1405. We remarked another +example at Canterbury in the bloody ending of a Becket's attempt to +brave Henry II. Because he was Archbishop of Canterbury and opposed to +the king, it is not surprising to find that the contemporary Archbishop +of York, Roger Pont l'Eveque, was a staunch adherent of Henry. It was +this very Roger who, in 1176, precipitated one of the many disgraceful +rows that besmirched this struggle for the Primacy. The Papal Legate was +presiding at the Council of Westminster, and a Becket's successor, +Richard of Canterbury, was seated on his right. Roger came in late, and, +declining to accept any but the most honoured seat, sat down on +Richard's lap, whereupon a brawl ensued, ending in Roger's discomfiture. +Pitiable as was this scene, at least it was less disastrous to the +people at large than many another episode of this tedious and +acrimonious struggle, finally ended by the Bull of Pope Innocent VI., +designating the Archbishop of Canterbury as the Primate of all England. + +York is by all odds the most important of all English glass +centres. Although one often finds occasion elsewhere to curse the +glass-destroying Puritan, at York it must be admitted that the presence +of so many ancient windows is due to the control exercised by Fairfax +over his Parliamentary troops after a successful siege of the place. He +well deserved the butt of sack and tun of French wine voted him by the +Corporation in recognition of his efforts in restraining the misguided +enthusiasm of the soldiery. Indeed, his action here almost atones for +the devilish tricks at Canterbury of "Blue Dick" Culmer. + +Even the most casual observer, and one entirely unlearned in our +beautiful art, cannot fail to notice how large an amount of wall-space +is given over to ancient glass in York Minster. As a matter of fact it +covers an area of more than 25,000 square feet, easily double that in +any other English cathedral, and challenging comparison with any in +the world. Nor are the examples confined to one epoch, for there are +fragments of Norman mosaic medallions in the great transepts and the +vestibule of the chapter-house, Early English in the "Five Sisters" and +along the nave clerestory, Decorated in the nave and chapter-house, and +Perpendicular in the choir. Not only are these examples plentiful, but +they are of the first order. Entering by the door at the southern end of +the great transepts, one is at once confronted by the five tall lancets +opposite him in the north wall, filled with the most deliciously soft +greyish green grisaille. Of their type there is nothing in the world to +approach them for beauty. From where we stand the lead lines used in +construction do not exist as lines, but melt away into a dainty film, +like dew on the grass at morn. This set of lights is gracefully +grouped, and is known by the pleasantly familiar title of the "Five +Sisters." Many fanciful tales are told of when and where they were +constructed and how they received this name. Dickens in his "Nicholas +Nickleby" relates an engaging legend to explain how the design and the +name were provided for them. That this legend has no basis in fact +should not make us forget that his narrative has doubtless caused many +of his readers to visit these windows--a most excellent justification. +Dickens tells of five maiden ladies having worked upon a large piece of +embroidery and how, years later, when four of them met together in York +(the youngest, Alice, having been buried in the minster's nave), "They +sent abroad, to artists of great celebrity in those times (Henry IV.), +and having obtained the church's sanction to their work of piety, caused +to be executed in five large compartments of richly stained glass, a +faithful copy of their old embroidery work. These were fitted into a +large window until that time bare of ornament; and when the sun shone +brightly, as she had so well loved to see it, the familiar patterns were +reflected in their original colours, and throwing a stream of brilliant +light upon the pavement, fell warmly on the name of Alice." Those of our +company who are by nature critical may point out that the windows date +from the thirteenth century, not from the reign of Henry IV., and also +that they contain grisaille, not colour, and further, that being at the +end of the north transept, they could not very well throw a stream +of light into the nave! The writer urges leniency of criticism, but +nevertheless, one is forced to the melancholy conclusion that the great +Dickens could never have delighted his eyes by this splendid glass, else +he could not have made the windows coloured, or placed them in the +nave! As for the four surviving sisters, they are certainly open to the +severest censure in that they sent abroad for stained glass during the +reign of Henry IV., because there was then the highest development of +the art in England, and its product could not be approached by that of +any foreign contemporaries. Close inspection discloses the design of the +leads to be that of a graceful adjustment of the foliage of the benet +plant. At the bottom of the central light is observable a panel of +highly coloured mosaic glass. The glazing of the five small lancets +above is modern. We must turn to the nave to see the rest of the Early +English glass, of which, however, only fragments remain. They are to be +found along the clerestory, in all of its tracery lights on the south +side except the third from the west, and also some in its lower panes; +on the north side they are in the traceries of the second from the west, +the next five east of it, and also in the lower panels of the fifth and +seventh. + + [Illustration: _F. Valentine, photo._ + "FIVE SISTERS," YORK MINSTER + Softly-toned grisaille with delicate patterns in faint colour. + Of its type unsurpassed in the world. Note difference between + mellow strength of this glass and thinness of modern glazing in + upper tier of lancets] + +The church of St. Dennis, Walmgate, has attractive panels of early +English glass dating from the latter half of the thirteenth century +inserted in two Decorated windows on the north side of the church. + +An account of the Decorated glass at York will be found at p. 76, and of +that of the Perpendicular at p. 185. + + + + +DECORATED + + +Before crossing the threshold into the two next periods (the Decorated +and Perpendicular), it is worth pausing to notice that although +architecture generally tends to elaborate as time goes on, the opposite +was true in England during the two centuries of which we are about to +speak. In fact, the work of the earlier of these two epochs obviously +deserves the title of "Decorated" and the later does not. Its glass, +too, is much more florid than its successor, and is far more ambitiously +ornamental. It bears many bits of leafy foliage, twining vine tendrils, +&c., all drawn as true to life as possible. Later these bits of flora +are rarely used, and then only in a conventional and, therefore, less +decorative form. In our introduction we have stated that in England, the +arrival of the fourteenth century does not show the abrupt difference +found in France between the light-obscuring mosaic glass of the +thirteenth century and the fainter tints of the fourteenth, permitting +the brighter interior then demanded. The explanation seems to be +that the English, having been early forced by cloudy skies to use +light-admitting grisaille (either alone, or combined with their early +medallions) already enjoyed the proper illumination which, at the +beginning of the fourteenth century, was so lacking in France as to +bring about a cry for light at any cost. In place of the early +fourteenth century glare that strikes one at Sees, Evreux, and in St. +Ouen at Rouen, we have rich strong colour in their contemporaries at +Tewkesbury, Wells and Bristol. Occasionally grisaille will be found +pleasantly combined with small coloured scenes, as at Dorchester and in +Merton Chapel, Oxford, but even then it seems much like a local survival +of the thirteenth century tradition. So much for the difference between +the English Decorated and the French fourteenth century windows. Now let +us briefly consider what it was that succeeded to the mosaic medallion +style seen at Canterbury, Lincoln, &c., and also what causes must have +been at work to produce the change. About the end of the thirteenth +century there chanced to be discovered a method of producing yellow +which obviated the necessity of cutting out a piece of glass of that +tint and laboriously leading it into the picture where needed, as was +still obligatory if they wanted blue or red, &c. Some lucky glazier +stumbled on the fact that if chloride of silver be put on a sheet of +glass it would, when exposed to the fire, produce a handsome golden +stain, and that only at the points to which it was applied. Many +stories are related to explain this discovery, but as they are all more +pleasing than convincing, it seems best to credit Dame Fortune with this +valuable assistant to the glazier. It is obvious that this facility in +staining a touch of yellow just at the point desired by the artist was +eagerly seized upon. He at once made use of it to decorate the robes of +great personages, or to brighten the hair of women and angels, as well +as to liven any bits of stonework necessary to his drawing. It made +possible the development of an unimportant detail in the earlier windows +into the perfected result called the "Canopy window," which we shall +learn to know as a most useful and satisfactory combination of +decoration and serviceability. It will be remembered that from the +earliest times there frequently appeared above the heads of saints +certain conventional coverings meant to indicate an architectural +shelter. Upon the arrival of the Decorated period this detail became +more complete, the roof being fully depicted (although as yet in flat +drawing, with no attempt at perspective) and columns added at the side +to support it, thus completely enclosing the little figures in a niche. +Here we have the first, or Decorated canopy, now complete in form +although crude. It must be noticed, however, that these canopies, +generally drawn to a small scale, do not attempt alone to fill the +embrasures, and either are shown in bands across a ground of grisaille +or occur alone surrounded by grisaille. Their architectural portion is +of a strong brassy yellow, that colour being provided by pot metal glass +leaded in. Now comes the next and final development. The discovery of +yellow stain did away with the laborious need for leading in the yellow +bits to simulate stonework, so the limit as to size of the canopy was +removed, and at once they began to increase in dimensions. The obvious +result ensued, each canopy was made to fill an entire lancet, its +simulated stonework occupying as much surface as the enclosed figure, +and we have the logical whole of a decorative colour panel within +surrounded by a frame of lighter panes which admit the necessary amount +of illumination. So satisfactory did this style of window prove that it +persisted longer than almost any other type of glazing, and we must +remember it is the discovery of yellow stain that we have to thank for +making this result possible. + +During the period we are now considering, the canopy was, of course, +rather crude, in fact it looked more like a sentry-box than anything +else. There was as yet no pedestal beneath it, and the pinnacles at the +top showed entire ignorance of perspective, as well as of drawing in +relief. During the Perpendicular period that followed, they did little +but elaborate this canopy idea, combining and softening the colours so +as to prevent jarring contrasts, and generally much improving the +logical combination of a coloured central portion surrounded by +light-admitting canopy framing. Without the use of yellow stain all this +would have been difficult, if not impossible, for without the little +touches of gold livening the grey stonework these canopies would have +been dull and unconvincing. + +Nor was this the only novelty in the method of imparting colour to +glass. They now began to enrich their palettes by coating one colour +with another, thus getting a tint not before obtainable. For example, +red on blue gave a rich purple, blue on yellow a fine green, &c. This +was effected in a very simple manner. Suppose the glass-blower wanted a +purple--he dipped his pipe into liquid blue glass, and started to blow +his bubble. When it began to take shape he dipped the small bubble into +liquid red glass and then finished his blowing. This last dipping of +course coated the outside of the blue bubble with red, and when it was +completely blown, cut and opened out, it produced a sheet which was red +on one side and blue on the other. Held up to the light, the red and +blue combined to produce purple. Nor did the glass-blower confine +himself to combinations of two colours, for the writer knows of an +instance in France showing six superimposed coats. The French call this +"verre double" (or lined glass), a very descriptive name. In passing we +may say that although this manner of colouring glass first reached +prominence during the Decorated period, it was but an elaboration of the +way the ruby or red glass had always been made, _i.e._, coated on to the +colourless glass. + +We have said that the earlier canopies did not have pedestals below +them. This lack was soon noted, and the need was felt for something to +complete them below; the first expedient hit upon for this purpose was +shields gay with heraldic tinctures. Not only were these decorative, but +we shall learn at Tewkesbury and Gloucester how valuable they have +proved to be in enabling those learned in heraldry definitely to date +windows whose histories have long since been forgotten. + +It must not be overlooked that the architect had much to do with the +development from the mosaic to the canopy style. He decided to change +from the wide single windows that one sees at Salisbury, and to +substitute for them groups of narrower lights separated only by slender +stone mullions and all bound together at the top and tapered off by a +pyramid of smaller openings called tracery lights. These latter will be +particularly enjoyed by the glass-lover while studying this period, for +the Decorated glazier was singularly happy in his treatment of these +smaller panes--much more so, in fact, than his successor of the +Perpendicular era, who was obliged to conform to the stiff little +pill-boxes provided for him by the architect. The use of vines and +leaves was of great assistance in this problem of treating small +irregular openings; nor were these the only motives--at Wells there is a +very happy use of busts filling small trefoils. + +Besides the canopy treatment, the English glazier of the Decorated +period was very fond of the Tree of Jesse theme, and, as is usually the +case with congenial tasks, obtained most satisfactory results. He used +it to great effect in his broad windows made up of several narrow +lights, separated by slender mullions. The very shape of these windows +invited this design, because a separate branch of the vine bearing its +little personages could be run up each lancet without disturbing the +coherence of the picture. The men of that time used the Tree of Jesse +nearly as much as did their fellow craftsmen across the Channel during +the sixteenth century. In France the descendants of Jesse almost always +appear as blossoms on the vine, but their earlier English prototypes +usually stand in small cartouches formed by convolutions of the vine. +This brings us to yet another reason why the Decorated glazier liked the +Tree of Jesse. We have already stated that he was much given to +introducing leaves, tendrils, &c., done in the natural manner, which, of +course, made him entirely at home in delineating the great vine rising +from the loins of the Patriarch. What success he achieved with this +style of window we shall judge for ourselves at Ludlow, Bristol, and +Wells. + +A convenient touchstone for deciding whether a window belongs to this or +the next period is provided by an examination of the manner in which the +artist executed his shading. It was smeared upon Decorated glass, and a +close inspection will reveal the streaky lines. During the Perpendicular +epoch the shading was stippled on with the end of a brush. + +To recapitulate, the distinctive features of the Decorated epoch may be +enumerated as follows: + + 1. Windows of several lancets, with tracery lights above them. + 2. Decorative treatment of tracery lights. + 3. Yellow stain. + 4. Coated glass (several layers of different colours). + 5. Deep rich colouring. + 6. Canopies. + 7. Use of leaves, vines, &c., copied closely from nature. + 8. Tree of Jesse windows. + 9. Shading which was smeared on. + + +DECORATED TOUR + +Our Decorated tour will lead us far afield through the western part of +the beautiful English country. At the end of the Early English tour we +found ourselves in the interesting walled city of York. There we shall +also begin our study of the succeeding, or Decorated, period. We shall +next strike across to Norbury, in Derbyshire, then on to steep-streeted +Shrewsbury, and thence down through Ludlow with its church and ancient +castle, and stately Hereford beside the Wye to Tewkesbury, and its +ancient neighbour Deerhurst. Gloucester will be passed _en route_, and +then west to smoky Bristol, where the Severn meets the Bristol Channel. +From Bristol it is only a short trip south to Wells, then down to +Exeter, followed by a long one northeasterly to Saxon Dorchester, a few +miles from Oxford. This tour will end in that famous university town, +where, in like manner to the ending of the last tour in York, we shall +find ourselves able to begin the inspection of the next, or +Perpendicular, glass, without leaving the city. + + +YORK + +An account of the Early English glass at York will be found on p. 57. + +The Decorated glass in the cathedral is almost entirely confined to the +nave and the chapter-house (with the vestibule leading thereto). +Notwithstanding their early date, the nave windows are large and afford +more illumination than one would expect at that time. So much wall-space +is used for light apertures that of the entire height of ninety-nine +feet only thirteen feet of stone intervene between the bottom of the +clerestory windows and the top of the main arches. All this portion of +the edifice is dominated by the great west window, given by Archbishop +Melton in 1338, a splendid sheet (fifty-six feet by twenty-five feet) of +highly coloured glass, supported by curvilinear stonework. Its eight +lights retain their original glazing almost intact (as does also the +head of the door below). It is skilfully fitted to the elaborate pattern +of the supporting stone frame. First there is a row of archbishops, then +one of saints, and highest of all a line of smaller personages. The + +[Illustration: MAP OF DECORATED TOUR] + +windows in the west wall at the end of each aisle are of the same +period, and also display excellent workmanship, especially the +Crucifixion in the northern one. It should be remarked that all the +aisle embrasures but two, and all those of the clerestory but two, +retain their original glazing, and if to this we add the windows in the +west wall just described, it is clear that Winston was right in stating +that this nave contains the most perfect and extensive remains in +England of the early part of the fourteenth century. His studious +heraldic analysis of the first window from the east in the north aisle +yields him the conclusion that it was made in 1306 or 1307. He remarks +that the yellow stain there used to tint the hair of one of the +personages is the earliest instance he ever found of the use of that new +colour. Next this on the west is a very charming window given by Richard +Tunnoc, Lord Mayor of York, who died in 1330: above his effigy appears a +small reproduction of this gift window. This is perhaps the finest of +its type in England. It was in honour of the Bell-Founders' Guild, and +is appropriately ornamented by numerous bells in the borders as well as +other parts of the design. For the rest of the Decorated glass we must +go to the chapter-house and the vestibule which leads thereto. It would +be difficult to find a spot in which one becomes so thoroughly imbued +with the feeling of Decorated glazing as in this vestibule. Here we +have no distracting features from other periods. The tall, slender +lancets that light this L-shaped hallway are completely filled with +grisaille overrun with archaic figures and crude canopies, here +displayed to the greatest advantage. Passing through to the handsome +octagonal chapter-house, we are at first disappointed to notice that the +window facing us contains modern glass. Although this first glance is +unfortunate, one is soon consoled by observing that all the other six +have excellent Decorated glazing of the time of Edward II. and III., +showing four bands of late medallions in colour drawn across a grisaille +background livened with occasional touches of red and blue. The +grisaille here leans to grey rather than to the usual greenish hue, and +moreover, the quarries are cut into irregular shapes, thus relieving the +monotony of the commoner diamond-shaped panes. + + [Illustration: _F. Valentine, photo._ + CHAPTER-HOUSE, YORK MINSTER + Note the grouping together, in each embrasure, of five narrow + lights below gracefully elaborated tracery openings. Later on, + in the Perpendicular period, these traceries lose their + individuality, become stiffly regular, and part of the window + below] + +Even if the vast Minster were not one of the world's greatest +treasure-houses of glass, the many smaller churches of York would +provide ample grounds for its being included in this book of tours. So +numerous are these churches that, in several instances, there are found +to be more than one dedicated to the same saint, and therefore the +pilgrim will do well to note carefully the name of street or gate placed +after that of the saint's to indicate which one is intended. The most +interesting of these modest shrines is All Saints' (or, as it is +sometimes called, All Hallows'), in North Street. It alone is well worth +a visit to York. Not only is its Decorated glass in excellent repair and +in satisfactory quantity, but it evidences such careful attention to the +little touches which make a window successful that one concludes the +best artists must have been employed in its manufacture. For example, +the canopies in the eastern embrasure of the north aisle have pedestals +beneath them, a most unusual feature at that early date. Furthermore, +the scenes from the life of the Virgin are depicted in a very careful +manner, not only appearing in the three lancets below, but in the three +major lights of the traceries above, although not there surrounded by +canopies as below. Older than this window, but also typically Decorated, +is that at the east end of the south aisle. The brassy tint is more +noticeable in the canopies which run in two bands across its three +lancets, and the canopies themselves are cruder in drawing than those +just described, but are excellently illustrative of their period. These +two windows are assisted in their service of beauty by the fact that the +embrasures about them are not burdened with modern mistakes, but were +glazed during the Perpendicular period. Reference will be made to this +later glass further on (_see_ p. 188); although much more famous than +its earlier neighbours, it is not a whit more satisfactory. These two +sets contrive to set each other off in admirable fashion, and together +they effect a delightful illumination for this interesting church. + +St. Dennis (Walmgate) has already been mentioned for its two Early +English panels (p. 63), but its chief interest lies in the really fine +Decorated remains. On entering you will not long be detained by the +fragments of Perpendicular canopies that are gathered into parts of the +central eastern window and two other embrasures, but will pass on to the +north aisle. The three most easterly windows in the north wall taken +with the eastern one of that aisle provide an excellent exposition of +the glazier's art during the epoch we are now considering. The eastern +one has a fairly well preserved Tree of Jesse, filling all of its five +lancets, except just along the lower sill. Note the green vine and the +use of many green leaves. Turning to the three lights in the north +wall we find the usual brassy canopies against a quarry background, +surrounded by a coloured border. The traceries, too, show the most +approved treatment of leaves, green vines, &c., as well as some small +heads. The diminutive kneeling donors on the quarry-panes below are very +interesting; note the pendent sleeves, and especially the tiny gift +window held up by one of these little people. It is upon the central +lancet of one of these windows that we find the two Early English +panels. + +St. Martin-cum-Gregory boasts of ten windows of Decorated work, mostly +small brassy canopies enclosing coloured figures, all placed upon a +background of quarries. The best is that at the east end of the south +aisle; across its three lancets is carried a row of canopies larger than +then generally drawn--in fact, the space usually occupied by quarries at +the upper parts of the lights is here pre-empted by the lofty pinnacles +of the canopies; the quarries appear below, as usual, and upon them in +the two outer lancets are the small kneeling donors. Under the centre +canopy is St. Martin dividing his cloak with a beggar, and above in the +flowing tracery lights are kneeling angels. This window is rendered +especially brilliant by the generous use of red in the backgrounds. +There is also some unimportant Perpendicular glass in this church (_see_ +p. 185). + + +NORBURY + +Tucked away within the Peak of Derbyshire there is a "Happy Valley" +wherein, embowered in green woods and pleasant pastures, lie Chatsworth +and Haddon Hall, well known to and well beloved of all industrious +tourists. Sweeping around this valley as a protecting wall are rolling +hills, whose bare summits have their sombre treeless austerity clothed +by a mantle of purple heather. Not very far to the south of this +protecting girdle lies a little group of houses called Norbury, nestled +alongside a leaping stream that comes down from above. In the midst of +this hamlet stands a small church which knows not the industrious +tourist aforesaid, but to which we counsel the enlightened and eclectic +pilgrims of our company to repair. The chancel here is a delicious +morsel preserved for us out of the fourteenth century, complete, +enchanting. In its midst are stationed two splendid marble tombs, one +double, and both of the most exquisite workmanship. Upon them are +stretched the life-size effigies of the deceased, while along the sides +are sculptured in high relief angels supporting shields. Around the +walls runs mellow wood panelling, set off by carved oak stalls of great +beauty. To complete the picture the many windows which light the chancel +contain some of the finest Decorated pattern glass in England. Nor does +the quantity of it yield in any respect to the high quality. There are +four three-lanceted windows on each side, while a larger one of five +lights completely fills the eastern end. In those few parts of the +surface which have lost their original glazing, no attempt at modern +restoration has been made, but the space has been quite simply filled +with white glass. Across the pattern of the east window have been drawn +two bands of very light-hued figures (lacking the usual canopies) and +harmonising agreeably with the decorous tints of the background. Labels +appear above the heads. The figures in the upper row are slightly larger +than those below. Turning to the side windows, nothing of their type +could be more attractive than the graceful grisaille patterns pricked +out with points of colour and surrounded by broad borders which, in +diminished scale, are carried up, into and around the tracery lights. +Very satisfactory use of blue is made, and that, too, in an unusually +free manner. The heraldic blazons placed upon the panes add materially +to the charm of the glazing, and in very decorative fashion preserve the +names of the donors. Although a special emphasis has been deservedly +laid upon this altogether lovely chancel, the pilgrim must not leave the +church without a peep into the diminutive chapel that opens off to the +south. Here we shall see a cross-legged Crusader lying in effigy upon +his place of last repose. The light that falls upon him streams through +two small windows, one on the east and the other on the south, both +having three lancets. These lancets each contain a saint framed in a +Perpendicular canopy, while below, in the center, an armorial shield +separates two kneeling groups of donors. The southerly window shows the +father with two sons on one side, and the mother similarly attended by +her daughters on the other; while on the easterly lancets the father is +accompanied by no less than eight sons and the mother by five +daughters--a goodly company, and one which would have alarmed the +philosopher Malthus. Note the steeple head-dresses of the women, pendent +behind. "Tell it not in Gath" that this charming sanctuary lies hidden +away in Derbyshire, come away privately with us and enjoy its beauties +undisturbed--"Odi profanum vulgus et arceo." + + +SHREWSBURY + + _"High the vanes of Shrewsbury gleam + Islanded in Severn stream; + The bridges from the steepled crest + Cross the water east and west._ + + _The flag of morn in conqueror's state + Enters at the English gate; + The vanquished eve, as night prevails, + Bleeds upon the road to Wales."_ + +So sang the "Shropshire Lad" (A. E. Housman) concerning that fair city +of the Welsh Marches, high-perched Shrewsbury. Most picturesque is the +fashion in which the river Severn knots itself about the foot of the +high peninsula upon which the town has been built, and to which access +is given by the two ancient bridges, named English and Welsh from the +direction in which they lead. The Kirkland Bridge is an addition of +modern times. Thoroughly mediaeval is the impression one receives as he +approaches and enters Shrewsbury. In the first place, the passage of a +bridge always affords an excellent adjustment of the traveller's mental +attitude; it lends a certain aloofness to the town on the other side. +It seems to say, "We are letting you across the natural barrier +established for us by this river; but remember, it is a privilege, and +not a right!" Directly we are arrived on the other side, there commences +the ascent of the steep streets, and on the way up there is unfolded +before us a series of old white and black half-timbered houses, which +will serve to complete the mental picture of those distant days when +protecting rivers and steep streets were not eschewed on the grounds of +inconveniencing the city's prospective growth. Safety was then vastly +more important than commercial convenience. That features hampering to +modern commerce were exactly suited to a border stronghold was proved by +the way this town withstood shock after shock of warring tribes, or +nations, or factions. In his play of _Henry IV._, Shakespeare tells how +the Prince of Wales here made his sudden transformation from dissolute +youth to resolute manhood by defeating and slaying Harry Hotspur, thus +in one day quelling the mutinous combination of the Scotch, the Welsh +under Owen Glendower, and the rebellious English Archbishop Scrope of +York. Quaint and ancient to the last degree is the flavour of this old +city, which has owned, first and last, thirty-one charters. Those +interested in half-timbered dwellings will do well to come here and +inspect their number, variety, and excellent state of preservation. +Perhaps the best are around Wye Cop, passed on the way up the steep +streets. The remains of the ancient castle and walls add still other +picturesque features to this artistically noteworthy town. An inspection +of St. Mary's Church brings home to us the fact that as this was a +fortress city, ground could not be spared to provide the usual Close +which so pleasantly surrounds most English churches; in fact, this +modest sanctuary is so set upon by other buildings that it seems almost +to shrink from public gaze. An outpost occupying a strategic position on +an embattled frontier required every foot of ground within its walls, +and could devote no space to artistic surroundings, even for a church. +St. Mary's is very rich in glass, and that, too, of varied epochs and +styles. Fortunately alike for that church and for us, the Rev. W. G. +Rowlands (Vicar from 1825 to 1850), was a discriminating collector of +stained glass. He secured not only the great St. Bernard window (of +which we will speak later), but also much of the other glass that +decorates the interior. We will begin our examination by inspecting the +large east window, which displays a fourteenth century Tree of Jesse in +the usual Decorated manner, of which we shall see prototypes at Ludlow, +Bristol, and Wells. Jesse is reclining across the bottom of three of the +lancets, the convolutions of the vine arising from him forming series +of oval enclosures in which appear his descendants. Note the skilful use +of the leads in providing the black outlines needed to draw the figure +of Jesse. In the row of panels below appear small figures of the donors. +The fine reds and blues are hurt by the use of too much green--a common +fault at that time. We must look to the nave windows (all of three +lancets) for the other glazing of that period. The middle embrasure on +the northerly side is beautified by the tasteful use of written scrolls, +which wind about the figures and the columns of simulated architecture. +Scrolls are also used in the next one to the east, but there they are +not so important a part of the decoration. On the southerly side of the +nave the embrasures nearest to the west and to the east have single +figures in canopy. That to the east displays shields below the figures, +a decoration which is absent in the western one. The central window on +this side dates from the sixteenth century, and is the best of that +period here. It contains three subjects in each side lancet, and two in +the central one. Such intelligent use has been made of the leads that +one concludes that the men who made the designs, and they who +constructed the window, were either identical or else worked side by +side. The result forms a pleasing contrast to the usual disregard during +the Renaissance for the decorative and useful purposes of the leads. +The most interesting and pleasing of all the windows is the large one of +three lancets on the north side of the choir showing fourteen scenes +from the life of St. Bernard, six in the central lancet, and four in +each of the side ones. Four more episodes from the same life are to be +seen in the middle one of the south aisle. This glass, originally in the +German Abbey of Altenberg, and then for many years in the vaults of St. +Severin at Cologne, was finally brought to London, where it was secured +for St. Mary's by the Rev. Mr. Rowlands. The designs are attributed to +Albrecht Duerer, but this is a common claim for German glass of that +time. The perspective throughout is good, and the colouring very +satisfactory. An unusual charm is added to the little figures by the use +of Latin labels issuing from their mouths. There are also inscriptions +below most of them, but these are frequently mutilated and misplaced. If +proof were needed that this glass was not specially constructed for its +present location, it is provided by the fact that the scenes do not +follow in their proper order. A field-glass can be had on application to +the clerk, and the use of it reveals many interesting and amusing +details. The second window on the east in the chapel, south of the +choir, has in its tracery-lights written music carried by angels. The +pilgrim will later observe a great deal of this in the Beauchamp +Chapel at Warwick. Although rare in England, it is rarer still in +France. A fine sixteenth-century Crucifixion scene, covering three +lancets, decorates the north window just off the north transept. +In the modest-sized east window of this transept are twelve small +sixteenth-century enamel panels placed on white, a demonstration of yet +another style of that later period. The rest of the glazing in St. +Mary's is either modern or so completely repaired with new glass as to +have lost all its ancient feeling. An inspection of this church would +not be complete without observing the fine wooden ceilings of both the +nave and the choir. + +Devotees of the Ingoldsby Legends will remember that when the Great Dog +in the castle of "Bloudie Jacke of Shrewsberrie" was about to seize upon +Mary Anne, she vicariously appeased him with: + + "A Shrewsbury cake, of Pallin's own make, + Which she happened to take + Ere her run she begun, + She'd been used to a luncheon at One." + +Mindful of this dainty's historic existence, the traveller will +doubtless regale himself therewith, that product of the town being as +excellent and famous to-day as ever it was of yore. + +From Shrewsbury our route lies southward over that centuries-old +battle-ground, the Welsh Marches. We shall find not only much +architectural beauty and fine glass, but also many inspiring memories of +the border warfare whose bitterness lasted so many centuries. + + +LUDLOW + +Perched high in a strong position at a bend in the River Teme rises the +noble ruin of what was once the castle of Ludlow, visible from quite a +distance, no matter from which direction one approaches it along the +winding Shropshire lanes. It still retains enough of its ancient walls +and towers to demonstrate what valiant service it must have rendered in +keeping the turbulent Welsh back on their own side of the Border. Nor is +the note of war the only one that echoes from the early history of this +castle, for in its great hall was enacted for the first time Milton's +"Comus." After a brief visit to the castle let us wend our way to St. +Lawrence's Church in the town, for which an effective and judicious +restoration has revived much of its original charm. A diverting legend +relates that the arrow at the top of the north transept gable was shot +hither by Robin Hood from the Old Field two miles away. Although many of +the parishioners devoutly believe this to be true, it strikes the modern +traveller that the great outlaw must on that occasion have drawn a very +"long bow"! The ancient appearance of the fine hexagonal porch with the +room above it makes a most inviting entrance. We shall find our glass +in unusual parts of the church, nor is this the only unique feature +of the edifice. The Lady chapel is not at the east, but at the south +side of the chancel; in it is an interesting Tree of Jesse in the +approved Decorated method, very like the one we have just seen at +Shrewsbury. Unfortunately, the restorer has here been too thorough, but, +nevertheless, the pattern has been preserved, and also many of the +figures, for example, those just above the head and feet of Jesse. +He lies recumbent along the bottom of three of the five lancets +which compose the window, while above, in compartments formed by the +convolutions of the vine, are his descendants. In accordance with the +common practice, too much green was used. Although the chancel does not +as usual afford the greatest attraction in the way of glazing, we must +observe an interesting fifteenth century window in the middle of the +southerly wall. Its five lancets each contain three tiers of figures in +canopy, the details of which are much elaborated, especially in the +pedestals. Notice also the jewelled borders to the robes. The red and +blue glass is free from obscuring paint. Although our principal object +was the Decorated glass, this church would repay a visit because of the +Perpendicular glazing of the chapel of St. John which lies north of the +chancel, from which it is shut off by a beautiful fifteenth century +screen. The two most easterly windows in the north wall are much lower +in tone than either the very golden Annunciation which adjoins them on +the west, or the red, white and blue legend of Edward the Confessor and +the Palmers, which is round the corner in the east wall. This latter +dates from about 1430 and has two tiers of canopies across its four +lancets. There is here illustrated an absurd contradiction into which +this originally graceful style was developed;--within one of its +elaborately pinnacled shrines we find a ship! and under another a rural +scene with trees! most out-of-place substitutes for the customary and +appropriate saint. Let us return to the two low-toned windows in the +north wall, of which we have just spoken. The writer does not remember +ever having seen any similar to them. Each embrasure has three lancets +subdivided horizontally at the middle, making six spaces. The two +windows thus afford twelve panels, which are used to display the Twelve +Apostles. Local tradition says that there is here represented the +Council at which the Apostolic Creed was composed. Each holy man sits on +a bench behind a rail, but as they are drawn to a modest scale and +occupy each the centre of his panel, they are thereby so far removed +one from the other as to destroy utterly any appearance of a Council. +There is a great deal of soft-hued architecture throughout, but it is +used as background and not as a frame, thus differing radically from +typical canopies. A more satisfactory result would have been attained if +they had adhered closely to contemporary tradition, for here the +figures, low-hued as they are, start out too abruptly from the +over-spacious architectural background. The general effect is not that +of a series of gracefully framed Apostolic portraits, but of lonely +figures seated in empty halls. If for no other reason than that they +have provoked this criticism, these windows should be carefully +remarked, because they demonstrate how sound was the theory of employing +the architectural canopy as a light-admitting frame for the coloured +central figure. The east window of the south transept contains fragments +of fourteenth and fifteenth century glass from other parts of the +church. The wooden ceilings are well worthy of inspection. + + +HEREFORD + +A very charming feature of English country life is the pleasure one can +derive from boating on the small rivers. Our American watercourses are +generally too wide or too turbulent to become such a domestic pet as we +all know the river Thames to be. To one who has not seen Boulter's Lock +on a bright Sunday, or who has never witnessed a Henley Regatta, that +most brilliant of all athletic spectacles, it would be difficult to +explain how thoroughly the Englishman enjoys and how constantly he uses +the opportunity which Father Thames affords for a short outing. Nor is +the Thames the only stream thus available. Small watercourses of the +same sort are to be found all over the country, and afford delightful +trips for those who are willing to travel in so leisurely a fashion. The +writer remembers with the keenest pleasure certain canoe trips, one of +three days from Bedford to Ely on the Ouse, another on the Stour, from +Sudbury to Manningtree, lasting two days, and a third of similar +duration from Petworth down the Rother into the Arun at Pullborough and +thence to Arundel. All the preparation necessary is to buy your canoe a +third-class ticket, put it into the luggage van at the railway station, +and set out for the point at which you wish to begin. Jerome K. Jerome +has immortalised a similar trip taken down the Thames from Oxford to +London. One of the most charming of all English river journeys is that +down the Wye. If one wishes to take a long trip, the start can be made +at Hay, thirty-four miles above Hereford, or perhaps better at Whitney, +twenty-eight miles above. The next stretch is from Hereford to Ross, +twenty-seven miles, and, if desired, this can be lengthened by +continuing on down to Monmouth, Tintern and Chepstow. The charming bits +of scenery that unfold themselves as this little river lazily winds down +the Welsh Marches are most varied and delightful. It must, however, be +admitted that it is only the middle section of this agreeable trip that +properly concerns one engaged in glass-hunting. We should, therefore, +content ourselves with the stretch from Hereford to Ross, twenty-seven +miles, if, indeed, we have the time to devote to this slow method of +travelling. Over by the river end of the peaceful town of Hereford is +the lovely green Close which lies about the sturdy reddish brown +cathedral. Few churches, even those of great size, give such a square +and solid impression as results here from the combination of the ruddy +tones of the building material and the early type of its architecture. +The defacing effects of an earlier restoration are being rectified by +the erection of a new west front, now almost completed. The massive +Norman columns that support the nave within, carry out in their grand +simplicity the sturdy promise of the exterior. Every division of the +church seems spacious, the ample transepts, wide choir aisles, and large +Lady chapel, completing the effect begun by the nave and choir. Indeed, +so commodious is the Lady chapel, that it is used as a parish church. +The cathedral has a number of interesting possessions, chief among which +is the large Mappa Mundi made in 1300, and showing the world as then +known. It hangs in the south choir aisle. The world is represented as +round like a plate, and in addition to the cities and countries marked +thereon, there also appear the fabulous animals which were then a part +of orthodox geography. It was about this time that there was written the +adventures of that famous traveller, Sir John de Maundeville, whose +voyages were only exceeded in extent by his imagination. His reports of +fabulous beasts, &c., are in excellent accord with the pictures on this +map. + +The ancient glass here is somewhat limited, and is all of the Decorated +period. On the south side of the Lady chapel we shall remark two +windows, chiefly glazed in greenish grisaille, but each bearing four +coloured decorations placed one above the other. In one case these prove +to be geometrical designs outlined in colour, while in the other they +are small coloured groups, the topmost scene showing Christ, on a red +background, pointing upward. Glass even more typically Decorated is to +be seen in the eastern wall of the north-east transept, and again in the +most easterly embrasure of the south choir ambulatory. These windows +each contain four lancets surmounted by tracery lights, and in each +lancet is a coloured figure framed in an unusually lofty canopy--in fact +the latter is three times as high as the figure it encloses. Note the +brassy tone of the early golden stain used in the architecture. Modern +grisaille has replaced its ancient prototype, which, in accordance with +the conventions, surrounded these early canopies to increase the +light-admitting power of the embrasures. This glass was formerly in St. +Peter's Church, but about sixty years ago that church disposed of it for +L5 to a purchaser who presented it to the cathedral. Limited though it +be in amount, it will repay a careful examination. + + +TEWKESBURY + +As one wanders through the streets of quiet Tewkesbury, the +half-timbered houses on every side lend it an Old World flavour that +most suitably prepares us for the sturdy Abbey, the dignity of whose +recessed west front is all in harmony with the mediaeval gravity so +characteristic of the place. It is as if that eloquently silent edifice +had never been able to shake off the sombre memories of the sanguinary +scenes enacted within it May 4, 1471, when, after the defeat of the +Lancastrians under the Duke of Somerset by Edward IV. in the "Bloody +Meadow" just outside the town, the slaughter of the wearers of the Red +Rose was not only carried on through the streets of Tewkesbury, but +even into the Abbey itself. An echo of this butchery is heard in +Shakespeare's _Richard III._, when the ghost of the murdered Prince +Edward (son of Henry VI.) appears to King Richard the night before the +fatal battle of Bosworth and cries out: + + "Let me sit heavy on thy soul to-morrow! + Think, how thou stabb'st me in the prime of youth + At Tewkesbury." + +With what reproach must not that splendid row of fourteenth century +knights, victors over the French at Crecy, have looked down from the +windows of the choir clerestory upon this bloody violation of the rights +of sanctuary by those fifteenth century butchers of the House of York. +Indeed, these effigies of the earlier warriors were fortunate to have +escaped those later desperate struggles. The ravages of war do not seem +to have dealt so harshly with stained glass in this country as +elsewhere. A learned French contemporary of these tragic events, +Philippe de Comines, remarked this fact, and spoke of England as a land +where "there are no buildings destroyed or demolished by war, and where +the mischief falls on those who make the wars." Although Tewkesbury's +fame in history rests largely upon its having been the theatre of this +wild closing scene of the War of the Roses, it is not because of any +fifteenth century happening that we are moved to come here, but by +reason of the seven large windows of the preceding, or Decorated, period +which fill the choir clerestory. This is one of the few instances where +we shall remark the absence of the square eastern end so usual in +England. It is here omitted in favour of the rounded apse then prevalent +in France. Advantage has been taken of this unusual shape to throw out a +series of chapels around the chancel, which add greatly to the beauty of +the Decorated choir, and contrast sharply with the sturdy Norman nave. +The seven large embrasures that light the choir clerestory each contain +a group of lancets, five in every case, except in the most westerly +pair, where there are but four. Although the design is the same +throughout (a large figure in colour surrounded by a canopy frame), +these frames are differently occupied, those in the westerly pair +containing armoured knights, while in all the others are saints. The +depth of their colour scheme is due partly to the great quantity of rich +greens and reds used, and partly to the opacity of the panes depicting +the canopies. The figures generally occupy about one half the window +height, the rest being given over to the canopy. Below the feet of the +knights are their shields, which serve to provide the artistic balance +later obtained from pedestals. The same conventional attitude has been +assumed for all these warriors; each stands with his feet well apart, +his left hand on the sword by his side, the right hand on the hip, +holding up a sceptre. The pinnacles of almost all the canopies are +outlined against red backgrounds. Note the little rose windows +introduced in the upper part of the canopies. The most easterly window +provides a variation in that the enshrined saints are higher up on the +panes, thus making room below them for small groups consisting mostly of +naked figures, with flesh tints glazed in brown. The right-hand lancet +shows six kneeling figures praying, doubtless the donors. The borders +are carried up and around all the tracery lights, which are very +Decorated in form and do not yet show any hint of the stiffer +Perpendicular treatment to follow. Perhaps here more effectively than +anywhere in England shall we feel the warm colour-value of Decorated +glass, with as yet no tendency toward the paler tints that are to come +with the Perpendicular style. A similar warmth of tone is to be remarked +in the east windows of Bristol and Wells Cathedrals, and the writer is +moved to conjecture that the same glazier had to do with all these +three. This conjecture is not only based on the still undiminished +strength of colour throughout them all, but also on the marked +similarity in the drawing and tinting of a certain white vine decoration +upon a red ground, to be remarked in the upper tracery lights of +all three, and also in the traceries of certain transept windows +at Gloucester. Whoever this workman was, we feel his results so +satisfactory to-day that it would be small wonder if contemporary +appreciation caused his employment in these different towns. + + [Illustration: CHOIR, TEWKESBURY ABBEY + A rare example of rounded apse, generally replaced in England by + a square ended chancel. Chief charm of these windows is their + rich colouring] + + +DEERHURST + +Possibly some of our travellers are proceeding in so leisurely a fashion +that they may decide to sojourn a day or two in Tewkesbury. To them we +address the suggestion that they visit the adjoining town of Deerhurst +and see its venerable church. It is but a two-mile walk across the +fields, or a pleasant trip by boat on the Severn. It may, however, by +means of a small _detour_, be visited on the way to Gloucester. Although +it can boast of but little Decorated glass, that little is lodged in an +edifice of great interest, because it is the earliest dated one in +England. The obviously Saxon architecture, with its "herring-bone" and +"long and short" work, the window-tops composed of two slanting stones, +or else of arches cut from one piece--these unmistakable signs would +have told us that it antedated the Normans, but of such buildings there +are many in this country. Here, however, we have an exact date given us, +and, furthermore, the earliest known in all the land. A stone found here +(now preserved at Oxford) relates that this chapel was dedicated in +1056, and that Earl Odda caused it to be erected "in honour of the Holy +Trinity and for the good of the soul of his brother, Elfric, which at +this place quitted the body." It goes on further to say that "Bishop +Ealdred dedicated it on 12th April in the 14th year of Edward King of +the English." Two other early Saxon edifices of even more modest +dimensions lie close at hand. The ancient glass is contained in the four +small lancets of the west wall on the right as one enters, and is +obviously of the Decorated period. The most attractive bit is the small +panel showing St. Catherine framed in a canopy, holding her wheel in one +hand, and revolving it with the other. The background is red within the +canopy, but green outside, a very frequent adjustment at that time. In +both the upper and lower parts of these lancets are groups of three and +four kneeling donors, about eight inches high, with labels above them. +This glass has not always remained in its original embrasures, but, +fortunately, did not stray far. Its travels were cut short by a +gentleman who purchased it for L5 from an antiquary's shop in a +neighbouring town, and restored it to its early home. More important and +more beautiful sanctuaries will be encountered in our travels, but it is +well to have halted for even a brief time at this ancient Saxon fane, if +only to ponder upon how tenacious must have been the traits of those +early ancestors of ours, to have persisted to these modern days with +such vigour as to have made the adjective "Anglo-Saxon" so significant. + + +BRISTOL + +Bristol is connected with London by the Old Bath Road. What memories +that name arouses of beaux and belles of stage-coach days, gaily +chatting to while away the fifteen-hour trip from London to Bath, or +furtively glancing out to see if bold Dick Turpin, or some gentleman of +his profession, be not lurking in the shadows of the trees, intent on +relieving the tired horses by lightening the passengers' luggage. This +stage-coach period is of peculiar interest to visitors from across the +seas, because it takes one back to old Colony days, and the War of the +Revolution. In England the improved facilities of travel provided by the +stage coach had much to do with advancing parliamentary government and +doing away with the system of "rotten borough" representation in +Parliament. Bustling and hearty days were those of the four Georges, +which produced a Prime Minister like William Pitt. In this progressive +era of railroad construction and stock manipulation, it is interesting +to read how Richard Palmer besought the Government to establish a +regular mail-coach service on the Bath Road, alleging the great profits +they could thereby secure, but really hoping in this way to increase the +profits of his theatre in Bath. After a long struggle he finally got the +ear of William Pitt. The service was established, and his subsidy (which +was to be regulated by the amount saved in carrying the mails) proved so +large that they cut it down to the lump sum of L50,000! The first coach +started on August 8, 1784. Nowadays it causes us to smile when we read +of the tremendous effect produced throughout the country by the news +that this coach left London at eight o'clock in the morning and arrived +at Bristol at eleven the same evening! Such unheard-of speed aroused +wide interest, and had much to do with the great success of Bath as a +fashionable watering-place. Bowling along this historic road we shall +only stop long enough at Bath to see the remains of the baths built by +the Romans, and the famous Pump Room, the scene of the triumphs of Beau +Nash, and many another. We may also take a peep into the small, but +fine, church whose great window surface has earned for it the title of +the "Lantern of the West." It will not detain us long because its glass +is all modern, except in the second embrasure from the west in the north +aisle, where seven shields surmounted by elaborately plumed helmets are +agreeably disposed across the five lancets. On we go out of Bath and +along the narrow valley of the Avon, twelve miles further to smoky +Bristol, squatted like a puffing Dutch burgher at the point where the +Severn empties into the Bristol Channel. Although the great shipping +industry that gave the town its early importance has of late years +diminished, it still retains enough to be an active port of trade. To +some fanciful folk the pall of smoke that hangs over the town may seem a +gloomy retribution for the fact that from the days of the Saxon and the +Norman down to the abolition of slavery, Bristol was the greatest port +in England for that nefarious traffic. Changing to a brighter subject, +this was the harbour from which John Cabot, the Anglicised Venetian, and +his son Sebastian (who was born here), sailed upon their voyages of +discovery across the little-known Atlantic. + +The Mayor's Chapel contains some very interesting sixteenth century +glass, but as it was bought abroad and fetched here, it has not, for us, +the interest which we shall feel in the home-made Decorated windows of +the cathedral. Bristol Cathedral lacks the pleasing setting of foliage +and green lawns which one finds about almost every English church. +Indeed, in this respect, it is more like the famous French ones, which +nearly all rely upon architectural charm for their effectiveness. +Inside, the chief matters of interest are the great Tree of Jesse which +fills the east window, and the two large lights on each side of the +chancel. These side windows are glazed in grisaille upon which are +figures framed in canopy, two tiers, one above the other. The most +westerly embrasure of the southerly pair has in its upper row three +canopies which, taken together, show the martyrdom of St. Edmund. He is +within the central canopy, while those on each side contain archers +drawing their bows to shoot at him. The bent knees, the awkward pose of +the heads, &c., show the drawing to be most primitive. The tracery +lights are glazed in red, with white winding vines, and are remarkably +like the traceries at Tewkesbury. The Berkeleys, who gave this glass, +were related to the de Clares of Tewkesbury, so it is more than likely +that they employed the same glazier. The great east window is in a very +good state owing to its restoration in 1847 and is a graceful work of +the Decorated period. The erudite Winston concludes that as it does not +bear the arms of Piers Gaveston (murdered in 1312), and does show those +of Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford (slain in open rebellion against +his sovereign in 1322), the date of the window is probably about 1320, +which furthermore is borne out by internal evidence. This great window +rises above and behind the altar and has its nine lancets subdivided +into three groups of three each by two mullions which, as was usual at +that time, curve away from each other when nearing the upper part of the +embrasure. Although the subject is a Tree of Jesse, the patriarch +himself does not appear. The various branches of the vine rise +perpendicularly from the lower sill and are then gracefully intertwined. +The treatment of the personages is the same throughout, each being +enclosed by a loop of the vine. The 1847 restoration was so well done +that except for an occasional harsh note of colour in the robes, it +conceals its modern substitutions quite successfully. The lancets each +contain two figures, one above the other. It is fair to comment that the +encircling vine is rather too light to harmonise well with the figures +in the background. + +After descending the hill, crowned by the cathedral, we cross over into +the other part of the town to see the fine church of St. Mary Redcliffe, +where, although there is but little glass, that little is arranged in a +unique manner. Each of the three easterly windows of the south transept +consists of three lancets. For each window there is provided a border +consisting of a series of fifteen small four-pointed openings fitted +over it in the shape of an inverted U. The glazing of these stars +reminds one of the ordinary Decorated treatment of tracery lights. +Within a narrow border is a red field upon the centre of which appears a +coloured boss from which radiate four leaves. The general effect is a +yellowish green. These windows date from about 1360. On the way out let +us stop in the north-west corner of the nave and notice in the north +wall a window filled with a collection of about eighty-five roundels and +heads, all helter-skelter, eked out with fragments from other +embrasures. The effect, though motley, is interesting. A window in the +westerly wall of this corner also contains _debris_, but here it is of +figures and canopies. This church, called by Queen Elizabeth "the +fairest, the goodliest, and the most famous parish church in England," +is chiefly known for having been the literary browsing-ground of that +infant prodigy Thomas Chatterton, who announced that it was an old chest +in its muniment-room that yielded what he alleged to be transcriptions +from certain ancient Rowley manuscripts. So well were these forgeries +contrived that it took Horace Walpole, himself the constructor of an +imitation Gothic romance ("The Castle of Otranto"), to discover the +fraud. Although but seventeen years old when he committed suicide in +1770, Chatterton had already published a number of writings. No good +American should depart without a glance at the monument and armour of +Admiral Penn, father of our William Penn. + +It will be no small relief to emerge from the smoky pall which hangs +over this enterprising city and escape again into the clearer atmosphere +of the charming English country. + + +WELLS + +Off in Somerset, snugly tucked away at the foot of the Mendip Hills, +lies one of the most charming cathedrals to be seen anywhere, and, in +the opinion of Fergusson, certainly the most beautiful in England. The +fact that it has grouped about it more perfect ecclesiastical buildings +than any other church of its size, and also that the town which grew up +around is very interesting, combine to make Wells a peculiarly +delightful place. The distant prospects of it are very attractive, +whether you stand upon Moulton Hill and look toward its western facade, +or view the eastern end with the group of adjoining buildings from the +top of Thor Hill. Even when you have come down into the quiet town and +the cathedral is near at hand, the approach to it continues to be most +picturesque, first through a battlemented gateway in one corner of the +market square, and then across a lovely lawn shaded by fine trees. The +ample proportions of the rugged west front are saved from the appearance +of excessive breadth because of the perpendicular lines lent by the +buttresses built against it. A most attractive feature of this great +facade is the unusual collection of carved figures beneath canopies with +which, at the close of the thirteenth century, it was lavishly adorned. +There are over six hundred in all, carved of stone from a local quarry, +and originally gilded and coloured. Nearly all are of life-size, and +represent not only Biblical characters, but also kings and queens of the +Saxon, Norman, and Plantagenet dynasties. Within the building the scene +is one of exceptional splendour and beauty. Even what elsewhere might +prove ugly is here turned to artistic account, as, for example, when the +stability of the great central tower demanded a strengthening arch +across the nave at that point, it was rendered a decorative feature by +placing above it another arch inverted so that the lines should sweep +upward as well as downward. An odd and unusual position was selected for +the chapter-house--above and to the north of the chancel--and nothing +could be more delightful than the way in which the old stone stairway +bends gently up to it. East of the chancel is a fine roomy Lady chapel. +The entrance to this chapel is provided by the removal of the lower +third of the east wall of the chancel, the middle third being stone wall +with empty niches, and the upper third a great arched window of seven +lancets containing a Tree of Jesse in the Decorated manner, above +which, in the traceries, is shown the Judgment Day. This is known as the +"Golden Window," and Canon Church calls it "one of the most remarkable +in England for simplicity and harmony and richness of colouring, for the +force of character in the faces, and the stately figures in flowing +mantles of green and ruby and gold, like Arab chiefs; figures such as +some artists in the last Crusading host under Edward might have seen and +designed, and so different from the conventional portraiture of Bible +characters." Although this window is less lofty than the similar one at +Bristol, it does not seem so incomplete and cut off, because we have +here the recumbent figure of Jesse across the bottom of the five central +lancets, a feature lacking at Bristol. Another point of difference is +that the convolutions of the vine do not here enclose the seventeen +figures of the descendants, but instead they stand under canopies, of +which, however, only the topmost ones have pinnacles. The broad borders +have the same design throughout, viz., gold crowns alternated with +colour, which changes from red to blue in each successive lancet. The +backgrounds within the canopies also alternate red and blue, always +contrasting with the colour outside. Almost all the small personages +are draped in either green or yellow, and four have undergarments of +red. Though their colouring is splendid, the figures are rather too +crowded. The two most easterly lights on each side of the chancel are +contemporary with the east window--they are each of three lancets +and contain single figures, occupying about half the height of the +embrasure, and have no pedestals below them. So similar is the treatment +here to that at Bristol that it seems safe to assign the same date to +both (1320). The tracery lights around the choir ambulatory still retain +their Decorated glazing. To the right and left just before we enter the +Lady chapel are single windows containing fragments of ancient glass. +The Lady chapel itself is finely illuminated by five large windows of +five lancets each containing figure and canopy work. One should remark +the unique pedestals consisting of golden lions or bears surmounted by +the characteristic ball-flower ornament. Very interesting, also, are the +tracery lights, which consist of pyramids of small trefoil openings, +four at the base, then three, then two, then one. They are reminiscent +of the tracery lights of the Lichfield Lady chapel, but here the glazier +has been more adroit in the use of his opportunities. Instead of putting +a head alone in each opening, he has availed himself of the broader +space at the bottom to put in the shoulders as well. These little busts +adjust themselves admirably to the trefoils. Although the glass which +once filled the octagonal chapter-house is all gone save that up in the +traceries, those remnants are of interest because the disposal of the +designs against the red backgrounds is reminiscent of the work at +Tewkesbury and Gloucester. The great west window of the nave has +seventeenth and eighteenth century glass at the sides, and in the centre +a fine sixteenth century French panel showing the beheading of St. John. +This bears the date 1507 and a Gascon inscription, and was bought by +Bishop Creyghton during the time that he was sharing the exile of +Charles II. on the Continent. This provokes the comment that not only +is there a small amount of sixteenth century glass in England, but +curiously enough much of it proves upon inspection to have been made +across the Channel. Before leaving this noble interior one should notice +a feature of quaint interest. In the south choir aisle stands the +monument to Bishop Bytton (1524), long renowned for his cures of +toothache. After his canonisation this tomb was resorted to by pilgrims +seeking relief from that malady, and so famous were the cures that we +find carved upon the capitals of piers on the west side of the south +transept, and again in the north transept, little men whose sufferings +from toothache are reproduced in the most detailed and dramatic manner. + + [Illustration: "GOLDEN WINDOW," WELLS CATHEDRAL + Notice graceful setting, permitting a glimpse through into the + Lady Chapel beyond. The large Tree of Jesse rising from the + loins of the Patriarch is portrayed in colours of almost + barbaric richness] + +No matter by which road we leave Wells, one should look back more than +once to enjoy the charming views of the cathedral and its Close. + + +EXETER + +In travelling about England one is struck by how greatly the colour of +the building-stone varies. One sees greenish grey around Tavistock in +West Devon; golden brown in the country just north of Oxford; +silver-grey in many parts of Yorkshire, &c. &c. One might continue to +enumerate instances, but in the end the most marked of all would surely +be the red seen about Exeter. Not only are many of the edifices built of +this ruddy stone, but the earth in any ploughed field thereabouts shows +the same unusual colouring. The Normans must have been struck by this +fact, for they called the hill on which they built their castle +"Rougemont." In view of this marked peculiarity of the Exe Valley, it is +noteworthy that the exterior of the rugged cathedral, with its mighty +transeptal towers, is blackish grey. Within, it shows the reddish hue +which one would expect hereabouts, but outside is similar in tone to +Westminster Abbey. If one be so whimsically-minded as to group +cathedrals by colour, one must class Exeter with Peterborough as black, +while Lincoln will be golden brown, York and Canterbury soft grey, &c. +&c. + +Very fine as well as decorative glass is to be seen in this cathedral. +It fills the east window, and another near it in the north choir +clerestory, as well as a large window in each of the chapels that close +the easterly end of the choir aisles. These charming little chapels are +each reached by an entrance from the choir ambulatory, and are only +separated from the Lady chapel between them by a light screen. The east +window of the northerly chapel has five lancets, although the glass was +seemingly made for one of six, the number which still exists in that of +the southerly chapel. The treatment in both is the same, a handsome and +well-balanced combination of quarry-panes relieved by gaily-tinted +heraldic shields, and all surrounded by coloured borders. In the +northerly chapel there has been introduced into the central lancet a +Decorated panel, showing a kneeling chantry priest within a canopy +praying for the donor. This appears to have been removed hither from the +chapter-house, where there still remain a couple of similar panels. The +two windows just described are excellent examples of one of the glazing +methods of the epoch, while of still another style (the figure in +canopy), equally good ones are above in the choir clerestory, the fourth +from the east on the north side showing in each of its four lancets a +figure under a canopy with a shield of arms at the feet. It is +practically complete, except that the shields have lost their heraldic +bearings. + + [Illustration: EAST WINDOW, EXETER CATHEDRAL + Perpendicular stone frame glazed chiefly with very typically + decorated figure-and-canopy glass preserved from the earlier and + smaller window. Below and beyond appears the Lady chapel] + +The archives tell of a large purchase of glass in Rouen in 1301 and +again in 1317 for use in this cathedral. Much of these purchases is +still to be seen in the large east window. Here we are struck by a +strange anomaly of obviously Decorated glass in purely Perpendicular +masonry. Nothing could be more distinctive of the later period than the +Perpendicular mullions surmounted by stiffly upright tracery lights, +and yet the glazing could not be mistaken for anything but Decorated. +Evidently old wine has been put into new bottles. Although a great deal +of restoration is noticeable in this window, the strongly brassy tone of +the canopies in the three outer lancets on each side clearly indicate +that they antedate the discovery of yellow stain. An explanation of this +anachronistic clash between the glazing and its framing stonework +appears upon the rolls of the Chapter. April 21, 1389, one Henry de +Blakeborn, then Canon, moved by the fine appearance of the newly +constructed west window, offered 100 marks towards properly enlarging +the eastern one. This offer was accepted and the work at once put in +hand. The glazing of the earlier east window was saved to put into the +new and larger embrasure. As yellow stain was not known at the time of +glazing the first east window, it is absent from the early glass, +although it is plentifully used in the heads, &c., of the additions made +necessary in 1389 by the increased size of the window. One must not +quarrel with the judicious restoration which has preserved so charming +an _ensemble_. But this indulgent mood will be abruptly dismissed when +one examines the lights along the north side walls of the choir aisles, +for here the colour in the patterns upon the white panes proves to be +Decorated glass cut up into bits for this purpose by some modern +glazier! Any further comment upon his taste is unnecessary. It is one of +the instances which causes one to query if it be always wise to impose a +punishment for murder! + + +DORCHESTER + +Before setting out upon our journeys we stated that although the viewing +of stained glass was our main purpose, we intended to be broad-minded +and enjoy whatever other interesting sights might be encountered. When +we approach the little hamlet that "Dorchester ys ycluped, that bysyde +Oxenford ys" those of our company learned in archaeology will doubtless +point out the Dykes, those two great parallel earthworks twenty feet +high, separated by a dry fosse twenty yards wide, which run for a +distance of 900 yards round the south side of the town, from the banks +of the Thames to those of the little Thame. Our archaeological friend +will not need to point out how strong a defence was provided for the +ancient Briton by these walls and the two rivers, but he will doubtless +earnestly set forth many arguments for and against the theory that this +fortification was an outpost of the entrenched camp on Sinodun Hill near +by. The writer well remembers how strongly these Dykes impressed him +when he first saw them years ago. In company with two friends he was +rowing down from Oxford to London, and having arrived at Dorchester +after sunset, stopped there to spend the night. Early in the morning, on +our way down to the boat, we came upon these earthworks overgrown with +yellow wheat and red poppies sparkling with dew. Instantly one forgot +the dull modern village, and went back in fancy to the days when these +great lines of earth were thrown up to protect the early owners of this +land, later to be so often harried by conqueror after conqueror. The +greatest glory of Dorchester came much later, in fact even after the +centuries of Roman occupation had come to an end and the last legions +had left England for ever. It was under the rule of the West Saxons that +Dorchester became the seat of a Bishop whose See was so important that +it included all those now known under the names of Winchester, +Salisbury, Exeter, Bath, Wells, Lichfield, Hereford and several others. +The exact date of the present long stone church is not known, but it is +generally believed to be about 1150. The interior will provide but +little of interest that one does not often see in many another old +English church, but a glance toward the eastern end reveals that some +architect of the Decorated period there added a veritable bower of +light. One must search far and wide to find so pleasing a combination of +excellent glass, disposed in such light and noteworthy stone traceries. +The walls which enclose this chancel on the north, east and south are +nearly of equal length, but the architect's treatment of each is quite +different. That to the east seems almost entirely of glass, so greatly +has the builder subordinated his stone structure to the glazing. In +fact, so much is given over to the glazier as to necessitate the +erection of a stout buttress which runs up the centre, and without the +assistance of which the slender mullions would be unable to support so +great a weight of glass. This buttress stops about three-fourths of the +way up the window, the explanation of which is that the original roof +was lowered to this point, and it was not until 1846 that it was again +elevated to its original height, making necessary the modern glass in +this restored portion. Very graceful is the adjustment of the cartouches +into which the stone mullions divide the entire surface, and also the +way in which they tend to become pointed in the upper part of the +embrasure. Within each one we find evidence of the beginnings of the +canopy style which was destined soon to emerge from the cramped methods +of the glazier here visible. Upon the four lancets of the northern +window appear large figures displaying much more freedom of drawing. Our +first criticism tends to be that they would be more attractive if they +had some background or framing and were not stationed alone upon white +panes. The reason for this appears from a close inspection of the +supporting mullions. Along each of these are little carved figures. +The writer believes this window to be unique in the respect that +the carvings on the stone and the figures on the panes combine to +form a Tree of Jesse. Jesse, as usual, is reclining below; the stone +mullions are used to represent the branches of the vine, and at their +intersections are disposed the descendants, much as we have often seen +them depicted on glass. They hold scrolls on which probably their +names were once painted. The figures on the glass (some of them still +labelled) supplement those in the carvings. Carved figures are also +freely introduced at the intersections of the stone mouldings of the +east window, but here they represent New Testament episodes, such as the +cutting off of Malchus's ear, the rousing of the sleeping guards, &c. +So, too, along the transom that runs across the southern window are +carved figures representing a religious procession. Above are coats +of arms distributed upon the panes. Below is a handsome Gothic stone +seat or sedilia which has for us a great interest in that four little +star-shaped lights are let into the back of it, containing late twelfth +century medallions. These earliest remains were doubtless preserved from +the edifice which preceded the present one. One of them shows a scene in +which appears St. Birinus, who converted the great kingdom of Wessex and +was the first Bishop of Dorchester (635-49). This little chancel, with +its delightful glass gracefully supported by the quaintly carved stone +traceries, will remain in one's memory as one of the loveliest nooks in +England for the glass-lover. + + +OXFORD + +Probably there is no city in all England where the average American +tourist feels more at home than at Oxford. All of us have read a great +deal about this city of colleges, and most American boys have perused +"Tom Brown at Oxford" more than once. Besides, we all feel an interest +in colleges and college men. While many realise the charms of this +ancient city of learning, some of us know them in great detail; we have +wandered in the lovely gardens of Magdalen, of New and of Worcester; we +have heard the shouting of the multitudes along the banks of the Isis +when one eight has succeeded in bumping another just ahead; we have +canoed up the silent tree-shaded windings of the Cherwell--in a word, we +are familiars of the place. Apart from its life as a university, as a +city of students, its chief association in history may be said to be +that it was a refuge and stronghold of the ill-fated Charles I., after +his defeat at Edgehill. It was admirably suited for this purpose, +because rendered well-nigh impregnable by the encircling streams of the +Isis and the Cherwell, the surrounding morass of flooded fens, and, +last of all, its stout city walls. Right loyally did both townspeople +and students rally to the support of the unfortunate monarch. The +colleges even melted down their plate to eke out his military chest. Of +all the towns of England it can, therefore, best lay claim to having +been the most loyal to the fortunes of Charles Stuart at a time when +loyalty meant most. But it is not for reminders of that dreadful civil +strife, terminated by bloody tragedy, that we are coming to the ancient +town built on the river near the "ford of the oxen," no, our researches +lie a couple of centuries earlier than those bitter days. First of all +we shall enter Merton College to see its windows of the first part of +the Decorated period. Then we will repair to New College to view its +glass so instructive of the transition from Decorated to Perpendicular. +Lastly, All Souls' Chapel must be inspected for its examples of the +Perpendicular style. In many another college can be seen later glazing, +but none so good or so important as those just cited. The presence +here of such fine examples of the two best periods of English glass +makes easy an instructive comparison of their methods and results. +Furthermore, it justifies the selection of Oxford as the last stage of +our second tour, because we have only to step from one college into +another to begin our third tour. + +Not only do the most ancient traditions of all Oxford linger about +Merton, but it looks the part--it conveys the impression of its extreme +age to any one who enters its gates. Mob Quad is the oldest quadrangle +in the whole University. Bishop Walter de Merton, Chancellor of Henry +III., devised the idea of segregating the students into colleges, so as +to govern them better, and to render more difficult, if not impossible, +the general lawlessness and bloody frays between nationalities that used +to be so frequent. A visit to the chapel will not only show us glass of +the early part of the Decorated period, but in such quantity and so well +placed as to give one the best possible impression of it. The large east +window is filled with modern glazing, only the upper half of the +traceries above retaining the original red and blue diaper work. In +addition to this great embrasure, the choir is lighted by seven ample +three-lanceted windows on each side. These are filled with grisaille +bordered in colour, while across them, about two-thirds of the way up +from the bottom, is drawn a band of strongly hued canopied figures. +Because of their early manufacture we are not surprised to find the +canopies very crude, lacking pedestals, &c. The enclosed backgrounds are +generally blue, although a few toward the east are red. In the central +lancet of each embrasure the canopy usually contains an upright figure, +while in the side lancets they are almost all kneeling. Each personage +has a written label which either winds gracefully over his head and down +behind his back, or runs along beneath him. The borders are not carried +up into the traceries; their design is sometimes a vine, sometimes +yellow castles, or fleur-de-lis of white or green. In addition to the +band of canopies, the duller grisaille is further enlivened by three +coloured bosses in each lancet, mostly containing heads. The western end +of the choir opens into the antechapel, which lacks its ancient glazing +except for the fragments gathered together into the central western +embrasure, whose original tracery glass, however, remains intact. Before +leaving Merton mount the stairs to the quaint L-shaped library and +inspect its attractive remains of Renaissance glass. Along the lower +side of the east wall of the north wing are seven narrow lancets filled +with dainty grisaille quarries, bordered in faint colour and bearing a +brightly toned boss. Of more importance to us, however, is the pleasing +bay window at the east end of the south wing. Here we find quarries of +soft grey, each containing a monogram in yellow stain. In the midst of +these quarry panes are placed little scenes, circular in form and +decorated with enamel paint in grey and stain, each bearing a German +inscription. The central embrasure contains six of these, three above +and three below, and the two side bays have two each, one above the +other. They bear the date 1598. + +An account of the Perpendicular glass at Oxford will be found at p. 142. + + + + +PERPENDICULAR + + +Little proof is needed of how greatly the glazier depended upon the +architect, or of how necessary and proper it was that his glazing should +harmonise with the prevailing architectural style. The period we are +about to study affords a striking example of this subserviency of the +window to the building it lights. In no country can there be found a +school whose glass was so dominated by its architecture as was that of +the Perpendicular in England. This Perpendicular style never crossed the +Channel, for the French Gothic of that time, instead of becoming stiff +and regular, grew more flamboyant and elaborated. Another marked +difference is that all the time the English were softening their tints +and striving for a silvery sheet of low tones (Great Malvern, &c.), the +fifteenth century French were, on the contrary, using stronger and more +varied colours than during the century before. To such excellence of +delicate drawing and tints did the English attain in their Perpendicular +windows that it may safely be said that in those respects they were +never surpassed elsewhere. This is particularly noticeable at Ross and +Cirencester. An opportunity to compare the French with the English glass +of that time is afforded by the fact that the French windows of the +Beauchamp Chapel at Warwick will be visited between the distinctively +English ones of Great Malvern and York. This Warwick glass was brought +from France because the contract exacted "Glasse from beyond the Seas," +and we at once notice the strong hues, which differ so markedly from the +then prevailing English ones. Nothing could be more convenient than the +way in which these particular windows enable us to differentiate between +contemporary glass on opposite sides of the Channel. + +When the Perpendicular architect arrived upon the scene, he found the +canopy window already well developed. The shape of the embrasures which +he provided were peculiarly suited to this agreeable method of glazing. +The straight upward sweep of his mullions made easy an effective +adjustment of the narrow canopy-framed niches, and left the artist +little to do but elaborate the more modest sentry-box of the Decorated +period. This he did in a very artistic and pleasing manner. The signs of +development are easily distinguishable, and chief among them are the +elaboration of the architectural detail of the canopy (by increasing the +number of pinnacles and drawing them in relief instead of flat), and +the completing of the frame effect by adding elaborate pedestals below +the feet of the figures. We must remember that the earlier glazier +either placed nothing below the enframed figure or else, in a few +instances, heraldic shields (as at Tewkesbury). In many instances the +earlier solitary figures within the canopies now give way to groups, +although not so frequently as in France. The glazier did well to abstain +from this change as much as possible, for although it is logical to find +a saint within a shrine, nothing could be more absurd than to install +therein a rural scene or a small battle picture. The Perpendicular +architect, unlike his Decorated predecessor, was not content to leave +the tracery lights differentiated from the rest of the window below. +Instead, he tied the upper and lower lights together by carrying his +mullions straight up through them all, and thus deprived the tracery +ones of the independence as well as the decorative success they formerly +enjoyed. In a few instances (as at Great Malvern), the glazier +accentuates the stiff regularity of these upper lights by filling each +with a canopy-enclosed figure. Lest the upright parallel lines of the +mullions lend too monotonous an appearance, care was generally taken to +make two of them (usually thicker than the others) swerve outward when +nearing the top of the embrasure, one to the right and the other to the +left. These two thicker mullions served the further artistic purpose of +breaking the line of tall lights into groups of two or three each. This +can be observed in the illustration. + +The chief features of this school are as follows: + + (_a_) Increasingly lighter and softer tones; + (_b_) Stiff parallel lines of upright mullions; + (_c_) Tracery lights lose their independence; + (_d_) Greatly elaborated canopies; + (_e_) Stipple shading, replacing the earlier smear shading. + +It can be said with no fear of contradiction that we have now arrived at +the finest period of English glazing. + + +PERPENDICULAR TOUR + +Our Decorated tour was brought to a close by viewing the glass of that +period in Merton College at Oxford. Not only shall we be able to begin +our new tour in that same city, by inspecting the fully developed +Perpendicular windows at All Souls', but we are also afforded an +opportunity, thanks to the transition character of the New College +windows (1386), to learn the intermediate steps through which the change +of style was effected. On leaving Oxford, we will betake ourselves to +the famously glazed church at Fairford, and thence journey, _via_ +Cirencester, to Gloucester. The next point will be Great Malvern and its +neighbour Little Malvern, and then over the bold uplift of the Malvern +Hills to Ross. A northerly _detour_ will take us first to Warwick and +then to Coventry, which will probably conclude this tour, for although +York appears as the last of this series, it is so placed for the sake +of regularity, and only for those who may not have taken the first or +second tours. York was visited on both of those, and occasion was given +to inspect the Perpendicular glass which there abounds. + +[Illustration: MAP OF PERPENDICULAR TOUR] + +In addition to the places just mentioned there are three so situated as +to make it inconvenient to include them in this tour--Salisbury, +Winchester, and St. Neot (Cornwall). Salisbury has already been visited +on our Early English tour. Winchester lies well to the south near +Southampton, while St. Neot is off in the west, a few miles beyond +Plymouth. These two towns should, however, be on no account omitted, +even though each require a separate trip. + + +OXFORD + +An account of the Decorated glass at Oxford will be found at p. 129. + +Having visited Merton, and, by examining its Decorated glass, concluded +our second tour, we must address ourselves to the third one, devoted to +the Perpendicular period. Nothing could be easier. We have only to walk +as far as New College to see how the forces of transition performed +their work, and then to All Souls' Chapel to study the fully fledged +product of the Perpendicular glazier. + +New College is picturesquely alluring to all who visit Oxford, thanks to +the agreeable manner in which the college buildings are set off by +attractive gardens enclosed within remnants of the ancient city walls. +This corner of the old ramparts owes its preservation to a covenant for +its upkeep between the Founder and the city. We glass-lovers will remark +that in similar fashion a very advantageous placing enhances the beauty +of the glass which we are about to see. It is contained in the +antechapel, which adjoins the chapel proper on the west and opens into +it. A dim passage-way leads to the small portal by which one enters, +admirably preparing our eyes to appreciate the beauty of the glazing. +There is also some later work in the main chapel, but it is fortunately +shut off from our observation by a conveniently placed screen, thus +enabling us to enjoy the antechapel and its glazing without any +distraction. The original glass that once filled the large window in the +middle of the antechapel's west wall is now stored in boxes at that +other foundation of William of Wykeham, Winchester College, Winchester, +having been removed to make room for an ambitious effort by Sir Joshua +Reynolds. All the other embrasures retain the original glazing, given +about 1386 by the Founder, whose name frequently appears thereon. Let us +not be drawn into the violent discussion which has so long raged on the +subject of the rival merits of the earlier and later glazing. All +glaziers condemn the work of the great Sir Joshua, and even most art +critics agree with Horace Walpole that the painting of this large +subject is "washy." He has confined himself to the use of browns, greys, +and some pink in depicting the Virtues and the other figures assembled +in his composition; but, as was to be expected from one who was only a +painter, and not also a glazier, he used so much paint as to interfere +perceptibly with the translucence of the glass. Nevertheless, the +writer, although he vastly prefers the earlier windows, frankly states +that he began by liking the west one best. The advantage which stained +glass windows have over paintings on canvas is that while the latter +have only colour the former have both colour and light. For this reason +one should be disposed to admit a great deal on behalf of this picture +painted by a great artist on a medium which adds light to his colour. +There is no good reason why we should quarrel with a man who begins by +preferring Sir Joshua's window, because it may lead him to become +interested in stained glass. Almost every one unlearned in our subject +admires this west window;--if he will but come with us we will promise +sooner or later to open his eyes to far greater beauties, which he will +grow to love in the seeing! For those who have learned to enjoy the +Wykeham windows more than their showier neighbour, it is suggested that +there are two points from which to view them so as to eliminate the +contrasting presence of the later one--either stand close to the small +entrance door, or else near the chapel screen so that one of the columns +comes between you and the west window. Thus one sees only the Wykeham +glazing, and that, too, in a frame of mind receptive of the Latin +legends which unceasingly beseech us to pray for him. This glass is +not only beautiful, but very important, because it clearly illustrates +the transition from the Decorated to the Perpendicular. The sixty-four +personages ensconced in their canopies, while possessing traits of both +schools, demonstrate clearly how naturally one led into the other. The +figures are not yet well drawn, are rudely posed, and are still strongly +coloured. Although there is a general flatness in the composition, +indicative of the earlier school, tapestries are already hung across the +backs of the little niches, and handsome ones too, with crowned initials +powdered over them. So, too, pedestals appear below the canopies, +although, of course, not yet so complete or elaborate as those to be +seen presently in All Souls' Chapel. The canopies themselves are more +robust and not so finished as will be later encountered. An examination +of the method of shading also bears witness to a transition, for there +is observable both smear and stipple work. The learned Winston makes +a very interesting argument to the effect that the panels have been +considerably changed about since their original placing, based on the +seemingly disordered arrangement of the six varieties of canopies, the +unusual order of displaying the Apostles, &c. For us who are less +enlightened, however, the chief interest of this delightful series is +in the general harmony of the colour scheme, the judgment shown in +adjusting the figures to the canopies, and both to the embrasures, and +the graceful use of the written scrolls. + + [Illustration: _Taunt, photo._ + NEW COLLEGE ANTECHAPEL, OXFORD + Transition window presented by William of Wykeham, Founder of + the College. Stone frames are already Perpendicular: note the + "pepper-box" tracery lights. The glazing, as usual, lags behind + the architecture, and, because of its strong colour and flat + drawing, is more Decorated than Perpendicular] + +The dining-hall possesses some interesting coats of arms glazed into +seven of its large lights. Half of these are contemporaneous with the +Founder, among them appearing his arms and those of his See; the other +half are of the time of Henry VIII. + +From "the High" we enter All Souls' College, undaunted by the scathing +comment of Humphrey Prideaux in 1674, that "All Souls' is a scandalous +place and full of fast gentlemen." Without stopping to remark the beauty +of the full-domed Radcliffe Library, rising beyond the graceful stone +screen that walls in the westerly side of All Souls' inner quadrangle, +we press on to the chapel at the further end. We shall not spend much +time over the windows of the chapel proper, for they contain nothing of +interest, but for this there is ample compensation in the splendid +display all about the antechapel that opens off to the west. It is true +that some of the panels have been restored, but this has been done so +judiciously and patterned so closely after the originals that it is not +only no detriment, but, on the contrary, enables us to enjoy a completed +whole. As was to be expected, figures within canopies meet our eyes on +all sides. Owing to the date of their manufacture, the depicted +architecture of the shrines is very elaborately worked out. Pedestals +are provided, and in the westerly embrasures we find small supplemental +and supporting canopies on each side of the principal ones, which +latter, however, alone contain figures. These western lights show more +restoration than the others. There is a great deal of red and blue +everywhere, not only in the backgrounds, but even in the pedestals +below. The four large windows (each containing a double row of three +lancets) in the easterly wall are, perhaps, more interesting than their +more elaborate neighbours. Especially note, in the one just north of the +choir entrance, the charming group of Salome and two children in the +lowest panel on the left. Most pleasing of all is the scene of St. Mary, +with two children in her arms and two more at her feet, in the +right-hand lowest panel of the most northerly of these east windows. The +glass here is so conveniently placed as to afford every facility for +studying details, thus preparing us admirably for the highly interesting +tour upon which we are about to set out. + + +FAIRFORD + +Lying in the midst of a pleasing but tame countryside the little +village of Fairford has nothing to recommend it to the seeker after +the unusual but the windows of its parish church. This glass is not +only historically famous, but also very complete and beautiful. On the +outer side of the little church door we are still in the midst of the +commonplace, nothing rises above the level of the unimportant; once +inside that modest portal, what a change do we not experience! Around us +on every side and above in the clerestory opens out a complete series +of windows--harmonious, excellent, delightful! And to add unneeded +supplement to the charm that meets the eye, our ears are regaled with +the strange tale of how these lovely panels found themselves here, and +why they so perfectly fit the church. This latter query is answered most +simply--the church was built to provide embrasures for these treasures. +The records state that Richard Tame caused the building to be erected +and finished in 1493 expressly for this glass, which had been captured +at sea from a Dutch vessel. From the same source we also learn that his +son, who died in 1534, completed the building--a rather anomalous +statement for, if it was finished in 1493, it would not seem to have +needed a further completion by the son. It is to the windows themselves +one must turn for some explanation of this seeming contradiction. +Although but little comment has hitherto been made upon the subject, +the writer was struck by the lack of any similarity between the +figure-and-canopy windows in the western half of the church (including +the clerestory), and those around the eastern half. The former show a +conscientious following of Perpendicular conventions and a careful +attention to the proper use of colours, but the latter enjoy an easy +victory in style, combination of hues and general artistic appreciation +of the possibilities of glass. The sexton relates the usual legend about +Albrecht Duerer having designed this latter series, but it is probably no +truer here than elsewhere in England, for it is the customary tale one +hears about German glass. There is no doubt, however, that in +composition and style it differs noticeably from anything made north of +the Channel. While the figure-and-canopy work is clearly of the +fifteenth century, it must be admitted that if the windows in the +eastern part of the church be likewise of that period, then they +certainly represent an early manifestation of a style that did not +generally prevail until the sixteenth century. May not this very +difference help to explain the second "completion" of the church? +Suppose we credit Richard Tame with having secured the canopy windows +for the edifice he completed in 1493, and leave to his son the honour +of having added the series showing later attributes when he finally +finished the structure in 1534. The first windows may have been captured +in the way reported in the legend, and the later ones secured in some +other manner from the Continent, for it is known that most of the +sixteenth century glass in England was procured from foreign sources. +Let us leave this moot point to be conclusively decided by others, and +turn to observing and enjoying the glass. The shape of the church is +unusual and requires a brief word of description in order to understand +the placing of the windows. The westerly half consists of the regulation +nave with a broad aisle on each side. Above the nave runs a glazed +clerestory, which, of course, does not extend over the aisles. There are +no transepts. At the middle of the church just where the nave ends there +rises the tower, of the same width as the nave. The clerestory stops on +the nave side of this tower; there is no clerestory above the eastern +half of the church. This easterly half is the same width as that to the +west, but it is all open and not separated into aisles like the other +part. In the southerly wall of the building are six windows and a door, +and in the northerly, seven windows. The clerestory has four lights of +three lancets on each side. Canopies containing figures standing upon +pedestals and with gracefully written scrolls about them are to be found +in all the clerestory windows, and also below in the four most westerly +aisle windows on each side. The figures on the north of the clerestory +represent Roman emperors, and above in the traceries are little devils +on a red ground. Opposite them on the south appear Martyrs and Prophets +of the Faith, appropriately attended in the traceries above by angels on +a blue ground. All the windows thus far described are clearly fifteenth +century; the workmanship is good but not of such marked excellence as is +shown in the eastern part of the church. These latter evidence +remarkably skilful designing, and, furthermore, demonstrate that the +artist understood the medium in which he had to work out his cartoons. +They lean strongly towards the Renaissance type: the colours used are +very good, especially some of the greens. Most of the subjects on the +north are taken from the life of the Virgin, while opposite, across the +choir, appear scenes from the life of Christ, such as the Last Supper, +the Miraculous Draught of Fishes, &c. The sexton delights to tell the +visitor that the towers in the background of the last-named scene are +faithful counterfeits of the towers of Nuremburg, thus proving +conclusively (except to hypercritical cavillers) that Albrecht Duerer +designed them. The story is picturesque, but it is fortunate that the +good man never saw Nuremburg, or his conscience might force the +suppression of this agreeable fiction. It must be admitted, however, +that some of this glass is sufficiently excellent to have been designed +by that great master. The five-lanceted window that fills the end of the +little eastern extension behind the altar has five scenes across its +lower half, while above them, occupying the entire width of the +embrasure, is a fine Crucifixion. The original background has been +replaced by white glass, which enables us to appreciate all the more +readily how well the picture is composed. The flowing garments and +certain other details are very German in character, while some of the +implements displayed are purely Teutonic--_e.g._, the swinging mace, +showing the spiked ball hanging from the handle by a chain. The +perspective displayed in all these scenes is noticeably good. We +must pass to the other end of the church in order to see its most +entertaining window, at least to all those not deeply interested in the +intricacies of technique. It fills the western end of the nave just +above the portal, and is one of the rare sort known as "doom windows." +There is here set forth a most edifying demonstration in glowing +colours of what will some day happen to those who are not wise +enough to be good! Even Foxe's "Book of Martyrs" cannot provide the +exhilarating horrors that the numerous ingeniously minded devils here +afford. Most delightful is the enthusiasm and earnestness with which +they are carrying on their presumably daily toil of keeping Hades up to +its unpleasant reputation. + + +CIRENCESTER + +If the account of this town is not to be read aloud, everything will +pass off peacefully, but if sound is going to be given to written words, +then our trouble will begin at once, for the methods of pronouncing its +name have led to unlimited discussion. All the disputants may be divided +into two camps, in one the educated and refined citizens of the town, +who pronounce the word as it is spelt, and are aided and abetted therein +by all non-residents, while in the other camp we shall find an agreeable +company, headed by the late William Shakespeare, and consisting of all +the humbler townspeople and the country folk residing near by. This +latter group prefer the sound, which, reduced to spelling, approximates +"Cisseter." Notwithstanding this centuries-long dispute, the town has +declined in importance since the days of the Romans! Then it was the +cross-roads of three great highways, and when one reflects that the +Roman road was even more potential in its developing effect upon +territory than the modern railway, it is easy to see the advantages that +Cirencester enjoyed over towns not so favoured. While considering this +practical feature there must not be forgotten the romantic glamour lent +by the legend that King Arthur was crowned here. The parish church is +particularly delightful, not only because of its characteristically +Perpendicular Gothic exterior, but also because of the logical way in +which that same style has been carried out within, especially in the +charming fan tracery of the vaults. The stained glass must be studied in +detail in order to yield a full appreciation of its beauty, for we must +not expect to find here the splendid _ensemble_ often seen elsewhere. +There are few places in the land where Perpendicular glass shows so +clearly the delicacy of both design and colour which the art achieved in +England during that epoch. This fact is borne home with marked emphasis +because we are viewing it immediately after an examination of the much +better designed but less delicately painted windows of Fairford. As a +result of this careful treatment of tint and drawing there is derived an +unexpectedly satisfactory result from the collection of figures in +canopies assembled in the five tall lancets of the east window. Seen +from the nave this collection is quite cool and silvery, and does not +betray its composite nature. Where the ancient heads have been lost or +destroyed, their space has been frankly filled with white glass. Toward +the bottom are eight small panels containing kneeling donors. The large +west window is also a composite one, but here honesty proves to have +been the worst possible policy, because the original background having +been lost, they filled in between the canopies with splotches of hideous +modern blue! Of course this kills any chance for the softly toned effect +which we have often observed as the chief charm of the perfected canopy +style. In this instance it is peculiarly unfortunate, because the +canopies are carefully worked out in detail, showing as many little +spires above them as we shall find later at Great Malvern. The figures +which they enclose repay study. The centre three in the lower row are +almost enveloped by broad written scrolls, which lend a most decorative +effect. In the pedestals below the figures are little open galleries +containing diminutive kneeling donors, very modestly and appropriately +displayed. The colours here are noteworthy, especially the rich deep red +in the robe of the cardinal at the top of the second lancet from the +north; in the second to the south notice the combination of the mulberry +gown, blue cape, and golden halo. The use of the leads to delineate +folds in the cloth is as good as the colouring. It is evident that no +mean artist produced these satisfactory results, but it is fortunate for +him that he cannot see the atrocious blue that now strives to off-set +his delightful work. In the chapel to the right of the chancel, the +most easterly embrasure on the north has its three lancets filled with +agreeably arranged figures and fragments. Being on a level with the eye +of the observer, this glazing can be examined closely. Note the careful +adjustment of the leads to suit the drawing of the hands in the +right-hand lower corner. It is so evident that this glazier thoroughly +understood his art that we are not surprised at the richness of the reds +and the blues, or the mellow strength of his yellow stain. It is easy to +deduce from the Cirencester windows the lesson that design is not so +important as colour, and that, while excellent effects can be produced +by a collection of well-toned fragments, the best design done in bad +colouring is sure to be unsatisfactory. + + +GLOUCESTER + +In our wanderings to see glass we have observed how many and varied were +the reasons for the presentation of those splendid offerings to +religious edifices, and also that these reasons are often storied upon +the windows themselves. Wide as is the range of such causes it is +reserved for Gloucester Cathedral to show us an ancient window erected +to commemorate the winning of a great battle. Thanks to the painstaking +studies of Charles Winston (1863), backed by his exhaustive knowledge of +heraldry, it is now known that the great expanse of coloured glass at +the eastern end of the Gloucester chancel is a thank-offering for the +epoch-making victory at Crecy of the little army of English over the +French hosts. How incongruous it seems that such a feat of arms should +be commemorated in this mild manner! The mind wanders off from this +glorious wall of colour back to a certain cloudy afternoon in August +1346. Edward III. and his young son the Black Prince, with a force of +only eight thousand Englishmen, had swept triumphantly through Normandy +up to the very gates of Paris. There the presence of a huge army of +French and mercenaries forced them to turn northward toward the Flemish +border. Fatigued by their dashing campaign, they were overtaken and +brought to bay by the French at Crecy, about fifteen miles east of +Abbeville. In the very front of the French hosts was stationed a body of +15,000 Genoese crossbowmen who, by their discharge of arrows, were to +disconcert the English, and disorder their ranks preparatory to the +onslaught of the French knights. Suddenly a great storm breaks upon the +embattled armies, terrifying the Genoese unaccustomed to the thunder, +lightning and driving rainbursts of a northern tempest. Nor is this all, +for when the storm passes and the sun darts out from behind the clouds, +the Genoese, ordered to discharge their crossbows, find to their dismay +that the bowstrings are rain-soaked and cannot be drawn. Just at this +juncture the English archers, taking their bows from water-tight cases, +loose such a pestilential shower of arrows upon the already harassed +Genoese that they break and flee, throwing into the wildest confusion +the ranks of the Frenchmen behind them. Effective as were the bows of +the English archers, the long knives of the Welshmen prove equally so, +stabbing the horses of the French and thus placing the riders _hors de +combat_. Together these two bands of yeomen reverse the verdict of +centuries of warfare;--they show the armoured knight to be an +anachronism, and thus in one day feudalism begins to totter to its fall. +The moment has come for the charge of the English chivalry. On they +dash, led by the sixteen-year-old Black Prince. They fall upon the +already panic-stricken French and what has been a battle becomes a rout. +The king witnessed the conflict from a windmill on a ridge, being +desirous that his son alone might have the glory of the victory. It is +doubtful if the annals of chivalry record a finer scene than the meeting +of the king and the Black Prince after the battle. In the blaze of the +great camp-fires, and before the whole army, the father embraced his +son, and would have given him alone the praise, but the Prince "bowed to +the ground and gave all the honour to the king his father." Ten years +later we find him of the same generous nature, for, in the evening after +the great victory at Poitiers, he caused the captured King John of +France and his son to be seated, and standing behind, served them +himself, modestly refusing to join in their repast. Long since hushed is +the din of that ancient strife, unless perhaps an harmonious echo +thereof comes to us from the great east window. Along its lower panes +are displayed the shields of the Black Prince and the Earls of Warwick +and Oxford, who were with him in the 1st Division on that glorious day, +and of the Earls of Arundel and Northampton who led the 2nd Division +(the 3rd being in command of King Edward III. himself). In this brave +array we also find the shields of Thomas Lord de Berkeley, his brother +Sir Maurice de Berkeley, Richard Lord Talbot, and Thomas Lord Bradeston, +who all served in this expedition. Here, also, are the arms of the Earls +of Lancaster and Pembroke, who, although at that time fighting in the +south at Aiguillon in Guienne, were included as companions-in-arms of +the same war. In this beautiful manner the glory and gallant memory of +these knights are preserved within this stately cathedral, far removed +from the din and carnage, the hissing flight of arrows, the clang of the +forward dash of knights, the clash of steel on steel, the battle-cries, +and the mingled roar of retreating hosts hotly pursued by exultant +victors. Here they dwell for ever in the midst of a great peace: around +the grey walls and sturdy tower are the quiet walks, the green swards, +the leafy foliage of a peaceful England--an England preserved inviolate +from foreign invasion by the splendid deeds of these gallant warriors, +and many another like them. So modestly are their blazons set out along +the lower part of the great window that the story of their gift and its +giving was forgotten, and lay hidden for centuries until rediscovered by +Mr. Winston. Much as our windows have hitherto revealed to us of quaint +episode and romantic story, never have we happened upon so portentous a +memory, nor one which so richly deserved this magnificent tribute. Its +huge expanse of 72 by 38 feet is only rivalled by that of the east +window of York (78 by 33 feet). Well did Winston say, "I know of no +window so likely as this to improve by a long contemplation the taste of +modern glass-painters and their patrons." + + [Illustration: _J. Valentine, photo._ + CHOIR, GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL + Great east window commemorative of knights who fought at Crecy. + Backgrounds of pink and soft blue. Tracery lights no longer + differentiated from window below, as during decorated period. + Note elaborate masking of earlier walls by later Perpendicular + work] + +A great deal of really fine glass is so badly placed as to appeal only +to the student, and not to the sightseer, but at Gloucester this +masterpiece exhibits itself to the greatest advantage. One should not +speak of this vast window as being in the eastern wall, for it is so +large that it takes the place of that wall. In fact it is somewhat wider +than the interior of the church at that point, which for this reason has +had its side walls slightly slanted out to receive the window. How great +is this disparity in size may be estimated if one sights along the +inside of either side wall, for you will miss entirely the outermost +tier of glass panels. The superficial area of the glass is also +increased by a slight bowing outward of the window structure. Behind and +to the east of this end of the cathedral was later built a Lady chapel +which, however, opens through into the older church. Of course the +shadow of this later structure could not help but fall upon the east +window, and to that extent obscure it, but what might have proved a +serious defect was avoided by stationing the chapel somewhat to the +east of the older building, and also by not beginning the coloured +canopied figures upon the east window until above the line of shadow +cast by the Lady chapel. The panes below that line are glazed in white +bordered by colour, here and there relieved by the coats of arms already +mentioned. Viewed from the crossing this great window is more than +delightful. Row upon row of canopy-framed personages on red or blue +backgrounds, are stationed one above another in splendid profusion. +Many of the books class it with the Decorated period, although always +explaining that its looks belie that early dating. Our errand is to see +how windows look, and therefore, because its stone framework is so +obviously Perpendicular, as is also the delicacy of the tones of its +glass (particularly in the canopies), it would be unwise for us to +consider it otherwise than as an early manifestation of the later style. +It is very Perpendicular in its lines and its colouring, and absolutely +unlike the deep rich windows at Tewkesbury, Bristol and Wells, which are +so typically Decorated. We must remember that the glazier had to conform +to the styles of the architect, and because it was the latter who +inaugurated the changes he was, perforce, always in advance of the +glazier, which helps to explain why some of the details of the glass +design are more archaic than the stone framework. + +Looking eastward from the crossing, we can see through below this great +window and above the altar into the ample Lady chapel beyond. Passing on +into that chapel, we at once observe its most prominent feature, the +east window, constructed during the latter part of the fifteenth +century, a clearly marked example of the Perpendicular. The colouring is +here much richer than we are accustomed to find in English work of this +time, in fact it reminds one of contemporary French windows. The figures +within the canopies are more varied, and occur in groups, thus differing +widely from the almost monotonous similarity of the softer toned +solitary figures upon the choir window. In the north aisle of the nave +the third, fifth and fifteenth embrasures from the west provide us with +marked examples of the Perpendicular. Double sets of pinnacles, +two-storeyed pedestals, jewels separately leaded into the borders of +robes, &c., show a distinct advance upon the earlier and simpler methods +of the great wall of glazing in the choir. One should remark the +Decorated work on the easterly side of both transepts. The clerestory +lights are glazed in quarries with coloured borders, while above them +the tracery embrasures are not only like those at Tewkesbury, but are +also glazed in the same fashion, white lines wound about on a red +ground; we have remarked the same treatment at Bristol and Wells. Even a +brief glance about this great sanctuary reveals that huge sums must +have been spent not only in veiling the older walls with the later +Decorated work, but also in the elaboration which is everywhere +noticeable. Nor is it difficult to understand how sufficient funds for +this purpose were collected when one considers the vast store of gold, +silver, and jewels brought here as offerings by pilgrims to the tomb of +the murdered King Edward II. We must not depart without having a walk +about the charming cloisters, which are by many considered the most +beautiful in England. + + +GREAT MALVERN + +Great Malvern lies on the easterly slope of the famous Malvern Hills, +which run nearly north and south, and form the western barrier of the +Severn Valley. Its site provides a pleasant and far-reaching prospect +of smiling country, dotted here and there with the towers of Worcester, +Gloucester, Tewkesbury and many another town and hamlet. So lofty are +these hills that the views from their summits are hardly to be equalled +elsewhere in England; indeed, it is reckoned that on a fine day one can +look into a dozen counties. The three chief heights have long been known +as Worcester Beacon, Hereford Beacon, and Gloucester Beacon, each named +after the county in which it stands. Peaceful as is this delightful +scene, certain of the memories which it awakens are those of warlike +strife, for one can see from this vantage-point six of the great +battlefields of England--Edgehill, Worcester, Evesham, Tewkesbury, +Shrewsbury, and Mortimer's Cross. Nor are these the only reminders of +warlike deeds, for about the top of two of those great eminences run +encircling lines of strong earthworks, known to have existed since +the time of the early Britons, if, indeed, they do not antedate +them--eloquently silent proof of how long men have realised that this +fair land is worth fighting for. Wonderful and inspiring is the view +that unfolds itself before the eye of the traveller when he has reached +the topmost point of the road and pauses before descending to Great +Malvern. No wonder that William Langland selects this site for the +slumber which yielded him that marvellous dream which he describes in +his "Vision of Piers Plowman" (1362). He says: + + "On a May mornege . on Malverne hulles, + I was wery forwandred . and went me to reste + Under a brode banke . bi a bornes side, + And as I lay and lened . and loked in ye wateres + I slombred in a slepyng." + +Tradition tells us that he learned the profession of clerk in Great +Malvern Priory, and there composed his splendid poem. His attempt to +correct the abuses of his times accords more readily with the work of +one contemporary, John Wyclif (who about 1380 gave the people the Bible +in English), than it does with the merry "Canterbury Tales," written in +1387 by that Court favourite Chaucer. We have already encountered that +jovial soul during our visit to the early glass of Canterbury. It is +significant that in a work which produced such a marked effect upon its +time as "Piers Plowman," frequent testimony is given to show the esteem +in which stained glass was then held. Whenever church decoration is +mentioned by any of his characters, they almost invariably dwell longer +on this feature than upon any other. The Franciscan monk speaks of his +church: "With gay glitering glas Glowying as the sunne." In similar +fashion the Dominican brother is made to say: "Wyde wyndowes y-wrought, +y-wryten ful thikke, Shynen with shapen sheldes." A severe rap is given +at those who glaze windows in order "Hevene to have," and vain-glorious +souls are urged not "To writen in wyndowes Of youre wel dedes." + +But let us, like Langland, arouse ourselves from the reverie +superinduced by this wondrous outlook, and wend our way down the side of +the great hill to the Priory Church. Although its more famous windows +date from a century later than Langland's day, it may well be that his +eye was gladdened by the older glass in the south aisle of the chancel. +It is certainly fine enough to have attracted his notice, and one may +safely assume that he loved glass, else his lines would not so +frequently refer to it. Before observing the Perpendicular glazing in +which this building abounds, let us consider that of the Decorated epoch +in the three embrasures that light the southerly wall of the aisle +chapel south of the choir, and which were there in Langland's time. The +most westerly of these three is filled with heads and _debris_, formerly +in other parts of the church. We shall have a treat in the two windows +adjoining this to the east. Each contains a dozen small scenes from the +Old Testament, the four lancets of each window subdividing these scenes +into three rows of four each. The backgrounds are diapered red or blue, +and a crude border of architecture surrounds each. The drawing is crisp +and the colours are strong and good. Note particularly the red in the +"Naming of the Fowls"; also observe Noah sending forth the dove, while +various sorts of animals crowd about his feet. The rich tones, the +crudeness of the canopy work, and sundry other signs unmistakably mark +this glazing as Decorated. The corresponding chapel on the north side of +the chancel has lost all its ancient glass, except a little in the +tracery lights. + +The chief beauty of the interior is the delightful east window, whose +stout central mullion, two-thirds of the way up, divides and inclines +outward to right and left until it touches the frame. A charmingly +soft colour scheme is here used, quite in the best manner of the +Perpendicular epoch. It is difficult to puzzle out the original order of +the figures and canopies, for the window was greatly damaged during the +prevalence of the playful custom, many years ago, of permitting the +village urchins to throw stones at it! Although the design has been +injured, nothing could spoil the colour effect. Viewed from a proper +distance the whole presents an appearance of tender grey, mellowed by +soft blue, with here and there a note of red. The tracery lights escaped +practically unscathed, and each contains a complete figure and canopy. +This great central embrasure is flanked on both the north and the south +by three large clerestory lights, the glazing of the southerly ones +being much less complete than that of their neighbours across the +chancel, where the figure and canopy work is excellent, and the +combination of tints remarkably good. The side columns of the shrines +are broader than is customary, while at the top are an unusual number of +pinnacles, as many as fifteen being noted in one case. These little +spires are shown to advantage against backgrounds of soft blue and pink. +At the top of the north-west window is the martyrdom of St. Woerstan, in +the background of which appear the Malvern Hills. The next most +important glass occupies the large embrasure at the end of the north +transept, which, however, is somewhat reduced from its original +proportions by having the lower panels in some of the side lancets +walled up. The glass here is not so disarranged as in the east window, +and we are able to decipher portraits of Henry VII., his queen, and +members of his family. Something out of the ordinary is the large blue +corona spread over the central part, serving to tie three of the lancets +into one picture. Interesting details occur in the "Adoration of the +Magi" (third from the right in lower row). In the west wall at the +north-west corner of this transept are single figures in canopy, two +rows of three each, one above the other. The great west window is filled +with fragments brought from the nave clerestory, and is mostly figures +and canopies. Taken as a whole, the glass in this church provides a +delightful experience. It is very typical of the lighter tones that came +in with the Perpendicular style, but its greatest service is in teaching +the lesson that, no matter how much a window's design may have suffered, +it will carry its message of beauty, if only the original colour scheme +be sound. + +The fine encaustic tiles, not only in the flooring, but also set in the +walls, are of local make. Some date from the fourteenth century, and +others from the fifteenth, at which latter time Great Malvern enjoyed a +wide reputation for their manufacture. Other examples may be seen at +Little Malvern and at Tewkesbury. + + +LITTLE MALVERN + +About three miles from the centre of Great Malvern lies the hamlet of +Little Malvern, dominated by its priory, now used as a parish church. Of +the original building, built by the Benedictines, little now remains but +the chancel and a great perpendicular tower, separated from it by an +oakwood screen rich with carved vines. The chief attraction, however, is +the east window, which, on the whole, is well preserved. Its story can +best be told in the words of that ancient writer Nash: "The windows were +curiously painted, rivalling those of Great Mal. In the E. wind. of the +choir are 6 large compartments: in the middle one is represented Edward +IV. in a robe of ermine with an imperial crown on his head; in the next +compartment is his queen with a like diadem; in the pane between them is +painted his oldest son, afterwards Edward V., his surcoat azure and his +robe gules turned down and lined with ermine; and in the next panel is +his brother Richard, Duke of York, his surcoat also gules, and his robe +azure turned down one row to the feet, on his head a Duke's coronet." + + +ROSS + +Twenty-seven miles below Hereford on the Wye (but only fifteen by road), +there rises a small but steep bluff overlooking the sinuous windings of +the river, and straggling down from its top is built the town of Ross. +Pope, in his "Moral Essays," would give the credit for every one of the +town's agreeable features to a certain John Kyrle, who died in 1724 at +the advanced age of ninety. The elaborately thorough Pope credits him +with all the civic virtues, and appends an inventory of benefits, which +includes the benches disposed along the hill's brow for those wishing to +view the landscape, the causeways, bridges, &c., not omitting minute +charities to the villagers. Some members of the legal and medical +professions may join the writer in esteeming the poet fortunate in that +he did not fall into our clutches after he had penned the following +lines: + + "Is any sick? the Man of Ross relieves, + Prescribes, attends, the med'cine makes, and gives. + Is there a variance; enter but his door, + Balk'd are the Courts, and contest is no more. + Despairing Quacks with curses fled the place, + And vile Attorneys, now an useless race." + +This public benefactor lies buried in the northern side of the chancel, +and near by there comes through an opening in the wall a large vine, +rooted outside but bearing its leaves within the church. The glass here +is limited in extent but very delicate and charming. It fills the +eastern end of the chancel, which extends a short distance further to +the east than do the two ample additions opening out from each side of +that central portion of the church. These chancel windows are composed +of four lancets each, and the treatment is the same throughout, viz., a +single figure within a canopy. The personages are of good size, +occupying about half of the entire height of the canopy. Because the +windows are near the ground, Ross affords an excellent opportunity to +examine the peculiarly delicate drawing on English glass at this time, +which far excelled any contemporary French work. The architectural +details of the canopies are carefully worked out, and each is surmounted +by seven slender pinnacles standing out clearly against their red +background. Up the sides and into the cusps of each lancet runs a light +border. A very sober use is made of the tints throughout, yielding a +harmonious _ensemble_ of colour, well set off by the soft brownish +shades used in the depicted architecture. + + +WARWICK + +Warwick Castle should be visited in order to inspect one of the most +perfectly preserved strongholds of the Middle Ages, the many features of +interest which it contains and its picturesque situation on the river +Avon, rather than for the small amount of domestic stained glass (of the +grey and yellow stain type) to be found in the long corridor and large +banquet-room. Although worth seeing if one is there, it is not of +sufficient importance to cause a special visit. There are also some +well-preserved panels showing coats of arms at the Leicester Hospital, +but this is a form of glazing frequent in England, and it is no better +here than in many other places. There is, however, glass of great value +and beauty in the famous Beauchamp Chapel which adjoins, on the south, +the chancel of St. Mary's Church. Much interest is added to this +glazing, because the contract for it (dated June 23, 1447) is so full of +details and specifications as to throw valuable light on the conditions +and requirements of the craft at that time. After one's eyes have become +accustomed to the soft-hued English Perpendicular glass, then in the +height of its favour, it is very difficult to realise that these +windows, with their strong colouring, are of the same period as the +delicately toned ones which we have seen at Great Malvern and elsewhere. +The explanation is provided in the contract. It there appears that the +executors of Richard Earl of Warwick were not satisfied with the then +prevailing English system of soft tints, and also that they were +sufficiently advised of the state of the art on the other side of the +Channel to realise that the richer hues which they demanded could be +obtained in France, even though it was impossible or difficult in +England. We read that they required the glazier, John Prudde of +Westminster, to work "with Glasse beyond the Seas, and with no Glasse of +England." Again and again they insist on richness of hue; not only must +he glaze "in most fine and curious colours," but it is specified just +what he shall use, for they provide him with a selection "of the finest +colours of blew, yellow, red, purpure, sanguine and violet, and all +other colours that shall be most necessary." They require that his +designs be made by another artist, and even those must be "in rich +colouring." The contract contains another criticism of earlier English +methods, for they say "of white Glasse, green Glasse, black Glasse, he +shall put in as little as shall be needful." He complied with his +requirements pretty strictly, and further, he used a glass so hard and +tough that its surface has resisted the disintegration which the weather +so frequently caused in English glass of that period. Unfortunately all +the ancient panes are not in place. The entire east window is filled +with them, although a close scrutiny reveals that several of its panels +are brought from side windows. Along the sides of the chapel the +original glazing is only to be found in the tracery lights and the upper +parts of the embrasures, what little there was left in the lower panes +having been used to eke out the east window. The effect of this latter +is complete and splendid. The richness of its colours is assisted by the +golden rays which are so plentiful in the central part of the picture. +The use of the leads is very elaborated and painstaking, many of the +folds of the garments being delineated in this laborious manner. Two +schemes are used for the backgrounds, one, red with lozenge-shaped +squares enclosed by white and gold strapwork, and the other, blue with +similarly bordered squares. + +Note in the traceries the red angels, poised upon golden wheels. The +most striking feature of this tracery glazing is the liberal use +throughout of written music, generally supported by angels. In some +instances psalms are written on the white sheets, but more often it is +staves of notes. Above the most easterly pair of windows on each side +are groups of angels playing musical instruments and walking about on a +blue sky dotted over with white stars, much resembling the apples on the +trees of children's storybooks. One should observe what an agreeable use +is made of these small angels that people the traceries. The glazier has +skilfully avoided the ugly effect which would have been produced had the +white sheets of music or psalms been continued in a horizontal line +around the chapel, and has so waved this white line up and down that it +becomes as decorative as the labels so common in German glazing. This +appearance of music on glass is rare in England and rarer still in +France. The rich colours demanded by the Earl's executors must have +produced a splendid effect in this chapel when all the embrasures were +glazed as sumptuously as is the east window. Enough remains, however, to +make the Beauchamp Chapel an important station in any stained glass +pilgrimage. + +On the other side of the chancel is the vestry, into whose small east +window have been collected six diminutive panels formerly in the +chancel's east window. They date from 1370 and contrast markedly with +some small enamelled scenes in white and yellow stain (dated 1600) +placed in the same embrasure with them. While the contrast is too sharp +to be agreeable, we are afforded a comfortable, near-at-hand opportunity +to observe the great strides which this craft took during that interval +of time. + + +COVENTRY + +An English friend of a flippant turn of mind once remarked to the writer +that the three most famous rides in English history were undoubtedly the +Charge of the Light Brigade, John Gilpin's famous infringement of speed +regulations, and Lady Godiva's effort on behalf of the citizens of +Coventry--and that the last was the most praiseworthy, because it had +really accomplished something! Viewed in this light, the episode of Lady +Godiva passes from a matter of local interest to the higher plane of +national pride;--upon the equity of this promotion it is certain that +every citizen of quaint Coventry will agree. If, peradventure, there +shall have intruded into our company any who love not glass, let us +protest with Falstaff, "I'll not march through Coventry with them, +that's flat." The distant prospect of that Warwickshire city is +beautified by the three famous spires that proudly thrust their red +sandstone peaks high above the huddled housetops. The ancient flavour of +the place is preserved for us by the numerous old houses, one of which +has in its topmost window a wooden figure, "Peeping Tom," that wicked +exception who proved the rule that the worthy citizens could be relied +upon to be loyal and true even under the application of that most +searching test, curiosity. One of the three great spires rises from St. +Michael's Church, a building of very great size, about whose spacious +interior are disposed many Perpendicular fragments, some arranged in +bands along the clerestory, and others filling two windows (each of four +lancets) that face each other in the chancel. These panels afford a +useful part of the decoration, even in their present kaleidoscopic +condition, and their colours put to shame those of the modern windows +near them. + + [Illustration: GUILDHALL, COVENTRY + Splendid row of ancient English Kings, and below, a great + tapestry. In the centre of the window and again on the tapestry + appears Henry VI, who was a member of the Guild. Handsome + example of mediaeval hall] + +Just across the narrow street is one of the finest examples in England +of stained glass used to decorate a municipal building devoted to +secular purposes. It is to be found at the north end of St. Mary's Hall, +and is as admirably placed as it is excellently composed. Across that +entire end of the spacious hall is a great window occupying the whole +upper half of the wall, and broken up into nine wide lancets surmounted +by tracery lights of the usual Perpendicular form. Across the entire +lower half of the wall is suspended a long tapestry, which we shall see +accords with the subjects appearing in the glass above it. Nowhere can +there be found a great window and a large tapestry used with such +harmony of purpose and result. History tells us that Henry VI. took so +pronounced an interest in the Guild of Coventry that he was regularly +inducted into its membership in 1450, and therefore we are not surprised +that his effigy occupies the middle lancet of the window. Inspection +reveals that he is the central figure of a gallery of kings, for he is +flanked on the left by Henry III., Richard Coeur de Lion, William the +Conqueror, and King Arthur; and on the right by Edward III., Henry IV., +Henry V., and the Emperor Constantine (who was born in Britain). All +these royalties are in full armour, except their crowned heads, and they +all stand firmly poised with their feet well apart. The backgrounds are +unusually interesting, and consist of upright strips of red and blue +separated by narrow lines of yellow, the strips being sprinkled over +with the letter M, because St. Mary is the patron saint of the hall. +These figures all stand beneath canopies, and in the traceries above is +still other canopy work, serving as background for gaily tinctured coats +of arms. One, displaying a black eagle upon a yellow field, is said to +be the blazon of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, Lady Godiva's husband, "that +grim Earl who ruled in Coventry." This hall was finished in 1414, and +the glazier is said to have been the same Thornton to whom we are +indebted for the east window at York Minster. Henry VI. appears again +in the tapestry below, this time attended by his wife, Queen Margaret of +Anjou, who shared his interest in Coventry. Nor were these the only +royalties to feel a kindly interest in this city, for we also read that +Henry VII. and Elizabeth of York were enrolled as members of the Guild +in 1499. Upon this tapestry there is gathered a numerous company of +individuals attending upon Henry VI. and his wife, who are kneeling in +their midst, while between them is a female figure labelled "Justitia." +Local tradition says this label is a later substitute for a religious +name, but whether that be true or not, a tapestry made for a Guild Hall +in which justice was administered might well have originally had +"Justitia" as its central figure. The harmony between the splendid +window and the adjoining tapestry finds an answering note in the ancient +wooden ceiling with its quaintly carved bosses, and also in the fine +wooden gallery at the south end, against which are arranged many suits +of armour. Our visit will not be complete without a peep into the +spacious kitchen below, and also into a small muniment-room above, which +is proved by a carefully preserved letter, bearing Queen Elizabeth's +signature, to have once served as a prison for Mary Queen of Scots. + + +YORK + +An account of the Early English glass at York will be found at p. 57, +and of that of the Decorated period at p. 76. + +The huge choir of the cathedral abounds in splendid specimens of the +glazier's art during the Perpendicular period. Here is collected all +that the minster possesses of that epoch except a few fragments in the +east and west aisles of the great south transept. So attractive is the +manner in which the illumination of the choir is effected, as to inspire +many poetic descriptions of its windows. One author says that they +"remind one of particles of sunlight on running water"; another speaks +of "the glittering screens of colour and soaring shafts of stone." With +this latter author we are disposed to take issue upon his use of the +word "glittering" in describing glass of this period, for that +description more properly belongs to the earlier brightly hued mosaic +medallions. In fact, so soft and delicate are the colour and design upon +Perpendicular glass that one is apt to neglect the picture which it +bears. Indeed, one might say that the service performed at that time by +the picture was but to lend coherence to the window, or, perhaps better, +to prevent the colours from being unmeaningly kaleidoscopic when viewed +from near at hand. Winston says that the earliest windows in the choir +date from the close of the fourteenth century, and are the third from +the east in the south aisle, the third and fourth from the east in the +north clerestory, and the fourth from the east in the south clerestory. +Note the early Tree of Jesse of this period in the third embrasure from +the west in the south choir aisle. The other windows of these aisles +east of the small easterly transepts, as well as the lancets on the east +side of the great westerly transepts, are from the time of Henry IV., +while all the others date from Henry V. and VI., chiefly from the +latter. These small easterly transepts rejoice in the possession of two +large windows, one at the north and the other at the south end, the +former dedicated to St. William and the latter to St. Cuthbert. In the +latter, which is seventy-three feet by sixteen feet, appear members of +the House of Lancaster. Beginning at the eastern end of the north aisle, +we shall find that the first window possesses a few fragments, but that +the next three are among the finest here, their combination of greys, +browns and blues being noticeably good. The next three are paler in tone +and not satisfactory. The Crucifixion at the end of this aisle in the +east wall is excellent. Its companion at the east end of the south aisle +is also fine in both colour and design. Observe the drawing of the heads +in the second window from the east in this aisle. The last one of all is +French of about the end of the sixteenth century, and was brought here +from Rouen by Lord Carlisle in 1804. Fine as it undeniably is, its rich +Renaissance hues do not harmonise with the lower tints of its earlier +English neighbours. The examination of these minor possessions of this +part of the edifice now leads us up to its crowning glory, the great +east window. The nine lofty lights are subdivided into three groups of +three each by two mullions thicker than the others. All these mullions +are swerved above and then disposed in accordance with the best +Perpendicular traditions. Like the large windows of the east transepts +there is here a double plane of stonework reaching half-way up the face +of the embrasure. At the point where this double stonework stops there +is carried across its top a gallery right against the face of the glass. +So vast is this great surface (seventy-eight feet by thirty-two feet) +that the gallery would escape notice if it were not pointed out. The two +hundred panels of figures which here appear depict in the upper half Old +Testament scenes from the creation of the world to the death of Absalom; +below are scenes from the Book of Revelations, and lowest of all a +series of kings and archbishops. The contract for the glazing is dated +1405 and calls for the completion of the work in three years. Even if +the rest of its great wealth of windows be disregarded, York Cathedral, +by virtue of this vast screen of colour and of the exquisite group of +the "Five Sisters," would rank as one of the most notable points of +interest in the world for the lover of stained glass. + + [Illustration: EAST WINDOW, YORK MINSTER + Tremendous sheet of colour, 78 by 32 feet. Lower half of stone + frame built in a double plane, and carries a gallery across face + of the glass] + +Several churches of this city also contain Perpendicular windows of +great interest. We have already visited most of these to inspect their +Decorated remains (_see_ p. 78), and, for the sake of regularity, will +now take them up in the same order when viewing their Perpendicular +glazing. All Saints' in North Street, tucked snugly away among its +surrounding buildings and only accessible by means of a narrow alley, is +the most interesting of all the smaller churches. It is, fortunately, in +the possession of a rector (Rev. P. J. Shaw) so keenly alive to its +store of beauties that he has preserved them in a handsome volume, and +thus made their enjoyment possible for those who live far away. Fine as +are the Decorated windows already described, the Perpendicular ones are +finer still. They fill almost all the embrasures not occupied by the +earlier glass. Most of them are in the usual figure-and-canopy style, +although here groups generally replace the figures, and the details of +the architecture are worked out in a painstaking way. A very fine one +is the east window with its three lancets containing respectively St. +Christopher carrying Christ, St. Ann instructing the youthful Mary, and +John the Baptist, while below and in the side compartments are the +donors, and in the central one a composition representing the Trinity. +Still more interesting is the embrasure containing the "Six Corporal +Acts of Mercy" with its engaging little groups, of which, perhaps, the +quaintest is the upper central one, "Giving Drink to the Thirsty." But +the most interesting of all, indeed a famous window, is the eastmost in +the north aisle. It is of the kind called "Bede" window from its showing +a bede or prayer for the donors. The fifteen small scenes under their +squatty canopies are a most interesting representation of the last +fifteen days of the world as recounted in the "Prick of Conscience" by +Richard Rolle, a learned and pious writer who died 1349. The story +begins at the lower left-hand corner and goes to the right. Notice the +careful realism of the timid worthies in the scene whose label describes +it as "ye XI day sal men come owt Of their holes and wende abowt." + +In St. Dennis (Walmgate) the chief remnants of Perpendicular glass are +gathered in the central east window, but they are not to be compared +for excellence with their earlier neighbours. So, too, in St. +Martin-cum-Gregory the Perpendicular remains cannot vie with the +Decorated specimens. There is, however, a fine picture of St. George +killing the dragon in the central lancet of the westmost embrasure in +the south aisle. + +Holy Trinity (Goodram Gate) has a large east window dating from about +1470, whose five roomy lancets contain single figures in the upper +canopies and groups within the lower ones. Especially note the central +lowest panel, for there appear three men intended to represent the +Trinity. This is said to be the only instance in English glass where the +Trinity is thus symbolised. On either side of this large window are +smaller two-lanceted ones containing figures in canopy. All this glass +is supposed to date from the reign of Henry VI., as does also that at +St. Martin's (Coney Street). St. Martin's is not only valuable as +affording an example of the general arrangement of designs throughout an +interior, but it specially rejoices in a great west window that is a +real delight. Its five lights set forth the life of St. Martin, and from +the records we learn that it was erected with funds received from a +bequest dated 1447. Three splendid tiers of canopies rise one above the +other across the five lights, while below, where the shadow of an +adjoining building might have robbed figures of their brilliancy or +interest, the space is filled with elaborate quarry work. Along the +clerestory are four-lanceted lights with large saintly figures upon +white quarries and blazons above them, each lancet bordered in colour. +Kneeling donors reveal whose piety contributed to these windows. St. +Michael's (Spurrier's Gate) has quite an amount of Perpendicular glass +which is in good condition owing to having been recently releaded. +The windows along the south aisle beginning at the east are each +four-lanceted; in the first appear the nine choirs of angels, and in the +next two the genealogy of Christ. In the south-west window are Biblical +scenes, while in the north-west one there has been collected heads, +armorial bearings and conventional designs. Fragments have also been +gathered into the south-east window, including heads of three kings and +a bishop. + + +SALISBURY + +At p. 30 will be found an account of the Early English glass at +Salisbury. + +As one reads history, the kings and nobles are apt to stand out in such +sharp relief against the background of less illustrious folk that one +often neglects to inquire into the nature of that background, if, +indeed, it be not entirely ignored. Nevertheless, the foreign campaigns +of the English kings could never have been carried on without the +"sinews of war," which brings us abruptly to the unromantic necessity of +considering that very large portion of the community who stayed at home +and paid the taxes and did other unattractive but necessary background +work. Chief among these useful people were the great merchants of +England, and of these none were more important than those who dealt in +wool. Men of their significance in the financial world naturally lived +in fine houses, so we are not surprised to find such edifices as Crosby +Hall in London or the hall of John Halle at Salisbury. We read that this +Halle and one other "merchant of the staple" bought all the wool that +came from Salisbury Plain, which fact helps to explain how he came to +be four times chosen Mayor of Salisbury, and also sent to represent the +Burgesses when the king had occasion to summon Parliament in London. His +handsome hall is lighted by numerous windows, retaining to this day most +of their original glazing. Upon them appear sundry heraldic blazons, and +also the merchant's mark of John Halle, which is repeated again on the +stone transom of the great fireplace. If we are to venture a date for +the building, we may select the year 1471, and for the following +reasons: the records show that John Halle bought the land in 1467; the +window above the fireplace displays that honest worthy in brave attire +with motley hose supporting a banner whereon appear the arms of Edward +IV., but surcharged with the plain label of three points, indicating +that they belong to his son the Prince of Wales (murdered in the Tower); +on the other window appear the arms of Warwick, the "kingmaker." Now a +glance into history reveals that the Prince was born November 4, 1470, +during the time that his mother was obtaining sanctuary in Westminster +Abbey, his father having fled the country. Further, we know that his +father returned and defeated Warwick at the battle of Barnet, April 12, +1471, which defeat cost the great Earl his life. It is fair to +conjecture that the Warwick arms would not have been put upon these +windows after his death, nor those of the Prince of Wales before young +Edward was born, so there remains to us only the period between his +birth and Warwick's death (viz., November 4, 1470 to April 12, 1471) as +the probable time of the hall's erection. The embrasures were glazed in +uniform manner (except the one over the fireplace already described), +and they repay close examination. Within coloured borders are quarry +lights across which are drawn bands slanting downward from left to right +which bear the word "Drede" often repeated. Up and down the lancets are +placed gaily tinted shields of arms. These slanting bands, marked with +motto or single words, were not uncommon at that time; interesting +examples are to be seen at Ockwell's Manor (Berks), Gatton Chapel +(Surrey), and Benedict's Chapel (Peterborough), &c. It has been +suggested that the word "Drede" used here is a rebus composed of the +initials of the words "dominus rex Edwardus domina Elizabeth," referring +to Edward IV. and his Queen. The handsome pointed roof assists the +windows and the fireplace in completing a most pleasing interior, giving +one a high opinion of the style in which once lived John Halle, the +great wool merchant of Salisbury. + + +WINCHESTER + +The oldest known road in all England is the "Pilgrim's Way" which used +to run along the southern coast from the neighbourhood of Salisbury to +Canterbury. In very early times it started from Stonehenge, but when +that place yielded in importance to the newer settlement of Sarum, and +it in turn to Salisbury, the section from Stonehenge to Alton was +abandoned because of the new demands of traffic from Salisbury to Alton. +Many parts of it are still easily traceable and are worth study by those +interested in historic national highways. Maurice Hewlett, in that +charming book in the mediaeval manner, "New Canterbury Tales," has his +pilgrims proceed not from London, as did Chaucer's people, but along +this very road from Salisbury to Winchester and thence to Canterbury. +Nothing is known of Stonehenge, the earliest starting-point of this +road--it lies hidden behind the veil on the hither side of which history +begins. Likewise, very ancient are the traditions which we shall find at +Winchester. As we wend our way along this time-worn highway toward the +latter town, we are (in the words of Le Gallienne) "now entering on a +region where the names of Saxon kings are still on the lips of peasants, +where the battlefields have been green for a thousand years, and the +Norman Conquest is spoken of as elsewhere we speak of the French +Revolution--a comparatively recent convulsion of politics." To us, +pondering upon these ancient thoughts, there comes forth to meet us from +Royal Winchester a strange array of + + "Visions, like Alcestis, + Brought from underlands of memory." + +We seem to see Alfred the Great and his tutor St. Swithin; King Canute, +whose imperious sway stopped only at controlling the tide; William of +Wykeham, the great builder of cathedrals, churches and colleges; Jane +Austen, friend of us all; the gentle Isaac Walton, and many another. +Shades and visions of shades! Nay, even the lovely New Forest through +which we are travelling seems peopled with ghosts from homes destroyed +to provide space for it by the ruthless Norman conqueror William--ghosts +that old legends say winged the arrow that here slew his son William +Rufus. And is not Winchester itself the ghost of the kingly capitals it +has been--the Saxon capital of Alfred, who here wrote the Anglo-Saxon +Chronicle; the Danish capital of Canute, whose sway extended far out +over Scandinavia; the Norman capital of William ruling both sides of the +Channel? In harmony with this weird ghostliness is a strange story that +has to do with the building of the cathedral. William's Bishop, +Walkelin, received a grant from his royal master of all the wood that he +could cut from the forest of Hannepings during the space of four days. +When William rode forth to see how much had been removed for the +purposes of the new building, he at first thought magic had been +invoked, for lo! the entire forest was gone! The only magic used proved +to be the great energy shown by the Bishop in collecting such a horde of +workmen as to perform this tremendous feat in so short a time. + +Stately and impressive as is the long grey cathedral, and pregnant as +are its memories, there are others in Winchester equally potent to +conjure up the distant past, for in the County Hall we shall see +suspended against the wall the Table Round of King Arthur and his +knights. Tennyson, in his description of King Arthur's Hall, shows +himself a stout advocate of how glorious a part stained glass can play +in a scheme of decoration. He says: + + "And, brother, had you known our hall within, + Broader and higher than any in all the lands! + Where twelve great windows blazon Arthur's wars + And all the light that falls upon the board + Streams thro' the twelve great battles of our King. + Nay, one there is, and at the eastern end, + Wealthy with wandering lines of mount and mere + Where Arthur finds the brand Excalibur." + +The cathedral, although giving the impression of spaciousness, does not +receive full credit for its size--as a matter of fact it is the largest +in England. According to the delightful English custom, it lies within a +charming Close of green lawn and trees, while on one side a narrow +passage called the Slype, quaintly inscribed, gives access to the +Deanery, Library, &c., close by, which buildings add so much to the +picturesque effect of the whole. Within the portal we shall find the +remains of many ancient great ones, some in mortuary chests placed high +aloft, and others interred in the customary manner beneath slabs of the +pavement. Walpole justly says, "How much power and ambition under half a +dozen stones!" + +The remains of old glass in this church are more interesting than +numerous. Cromwell's ruffians here outdid themselves. Not content with +their usual method of smashing the windows as high up as they could +thrust their pikes, they broke open the ancient mortuary chests +containing the remains of early kings and ecclesiastics, and hurled +through the upper window panes the bones of Canute, William Rufus, and +many another long dead ruler--a gruesome destruction indeed! The most +important examples of stained glass date from just after the death of +William of Wykeham (1404). So interested was this great man in our +gentle art that he placed in his will minute instructions covering the +glazing of the windows of his beloved cathedral. He ordains that it be +commenced in the nave at the first embrasure west of the new work done +by him and then proceed "bene et honeste et decenter" easterly along the +south aisle and south clerestory, then, provided any money remains +unexpended, the north aisle and the north clerestory. There are more +remains of his beneficence on the north side than on the south. Four of +his canopied figures have been moved to the first embrasure from the +east in the choir clerestory. All of this glass is quite similar to that +which he installed in the antechapel of New College at Oxford. There are +earlier Perpendicular remains in the great west window, in those at the +west end of the nave aisles, and in the first of the south aisle. If it +were not for the west window with its deliciously mellow effect, +Winchester would hardly have been included in this tour, for the +remainder of the glass, though of interest, is not important. One should +proceed eastward as far as the transept before turning to look at the +west window, for thus he will be able to enjoy its effect without having +first learned that it is really only a jumble of old glass put together +every which way, another example of colour outlasting design. Strangely +enough, its soft grey-greenish tones remind one of the Five Sisters at +York, earlier by two centuries. A nearer approach not only reveals the +disordered array of fragments but also permits one to remark a few of +the original figures and canopies in the upper left-hand corner. The +nine lofty lights are subdivided into three groups of three each by +means of two of the mullions which are thicker than the others; these +two swerve off to the left and right when nearing the top in the usual +Perpendicular manner. An unusual feature is the fact that the mullions +of the window have been carried down over the face of the stone wall +below, thus agreeably tying together the wall of glass and the +supporting one of stone. In this window there are two circles of +geometric patterns, made up of early Decorated fragments. Glass dating +from the end of the reign of Henry VI. is to be seen in the three most +westerly embrasures of the clerestory on the north, and the two most +easterly on the south. These latter are from six to ten inches too short +for the embrasures, thus indicating that they have been transferred from +elsewhere. + + [Illustration: NAVE, WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL + The excellent effect produced by the Fifteenth Century fragments + with which this window is glazed proves that colour is more + important than design in glass. Note swerving to right and left + of two principal mullions, thus relieving a monotony of upright + lines] + +Our first glance toward the east makes one inclined to quarrel with what +seems to be the excessive height of the gracefully carved reredos, +which appears to encroach upon the east window and to leave only so much +of it visible as to make it too wide for its height. A closer view +exculpates the reredos, for it turns out that the window is placed so +unusually high in the wall that none of it is concealed by the great +altar. Its seven lights separate into a central group of three and two +side ones of two each. The original glazing has been replaced by some +given about 1525 by Bishop Fox, which, however, is now much restored; +there appear upon it his arms and motto, "Est deo Gracia." The top +central light has some of the earlier Wykeham glass. The manufacture of +glass had much improved by the time of Bishop Fox, but the effect of +this window cannot be compared with the larger one to the west. From +fragments observable in some side windows, and also in the traceries of +both the north and south aisles of the choir, it seems that the Fox +glass was also used there. It is to be regretted that there is not on +view the contents of two boxes in the cloisters of Winchester School, +where are stored the Wykeham panels taken from the west embrasures of +New College antechapel to make room for Sir Joshua Reynolds' "Virtues." + +Before leaving Winchester one should take time to see the ancient church +of St. Cross. In 1136 Henry de Blois commanded that every one who +demanded a piece of bread and a draught of beer at the gate of this +church should receive it, a quaint echo of mediaeval hospitality. + + +ST. NEOT + +The earliest appreciation by the outside world of the great natural +wealth of England was evidenced by those perilous voyages out into the +unknown sea beyond the Pillars of Hercules, undertaken by the early +Phoenicians in order to trade for tin with the inhabitants of what we +now call Cornwall. By one of the odd philological quirks of slang, the +word "tin" is now endowed with a meaning inclusive of every form of +wealth--a strange modern acknowledgment of the earliest form of English +value. Many of these ancient mines are still worked, as we shall see for +ourselves when we visit St. Neot. This centuries-old continuance of +tin-mining is strongly in accord with all things Cornish, for in that +westernmost corner of England change does not intrude, and as things +have been so they continue to be. We will assume that the pilgrim has +reached Plymouth, that western outpost of Devon, seated beside her ample +harbour, whose many bays and estuaries running up into the land seem to +symbolise Father Neptune laying his mighty hand upon the smiling +country. Ferrying across to the Cornish side, we proceed by pleasant +woody roads giving glimpses of Plymouth Harbour, and on to solid +stone-built Liskeard. Pushing past along the high road that leads to +Bodmin and the Land's End, we shall be at some pains to notice a little +road that, four miles beyond Liskeard, turns off to the right up a +narrow valley. A mile of pretty windings past several ancient but still +active tin mines, brings us to St. Neot, snugly stowed away among the +hills. Here, in this small community, which shows no trace of ever +having been any larger, nor any indication of becoming so in the future, +stands one of the most interesting glass shrines in England. The church +has the appearance of many another of the Perpendicular school--a type +so common throughout the land. One notices that it is lighted by an +ample number of large windows, each of four lancets. Once inside the +door, however, and the change from the usual to the extraordinary +is immediate. The roomy interior is practically unbroken by the +usual divisions of chancel, nave, &c., and this very appearance of +spaciousness assists admirably in showing off the windows to the +greatest advantage. The oldest ones are at diagonally opposite ends of +the church from each other, and are found in the north-westerly and +south-easterly corners. The many small groups or scenes (each installed +in a canopy) into which these are subdivided render their legends all +the more attractive, because they depict so many different points in the +story's development. The architecture of their canopy frames shows that +they date from rather early in the fifteenth century. In addition to +this more common style of glazing there is another type, which has a +number of examples here--a saint standing upon a bracket and displayed +against a quarry background, but lacking a canopy. These date from a +little later in the Perpendicular period. This bracket feature is very +English, and may also be seen at Nettlestead and West Wickham in Kent. +So pleased were the parishioners with these two types that, when some +new windows were presented in 1528-29-30 (now seen along the north +wall), the glazier did not work in the then prevailing Renaissance +method, but designed his story of St. Neot's life after the earlier +many-scened type, as well as copying some of them after that of the +bracketed saints. One of these sixteenth century windows was presented +by the young men of the parish, another by the young women, a third by +the married women, and the rest by private individuals or families. +Below the two given by the married and the unmarried women are a row of +kneeling donors which afford an interesting study of female costume. In +the south wall is a window given by the Mutton family. Here the glazier +did not copy earlier types, but struck out along a new line, making a +very graceful use of winding scrolls. Extremely pleasing as is the +effect of all these windows, the result would have been even more +gratifying had it not been for a restoration which befell the church in +1820, and which, when it subsided, left behind it not only three +unsatisfactory new windows, but also certain misguided retouchings of +the old ones. Even this gentle criticism must not be allowed to affect +the fact that the _ensemble_ of the interior here is delightful and one +of the most complete in England. Nor is this general effect one whit +less engaging than the host of quaint details revealed by a close +investigation of the glass, especially in the case of the Noah window +(most easterly of the south wall), and that devoted to St. Neot (most +westerly of the north wall). The mediaeval idea of Noah's Ark is very +diverting, as is also the artist's idea of how most of his wild animals +must have looked. Then, too, the attention paid by good St. Neot to the +sacred fish which his over-zealous servant had wickedly roasted and +broiled is most entertaining. For beauty, and for interest as well, +this noteworthy set of windows in far-off Cornwall amply repay the +length of the trip necessary to seek them out. + + + + +RENAISSANCE + + +In England there is not to be found the same awakening and change in art +at the opening of the sixteenth century which is encountered in France, +and is known to us as the Renaissance. This revival of art reached the +English at second hand, having been transmitted to them through the +French. The soldiers of Louis XII. and Francis I., who fought in Italy +at the close of the fifteenth century, could not help but see and feel +the new movement in matters artistic then bursting into bloom, and they +carried home with them not only memories of what they had seen, but also +many fine examples in their spoils of war. The tales and trophies of +these soldiers proved a great force in starting the French Renaissance. +One of its first fruits was the change from the then flamboyant Gothic +to the classical style in architecture. In glass it was first evidenced +by substituting canopies of classic form for the Gothic ones which had +been so much in vogue. The pictures they enclosed were gradually widened +until it soon became necessary to discard altogether the canopy frame, +which, on the passing of the narrow Gothic embrasures, was seen to have +outlived its usefulness. While this awakening in art ultimately reached +England, it came slowly and never gained the influence it attained in +France. The English ear and eye were not surprised and delighted as were +the French by the return of soldiery laden with artistic spoils and +enthusiastic over the new beauties which they had seen in Italy. Art in +England developed quietly, steadily, as was but natural, lacking, as it +did, this sudden impetus from the outside. There is another, and for us, +a far more regrettable difference between those two countries during the +sixteenth century, in that very little good glass was then made in +England, while France was constantly adding to her wealth of windows +during all of this, her great period of artistic revival. Just as the +golden age of glass seemed to die in France at the end of the sixteenth +century, so, in England, it perished at the end of the fifteenth, a +whole century earlier. There are, however, some fine examples of the +sixteenth century in England even though much of it (as at Lichfield) +will prove to have come from abroad. What we shall find at Cambridge is +delightful, in fact so fine is it that one must deeply regret that there +are so few towns on the roster of this epoch. A modest amount of glass +was made in England during the seventeenth century (as, for example, +the work of the Crabeth Brothers and Von Linge in certain Oxford +colleges), but as this is only fairly good and was, moreover, made by +foreigners, we will not take our pilgrim to see it because its lesser +interest might detract from his delightful memories of the glorious +Decorated and Perpendicular windows. In English sixteenth century glass +it is not easy to trace the transition from the Perpendicular canopies +to the large brilliant pictures, which can be so readily studied in +France. The English glazier would almost seem to have realised abruptly +the beauty of the large picture windows, and to have transferred his +allegiance suddenly to this new method. Delightful examples are to be +seen at Shrewsbury, but most satisfying of all is the very complete +series around the chapel of King's College, Cambridge, that gem of +English architecture. Lichfield must also be visited to view its Flemish +windows about the Lady chapel, and St. Margaret's Church (close to +Westminster Abbey) for its east window of the same provenance. +Concerning English glass of this period it may be said that it possesses +all the rich colour treatment of its French contemporaries, and, +moreover, that it has the added advantage of a more careful use of the +leads in providing outlines for the designs. Almost insignificant as are +these sixteenth century remains when compared with the innumerable ones +across the Channel, their great beauty goes far towards compensating us +for their lack of numbers. + + +RENAISSANCE TOURS + +The seven towns containing noteworthy Renaissance glass fall naturally +into two groups, one to the north and the other to the south. +Supposing we begin with the one of greater distances, the first stage, +after viewing the London windows, will be Cambridge. Thence we go +north-westerly to Lichfield, and, lastly, due west to Shrewsbury. If +the pilgrim has not already visited Shrewsbury on our Decorated tour, +he will find an account of its sixteenth century glazing at p. 85. The +second tour is to the south, and not only are all the points near +London, but close to each other as well. The first will be Guildford, +which lies in Surrey, as does also Gatton Park, the next in order. +Twenty miles to the east, over the Kentish border, is Knole, which +concludes the tour. + +[Illustration: MAP OF RENAISSANCE TOUR] + +If a stay of any length is made in Cambridge, occasion may be taken +to use it as a centre for side-trips to Margaretting, Levrington and +Lowick. So, too, proximity may serve as an excuse for seeing Nettlestead +and West Wickham on our way back to London from Knole. + + +LONDON + +London, that capital of the world, contains no examples of early glass +_in situ_, and it is not until we have arrived at the study of +Renaissance windows that she provides something to engage our attention. +It must not be overlooked that there is an excellent collection of early +glass at the Victoria and Albert Museum which, by the way, is most +advantageously displayed, thanks to the manner in which all light is cut +off save that coming through the coloured panes: it is unfortunate that +the same good taste and judgment is not in evidence at the Louvre and +other great museums. Some of the original mosaic medallions from the +Sainte Chapelle, Paris, are here preserved. After all, though this South +Kensington exhibit is undeniably good, glass appeals to one less in a +museum than when seen in its natural home, a church. Two London churches +have interesting examples of Renaissance glass, which, however, came +from abroad, the east window in St. Margaret's, Westminster, and three +in the east wall of St. George's, Hanover Square. + +Westminster Abbey is generally entered by the north transept door, and +almost every one of its visitors overlooks the modest little parish +church of St. Margaret, standing only a few paces off, so completely +dwarfed and rendered almost insignificant is it by the imposing +proportions of its impressive neighbour. Nevertheless, small as is this +interior, it possesses a window which the Abbey would be proud to have, +one of such pre-eminent excellence as to draw from Winston the statement +that "the harmonious arrangement of the colouring is worthy of +attention. It is the most beautiful work in this respect that I am +acquainted with." It completely fills the large eastern embrasure, and +one needs but a glance to recognise it as a Renaissance work of an +excellent type. The three central lancets show Christ between the +thieves, and below, the Holy Women, and soldiers. The drops of blood +from His wounded side fall into chalices held by three angels. The +repentant thief has his soul carried away by an angel to heaven, while a +devil is mocking the other one. On the north side is St. George, and +below him a kneeling figure which provides the only authentic portrait +of Arthur Prince of Wales. On the left is Katharine of Aragon, the +_fiancee_ of Prince Arthur, and later the first wife of Henry VIII. +Above her head appears her badge, the pomegranate. As no stranger tale +could be related of the vicissitudes to which a glass window could be +subjected than the adventures of this window during the 300 years that +elapsed between its making and its installation at St. Margaret's, the +writer is moved to set it out in full in the words of the historian of +that church, Mrs. J. E. Sinclair: + +"The window was ordered in 1499, and took five years to be executed at +Dordrecht (or, as some authorities state, at Gouda) in Holland. It was +intended as a gift from King Ferdinand the Catholic and his wife, Queen +Isabella, to Henry VII. to commemorate the marriage of their children, +and was originally purposed to be erected in the Lady chapel of +Westminster Abbey, then in course of construction by Henry VII., and now +generally designated by his name. As Prince Arthur died in 1502, before +the arrival of the window in England, and as it was the policy of Henry +VII. to avoid the repayment of the widow's dowry by her marriage to his +younger son, for obvious reasons, the window was never erected in the +Lady chapel of the Abbey of St. Peter. After the vicissitudes of three +centuries, it has been eventually put up in St. Margaret's Church, +within a very short distance of its original destination. Henry VIII., +after marrying his brother's widow, naturally disliked the window, and +presented it to the Abbey of Waltham, where it remained till the +Dissolution of Religious Houses in 1540. Then the Abbot, with a view to +its preservation, transferred it to his private chapel at New Hall in +Essex. This property, strange to relate, fell at the Reformation into +the hands of Sir Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire, father of Queen +Katharine's rival, Anne Boleyn. On the death of Sir Thomas without a +male heir, Henry VIII. seized New Hall with the rest of the Boleyn +patrimony, in right of his murdered wife, on behalf of her daughter +Elizabeth. He then wished to alter the name of New Hall into Beaulieu, +but the old nomenclature survived. Queen Elizabeth bestowed the estate +on Ratcliffe, Earl of Essex, who sold it to Villiers, Duke of +Buckingham. His son, in turn, sold it to General Monk, Duke of +Albemarle, who caused the window to be taken down and buried in chests, +thus preserving it from the iconoclastic zeal of the Puritans during the +Civil War. The next owner of New Hall, John Olmius, offered the window, +in a letter dated July 30, 1738, preserved in the British Museum, to the +authorities of Wadham College, Oxford, for their chapel; he terms it +'one of the finest large windows of painted glass in England.' The +negotiation apparently fell through, for it was bought from him by Mr. +John Conyers of Copt Hall, Essex, for fifty guineas. The son of this +gentleman, on February 8, 1759, sold the 'window with its stone frame, +ironwork, and other appurtenances' to the Churchwardens of St. +Margaret's, Westminster, for L420. This sum formed part of the +Parliamentary Grant of L4500 then voted for the repair of the Parish +Church of the House of Commons." The parishioners of that small +sanctuary possess in this much-travelled window as inspiring and +beautiful a treasure as any of those which attract so great an +attendance to its mighty neighbour Westminster Abbey. + + [Illustration: ST. GEORGE'S, HANOVER SQUARE, LONDON + A Renaissance Tree of Jesse from Belgium, readjusted to fit its + new embrasures. Figures unusually large for this subject. Fine + colours and drawing] + +Certainly one would not visit the Abbey because of its stained glass, +but equally certain is it that no one who happens into its neighbourhood +can resist its spell and must enter the portal, if only for a moment of +old-world inspiration. Let us yield gracefully, and when we have entered +look about us for what little ancient glazing remains after the visit of +the Roundhead despoilers. There are fragments in the two small windows +of the nave's west end, but the most important remains are those in the +east window above the altar. Here are assembled pieces dating from the +thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries, which serve as a background for +Edward the Confessor and his patron saint--these figures are of the +fifteenth century. Passing on to the east through the maze of kingly +remains, a few steps lead us up into the magnificent Henry VII. Chapel, +whose noble proportions seem to mock the modesty of its name. The +ancient glory of its glass has departed, but those who interest +themselves in the light which heraldry throws upon history should +repair to the easternmost chapel and examine the coats of arms set out +upon its panes. Here are blazoned all the Tudor badges, picturing the +claims upon which that new house based its right to occupy the throne of +England. The red rose of Lancaster and the white one of York are there +alone and in combination. The portcullis of the Beauforts, the family +of Henry VII.'s mother; the Countess of Richmond's root of daisies; the +English lions; the fleur-de-lis of France; the Cadwalader dragon, a +reminder of Henry's descent from the last of the British kings; the +greyhound of the Nevilles, from whom Elizabeth of York descended through +her grandmother, and also the badge of her father, Edward IV.--a falcon +within the open fetterlock; and last, but most significant of all, the +green bush with its golden crown, emblematic of Henry's hasty coronation +on Bosworth Field with the diadem of Richard III. picked from off a +hawthorn bush. In those strenuous days the proof of a legal title was +not infrequently deferred until after the mailed fist had laid hold upon +its prey! + +St. George's, Hanover Square, has long been famed far and wide for +the great number of weddings there solemnised. It is perhaps not +inappropriate that the old glass to be seen here once constituted a +Tree of Jesse. The spacious window at the back of the chancel, and +also those which flank it on either side, are filled with it. So large +are the figures (the largest the writer has ever seen in this favourite +glass design) that two of them suffice to fill each of these side +windows, although their embrasures are by no means small. The glass was +originally made for a church at Mechlin, Belgium, and though its figures +have been necessarily readjusted to suit their new home, there remain so +many sections of the vine as well as of the familiar name-labels as to +make it obvious that the panels as originally combined made up a Tree of +Jesse. The glazing as a whole is rich in tone, unmistakably Renaissance, +and, best of all, so agreeably disposed in its present abiding-place as +to make it seem as if it had always belonged there. + + +CAMBRIDGE + +In the mind of most Americans the names of Oxford and Cambridge are +firmly locked together--a sort of Siamese twins of University education. +As a matter of fact, they are strangely different--very much more so, +indeed, than any two American universities. While Oxford has her +charming quadrangles with their delightful gardens, Cambridge not only +has them also, but further rejoices in a very special beauty, her +"Backs," those admirable contrivances for preventing overstudy on +the part of too zealous students. A "Back" is that portion of a +college's territory through which meanders the narrow Cam, the scenic +opportunities of that slender stream being developed to the uttermost +with green banks, graceful bridges, and shaded walks. The writer never +pursued a course of study at Cambridge, and, therefore, is not competent +to judge of the charms of her undergraduate life, but he has spent +sundry happy hours canoeing on the gentle Cam, which same hours have +yielded him the impression that, fascinating as the undergraduates +doubtless find the lecture halls, there is much to be said in favour of +idling along the delightful "Backs." Hints of the joys of Cambridge +college life pervade the clever verses of Calverley, and also those of +his lineal successor, the unfortunate J. K. Stephen. Chief among the +many victories of the wearers of the "light blue" are those won by the +oarsmen, and these victories become doubly praiseworthy when we visit +the miserable little stream on which the crews have to train. That +a long line of successes have been achieved in the face of such +disheartening obstacles adds all the more to the credit and glory of men +like the brothers Close, the giant Muttlebury, Dudley Ward, and many +another. Most of the colleges follow the quadrangle system like their +Oxford cousins, but there is an exception in the case of King's College. +Here a handsome openwork screen of stone shuts off the street, but not +the view. Through it we are able to see, standing haughtily apart from +the neighbouring buildings, the beautiful chapel of the college, one of +the few perfect buildings in existence. Goldwin Smith says, "Cambridge, +in the Chapel of King's College, has a single glory which Oxford cannot +match." It is a long, tall edifice, of the same width throughout, +lighted by high windows of even size, and ceiled by graceful groups of +fan vaultings of the most exquisite type. The only division of the +interior is that effected by a wooden screen which runs across the +middle, but, fortunately, stops before reaching a height which would +interfere with an uninterrupted view of the sweep of the fan vaultings +above. A full two-thirds of the wall-height is given over to lighting +apertures. The records show that the two contracts for glazing the +windows were dated 1527 and 1528. They require that the "wyndows be +well, suerly, workmanly, substantyally, curyously, and sufficiently +glase and sette up." It is said that Holbein drew the cartoons from +which they were made. The excellence and charm of this complete series +makes one regret that there are so few examples of their epoch in this +country; this strikes with peculiar force one coming from France, so +prodigally rich in sixteenth century windows. At King's College the +large picture treatment is seen at its best. Not only is the composition +of the groups of figures carefully studied, but so also is the adroit +opposing of one colour by another. Particularly daring is the use of +large masses of the same tint. So little was the artist willing to be +hampered in the development of his colour scheme that he even made his +foliage red when he happened to need that hue in a certain part of his +design. Although the pictures here display careful drawing and elaborate +composition, the excellence of the general result is certainly due to +the fact that the artist thought fully as much of colour values as he +did of his designs, something his contemporaries were prone to forget. +These windows come as a delightful relief to one accustomed to the +ill-considered use of Renaissance architecture that so overloads and +encumbers the sixteenth century stained glass pictures on the Continent. + +An exquisite sense of balance seems to prevail throughout the interior, +and in no feature of the decoration is it so noticeable as in the +windows. The large expanse of each is broken into two parts by a +horizontal transom, and both the upper and lower divisions are again +subdivided, since the central lancet of each contains a figure in +Renaissance canopy over a similar figure below in the pedestal. This +leaves a space two lancets wide on either side both above and below, and +each of these spaces contains a large subject. This method of avoiding +the monotony which would have been caused by the singlet-lancet +treatment is carried out along both of the long sides. The nine lancets +in the large east window permit the introduction of three pictures +above, each spreading over three lancets, and the same number below. +The three in the upper row set forth the Crucifixion, the central one +displaying the usual subject of Christ crucified between the two +thieves, while to the left is the preparation of the crosses, and to the +right the taking down from the cross. The blues in these pictures are +particularly fine. Above in the traceries are red Lancastrian roses, as +well as some Tudor ones of red and white combined. These roses are +frequently repeated in the carvings of both stone and wood, as is also +the portcullis badge of the Tudors. The beautifully carved wooden +panelling about the walls of the choir is rivalled by the rich stone +screens that shut off the lateral chapels from the nave. + +There is some seventeenth century glass in the chapel of Peterhouse +College which should be seen, if only to learn how windows should not be +coloured, for the thick application of blues and other tints have +rendered the glass here and there almost opaque. There was in England +about that time a good deal of thickly coloured, and therefore +unsatisfactory, glass. One does not have to see many examples of it +before the conclusion becomes inevitable that the English glaziers would +better have followed the example of the Frenchmen, who, when their art +became moribund at the end of the sixteenth century, let it die and gave +it decent burial! + + * * * * * + +Most visitors find it difficult to escape speedily from the fascinations +of Cambridge, and if some of our pilgrims be minded to make a short stay +in these erudite surroundings, we will remind them that there are, not +far away, three pleasing bits of glass, and all of them Trees of +Jesse--one of the Perpendicular period at Margaretting, about fifty +miles south-east in Essex, another one of the same period at Levrington, +thirty-three miles north in Cambridgeshire, and a Decorated example of +the same subject at Lowick, thirty-six miles west in Cambridgeshire. The +Margaretting window is of three lancets and displays twenty-two figures, +each with its own label, and together affording a peculiarly interesting +study of costume. Don't fail to notice how deftly the glazier has +concealed the fact that the same cartoon is made to serve for several +figures by facing them about, or varying the colour in the costumes. The +handling of the whitish vine and the use of leaves is very artistic. + +The Levrington window has five lancets, and its Tree of Jesse is larger +and has more figures than the one at Margaretting; it shows the marks of +careful restoration. Including the figures in the tracery lights, there +are sixty in all--an unusually large number. Each figure is placed +within a loop of the deep orange-coloured vine, these enclosures being +about 12 by 8 inches. This great company of personages, and the +agreeable harmony of colour, make this window well worth a visit. + +Lowick Church does not have to rely alone upon its stained glass, but +has many other attractions, such as its fine tombs, elaborately carved +pew-heads, wooden ceiling, and last, but not least pleasing, the +venerable prayer-books, dated 1724 and still in their original bindings, +ornamented by coloured coats of arms on the covers. There are some +heraldic panes along the south side of the chancel, but the chief +interest for us is in the very fine series of sixteen personages +originally forming a Decorated Tree of Jesse, but now stationed along +the upper lights on the north side of the nave. The drawing is good and +the colouring strong, with as yet no trace of stain, the frequent +touches of yellow being of pot-metal glass. The four most westerly +figures are kings, and the eastmost is a knight in full armour, his +head, arms and legs being covered with chain-mail. In his hands he holds +a model of the church, upon which can be distinctly seen these windows, +thus clearly indicating that he was the donor. + + +LICHFIELD + +There are few cathedrals in the world which, as one approaches, reveal +themselves more charmingly than does Lichfield; here one feels an almost +studied coquetry, disclosing new beauties at each stage of our advance. +When viewed from a distance the three graceful spires, "The Ladies of +the Vale," seem to beckon one on to a nearer view of the sanctuary over +which they preside. On entering the town it is temporarily lost from +view, only promptly to appear again, this time across the little pools +which lie along the south side of the Close and which, aided by the +green of the trees, provide so lovely a foreground and setting for the +full-length picture of the great edifice. Again we lose it, and then the +last revelation of all comes when one rounds the corner into the green +Close and there bursts upon you the final and complete aspect of the +glorious west front, brilliant in its red sandstone, adorned by its army +of over 150 stone figures of prophets, saints, and English kings, a +splendid facade, impressively culminated by the towering spires that +first signalled to us where we should find this lovely picture. +Unfortunately for the cathedral, Bishop de Langdon, Treasurer of England +under Edward I., by surrounding the Close with a wall and a fosse, made +of it a stout fortress. Centuries after this very feature resulted most +disastrously, for, during the Civil Wars, the military strength of its +position caused it to sustain three successive sieges. Of these the +first was the most disastrous, for, when the Roundheads broke in after a +three days' assault, they revenged the death of their leader, Lord +Brooke, first upon the Royalist defenders, and next upon the cathedral +itself, wrecking and destroying ancient tombs, stalls, &c., and, of +course, the old glass. In addition to their work of destruction they +carried off all that had been left by Henry VIII.'s Commissioners of the +rich offerings brought by devout pilgrims to the shrine of St. Chad. To +this same Lord Brooke Sir Walter Scott pays his respects in the lines +telling how Lord Marmion's body was brought + + "To moated Lichfield's lofty pile; + And there, beneath the southern aisle, + A tomb, with Gothic sculpture fair, + Did long Lord Marmion's image bear, + (Now vainly for its sight you look; + 'Twas levelled when fanatic Brook + The fair cathedral stormed and took; + But thanks to Heaven and good St. Chad, + A guerdon meet the spoilers had!)" + +The interior is of modest dimensions, and is elaborately decorated, the +richly carved capitals, &c., giving us indications of how gorgeous it +must all have been before it was looted. An interesting feature is the +slight inclination of the choir northward from the axis of the nave, +which is said to be symbolic of the inclination of Christ's head on the +cross after death. At Troyes and at Quimper in France there is the same +deviation in orientation and the same poetic explanation, but +investigation reveals that it was caused by a change in the street line +in the first instance, and in the other by the annexation of an existing +chapel standing slightly north of the true axis. + + [Illustration: LADY CHAPEL, LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL + Excellent example of Renaissance colouring, freer from applied + paint than then customary. This glass was brought from Belgium] + +Practically all of the ancient glass which originally adorned the +embrasures has been destroyed; the north window of the north transept +has some Early English work much restored, and on the east of the south +portal of the south transept is a short lower window, in the central +lancet of which is a richly dressed female figure with arms thrown about +a cross. Just before entering the Lady chapel we remark two small +three-lanceted windows, one on each hand, the one to the left having +donors on each side, and in the middle St. Christopher carrying the +infant Jesus. But it is to the seven most easterly windows of the Lady +chapel that we must repair to see the famous Flemish glass, brought +here in 1803, which is the cause of our visit. The dates which appear +upon them run from 1534 to 1539, and they were originally made for the +Abbey of Herckenrode, near Liege, Belgium, by Lambert Lombard--the +earliest and best of those glaziers of the Low Countries who show the +Italian influence. All are of three lancets, except the most westerly +pair, which have six. The traceries above them are grouped in pyramids +of trefoil openings, similar to some in the Lady chapel at Wells. +The scenes are taken from the life of Christ, and there are as well +portraits of certain benefactors of the Abbey. The composition as well +as the grouping of the figures is not so crowded as in the slightly +earlier (1527) glazing of King's College Chapel, Cambridge, or St. +Margaret's, Westminster. The artist drew his personages on such a large +scale that it is evident his work was planned for a more spacious +interior--this chapel is so narrow that one cannot stand far enough +away to get the full effect of the pictures. Although now in the fully +developed picture epoch and passed beyond the conventional trammels of +the canopy with its imitation stonework, the glazier is not forgetful of +what his craft had learned during that period, for he has made agreeable +use of architecture, notably as the background for the Last Supper in +the east window. Even if the dates were not displayed in the usual +sixteenth century continental fashion, we would have no difficulty in +fixing them, not only because of the obviously Renaissance style of the +architecture depicted, but also by reason of the general breadth and +style of the treatment. Nor is it difficult to note the effect upon the +artist of the Italian influence, coming as it did from a land where +abundant sunshine makes it desirable that the illumination of the +windows be somewhat reduced by the use of paint. Still, it is only +fair to say that these particular windows contain much more than was +then customary of glass coloured during the making and not painted +afterwards. An excellent impression of the colour effect as a whole can +be got if we retire to the central aisle of the nave and look east. Now +the sides of the choir become a graceful frame for the three easterly +windows. The upper part and the centre show an almost solid expanse of +blue, while all the rest of the glass yields a golden grey, forming an +excellent _ensemble_. + +Before leaving the town, admirers of English literature will do well +to visit the house in which Dr. Samuel Johnson was born. It now +appropriately serves as a museum wherein are exposed a number of +manuscripts, pictures, and familiar objects in some way related to that +great scholar. Although the worthy Doctor said that his fellow townsmen +were "more orthodox in their religion, purer in their language, and +politer in their manners than any other town in the Kingdom," one must +be pardoned for taking _his_ opinion upon manners with a pinch of salt! + + +GUILDFORD + +In England one is constantly coming upon manifestations only to be +observed in a land whose civilisation and habits of life were long ago +settled and have continued stable. One of the most interesting of these +is the different methods adopted for perpetuating one's memory by a +benevolent act toward the public--making it worth the public's while to +act as trustee for the preservation of the said memory, so to speak! A +very charming instance thereof is afforded by the buildings erected in +Guildford by Archbishop Abbott in 1619 as a permanent home for ten +elderly men and eight elderly women, all presided over by a Master: +according to the fashion of the times it was styled Bishop Abbott's +Hospital. Built on North Street in the quadrangular form so reminiscent +of an Oxford or Cambridge college, the rich plum-colour which age has +lent to the brick needs only the primly demure assistance of the formal +flower beds to make the altogether charming enclosure which we see +to-day. Entering this tranquil and ancient quadrangle one seems suddenly +whisked by some magic wand far from the twentieth century world +outside. The elderly resident of the establishment who escorts one about +the premises descants upon each admirable detail in measured phrase that +is pleasantly appropriate to the ancient flavour of the scene. One is +shown the old dining-room below and the library above, both of which +retain their Elizabethan panelling on the walls and the carved +overmantels, together with much of the original furniture. The large +table in the library is an interesting piece, the lumpy adornment of its +legs reminding one of the puffed sleeves and trunk hose then affected by +gentlemen, while the rail running along the floor and connecting the +legs prevents us from forgetting that rushes then strewed the floor, and +that these rails were used to provide a convenient place to put the +feet. The most interesting part of the building is the small square +chapel which forms the north-east corner of the quadrangle. It is +lighted by two large windows dating from the end of the Renaissance +period (1621) and contemporary with the chapel they adorn. They are +unusually agreeable examples of the day when colour was applied to glass +by enamelled painting. The serious technical defect of that method (the +tendency of the enamel to peel off) is here noticeable in several spots, +but not to such an extent as to impair seriously their decorative value. +Of these two ample embrasures, the easterly one is the larger, having +five lancets surmounted by elaborate tracery lights, while its neighbour +in the north wall has but four lancets with traceries of more modest +design. All these lancets contain scenes taken from the life of Jacob, +the four to the north show Rachel's subterfuge to obtain for Jacob the +parental blessing that should have been Esau's, while the five easterly +ones set forth Jacob's dream, and the trick played upon him by Laban in +substituting Leah for Rebecca, together with Jacob's retaliation by +marking the cattle. Remark Esau shaking his fist at Jacob for stealing +his blessing; the solidity of the stairway in Jacob's dream; the unusual +number of animals shown in all the scenes. There should also be observed +the very elaborate treatment of the eastern traceries. An examination of +the outside of these windows indicates that they were probably brought +from some other edifice, for the wall seems to have been cut away to +provide sufficient room for them. + + [Illustration: BISHOP ABBOTT'S HOSPITAL, GUILDFORD + Charming and complete glazing of a small chapel. Renaissance + glass coloured by the process of enamelling, often + unsatisfactory because bits are apt to peel off] + + +GATTON + +It is not uncommon in England to find the chapel attached to the manor +house of an estate used as a parish church for the neighbourhood. This +is true of the family chapel at Gatton Park, Surrey, just north of +Redhill, off the road leading to London. This chapel stands close to the +mansion, and is connected with it by a passage. Finer carved wood than +the wainscotting of this small interior is far to seek. The wooden +pulpit, too, is of skilful workmanship, and together with the panelling, +is said to have come from Germany, and to be the work of Albrecht Duerer; +its beauty is certainly due to some great craftsman, if not to this very +man. The principal illumination of the narrow edifice is derived from +two large windows, one over the altar at the east end and the other of +similar size in the south wall; there is none in the north one. Both +these embrasures are glazed with Renaissance work of considerable +excellence; the one to the east dates from about 1500, and the southerly +one from about eighty years later. This latter, as is to be expected, +shows a liberal use of enamel painting, something entirely absent in +the earlier one, and each of its three lancets contains a different +subject, against elaborate landscape backgrounds. The delicately +outlined trees in the extreme distance are drawn upon a white field +instead of upon the light blue then used in France. Such architecture as +appears in the design is, of course, Renaissance. Across the whole of +the easterly window is stretched one large picture, the "Eating of the +Passover," which is pleasantly brightened by the golden staves held by +the figures who, with their raiment girded up and their feet shod by +sandals, carry out to the full the Mosaic law, "And thus shall ye eat +it; with your loins girded, with shoes on your feet and your staff in +your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste; it is the Lord's Passover" +(Exodus xii. 2). + +When about to leave this beautifully panelled charmingly glazed +interior, note the small window in the west wall of the entrance +vestibule. It is of a domestic type familiar during the Perpendicular +epoch. In the centre are the arms of Henry VII. between two supporters. +Across the quarry background are bands slanting from the left down to +the right bearing the motto, "Honi soit qui mal y pense." Some of the +quarries show small leaves, and others an H surmounted by a crown. This +window is similar in style to those already remarked at Salisbury, in +John Halle's hall, and others maybe seen in many private houses dating +from that time. + +Although of modest size and possessing but two windows, Gatton Chapel is +as delightful a bit of complete Renaissance glazing as one will see in +England. + + +KNOLE + +East and west across almost the whole width of Kent run three parallel +lines of low hills affording many charming views which, however, are +only part of the many beauties of that picturesque county. Upon the +easterly end of one of these ridges lies Sevenoaks. Although the present +town is by no means an ancient one, it possesses great interest in that +just below its edge lies the large estate of Knole Park which, if we may +play upon words, is a series of knolls that together with their +intersecting glades are shaded by groves of great beeches whose soft +green foliage has for many a long day sheltered the herds of deer +wandering to and fro beneath them. Upon an eminence of greater size than +its fellows stands the ancient dwelling known as "Knole," a great series +of courts and quadrangles combined into an abode of such size that it is +said to contain, in addition to its superb state apartments, no fewer +than 365 bedrooms. Enclosed within a wide sweeping battlemented wall are +charming old-world gardens that nestle about the ancient grey mansion, +and soften by their dainty setting of variegated flowers, green lawns +and trees, the fortress-like appearance of its towers and long stretches +of stone enclosure. Thanks to a fine combination of patriotism and +hospitality so often seen in England, a large portion of this house is +(upon payment of a trifling fee) thrown open to the study and +appreciation of the public on the afternoons of Thursday and Saturday +(2-5), as well as all day Friday (10-5). It is because it can be so +conveniently seen by our glass-hunting pilgrim (owing to the generosity +of the owners and the fact that it is under an hour by train from +Charing Cross, London) that Knole has been selected to illustrate in how +decorative a fashion the sixteenth century glazier could spread the gay +tints of heraldic story upon his windows. Here can also be remarked one +or two other minor manifestations of stained glass at that time. One of +these is to be seen in the first stairway up which visitors are +conducted. Upon some of its diminutive diamond-shaped panes are +enamelled armorial crests, much in vogue at the end of the sixteenth +century and the beginning of the following one. On one of these little +panes in the chapel of Lullingstone Castle near here appears the date +1612: these on the Knole staircase are of about the same date. This +house was long the property of the See of Canterbury; perhaps the +pilgrim may have one of the rare opportunities to visit the bedroom so +long occupied by Archbishop Cranmer and observe in the upper lights of +the bay window the six large ovals containing coats of arms in enamel, +bits of which have peeled off, as is so often the case with this method +of applying colour. How mystified that worthy ecclesiastic would be to +see the modern bathroom which now opens into his old bedroom! While +speaking of Canterbury, it is of interest that we are enabled to date +one of the Knole towers by the fact that a morsel of glazing high up in +the traceries of one window (all that is left of the original equipment) +bears a double knot, the insignia of Archbishop Bourchier, thus proving +that it is at least as old as his tenancy here (1456-86). But let us +come to the main reason for our visit--the Cartoon Gallery. Named after +the set of Raphael's cartoons especially copied for Charles I., and by +him presented to the Earl of Dorset to decorate these walls, this long +room is brilliantly lighted by a series of windows giving off upon the +delightful gardens. This is no place to dwell upon the sumptuous silver +furnishings of King James' bedroom that opens out to the south, nor of +the treasures of English portraiture in the rooms through which we have +come to this gallery. We are here to enjoy the work of the glazier who +set upon the windows the arms of the great houses allied to this one by +marriage. One after another they unfold themselves all along the upper +lights of this series of embrasures, and tell their story in a far more +brilliant manner than can ever be attained by any musty tome on +genealogy. This estate was more than once the property of the Crown, and +an evidence of one of these periods is provided by the appearance on +some of the westerly windows of the arms of certain Law Officers of the +Crown, such as the Lord Chief Justice, Attorney-General, Chief Baron of +the Exchequer, Master of the Requests, Judge of Admiralty, &c. These are +somewhat earlier than those first mentioned and are freer from the +unfortunate enamel painting. + +Taking into consideration the dimensions of this superb apartment, and +the paintings and glass that adorn it, together with the pleasing +outlook upon the gardens below, it is doubtful if a more impressive +gallery is to be found in any of the stately homes of England. + +The chapel, which was built by Archbishop Cranmer, has an unpleasantly +smeared east window, but upon its surface high up are a series of +Apostles done in grey and stain which, if brought down to the level for +which they were originally intended, would show themselves to be very +attractive. At the south end of the little gallery used as the "Family +Pew" are a group of about a dozen scenes in grey and stain of excellent +execution, and so placed as to permit of a satisfactory examination of +this agreeable form of Renaissance glass-painting. + + * * * * * + +If one be travelling by bicycle or automobile, a pleasant addition to +this trip may be made, on the way back to London, by taking one small +_detour_ of about ten miles to visit Nettlestead, and another of about +three to West Wickham Church. The glass at both these places is +Perpendicular, but not of sufficient importance to have made them +stations on that tour. However, they can be so conveniently seen at this +stage of our rambles that they are here duly mentioned. It is only +recently that, thanks to the skilful heraldic researches of W. E. Ball, +LL.D., the date of the Nettlestead windows has been discovered, as well +as the significance of the many coats of arms scattered over them. +Recent restoration has made complete the glazing of the entire north +side and also of the east window. Note the narrow one at the north of +the small chancel--quarry background with a large figure standing on a +bracket, very reminiscent of sundry prototypes at St. Neot in Cornwall. +The other windows on this side (except the westmost) are rich, almost +florid examples of the elaborated canopy style. Indeed, so deep are the +tones that one is tempted to suspect that some Frenchman had a hand in +their manufacture. The smaller chancel light just noted is much lower +in colour and therefore more typical of the then prevailing English +taste. This is also true of the westmost or "Becket window," as it is +called, because it shows scenes from that martyr's life. The south +windows retain their original glass only in the tracery lights, but it +is planned to reglaze them as nearly as possible like those on the north +side. Nettlestead Church is not easily noticed from the road because of +some farm buildings and an orchard which mask it. + +If, when we resume our journey Londonward, it be decided to take a peep +at the West Wickham glass, one should be careful not to overshoot the +church, for it lies at least a half-mile nearer the London road than +does the village whose name it bears. The embrasures on the north and +east of a chapel opening off the chancel contain examples of a saint +standing on a bracket against a quarry background, which we have just +observed in the Nettlestead chancel light and also on a former tour at +St. Neot. The quarries here each bear the monogram "I.H.S." in stain. +The supports below the brackets are shorter than is customary. What +painstaking care was used in the manufacture of these windows is +revealed by an examination of the central one on the north side, bearing +the familiar figure of St. Christopher carrying the infant Jesus. +Notice that the little pool of water in which he stands contains small +golden fishes; also remark the careful leading of the three tiny red +trees in the background. This very attention to detail noticeable in all +the panels has much to do with the satisfactory effect of these windows. + + + + +ITINERARIES + +SHOWING DISTANCES IN MILES + + +EARLY ENGLISH + +(84 miles from London) Salisbury--125--Canterbury--180--Lincoln--135 +--York (197 miles to London) + +DECORATED + +(197 miles from London) York--84--Norbury--62--Shrewsbury--29--Ludlow +--24--Hereford--28--Tewkesbury--4--Deerhurst--42--Bristol--20--Wells +--63--Exeter--130--Dorchester--12--Oxford (54 miles to London) + +PERPENDICULAR + +(54 miles from London) Oxford--27--Fairford--8--Cirencester--17-- +Gloucester--27--Great Malvern--2--Little Malvern--20--Ross--60-- +Warwick--10--Coventry--128--York (197 miles to London) + +Salisbury (84 miles from London) + +Winchester (68 miles from London) + +St. Neot (257 miles from London) + + +RENAISSANCE + +London--53--Cambridge--103--Lichfield--41--Shrewsbury (154 miles to +London) + +(28 miles from London) Guildford--23--Gatton--20--Knole (24 miles to +London) + + + + +LIST OF TOWNS + +SHOWING DISTANCES FROM LONDON + + + MILES FROM + LONDON PAGE + + 119 Bristol Decorated 107 + 53 Cambridge Renaissance 223 + 56 Canterbury Early English 36 + 52 Chartham Decorated 49 + 90 Cirencester Perpendicular 154 + 91 Coventry Perpendicular 181 + 100 Deerhurst Decorated 104 + 42 Dorchester Decorated 124 + 169 Exeter Decorated 120 + 83 Fairford {Perpendicular 148 + {Renaissance 148 + 18 Gatton Renaissance 239 + 102 Gloucester Perpendicular 158 + 117 Great Malvern {Perpendicular 166 + {Decorated 166 + 28 Guildford Renaissance 236 + 131 Hereford Decorated 96 + 24 Knole Renaissance 242 + 91 Levrington Perpendicular 228 + 117 Lichfield Renaissance 230 + 135 Lincoln Early English 51 + 120 Little Malvern Perpendicular 172 + -- London Renaissance 216 + 75 Lowick Decorated 228 + 150 Ludlow {Decorated 92 + {Perpendicular 92 + 30 Margaretting Perpendicular 228 + 32 Nettlestead Perpendicular 246 + 136 Norbury Decorated 82 + 54 Oxford Decorated 129 + 54 Oxford Perpendicular 142 + 118 Ross Perpendicular 174 + 257 St. Neot Perpendicular 203 + 84 Salisbury Early English 30 + 84 Salisbury Perpendicular 192 + {Decorated 85 + 154 Shrewsbury {Perpendicular 85 + {Renaissance 85 + 103 Tewkesbury Decorated 100 + 92 Warwick Perpendicular 177 + 121 Wells Decorated 114 + 17 West Wickham Perpendicular 247 + 32 Willesborough Decorated 49 + 68 Winchester Perpendicular 195 + 197 York Early English 57 + 197 York Decorated 76 + 197 York Perpendicular 58 + + + + +STAINED GLASS TOURS IN ENGLAND + + _With 16 Full-page Illustrations_ + BY C. H. SHERRILL + Demy 8vo. (9 x 5-3/4 ins.) + Price 7s. 6d. net. Postage 6d. extra + + +_Spectator_: "Mr. Sherrill has written a book which not only proves him +to be a true lover of mediaeval glass, but proves also his enlightened +comprehension of its evolution and its changing style.... A pleasant and +entertaining instructor." + +_Sunday Times_: "The illustrations are delightful, and successfully +capture the blended notes of opulence and beauty which the mediaeval +designers threw into their work." + +_Daily Telegraph_: "Mr. Sherrill leads his fellow-travellers by +delightful paths.... He is a model guide, and all his illustrations are +to the point. It is difficult to imagine how any instructor could pack +more fruitful information into a smaller or more attractive parcel." + +_Morning Post_: "Is well written, and in a style which shows that the +author really feels the attraction of the art he describes." + +_Daily Chronicle_: "A distinct triumph to write a book of 250 pages on a +restricted though very beautiful subject, and never become monotonous; +this is the triumph Mr. Sherrill has achieved. A really delightful +volume." + +_Literary World_: "All who care for beautiful handiwork, and all +interested visitors to our old cathedrals, colleges, and churches, +should possess themselves of this charming book.... The illustrations +are extremely good." + +_Western Morning News_: "The author describes the beauties he has seen +in a most interesting style, and with exceedingly good taste. This +volume deserves unstinted praise." + +JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD, VIGO STREET, LONDON, W. + + + + +STAINED GLASS TOURS IN FRANCE + + _With Illustrations_ + BY C. H. SHERRILL + Crown 8vo. 6s. net + + +_The Builder_: "A very well-written book, with a very good aesthetic +perception as to what is best and most to be admired in ancient stained +glass." + +_The Antiquary_: "A well-qualified guide for all who can appreciate the +loveliness of the old glass in which France is still so rich." + +ROGER FRY in _The Burlington Magazine_: "He has really looked, and +looked lovingly, at the windows he describes. His knowledge is evidently +adequate, and he rearranges it in a form which he who automobiles may +read." + +_Westminster Gazette_: "Useful and interesting. Mr. Sherrill gives +just enough information to enable the lay reader to understand the +difficulties with which the artist in coloured glass had to contend. +Moreover, he has the eloquence of a true enthusiast, and is able to +communicate to others his own delight." + +_Pall Mall Gazette_: "Exceedingly useful. A work showing much industry, +enthusiasm, and good taste, it is a really valuable supplementary volume +to one's Murray or Baedeker. The author has excellent taste." + +_Morning Post_: "Mr. Sherrill does feel very sincerely the beauty of +stained glass, and is able to communicate his feeling in writing. Mr. +Sherrill pilots us on a pleasant cruise among some of the greatest of +the French examples of the style." + +_British Architect_: "The writer manages to say a good many interesting +things. Mr. Sherrill's book is written in a most interesting style." + +_Architectural Review_: "A useful book. Mr. Sherrill has an acute +appreciation of the important relationship between the glass and the +surrounding architecture, and he has brought the fresh mind of the +amateur to his subject." + +JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD, VIGO STREET, LONDON, W. + + + + +TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: + +Minor changes have been made to correct typesetters' errors; otherwise, +every effort has been made to remain true to the author's words and +intent. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Stained Glass Tours in England, by +Charles Hitchcock Sherrill + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAINED GLASS TOURS IN ENGLAND *** + +***** This file should be named 34818.txt or 34818.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/4/8/1/34818/ + +Produced by D Alexander and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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