[Illustration: Peterborough Cathedral--West Front]

[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ]

A GUIDE TO PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL;

COMPRISING A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MONASTERY

FROM ITS FOUNDATION TO THE PRESENT TIME, WITH A DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT OF ITS ARCHITECTURAL

PECULIARITIES AND RECENT IMPROVEMENTS;

COMPILED FROM THE WORKS OF GUNTON, BRITTON, AND ORIGINAL & AUTHENTIC DOCUMENTS. 

BY GEORGE S. PHILLIPS. 

[JANUARY SEARLE. ]

A New Edition, Revised and Corrected. 

PETERBOROUGH:PUBLISHED BY GEO. C. CASTER, BOOKSELLER, MARKET PLACE. 1881. 

PRINTED BY GEO. C. CASTER, AT HIS PRINTING OFFICE, IN THE "KING'S LODGINGS, "WITHIN THE MINSTER PRECINCTS, PETERBOROUGH. 1881. 

A GUIDE TO PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL. 

CHAPTER I. 

_From the foundation of the monastery by Peada, A. D. 655, to itsdestruction by fire in the reign of Henry the First;--embracing aperiod of 461 years. _

The history of our monastic establishments is but little regarded andas little known. The obscurity in which all monastic institutions isinvolved renders it difficult to give any certain and positiveinformation respecting the origin of the building to whose historythese pages are devoted; but it appears to have been founded at a veryearly period--the churches of Canterbury, Rochester, London, Westminster, York, and Winchester, being the only large sacred edifices thatpreceded it. The date of the first building is stated to have been A. D. 655--fifty-eight years after the introduction of Christianity intoEngland by St. Augustine; and so large were the foundation stones, thatit required eight yoke of oxen to draw them. From this it may beinferred that the structure was not, like many of the Anglo-Saxonchurches of this period--built entirely of wood; though it was probablyfar inferior in size and style of architecture to the building whichsucceeded it. 

It was one of the kings of Mercia who laid the foundation of themonastery of _Medeshamstede_[1] in 655; his name was Peada, the eldestson of Penda, the fourth monarch of that kingdom. The facts are thusrelated by the Saxon chronicler:--"From the beginning of the world hadnow elapsed 5, 850 winters, when Peada the son of Penda assumed thegovernment of the Mercians. In his time came together himself andOsway, brother of King Oswald, and said they would rear a _minster_ tothe glory of Christ and honour of Saint Peter; and they did so, andgave it the name of _Medeshamstede_, because there is a well therecalled _Medeswell_. And they began the ground-wall and wrought thereon, after which they committed the work to a monk, whose name was Saxulf. Peada reigned no while, for he was betrayed by his own queen inEastertide, 658. "

Wolfere was the youngest son of Penda, and when Peada died, King Oswayassumed the government of Mercia, and ruled very despotically for aboutthree years, when the nobles, incensed at his conduct, rebelled againsthim, drove him from the kingdom, and chose Wolfere for their king. Itwas in his reign that "_Medeshamstede_ waxed rich, " for Wolfere notonly caused the monastery to be built, but he endowed it with a greatnumber of lands, and made it "not subject except to Rome alone;" andthe abbey, which was by this time completed, was dedicated with greatpomp and ceremony to "Christ and St. Peter, " and hallowed in the nameof "Saint Peter and Saint Andrew. "

Saxulf, who had superintended the building of the abbey, was the firstabbot whose name is mentioned in the monkish chronicles as its ruler. He was remarkable for his learning, piety, and humility, and waschiefly instrumental in bringing Christianity into the kingdom ofMercia. Both Saxulf and Cuthbaldus who succeeded him were abbots of themonastery during the rule of Wolfere, although there is little mentionmade of either in the records which have been handed down to us. 

Wolfere died in 683, and was succeeded by his brother Ethelred, whocontributed very largely to the monastery, and secured to it by hisinterest extraordinary privileges. Those who could not afford to go toRome to offer up vows and get absolved from their sins were allowedboth indulgences at this monastery, and could likewise receive "theapostolical benediction. " Ethelred built a house for the abbot, whichis now the palace of the bishop, but, excepting for its antiquity, itpossesses no features of interest. 

After a reign of thirty years, Ethelred exchanged the insignia ofroyalty for the rough garments of a monk, and became abbot of Bardney, in Lincolnshire, where he died, in the year, 716. 

From the death of Cuthbaldus to the accession of Beonna in 775, thereis a blank in the history of the monastery. During his rule one or twoimportant concessions were made to the monks by King Offa. 

The name of the next abbot was Celredus, but of him nothing particularis recorded. He was succeeded by Hedda, in 833, during whose abbacy thefirst destruction of the monastery by the Danes occurred, which foundedan important era in the history of this institution. A band of savageDanes, headed by Earl Hubba, invaded the territory of the Mercians, andafter committing numerous depredations in the country, they plunderedthe monastery of Croyland, and proceeded to attack _Medeshamstede_. The monks of this abbey had, however, gained intelligence of theirintentions, and having closed the gates, resolved to act on thedefensive. Hubba and his desperadoes soon surrounded them, and demandedthat the gates should be opened; and when he was told that he shouldnot enter, he commenced to batter the walls. In the course of theattack, one of the monks hurled a great stone from the top of thebuilding upon the besiegers, and Tulba, the brother of Hubba, waskilled by it. This so incensed the earl, that he vowed to put everymonk to death by his own hand; and having forced the gates, proceededto put his horrible threat into execution, --robbed the monastery ofeverything that was valuable, and then set it on fire. It burnedfifteen days. All the portable valuables were then packed on waggonsand taken away. The plunder, however, is said to have been lost, "either in the Nen or in the neighbouring marshes. "[2] This was in 870. 

In a short time a few monks who escaped at Croyland re-assembled attheir abbey there, and after electing Godric their abbot, proceeded to_Medeshamstede_, and buried the monks of that monastery who had beenmurdered by the Danish invaders in one vast tomb. Godric likewise hadtheir effigies cut out in stone (a representation of which is hereshown, the original being in the Lady Chapel), [3] and, to honour theirmemory, he went every year to weep over the grave in which he had laidhis brethren. 

From this time until the reign of Alfred the Great [872] the monasteryof _Medeshamstede_ was frequently invaded, and the lands whichbelonged to it were seized by the conquerors. It was left for thewisdom and courage of Alfred to restore that tranquility to Englandwhich it had so long lost, and to give protection and security to hissubjects. The Danes who had committed so many depredations before hisaccession to the throne were now beaten back and finally checked by thepowerful fleet which he built to protect the kingdom from invasion. King Edgar, who succeeded Alfred, followed his example in this respect, and kept up the strength of the fleet. By this means increased securitywas given to England, and the people, comparatively happy in theirinternal government, and freed from the fear of foreign interruption, began to improve their public buildings and religious houses. 

It was in 966 that the monastery of _Medeshamstede_ was rebuilt afterthe old model, at the instigation of Athelwold, who was at that timeBishop of Winchester. King Edgar assisted in the re-construction of themonastery; and so important did he consider religion to be in theamelioration of the morals of his subjects, that he is said to haverebuilt upwards of forty religious establishments during his reign. 

[Illustration: Ancient Monumental Stone in the Cathedral. ]

After the abbey of _Medeshamstede_ was finished in 972, he ratified allthe former charters which it possessed, and gave it the name of Burgh. 

The first abbot of the monastery, after its destruction, was calledAdulphus, formerly the king's chancellor; but having accidentally beenthe cause of the death of his only son, he could no longer live happilyin the world, and he therefore endowed the abbey with all his wealth, and was elected its first abbot. 

The monastery of _Burgh_ was now in a more prosperous and wealthycondition than ever; all the neighbouring country was subject to it, and its possessions were so immense that its name was changed to_Gildenburg_. Adulphus, wishing to increase the value of the estates ofthe monastery and to encourage agriculture, had all the surroundingforests cut down and the lands cultivated. He was afterwards madeArchbishop of York, [992, ] and the eloquent Kenulfus succeeded him inthe reign of Ethelred. Kenulfus built a high wall round the monastery, part of which is still in existence. He was translated to the see ofWinchester, in 1006, and was so celebrated for his virtue and learning, that he gave a character to the monastery, and the monks were for along time afterwards considered the most enlightened and intelligentmen in the island. 

Elsinus was the next abbot of whom we read in connection with themonastery, and was remarkable for the number of relics which he hadcollected. Gunton tells us that the arm of St. Oswald[4] was the mostfamous, and Walter de Whittlesea informs us that King Stephen came to_Peterburgh_ to witness the miracles which it is said to haveperformed. During the abbacy of Elsinus, England was invaded by theDanes under King Sweyn, in revenge of a massacre of his subjects by theorder of King Ethelred. They landed in the north, and, having gainedsome advantages, proceeded southward to the fen country, which theyplundered and laid waste with fire and sword. Heavy fines were extortedfrom the rich abbeys; that on Crowland amounting to £64, 000 of thepresent value of money. Elsinus died in 1055. 

Arwinus was then elected abbot, but he resigned in 1067 to Leofric. Hewas nephew to Earl Leofric, of Mercia, whose Countess, according to thechroniclers, redeemed Coventry from toll by riding naked through thestreets of that town. 

During the third year of this abbot, William the Conqueror invadedEngland, and we are told that Leofric fought for some time in theEnglish army, but in consequence of ill health, was obliged "to returnto his monastery, where he died on the third of the kalends ofNovember, A. D. 1066. " Braddo (or Brand) was the next successive abbot, but died after a rule of three years. 

Thorold of Fescamp, who for some service rendered to the conqueror, hadbeen appointed to an abbacy near Salisbury, was considered by William, on account of his soldier-like qualities, to be a fit person totransfer to the rebellious and disorderly neighbourhood of the Camp ofRefuge, and he was accordingly appointed Abbot of Peterborough, in1069. 

Between the death of Braddo and the arrival of his successor, thesecond destruction of the monastery took place. A band of Danishsoldiers, headed by Hereward de Wake, nephew of Braddo, attacked themonastery, and all the valuable treasures which it possessed wereeither taken away or destroyed. They then set fire to the building. Thefollowing is Gunton's account of the treasures which they captured;and, as it puts us in possession of much curious information concerningthose times, we will give the extract entire:--"They took the goldencrown from the head of the crucifix, the cross with the preciousstones, and the footstool under; _duo aurea feretra_ (two golden orgilded biers whereon they carried the saints' reliques, and other suchlike things, in procession), and nine silver ones; and twelve crosses, some of gold and some of silver. And, besides all this, they went up tothe tower and took away the great table which the monks had hiddenthere, which was all of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and wontto be before the altar, with abundance of books, and other preciousthings, which were valuable, there being not the like in all England. "

The monks were disconsolate at the loss of these valuable treasures, and the abbot solicited William the King to interfere for them, inorder that they might be returned. It appears, however, that theconqueror did not pay much attention to their request; and it isprobable that, as he had just after this depredation concluded a treatyof peace with the Danish sovereign, he was unwilling to do anythingthat should cause a breach of peace between them, especially as theywere such troublesome and dangerous enemies. The greater part of thetreasure was by some means once more restored to the monks, [5] and, according to the Saxon chronicler, they commenced from this time tobuild ramparts for their own protection, and for the security of themonastery. Tout Hill[6] in the vineyard field was raised at this time, and there is said to have been a subterraneous passage which ran thenceto Croyland and Thorney. This hill was originally called Mount Thorold. 

After the arrival of Thorold at Peterborough, being accompanied by 160well-armed Frenchmen, he proceeded to turn his attention to the Camp ofRefuge, situated near Ely; and, joining Ives of Taillebois in anassault upon it, was repulsed by Hereward de Wake, and taken prisoner, with many of the monks; nor was he liberated, according to DeanPatrick, until he had paid three thousand marks. After his liberation, he returned to the monastery, and made himself more odious to the monksthan before. He was depraved and dissolute, and, to satisfy hislicentious desires, he is said to have made free with the treasury. Heintroduced two monks likewise into the monastery, who were foreigners, and quite as unscrupulous as himself, in purloining the wealth of theabbey. He was afterwards made a bishop in France, but owing to hisutter recklessness of conduct and morality, he was sent back to Englandfour days after: was again admitted abbot of the monastery of_Peterburgh_, where he died in 1098, after an odious government oftwenty-eight years. 

During the reign of Henry I. , the son of the Conqueror, Ernulphusbecame Abbot of _Peterburgh_. This event took place in the year 1107, and he made several important improvements in the monastery; built anew dormitory and refectory, and completed the chapter-house, whichhad been left in an unfinished state for several years. He likewiseenriched the convent by making an arrangement with all who held in rentthe abbey lands to pay tithes to him, and, when they died, that theyshould give the third part of their estates to be buried in the church. Thus it was that the monastery continued to grow in wealth, and whenErnulphus was made Bishop of Rochester, which happened in 1114, theabbey was entitled to a tithe of 40, 800 acres of land. 

During the rule of his successor, John de Sais, the monastery wasburned down. The fire is said to have occurred accidentally, and suchwas the violence of the flames, that they reached the village andconsumed most of the cottagers' houses. The additions which Ernulphushad made to the abbey, however, are said to have escaped the generalruin. 

 [1] The most probable etymology of this word is that which is given by Britton in his History of Peterborough Cathedral, viz. --"_Mede_ or _Mead_, a meadow; _ham_, a sheltered habitation; and _sted, stead_, or _stad_, a bank, station, or place of rest. "

 [2] In cleaning out the river, a little below the bridge, in June, 1820, a dagger was found, which is supposed to have belonged to these Danes. It is in the possession of the present Bishop. 

 [3] At a meeting of the Archęological Society at Peterborough, in 1861, Mr. Bloxam read a paper in which he denied the authenticity of this monument, which had previously been regarded as one of the oldest monumental stones extant. Mr. Bloxam regards it as a Norman, and not a Saxon work, and some centuries later in date than the massacre of the monks. He considers that the figures are not martyred monks with their abbot, but Christ and his eleven disciples. It has been further conjectured by Canon Westcott that it is part of the shrine erected over the relics of St. Kyneburgha, which were removed from Castor to Peterborough during the Abbacy of Elsinus, A. D. 1005-1055. A fragment of sculpture in the same style is built into the west wall of the South Transept. 

 [4] A Saxon King of Northumbria and the second Christian monarch of that province. An interesting account of this prince, and of the extraordinary miracles said to have been performed by his remains after death, will be found in a larger edition of the Guide to the Cathedral, by Thos. Craddock, Esq. Price 2. 6 & 15. 

 [5] Britton says, on the authority of Gunton, that they sent the secretary of the monastery over to Denmark, on purpose to obtain it. It is, however, more probable that Hereward, knowing the disposition of the Norman abbot would lead him to enrich himself at the expense of the monastery, took this means of removing temptation out of the way of Thorold, and subsequently restored the treasure to the monastery, when there was no longer any danger of its being appropriated by the abbot. 

 [6] Toot is an old Saxon word, signifying to stand out, or be prominent. 

CHAPTER II. 

_From the Foundation of the New Church, in 1117, to its dissolutionas an Abbey by Henry the Eighth, in 1541;--embracing a period of 425years. _

In the first chapter of our history, we traced the rise and progress ofthe monastery of _Peterburgh_ through a period of 462 years, at theexpiration of which time we saw it burned to the ground, with all thetreasures which it had accumulated. We have now to witness itsrestoration, and to follow it until we come to the nineteenth century, through all the ravages which it has survived. 

At the time of the eventful destruction which we have mentioned [1116], John de Sais was abbot of the monastery, and had regained for itseveral of the lands which had been forfeited by his predecessors. Hewas, according to Gunton, a very learned man, and possessed greatstrength of mind and decision of character. He showed his energy by theprompt measures which he took to rebuild the abbey after itsdestruction, and to get all those lands, manors, and fees confirmed toit which it had so long enjoyed, and which continued daily to increase. It was a very long time, however, before the new monastery was built. John de Sais superintended it during his abbacy, but he lived only nineyears after he had laid the foundation-stone (which ceremony heperformed in the month of March, 1117), and the building was notcompleted at his death; nor did he succeed in securing to the monasteryall its former possessions, although he exerted himself veryassiduously to obtain them. 

John de Sais was succeeded by Henri de Angeli, in 1128, of whom nothingof moment is recorded. He was a man of no character, and tried toinjure the monastery in the estimation of the king, by speaking falselyof the brotherhood. Some writers say that he was detected in hisvillany by the king, who obliged him to resign his chair, and leave thecountry; others assert that he quitted England on account of othercrimes. All historians agree, however, that he was a very bad man. 

The appointment of the next abbot devolved upon the king, and Martin deVecti was chosen by him to govern the monastery, in 1133. The monksreceived him with every expression of respect, as he was reported to bea man of profound erudition and good moral character. He began his ruleby forwarding the erection of the new monastery, and it was during hisabbacy that it was completed and re-dedicated--which latter ceremonywas conducted with great pomp, and all the abbots of the neighbouringmonasteries, with numbers of the barons and gentry, were present[1140]. It appears that De Vecti was very zealous in the work ofimprovement, and that he not only built a new gate to the monastery, but formed a new village on the western side of it; altered the placeof wharfage, erected a new bridge, planted the present vineyard, andbuilt many new houses near the abbey. He is also said to have re-builtthe parish church, then situate in St. John's close, in the precincts. The destruction of the castle, which stood near this church, islikewise attributed to this abbot. It is probable that it was situateupon Mount Thorold, or Tout Hill, as it is now called. This hill mayyet be seen in a close on the north-western side of the cathedral. 

De Vecti ruled twenty-two years, and died in 1155. 

After the death of De Vecti, the monks resolved to maintain the rightwhich they possessed of choosing their own abbot, and William deWaterville was elected by them to the government of the monastery:their choice was afterwards ratified by the king. Waterville wasformerly a chaplain to Henry II. , and having some influence with him, he regained for his abbey "the eight hundreds of that part of thecountry which had formerly been granted by the king's predecessors;"and, being firmly established in the monastery, he turned his attentionto the improvement of the town. He founded a hospital for the sick inSpitalfield; built St. Martin's church and St. Michael's nunnery, atStamford--besides settling a yearly sum upon the church of St. JohnBaptist, [7] _Peterburgh_--covering the monastery with lead, andfounding the chapel of Thomas ą Becket. 

It is stated by Gunton, that this chapel is in "the middle of the archof the church porch, " but this is an error which it will be well tocorrect. The present school-house near the minster gateway is found tobe the chancel of the chapel; and it is thus described by Kennel--"Thechapel of the blessed Thomas the Martyr, near the outer gate of theabbey there. "

After a government of 20 years, Waterville was deposed, at theinstigation of the monks, by the Archbishop of Canterbury. No positivecrime was alleged against him--at least the monks have not mentionedany in their accounts of the monastery. 

The next abbot of whom we read is Benedict, a man of great learning, who was appointed to the rule of the monastery by the king in 1177, after he had held it in his possession two years. The abbot broughtseveral relics to the monastery, and finished the chapel of Thomas ąBecket. He was very zealous likewise in his endeavours to re-obtain theabbey lands which had been forfeited or seized during the rule of hispredecessors; nor was he scrupulous of the means which he took toeffect it: sometimes he took possession of them by force, and at othershe tried to conciliate the usurpers by large sums of money and fairpromises. 

The monastery, during his government, underwent many important changes. He rebuilt the whole body of the church, "from the lantern to theporch;" and it is the opinion of Gunton, that the curiously paintedceiling which covers the middle of the building was of his workmanship. He likewise added several houses to those which were already within theprecincts of the abbey, and built the present gate which leads to thewest front of the cathedral, with a chapel over it, which was dedicatedto St. Nicholas. [8]

Benedict likewise obtained a charter for holding a fair upon the feastof St. Peter, and a market to be held every Thursday. The fair was tocontinue eight days. 

This abbot ruled seventeen years, and died in 1194. 

Andreas succeeded Benedict, and rose gradually from a monk to a prior, and finally to an abbot. It is said that he was a good man, and securedthe esteem of the monks by giving them the lands of Fletton andAlwalton to enrich their table. He ordered likewise six marks a year tobe given out of the monastery funds to the infirmary. This donation wascontinued by his successors for a long time, but Abbot Walter, duringhis rule, directed that it should be employed in purchasing wine forthe "pitanciary. "

During the reign of Andreas there were several lands given to the"Eleemossynary, " and the monastery was very flourishing. He governedseven years, and died in 1201. His body was entombed in the southaisle, with two of his brethren, under a Norman arch, beneath which isthe following epitaph:--

 Hos tres abbates quibus est prior abba Iohannes, Alter Martinus, Andreas ultimus, unus Hic claudit tumulus; pro clausis ergo rogemus. 

Acharius succeeded Andreas in 1200. He was originally a prior of St. Albans, but was presented by King John to the abbacy of this monastery, on account of his many virtues and distinguished talents. He seems tohave had the interest of the monastery at heart as greatly as any ofhis predecessors, and was engaged in several lawsuits with differentlandowners, in order to recover the lost possessions of the abbey. Hegained the marsh of Singlesholt from the Abbot of Crowland "for ayearly acknowledgement of four stones of wax, " and increased the numberof his monks. He endowed the church with many valuable articles--suchas silver basins for the great altar, with a case of gold and silver, set with precious stones, for the arm of St. Oswald! He gave likewisetwo large silver cups to the refectory, with silver feet richly gilt, according to Gunton, and four table knives with ivory hafts. He paidmoney off the monastery debts, and purchased houses in London, which headded to the abbey possessions. 

During the festival of St. Peter, a large wax candle, of five poundsweight, [9] was set before the altar, and burnt day and night, until thefestival was completed. This custom was observed in all other feasts ofthe saints in the abbey; and during the rule of Acharius the festivalswere remarkable for their pomp and splendour. 

This abbot ruled ten years, died in 1214, and was succeeded by Robertof Lindsay, or Lyndesheye. 

It was during the rule of this abbot that one of the most interestingchanges was effected in the monastery: the windows until this time hadbeen "stuffed with straw, " to keep out the cold and the rain; and, atan immense expense, he had thirty-nine of them adorned with glass, which enterprise gained for him a considerable amount of fame andesteem. Not content with this change in his own monastery, he extendedhis generosity to other parts, and built a chancel to the church atOxney. He was confirmed by the king at Winchester, and received thebenediction of the Bishop of Lincoln. 

Being thus installed in his new office with so much honour, he directedhis attention to the forest lands by which he was surrounded. By virtueof the forest laws, foresters let their cattle run at liberty to graze, and they frequently did much damage to the possessions of themonastery, and to the property of the town inhabitants. Lindsaytherefore wrote to the king to try to "disafforest" the lands whichwere contiguous to the monastery, and he effected his object by paymentof 1320 marks. Of his other improvements we read that "he made in thesouth cloister a lavatory of marble, for the monks to wash their handsin when they went to meals--their hall being near on the other side ofthe wall, the door leading into it being yet standing; the lavatorycontinued entire until the year 1651, and then, with the wholecloister, it was also pulled down. "

About this time, in the reign of King John, England was the scene ofthose civil contentions which terminated in favour of the barons, andthe attainment of a charter of liberties. A large number of themonasteries in England were, however, despoiled by the king before thefate of the war was decided, and amongst them was Crowland Abbey. It islikely that of _Peterburgh_ escaped the fury of the king's soldiers, for we do not read of any outrage being committed upon it at that timein the monkish records. Lindsay wrote a history of the monastery, according to Pitseus, but he did not enrich the church library with anyvaluable additions. He ruled seven years, and died in 1222. 

Alexander de Holderness was the successor of Lindsay, and was electedNovember 30, 1222. He was called Holderness from the place where he wasborn. This abbot made a number of improvements in his monastery, andenriched it with money and relics. He built, says Gunton, "_thesolarium magnum_ at the door of the abbot's chamber, and a _cellerarium_under it, and furnished the church also with that precious crystalvessel wherein the blood of Thomas ą Becket was kept. " He likewisebuilt halls at Oundle, Castor, Eyebury, and other places. He was muchbeloved by the monks, and died, after a government of four years, in1226. 

An interesting incident in connexion with this abbot may here bementioned. On the 2nd of April, 1830, when the workmen were making afoundation in the cathedral church for the erection of a new choir, they discovered beneath one of the slabs a stone coffin, which theircuriosity led them to open. They were surprised to find that itcontained the body of a man, with a large coarse garment around it, equipped with boots, and having a crosier by its side. There wereseveral very remarkable things connected with this discovery. The bootswere what are called "rights and lefts, " and in a good state ofpreservation. The crosier was perfect, and a part of the body was hard, and of a copper-coloured hue, whilst the other part was decomposed. Thebody was headless, and a piece of lead was found lying in _place ofthe skull_, with this inscription upon it--

 ABBAS: ALEXANDR:

These remains were gathered together, replaced in the shell, and buriedin the south aisle, nearly opposite the burial place of Mary Queen ofScots. 

Martin de Ramsey was chosen abbot after the death of Alexander. Hiselection was sanctioned by the king, and he was confirmed by the Bishopof Lincoln, at Westminster. There is nothing remarkable recorded ofthis abbot. He "disafforested" several lands about _Peterburgh_, andadded them to the possessions of the monastery. 

During the rule of this abbot, Pope Gregory IX. Ordered that when thereshould be an interdiction of the monastery lands, the monks shouldclose their doors, and not allow the people to hear their prayers, orparticipate in them; but the privilege was granted to the monks ofPeterborough to say the service in a low voice to themselves, theringing of the bell being dispensed with. 

Martin ruled six years, died in 1232, and was succeeded by Walter deSt. Edmond, in 1233. It was during the government of this abbot thatthe monastery of _Peterburgh_ was re-dedicated and consecrated withholy oil, by the Bishops of Lincoln and Exeter [1238], according to thedecrees of the constitution of Otto. [10] The ceremony was attended withthe usual pomp of such proceedings, and the possessions of themonastery were ratified anew. Walter de Whittlesea gives a veryfavourable account of the disposition of this abbot, and speaks veryhighly of his benevolence to King Henry, who was reduced to thenecessity of seeking support from this and other monasteries. St. Edmond entertained the king twice at _Peterburgh_, in company with thequeen and the young prince. He also "gave 60 marks towards the marriageof Margaret, his daughter, with Alexander III. , King of Scotland, " andincreased the number of his monks to one hundred and ten. He madelikewise three several journeys to Rome upon civil and ecclesiasticalbusiness. The cause of one of these journeys was this:--The Pope(Gregory, 1241) sent messages to _Burgh_, demanding that the abbotshould give unto one of his favourites a certain yearly sum, or anumber of lands equal to that sum, and the abbot refused to do sowithout the consent of the king who was patron of the monastery; andgoing to Rome to know the cause of such an arbitrary demand, he wasreproved by the Pope in person, and treated with great indignity by thecardinals, and expelled the court. The abbot was so much grieved, bythis cruel and ungenerous treatment that he never recovered, but diedin the same year [1245], after having ruled twelve years with thegreatest mildness, prudence, and benevolence. This story of the Pope'sarbitrary conduct calls forth a very pithy couplet from Gunton--

 "Rome gnaweth hands as dainty cates, And when it cannot gnaw--it hates. "

Walter was a learned man, and increased the books of the library. Gunton says "he was pious and merciful to all, exacted nothing undulyof his tenants, whether rich or poor; but if any poor man or woman madetheir necessities known to him, he would burst into tears, and takecompassion upon them. "

The next abbot of whom we read is William de Hotot, who was elected onthe 6th of February, 1246. His rule was not favourable to themonastery. He lavished the possessions of the church upon his friendsand kinsmen. His conduct was reprehended by the monks, and finallyrepresented to the Bishop of Lincoln, when William, fearing he shouldbe deposed, resigned his office, and retired upon an allowance from themonastery in 1249, after governing three years. 

Mr. Owen Davys, in his Guide to the Cathedral, remarks that "it is amatter of great surprise that we have no record handed down to us ofthe exact date when that magnificent appendage to the Cathedral, thewestern front, was erected, though it must have been about this time. The name of the architect under whose directions this original andstrikingly beautiful design was carried out is also buried inobscurity. This noble front is almost entirely built in the styleusually known by the name of early English Gothic, of which it is, perhaps, the finest example we have now left us. 

"It would seem that scarcely any time elapsed between the building ofthe western transepts of this monastic church and the commencement ofthe west front, as the style of the western transepts is LateTransition Norman, and in some places almost Early English, and that ofthe west front pure Early English. Now, as the Transition Norman gaveplace to the Early English in this country, about the commencement ofthe thirteenth century, it would seem probable that these westerntransepts were built at that time, probably during the government ofAcharius [1200]; these works being carried on by Robert de Lindsay, hissuccessor, might have been completed by him: the mixture of EarlyEnglish work with that of the former style in them may thus besatisfactorily accounted for. It would seem, therefore, that thesetransepts were erected before the time of Walter St. Edmonds, and thatthe building of the west front probably followed immediately after theerection of them. Mr. Britton, in his 'History and Antiquities ofPeterborough Cathedral, ' page 56, refers the building of thisinteresting feature of the church to the times of Acharius and Robertde Lindsay. It would seem, however, that though it was probably begunin the time of the latter abbot, it was not finished till the time ofJohn de Caleto, who came to the government of this abbey A. D. 1249. Thereason for this opinion is the similarity of some of its details tothose of the infirmary church, which was erected by this abbot. Somebeautiful portions of this church are still to be seen. This abbot issaid to have been a great builder; and it is probable that therefectory and south cloister were rebuilt by him; and that the door bywhich the Bishop usually enters the Cathedral, was inserted at the sametime. The Chapel of St. Lawrance, which stood at the east end of theinfirmary church, seems to have been erected about this time. There wasan entrance into this chapel, from the infirmary church, through anarch, which is still standing, the chapel having been converted into aprebendal house. "

Richard de London was elected abbot in 1274. He had held severaloffices in the monastery before his instalment, and being wellacquainted with the discipline of the church, he governed well andwisely. He recovered the manor of Biggins, near Oundle, of the Earl ofClare, and his success was mainly owing to the eloquence of one of hismonks, who pleaded the cause of the monastery in person, before thejudge of assize at Northampton. 

It was during the government of Richard de London that Prior Parysbuilt and endowed the Lady Chapel. [11] This abbot ("when he wassacrist") also built one of the largest steeples of the church, andgave two bells to the monastery. He died in 1295, having ruled twentyyears. In his reign the library and the monastery lands were increasedconsiderably. 

William de Woodford was next elected abbot. During the latter part ofthe rule of Richard, he had assisted him in performing the duties ofabbot, which the latter was unable to do of himself, on account of hisgreat age. 

Swapham informs us that whilst William was abbot, the Pope taxed allthe manors of the abbey. 

Woodford is described as a fair and impartial man, of much kindness andbenevolence, who added to the provisions of the monks, --obtained acharter for the possession of all the deer that might be slain on themonastery lands, and devoted his attention to the better regulation ofthe hospital of St. Leonard. [12] He died after a rule of four years, in1299, and was succeeded by Godfrey de Croyland in the same year. Thisabbot, on his installation, was presented by Prince Edward with asilver cup, and had the confirmation fees returned to him by theBishop's order. 

The service in the chapel of Thomas ą Becket was for a time suspendedduring this abbot's rule, in consequence of a violation of the sanctityof the place by certain officers, who, being in search of several menthat had transgressed against the laws, and hearing they had takenshelter in the monastery, dragged them hence by force. The Bishop ofLincoln therefore put his curse upon the place, nor was it without muchpersuasion that he granted an absolution. 

The same year, being 1300, says Gunton, "a marriage being intendedbetwixt the heirs of Offord and Southorp, king Edward supposing himselfto be interested therein, appointed inquisition to be made whether thedisposal of that marriage belonged to him or the abbot of _Peterburgh_. And it being upon the inquisition certified that those heirs and theirprogenitors held their lands of the abbey of _Peterburgh_, the right ofdisposal of those heirs did therefore belong to the abbot, which theking, understanding, desisted. " This right of disposal is well worthyof notice, as it illustrates the spirit of the time better than a greatdeal of writing. 

Godfrey was remarkable for his generosity and sumptuous entertainments. The king and queen, with all their retinues, were provided for at themonastery, and once Prince Edward came with Peter Gaveston, and theabbot presented them with two magnificent robes. [13]

Godfrey added many beautiful improvements to his monastery, and built"the great gate-tower, over which was the chamber called the knights'chamber, " being the gateway leading to the Bishop's Palace. The wallsof this room were carved with knights and their coats of arms. 

[Illustration: Peterborough Cathedral--Remains of Cloisters. ]

Whilst Edward was preparing for war against Scotland, he sent fivesuccessive times to this abbey for money to assist him in carrying onhis enterprise, and Godfrey gave him in all about £500. His other giftsand entertainments were sumptuous and large, and the sum of money whichhe expended during his abbacy was £3646 4s. 3d. This remarkable mandied in 1321, after a splendid rule of twenty-two years. The value ofthe monastery possessions in his time, about _Peterborough_ alone, was £621 16s. 3d; but this sum was but a small portion of the vastproperty which then belonged to the church. 

Adam de Boothby was the next abbot. He entertained the king, queen, androyal household, in the year 1327, which cost him £327 15s. PrinceEdward, with his sisters and servants, were likewise hospitably treatedat this abbey during a stay of eight weeks. Like Godfrey, Boothby was agenerous man, but the expenses which the royal family cost him and hispredecessors must have been a heavy impost upon the monastery. He diedin 1338, in the eighteenth year of his rule. 

Henry de Morcot was installed in February, 1338. There is nothing ofany moment recorded of him, except that he was engaged in successfullitigation with a baron for the recovery of some church lands. He diedin 1346, having ruled eight years. 

"Henry being dead, was buried betwixt the quire and the great altar, near unto his predecessor Adam. His grave being, in the year 1648, opened to receive the body of John Towers, late head bishop of thisplace, there was found a seal of lead (the instrument wholly consumed), having on one side these letters thus inscribed:--'SPA SPE, ' over theirseveral effigies; on the reverse--'CLEMENS P P VI. ' (Gunton, p. 47-48). It is probable that the instrument was some indulgence gotten at thejubilee, which was but three years before. "

Robert Ramsey succeeded to the abbacy in 1346, but of him nothingparticular is recorded. 

Henry de Overton was Abbot in 1361, and was followed by Nicholas, whowas noted for his prudence and economy. 

We now come to the rule of William Genge, who was elected in 1396, andruled twelve years. He was, according to Gunton the first abbot of thismonastery who was dignified with a mitre. In the supplement to Gunton'shistory, it is stated "that they put on mitres in token they hadepiscopal jurisdiction, and being advanced to the dignity of barons, and to sit in parliament which no other abbots had done. " During hisabbacy, the church which was then situate in St. John's close, inBoongate, was taken down, and re-erected on its present site. The causeof this removal was the fearful inundations to which, from itsproximity to the fens, it was exposed. 

Between 1408 and 1438 the monastery was presided over by John Deeping. During his abbacy great complaints were made of the conduct of theMonks, and the heads of the Benedictine order were summoned before theKing at Westminster, to answer the charge of abuses, which they couldnot deny, but promised to reform. 

Richard Ashton was appointed abbot in 1438, and ruled 33 years. He mademany visits to the neighbouring monasteries, and likewise received manyfrom their abbots. He granted several corrodies to persons who endowedhis abbey. One to John Delaber, bishop of St. David's, is worthy ofnotice. --This John had his choice, whether to remain at _Peterburgh_for life, and receive a pension of £32 per annum, or retreat to theabbot's manor at Eyebury[14] with the same advantages. 

There was another corrody granted to Alice Garton, the widow of ThomasGarton, who was a benefactor to the Cathedral, and whose name isengraved on stone, in characters of an hieroglyphic kind, over thelarge painted window at the west end of the building; it is well worthexamining. It was in the year 1439 that king Henry granted a charterunto this abbot to hold a fair "for three days, " commencing on St. Matthew's day, (O. S. ) in a field, (now named the Mending, ) which joinsthe counties of Huntingdon and Northampton together. This fair, onaccount of its vicinity to the bridge, was called "Brigge Fair, " bywhich name it is still known. Ashton was called to parliament atWestminster, but being too infirm to attend, he deputed WilliamTresham, (probably one of his monks) to appear for him. He afterwardstook the oaths of allegiance to his sovereign, at Coventry. During hisrule it is stated that 33 monks died in the monastery, and manyfestivals were suspended in consequence, there not being a sufficientnumber left to perform the ceremonies. This abbot made severaladditions to the church; and the building at the east end, according toBritton, was commenced by him. 

Mr. Davys is of opinion that, "though we read of no further additionsbeing made to the church between the time of Godfrey, (1299), and thatof abbot Ashton, much took place in this interval. Almost all thewindows of the church must have been transformed from their originalcharacter into their present shapes, and those which escaped thismutilation, as in the transepts and clerestory, were filled with theirpresent unsuitable tracery, about the conclusion of the fourteenthcentury. 

"The porch, or chapel, now used as the Chapter Library, standing withinthe central arch of the West Front, was probably built soon after thistime. The reason why it was erected will be evident to any one who willexamine the front carefully; for it will be seen that the clusteredcolumn, between the northern and middle arch, leans out to a very greatextent, and were it not for the support it receives from this chapel, very serious consequences must ensue. The whole front also leans to thewestward, though not so much so as this column. This inclination isevidently of very early date, and probably took place shortly after thecompletion of the front. This chapel was therefore added as a supportto the front; its insertion is, nevertheless, much to be regretted, asit materially diminishes the beauty of the finest part of theCathedral. 

"Many alterations, and additions, seems to have taken place in thisabbey, during the time when the decorated style was prevalent inEngland; and consequently between the time when the Infirmary Churchwas built, and the last-mentioned structure was erected, at the westend of the church. Of these may be mentioned, the two elegant spires onthe north and south towers of the West Front, and the great south-westtower of the church, which has since been materially diminished inheight. The present Chapter School, which was originally the chancel ofThomas ą Becket's Chapel, was also built at this period; its nave wastaken down in the time of Abbot Genge, who presided here between theyears 1396 and 1408, and the materials were given to the inhabitants ofPeterborough to re-build their parish church with, in a more convenientsituation. The eastern and western arches of the lantern must also havebeen altered into their present shape about this time, and the firststory of a tower, which, if it had been completed, would have been oneof the finest in England, built upon them: this is now remaining, andforms all the pretence that this Cathedral can show to a centraltower. "

Ashton resigned in 1471, to the Bishop of Lincoln, and was succeeded byWilliam Ramsey, in the same year, who, with the assistance of priorMaldon, erected a "brazen eagle" in the church, to which the bible andmass book were chained. This eagle is now in the choir of theCathedral, and used when reading the lessons. Ashton was indicted[15] in1480, for releasing a felon from the gaol at _Peterburgh_, andaccepting a bribe for the same. He was tried and convicted, and wasobliged to find sureties for better conduct. The original judgment isyet retained in the chapter-house; with the names of the abbot'ssureties. He died in 1496, after a rule of 25 years. 

Robert Kirton was made abbot in 1496. During his rule the regulationsof the monastery were in a measure broken up; many of the monks hadbecome disorderly and even licentious, and one of them robbed theshrine of St. Oswald of a number of jewels, and other valuablearticles, for the purpose of paying a woman in the town the wages ofher prostitution. Others gave themselves up to bacchanalian riots in aneighbouring tavern, and, instead of devoting their nights to "prayer, "gave themselves up to the vulgar "company of dancers and balladsingers. "

These irregularities took place in the 19th year of this abbot's rule. They were, however, speedily terminated by the Bishop of Lincoln, who, hearing of such notorious infringements of the monastic rules, came inperson to restore those licentious members of the fraternity to theirduty. 

Abbot Kirton had many contests with his tenants, "but notwithstanding, "says Gunton, "he forgat not to enlarge and beautify his monastery, forhe built that goodly building at the east end of the church, nowcommonly known by the name of the new building, "[16] wherein he placedthree altars, opposite three pair of stairs, descending from the backof the great altar. He likewise built a chamber in the abbey house, which is still called "heaven-gate chamber. " He made also a beautifulwindow in the great hall "overlooking the cloyster. " He added manypictures to those which were already in the chapel of St. Mary, or theLady's Chapel, as it is now called, all which have since beendestroyed. The gate that leads to the deanery is likewise of hisworkmanship, and bears his signature in hieroglyphics, viz:--a Kirk, and a tun under it. This gate is a magnificent specimen ofarchitecture, and should be seen by every person who visitsPeterborough. Abbot Kirton ruled nearly 32 years, and died in 1528. 

John Chambers was the last abbot, and was elected in 1528. 

Cardinal Wolsey visited the abbey in the 17th year of the reign ofHenry the Eighth, and washed and kissed the feet of fifty-nine poorpeople, which ceremony was called "keeping his maundy. " He then gavethem twelve pence, three ells of canvas, a pair of shoes, and divided abarrel of red herrings amongst them: he likewise sang mass himself onEaster-day, and absolved from their sins all those who heard him. 

It was during the rule of Chambers that Queen Catherine, the first wifeof Henry the 8th, died [July 1, 1535], and was buried in the monastery. Her tomb may be seen in the north side of the choir. The scaff whichcovered her pall was originally deposited at the back of the greataltar. It was inwoven with silver, and was very massive and heavy. 

 [7] This sum made the church dependent upon the monastery, and the chaplain was required to bring his church key to the sacrist of the monastery, yearly, as an acknowledgement of it. --_See Gunton's Hist. Church, Peterborough, p. 24. _

 [8] Britton says "he founded a chapel to St. Nicholas _near_ it;" but Gunton is doubtless correct, when he says that the chapel was over it. 

 [9] After Acharius had recovered the marsh of Singlesholt from the Abbot of Crowland by the law of the land, he let it to him with the understanding that, instead of his paying four stones of wax to the Abbot of Crowland, the abbot should pay him a yearly rental in kind, of the same amount. 

 [10] These decrees were, that all churches not consecrated with holy oil, should be dedicated within two years. --_See Britton's Hist. Cathedral Church, Peterborough, pp. 22-3. _

 [11] There was at one time an entrance from the Choir into the Lady Chapel through a door, on the right side of which was a small oratory, with a stone roof; the remains are yet to be seen. 

 [12] This hospital was afterwards called Spittle, and some of the stones are still remaining in Spittle-field. It was left by Agnes Pudding, with eight acres of arable land adjoining it. 

 [13] The Prince at first refused the robe offered to him, because the abbot did not make a similar offer to his companion; Godfrey, however, soon settled the affair, by presenting one to each. 

 [14] A gentleman in this city who is an excellent antiquarian, and has seen the corrody alluded to above, says, "It was granted by charter of the abbot, and presents many curiosities--mentioning particularly the abbot's wine cellar at the over end of the cloister, under the present passage into the square. "--_Private MS. _

 [15] The abbot was indicted at the sessions at _Peterburgh_ before Guy Woolston. --_Private MS. _

 [16] It is still commonly, but incorrectly, called The Lady Chapel. A building of corresponding position at Lincoln is called the Presbytry. 

CHAPTER III. 

_From the transformation of the monastery into a Cathedral during therule of abbot Chambers, in 1541, to the present time. _

The dissolution of the religious houses of England is one of the mostimportant events recorded in our national history. It changed the wholeaspect of civil and ecclesiastical affairs, and produced an entirerevolution in the scheme of legislation. 

John Chambers, who was the abbot of _Peterburgh_ before these changescommenced, conformed to the new order of things, and was retained inoffice by the king, --the monastery being converted into a cathedral, and the abbot into a bishop. The new establishment consisted of aBishop, a Dean, and six canons; besides these the statutes directedthat there should be six Minor Canons chosen, among other goodqualifications, for their skill in singing, by whom the services in theCathedral, were to be conducted, according to the usage of the oldCathedrals. Of these, one was to be chosen as Precentor, to whom theother Minor Canons, the Organists, Lay Clerks, and Choristers, were tobe subordinate. The chancel of Thomas ą Becket's Chapel, already spokenof, was then converted into a school-room, in which the Choristers, anda certain number of other boys, were to receive a classical educationat the hands of one of the Minor Canons appointed, for his superiorlearning, to the office of schoolmaster. Chambers governed 15 years inhis new office. There is some dispute amongst the historians of thischurch about the time of his death, but it is generally agreed that thetablet to his memory is dated wrong, and that he died in 1556. Therewere two monuments erected to him, by his own orders, before his death;and this circumstance may account for the error in the date upon thetablets. One of the monuments was a beautifully executed statue ofhimself, in white chalk, but it was destroyed in 1643. The bishopadorned the doors of the church with carved images and hieroglyphics, one of which at the west front represents a sinner tormented by devils, though it is now much defaced. 

From the death of Bishop Chambers to the accession of Richard Howland, in 1584, nothing of importance occurred. It was during his rule thatthe unhappy queen of Scots fell a victim to the vanity and jealousy ofElizabeth, in the castle of Fotheringhay. [17]

"Although that unfortunate Queen had been executed on the 8th ofFebruary, her body was not brought to Peterborough for burial till thenight of the thirtieth of July following, when it was conveyed bytorch-light from Fotheringhay Castle by Garter King at Arms, and otherHeralds, with a guard of horsemen, in a chariot made for the purpose, covered with black cloth. The corpse was met at the entrance of thecathedral by the bishop, Richard Howland, and Fletcher, the dean of thecathedral, with others, who attended it in solemn procession to thevault appointed for it, in which it was immediately deposited. Thevault was then covered, an opening merely being left through which theHeralds might deposit their broken staves. No service was said at thetime, as it was agreed that it had better be done on the day fixed forthe solemnization of the funeral. On the day following, there came toPeterborough all those persons of rank appointed to attend the funeral, for whom a grand supper was prepared at the bishop's palace. OnTuesday, the first of August, 1586, being the day fixed for thefuneral, they all marched in order to the church, the Countess ofBedford being chief mourner. The funeral service was performed by theDean of Peterborough; the prebendaries and choir of the Cathedral thensang an anthem, after which a sermon was preached by Wickham, Bishop ofLincoln. The officers having broken their staves and cast them into thevault, and the offerings appointed having been made to the Bishop andDean and Chapter of Peterborough, the nobility and officers, who hadattended the funeral, returned to the bishop's palace, where asumptuous repast was provided, after which they all returned to theirrespective homes. 

"The place where this queen was interred, is now marked by a marble slabdirectly under the doorway leading from the choir into its south aisle. Over this was erected a superb monument to her memory, which remainedperfect until the time of the great rebellion. 

"After the queen's body had lain at Peterborough about 25 years, herson, James I. , wishing to have it removed to Westminster Abbey, wroteto the Dean and Chapter of Peterborough, requesting them to allow ofthe removal. [18] The corpse was accordingly taken from its grave atPeterborough, and removed to the place where it now lies, atWestminster, under the care of Richard Neile, Bishop of Coventry andLichfield, on October 11th, 1612. "

The next event of public interest happened during the bishopric of JohnTowers, in 1643; namely, the destruction and defacement of all themonuments and ornamental pictures of the cathedral, through the foolishprejudices and blinded bigotry of the puritanical followers ofCromwell, who destroyed every thing valuable within it, and spreadterror over the surrounding country. The stately front, the curiousaltar-piece, and beautiful cloister, for which the cathedral wasremarkable, were defaced and injured by them as they passed through thecity, on their way to Croyland, which they were going to besiege, ithaving declared in favour of the king. To reduce that town, theParliamentarian forces marched through Peterborough about the middle ofthe month of April. The first regiment that came did no harm to thechurch, for, being commanded by one Hubbart, who seems to have been agreat improvement upon the puritanical leaders of that time, thesoldiers received orders, in no way to injure the Cathedral. Butunfortunately, about two days after, a regiment of horse arrived, commanded by Colonel Cromwell; and these men the morning after theirarrival, commenced the work of destruction. They broke open the doorsof the church, demolished the monuments, and turned the building into astable. 

The fury of Cromwell's soldiers is thus described in an old papercalled:--

"_A short and true narrative of the Rising and Defacing the CathedralChurch of Peterborough, in the year 1643. _"

"The next day after their arrival, early in the morning, they breakopen the church doors, pull down the organs, of which there were twopair. The greater pair which stood upon a high loft over the entranceinto the quire, was thence thrown down upon the ground, and thenstamped and trampled on, and broke in pieces. 

"Then the souldiers entered the quire, and their first business was totear in pieces all the common prayer books that could be found. Thegreat bible indeed, that lay upon a brass eagle for reading thelessons, had the good hap to escape with the loss only of theapocrypha. 

"Next they break down all the seats, stalls and wainscots that wasbehind them, being adorned with several historical passages out of theold testament, a latin distich being in each seat to declare the story. Whilst they were thus employed, they happened to find a great parchmentbook, behind the ceiling, with some twenty pieces of gold laid there, by a person a little before. --This encourages the souldiers in theirwork, and makes them the more eager in breaking down all the rest ofthe wainscot. The book was called 'Swapham, ' and was afterwardsredeemed by a person belonging to the minster for ten shillings. [19]

"There was also a great brass candlestick hanging in the middle of thequire, containing a dozen and a half of lights, with another bowcandlestick about the brass eagle. These both were broke in pieces, andmost of the brass carried away and sold. 

"A well disposed person standing by and seeing the souldiers make suchspoil speaks to an officer, desiring him to restrain them; whoanswered, '_See how these poor people are concerned to see theiridols pulled down_. '

"When they had thus defaced and spoiled the quire, they made up next tothe east end of the church, and there break and cut in pieces, andafterwards burn the rails that were about the communion table. Thetable itself was thrown down, the table cloth taken away, with two fairbooks in velvet covers; the one a bible, the other a common prayerbook, with a silver basin gilt, and a pair of silver candlesticksbeside. But upon request made to Colonel Hubbert, the books, bason, andall else, save the candlesticks, were restored again. 

"Not long after, on the 13th day of July, 1643, Captain Barton andCaptain Hope, two martial ministers of Nottingham or Darbyshire, comingto Peterburgh, break open the vestry, and take away a fair crimsonsatten table cloth, and several other things, that had escaped theformer souldiers hands. 

"Now behind the communion table there stood a curious piece ofstone-work, admired much by strangers and travellers: a stately skreenit was, well wrought, painted and gilt, which rose up as high almost asthe roof of the church, in a row of three lofty spires, with otherlesser spires growing out of each of them. This now had no imagery workupon it, or any thing else that might justly give offence, and yetbecause it bore the name of the high altar, [20] was pulled all down withropes, lay'd low and level with the ground. 

"Over this place, in the roof of the church, in a large oval yet to beseen, was the picture of Our Saviour seated on a throne; one handerect, and holding a globe in the other, attended with the fourevangelists, and saints on each side, with crowns in their hands, intended, I suppose, for a representation of Our Saviour's coming tojudgment. Some of the company espying this, cry out and say, 'Lo, thisis the God these people bow and cringe unto; this is the idol theyworship and adore. ' Hereupon several souldiers charged their muskets, (amongst whom one Daniel Wood, of Captain Roper's company was thechief) and discharge them at it: and by the many shots they made, atlength do quite deface and spoil [the] picture. 

"The odiousness of this act gave occasion (I suppose) to a common fame, very rife at that time, and whence _Mercurius Rusticus_ might have hisrelation, viz. :--that divine vengeance had signally seized on some ofthe principal actors; that one was struck blind upon the place; by arebound of his bullet; that another dyed mad a little after, neither ofwhich I can certainly attest. For, though I have made it my business toenquire of this, I could never find any other judgment befal them then, but that of a mad blind zeal, wherewith these persons were certainlypossest. 

"Then they rob and rifle the tombs, and violate the monuments of thedead. And where should they first begin, but with those of the twoqueens, who had been there interr'd: the one on the north side, theother on the south side of the church, both near unto the altar. Firstthen they demolished Queen Katherin's tomb, Henry the Eighth hisrepudiated wife: they break down the rails that enclosed the place, andtake away the black velvet pall which covered the herse, --overthrow theherse itself, displaced the gravestone that lay over her body, and haveleft nothing now remaining of that tomb, but only a monument of theirown shame and villany. The like they had certainly done to the Queen ofScots, but that her herse and pall were removed with her body toWestminster by King James the First, when he came to the crown. Butwhat did remain they served in like manner; that is, her royal arms andescutcheons, which hung upon a pillar, near the place where she hadbeen interr'd [which] were most rudely pulled down, defaced and torn. 

"In the north isle of the church there was a stately tomb in memory ofBishop Dove, who had been thirty years bishop of the place. He laythere in portraicture in his episcopal robes, on a large bed under afair table of black marble, with a library of books about him. Thesemen that were such enemies to the name and office of a bishop, and muchmore to his person, hack and hew the poor innocent statue in pieces, and soon destroy'd all the tomb. So that in a short space, all thatfair and curious monument was buried in its own rubbish and ruines. 

"The like they do to two other monuments standing in that isle; the onethe tomb of Mr. Worm, the other of Dr. Angier, who had been prebendaryof that church. 

"In a place then called the new building, and since converted to alibrary, there was a fair monument, which Sir Humphrey Orm (to save hisheir that charge and trouble), thought fit to erect in his own lifetime, where he and his lady, his son and wife and all their children, were lively represented in statues, under which were certain Englishverses written:--

 _"Mistake not, reader, I thee crave, _ _This is an altar not a grave, _ _Where fire raked up in ashes lyes, _ _And hearts are made the sacrifice, &c. _

"Which two words, altar and sacrifice, 'tis said, did so provoke andkindle the zealots indignation, that they resolve to make the tombitself a sacrifice: and with axes, poleaxes, and hammers, destroy andbreak down all that curious monument, save only two pilasters stillremaining, which shew and testifie the elegancy of the rest of thework. Thus it hapned, that the good old knight who was a constantfrequenter of Gods publick service, three times a day, outlived his ownmonument, and lived to see himself carried in effigie on a souldiersback, to the publick market-place, there to be sported withall, a crewof souldiers going before in procession, some with surplices, some withorgan pipes, to make up the solemnity. 

"When they had thus demolished the chief monuments, at length the verygravestones and marbles on the floor did not escape their sacrilegioushands. For where there was any thing on them of sculptures orinscriptions in brass, these they force and tear off. So that whereasthere were many fair pieces of this kind before, as that of abbotWilliam of Ramsey, whose large marble gravestone was plated over withbrass, and several others the like, there is not any such now in allthe church to be seen; though most of the inscriptions that were uponthem are preserved in this book. 

"One thing, indeed, I must needs clear the souldiers of, which_Mercurius Rusticus_ upon misinformation charges them with, viz. :--Thatthey took away the bell clappers and sold them, with the brass theyplucked off from the tombs. The mistake was this: the neighbourhoodbeing continually disturbed with the souldiers jangling and ringing thebells auker, as though there had been a scare-fire, (though there wasno other, but what they themselves had made, ) some of the inhabitantsby night took away the clappers and hid them in the roof of the church, on purpose only to free their ears from that confused noise; which gaveoccasion to such as did not know it, to think the souldiers had stolenthem away. 

"Having thus done their work on the floor below, they are now atleasure to look up to the windows above, which would have entertainedany persons else with great delight and satisfaction, but only suchzealots as these, whose eyes were so dazzled, that they thought theysaw popery in every picture and piece of painted glass. 

"Now the windows of this church were very fair, and had much curiosityof workmanship in them, being adorned and beautified with severalhistorical passages out of scripture, and ecclesiastical story; suchwere those in the body of the church, in the isles, in the newbuilding, and elsewhere. But the cloister windows were most famed ofall for their great art and pleasing variety. One side of thequadrangle containing the history of the Old Testament; another, thatof the new; a third, a history from the first foundation of theMonastery of King Peada to the restoring of it by King Edgar; a fourth, all the kings of England downwards from the first Saxon king. All whichnotwithstanding were most shamefully broken and destroyed. "

[But little remains to be seen of these famous cloisters beyond themouldings of arches imposed in rough walls on each side. The fiverecesses in the south wall were partly the lavatories used by the Monksbefore entering the refectory by the richly cut door in the corner. ]

_"Every window had at the bottom the explanation of the history thusin verse:_--

 _First Window. _

 COL. 1. 

 "King Penda, a paynim, as writing seyth, "'Gate yese five children of Christen feyth. "

 COL. 2. 

 "The noble Peada, by God's grace, "Was the first founder of this place. "

 COL. 3. 

 "By Queen Ermenyld, had King Wulfere, "These twey sons that ye see here. "

 COL. 4. 

 "Wulfade rideth, as he was wont, "Into the forest, the hart to hunt. "

 _Second Window. _

 COL. 1. 

 "Fro' all his men Wulfade is gone, "And 'suyth himself the hart alone. "[21]

 COL. 2. 

 "The hart brought Wulfade to a well, "That was beside Seynt Chaddy's cell. "

 COL. 3. 

 "Wulfade askyd of Seynt Chad, -- "Where is the hart that me hath lad. "

 COL. 4. 

 "The hart that hither thee hath brought, "Is sent by Christ, that thee hath bought. "

 _Third Window. _

 COL. 1. 

 "Wulfade prayd Chad, that ghostly leech, "The feyth of Christ him for to teach. "

 COL. 2. 

 "Seynt Chad teacheth Wulfade the feyth, "And words of baptism over him he seyth. "

 COL. 3. 

 "Seynt Chad devoutly to mass him dight, "And hoseled Wulfade Christy's knight. "

 COL. 4. 

 "Wulfade wished Seynt Chad, that day, "For his brother Rufine to pray. "

 _Fourth Window. _

 COL. 1. 

 "Wulfade told his brother Rufine "That he was christned by Chaddy's doctrine. "

 COL. 2. 

 "Rufine to Wulfade said again, -- "Christned also would I be fain. "

 COL. 3. 

 "Wulfade, Rufine to Seynt Chad leadeth, "And Chad with love of feyth him feedeth. "

 COL. 4. 

 "Rufine is christned, of Seynt Chaddys, "And Wulfade, his brother, his godfather is. "

 _Fifth Window. _

 COL. 1. 

 "Werbode, steward to King Wulfere, "Told that his sons christned were. "

 COL. 2. 

 "Towards the chappel Wulfere 'gan goe, "By guiding of Werbode, Christy's foe. "

 COL. 3. 

 "Into the chappel entred the King, "And found his sons worshipping. "

 COL. 4. 

 "Wulfere in woodness his sword out drew, "And both his sons anon he slew. "[22]

 _Sixth Window. _

 COL. 1. 

 "King Wulfere, with Werbode yoo, "Burying gave his sons two. "

 COL. 2. 

 "Werbode for vengeance his own flesh tare, "The devil him strangled, and to hell bare. "

 COL. 3. 

 "Wulfere, for sorrow, anon was sick, "In bed he lay, a dead man like. "

 COL. 4. 

 "Seynt Ermenyld, that blessed Queen, "Counselled Wulfere to shrive him clean. "

 _Seventh Window. _

 COL. 1. 

 "Wulfere contrite, hyed him to Chad, "As Ermenyld him counselled had"[23]

 COL. 2. 

 "Chad bade Wulfere, for his sin, "Abbeys to build his realm within. "

 COL. 3. 

 "Wulfere in haste performed than, "Brough that Peada his brother began. "

 COL. 4. 

 "Wulfere endued with high devotion, "The abbey of Brough with great possession. "

 _Eighth Window. _

 COL. 1. 

 "The third brother, King Ethelred, "Confirmed both his brethren's deed. "

 COL. 2. 

 "Saxulf, that here first abbot was, "For Ankery's, at Thorney, made a place. "

 COL. 3. 

 "After came Danes, and Brough brent, "And slew the Monkys as they went. "

 COL. 4. 

 "Fourscore years and sixteen, "Stood Brough destroyed by Danes teen. "

 _Ninth Window. _

 COL. 1. 

 "Seynt Athelwold was bidden by God's lore, "The abbey of Brough again to restore. "

 COL. 2. 

 "Seynt Athelwold to King Edgar went, "And prayed him to help him in his intent. "

 COL. 3. 

 "Edgar bade Athelwold the work begin, "And him to help he would not lyn. "

 COL. 4. 

 "Thus Edgar and Athelwold restored this place, "God save it and keep it for his grace. "[24]

"But to proceed, notwithstanding all the art and curiosity ofworkmanship these windows did afford, yet nothing of all this couldoblige the reforming rabble, but they deface and break them all inpieces, in the church and in the cloyster, and left nothingundemolisht, where either any picture or painted glass did appear;excepting only part of the great west window in the body of the church, which still remains entire, being too high for them, and out of theirreach. Yea, to encourage them the more in this trade of breaking andbattering windows down, Cromwell himself, (as 'twas reported, ) espyinga little crucifix in a window aloft, which none, perhaps, before hadscarce observed, gets a ladder, and breaks it down zealously with hisown hand. 

"But before I conclude the narrative, I must not forget to tell, howthey likwise broke open the chapterhouse, ransack'd the records, brokethe seals, tore the writings in pieces, specially such as had greatseals annexed unto them, which they took or mistook rather for thepopes bulls. So that a grave and sober person coming into the room atthe time, finds the floor all strewed and covered over with tornpapers, parchments and broken seals; and being astonisht at this sight, does thus expostulate with them. Gentlemen, (says he, ) what are yedoing? they answered, we are pulling and tearing the popes bulls inpieces. He replies, ye are much mistaken: for these writings areneither the popes bulls, nor any thing relating to him. But they arethe evidences of several mens estates, and in destroying these, youwill destroy and undo many. With these they were something perswaded, and prevailed upon by the same person, to permit him to carry away allthat were left undefaced, by which means, the writings the church hathnow came to be preserved. 

"Such was the souldiers carriage and behaviour all the time duringtheir stay at Peterburgh, which was a fortnights space: They went tochurch duly, but it was only to do mischief, to break and batter thewindows and any carved work that was yet remaining, or to pull downcrosses wheresoever they could find them; which the first founders didnot set up with so much zeal, as these last confounders pulled themdown. 

"Thus, in a short time, a fair and goodly structure was quite stript ofall its ornamental beauty, and made a ruthful spectacle, a very chaosof desolation and confusion, nothing scarce remaining but only barewalls, broken seats, and shatter'd windows on every side. 

"And in the time of this publick confusion, two other things hapned notunworthy of relating: the one for the strangeness, the other for thesadness of the accident. The first was this, when now the church layopen to all comers, without locks and bars, and none to look afterthem, those specially that lead up to the leads above; two youngchildren not above five years old, had got up the steeple bythemselves, and having lost their way down, come to the place where thegreat bells hang. Here there was a large round space left purposely inthe arch, when first built, for the drawing up bells or any otherthings, as there should be occasion. This place used to be safelyclosed before, but now it lay wide open, and was between thirty andforty yards off from the ground. The two children, coming hither andfinding this passage, one, out of his childish simplicity, was forjumping down: No, (saies the other) let us rather swarm down, therebeing a bell rope then hanging down through that place to theclockhouse below. Now, this last they did, and a gentleman walkingthere beneath at that time, sees two children come with that swiftnessdown the rope, like arrows from a bow, who were both taken up for dead, on the place. This hapned on a Sunday ith' afternoon, in sermon time. The news coming into the parish church, that two children falling offfrom the minster were slain, the congregation were exceedinglydisorder'd, so that the preacher could not go on for a time, everyparent fearing it might be their own childrens case; till at lengththey understood the truth and certainty of all. For it pleased God by astrange and wonderful providence to preserve both these children, having no hurt but only their hands galled by the rope, and their feeta little stunted by the fall from the clock-house, where they werethrown off, the rope being fastened there, and this some four or fiveyards high. The persons, I suppose, are both living still; and one ofthem, (whose father was then one of the chief tradesmen of the town)since a grave minister, and rector of a parish in Northamptonshire. 

"The other thing that hapned of more fatal consequences was this:--itbeing that time of the year when young lads are busie in riflingjackdaws nests to get their young, a scholar of the free-school, a sonto a parliament officer, was got upon the top of the minster about thisemployment; who going along the cieling in the body of the church, andtreading unwarily on some rotten boards, fell down from thence, uponthe loft where the organ now stands, having his pockets filled withthose inauspicious birds, and with the fall from so great a height, wasslain outright and never stirred more. 

"These two things hapned much about the same time, and in the time ofthat publick confusion and disorder. But to proceed in our intendednarrative. These things I have related before were indeed the acts ofprivate persons only, men of wild intemperate zeal, and who had nocommission for what they did, but what was owing to the swords by theirsides. Yet notwithstanding all these things seemed afterwards to beown'd and approved by the powers then in being, when they sold all thechurches lands, and many fair buildings adjoyning to the minster, werelikewise pulled down and sold by publick order and authority, such werethe cloysters, the old chapter-house, the library, the bishops hall andchapel at the end of it: the hall was as fair a room as most inEngland; and another call'd the green chamber, not much inferior to it. These all were then pull'd down and destroyed; and the materials, lead, timber, and stone exposed to sale, for any that would buy them. Butsome of the bargains proved not very prosperous; the lead especiallythat came off the palace, was as fatal as the gold of Tholouse; for tomy knowledge, the merchant that bought it, lost it all, and the shipwhich carried it, in her voyage to Holland. 

"And thus the church continued ruined and desolate, and without alldivine offices for a time; till at length by the favour of a greatperson in the neighbourhood, it was repaired and restored to somedegrees of decency again; and out of the ashes of a late cathedral, grew up into a new parochial church, in which way it was employ'd andused ever after, untill the kings happy restauration. For Mr. OliverSt. John, chief justice then of the common pleas, being sent on anembassy into Holland by the powers that governed then, requested thisboon of them at his return, that they would give him the ruin'd churchor minster at Peterburgh; this they did accordingly, and he gave it tothe town of Peterburgh for their use, to be employ'd as a parochialchurch, their own parish church being then very ruinous and gone todecay. 

"Now the town considering the largeness of the building, and thegreatness of the charge to repair it, which of themselves they were notable to defray, they all agree to pull down the ladies chapel as it wasthen called, an additional building to the north side of the minster, (being then ruinous and ready to fall) and to expose the materialsthereof, lead, timber, and stone to sale, and to convert the mony thatwas made of them, towards the repairs of the great fabrick. 

"All this they did, and appointed certain persons to oversee the work, and expended several summs thus in repairs, mending the leads, securingthe roof, glazing several windows, and then fitting up the quire, andmaking it pretty decent for the congregation to meet in. And this theydid, by taking the painted boards that came off from the roof of theladies chapel, and placing them all along at the back of the quire, insuch manner as they continue to this day. 

"When the place was thus fitted up, and the devastations which thesouldiers had made in some measure repaired, one Mr. Samuel Wilson, school master of the charter-house, in London, was sent down by thecommittee of plundred ministers, as they were then called, to bepreacher, with a sallary of 160_l. _ per an. In which employment hecontinued untill the kings return. Then Dr. Cofin, the antient dean ofthe church, after almost twenty years exile in France, return'd andre-assumed his right again, in the year 1660, about the end of July. Hethen after so long an interval renew'd the antient usage, and readdivine service first himself, and caused it to be read every dayafterward, according to the laudable use and custome, and settled thechurch and quire in that order wherein it now continues. 

"But though the church was thus delivered from public robbers andspoilers, yet it was not safe from the injuries of private hands. Forsome ten or twelve years after, certain thieves in the dead of thenight, broke into the church and stole away all the plate they couldfind, viz. : a fair silver bason gilt, and the virgers two silver rods, and a linnen table-cloth to wrap them in, which were never heard of tothis day. This was the same bason that had been plunder'd by thesouldiers, and recovered again, but irrecoverably lost now. Yet boththese losses were soon repaired, one by Dr. Henshaw, bishop then of theplace, who gave a fair new silver basin gilt; the other made up by Dr. Duport, then dean, who furnisht the virgers again with the ensigns oftheir office, by buying two new silver maces for the churches use. 

"And thus is this history brought down at length within our ownknowledge and remembrance; where we have seen what various fortunesthis antient church has had, which now reckons at least one thousandyears from its first foundation. It has been often ruinated, and asoften re-edified. Once it was destroyed by Danes; twice consumed byfire; it escaped the general downfal of abbies, in Hen. The Eighth'stime, though not without the loss of some of her fairest manners; andyet what that king took away in revenues, he added to it in dignity, byconverting it from an abbey into a cathedral church. But the worstmischief that ever befel it, was that in the late rebellious times, when the church itself was miserably defaced and spoiled; and all thelands for the maintenance thereof, quite alienated and sold. And yetthrough Gods especial goodness and favour, we have lived to see the onerepaired, the others restored, and the church itself recovering herantient beauty and lustre again. And that it may thus long continue, flourish and prosper, and be a nursery for vertue, a seminary for truereligion and piety, a constant preserver of Gods publick worship andservice, and free from all sacrilegious hands, is the earnest andhearty prayer wherewith I shall conclude this discourse. "

 [17] Sir William Fitzwilliam, of Milton, to whom the castle then belonged, used to pay visits to the queen of Scots during her confinement, and his noble and gentlemanly conduct, secured the good esteem of Mary. At a later period, a little before the queen was executed, she presented him with a picture of her son, as a testimony of the value which she set upon his friendship. This picture is now in the possession of the Fitzwilliam family. 

 [18] The original letter, in the king's own hand-writing, is still in the possession of the Dean and Chapter of Peterborough, and has recently been placed in a frame by the entrance from the south aisle. The following is a copy:--"JAMES R. Trusty and wel-beloved, wee greet you well, for that wee remember it appertaynes to ye duty wee owe to our dearest mother that like honour should be done to hir body and like monument be extant of hir as to others, hirs and our progenitors have bene used to be done, and ourselves have already performed to our deare sister ye late Queen Elizabeth. Wee have commanded a Memoriall of hir to be made in our church of Westminster, ye place where ye Kings and Queens of this realme are usually interred. And for that wee thinke it inconvenient that ye monument and hir body should be in severall places, we have ordered that hir said body remayning now interred in that our Cathedrall Church of Peterborough shalbe removed to Westminster to hir said monument; and have committed ye care and chardg of ye said translation of hir body from Peterborough to Westminster to ye reverend father in God our right trusty and wel beloved servant ye Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, bearer hereof, to whom wee require you (or to such as ye shall assigne) to deliver ye corps of our said deceased mother, ye same being taken up in a decent and respectfull manner as is fitting. And for that there is a pall now upon ye hearse over hir grave which wilbe requisite to be used to cover hir said body in ye removing thereof, which may perhapps be deemed as a ffee that should belong to ye church. We have appointed ye said reverend father to pay you a reasonable redemption for ye same, which being done by him wee require you that he may have ye pall to be used for ye purpose aforesaid. Given under our signet at our Honor of Hampton Court ye eight and twentieth day of September in ye tenth yeare of our reigne of England, France and Ireland, and of Scotland ye six and fortieth. To our trusty and welbeloved ye Dean and Chapter of our Cathedrall Church of Peterborough, and in theire absence to ye right reverend father in God ye Bishop of Peterborough and to such of ye Prebends or other officers of that church as shalbe found being there. "

 [19] This ancient record is said to have been written about the year 1217, by a monk named Hugh Candidus. It is a MS. Account of the History of the Abbey from its foundation. Dean Patrick gives the following account of its singular preservation:--"One book indeed, and but one, still remains, which was happily redeemed from the fire by the then precentor of the church, Mr. Humfrey Austin, who knowing the great value of it, first hid it, in February, 1642, under a seat in the quire: and when it was found by a soldier on the twenty-second of April, 1643 (when all the seats were pulled down), rescued it again by the offer of ten shillings, 'for that old latin bible' as he called it, and about which he pretended to enquire. The name of the bible by the help of the ten shillings, preserved this precious treasure from the flames, whither it was going, as Mr. Austin hath left a record in the beginning of the book; with a copy of the soldier's acknowledgement:--'_This booke was hide in the Church by me Humphrey Austin; February, 1642. And found by one of Coll. Cromwelle souldyers when they pul'd down all the seats in the quire, April 22th, 1643. And I makeing inquirie amongst them for an old Latin Bible which were lost, I found out at last the partie who had it, and I gave him for the booke tenn shillings as you see by this acquittance. .. . The coppie of his acquittance:--I pray let this Scripture Book alone, for he hath paid me for it, and therefore I would desire you to let it alone. By me HENRY TOPCLIFFE, souldyer under Captain Cromwell, Colonel Cromwell's sonn; therefore I pray let it alone. _--By me Henry Topcliffe. '" This Ancient Manuscript book is now kept with other documents in the Chapter house of the Cathedral. 

 [20] Dean Patrick, in his supplement to _Gunton's History of the Cathedral_, says it was famous for three things, "a stately front, a curious altar piece, and a beautiful cloister. " Mr. Davys, in his _Guide_, also says, "we learn, from other writings, that the stall-work, in its choir, was remarkably fine, that its windows of painted glass were of a most superb description, and that, in the number, and beauty of its monuments and brasses, it excelled most of the other churches of the realm. Its central tower, though then in an incomplete state, was much finer than it now is, as it had a handsome octagon above what now forms the central tower. The north western transept tower was also adorned with a lofty spire. This spire, which was of wood covered with lead, was taken down soon after this time. "

 [21] "Wulfade was much addicted to hunting, and one day pursuing a goodly hart, which being hotly pursued, took soil in a fountain near unto the cell of St. Chad, who espying the hart weary, and almost spent, was so compassionate towards him that he covered him with boughs and leaves, conjecturing, as if heaven had some design in the access and deportment of that beast. Presently comes Prince Wulfade, and enquired of St. Chad concerning the hart, who answered, That he was not a keeper of beasts, but the souls of men, and that Wulfade was then, as an hart to the water brooks, sent by God to the fountain of living water: which Wulfade hearing with astonishment, entered into further conference with St. Chad in his cell, and was by him baptized: and returning with joy to his father's court, he secretly told his brother Rufine of all that had passed, perswading him to be baptized also; to which Rufine consenting, Wulfade brought him to St. Chad, who likewise baptized this other brother. "

 [22] "This Christian pair of brothers did often resort to a private oratory, where they performed their devotions; but at length being discovered to their father by the steward Werbode, who instigated, and enflamed the fire of paternal fury against the sons, King Wolfere, the father, watching the time when his sons were gone to pray, followed them, and entering the oratory, slew both his sons with his own hand; and he, and Werbode demolishing the place, left the bodies of his sons buried in the rubbish. " "Queen Ermenild, having searched for the bodies of her sons, found them out, and giving them burial, [in one stone coffin, ] built in the same place where they were slain, a church of stone. "

 [23] Dean Kipling, on the authority of tradition, is of opinion, that St. Chad's well was in the quadrangle on the south side of the minster, called the laurel court; but Gunton says, "St. Chad had his cell in the county of Stafford, was the first bishop of Lichfield, where he founded the cathedral church, and there lieth buried. " And this assertion would appear to be born out by the fact that the "church of stone" referred to in the previous note, is known to have been erected at _Stone_, in Staffordshire. 

 [24] The present painted windows are of modern date, excepting one or two, which are composed of fragments of the windows of the cloisters above described. 

CHAPTER IV. 

_Historical account of the building of the monastery, and descriptionof the architectural peculiarities of the present cathedral. _

Having in the preceding chapters given a brief history of the formermonastery and present cathedral of Peterborough, up to the presenttime, it now remains for us to say something of its architecturalpeculiarities, and to notice some of the remarkable relicts ofantiquity which are still to be found within its walls. It has alreadybeen stated, that in the year 655, the foundation for a monasticinstitution was laid at _Medeshamstede_; that it was completed sevenyears afterwards;--and was destroyed by fire in 870. The architecturalcharacter of the building at this period cannot be strictlyascertained; but, from the accounts given of it by monkish writers, itis supposed to have been of the pure Saxon style. The monastery wasagain re-built in 966, and again destroyed by the lawless hands ofbarbarian invaders. Five successive times did it undergo variouschanges of ruin and desolation, until the year 1117, when a newbuilding was raised upon the foundations of the old one, and manyadditions were made to it;--extending its circuit, and improving itsarchitectural appearance. 

The immense stones which were laid as the foundation of the minster of_Medeshamstede_, is a sufficient proof of the vastness and massivestrength of the building which was raised upon it;[25]--yet, as we haveno definite information respecting the size of the monastery, we mustleave it to be imagined by the reader, and proceed with the "newchurch, " which was commenced in 1117, under the rule of John de Sais, and which we have already noticed in the first chapter of our history. 

This John was a Norman by birth, and an admirer of the Norman style ofarchitecture, which is discernable throughout the whole of this greatbuilding. That there is a mixture of style, however, in the monastery, is admitted on all hands;--nor could it well have been otherwise, if wetake into consideration the different character of the ages in whichadditions were made to it. Still the leading features of the buildingclearly show that they are of Norman origin; and in this opinion we aresupported by Mr. Britton, who says, "I cannot consent to discontinuethis phrase, [viz. That the cathedral is a specimen of Normanarchitecture, ] although it offends certain critics, who manifest moreprejudice than discrimination in their reprobatory animadversion. Thatthe Normans not only employed a peculiar style and character in thebuildings of their own provence, and in England, after they possessedthis country, is sufficiently proved by history, by the older edificesstill remaining, and by the admission of the best informed antiquaries. It seems to me therefore absurd, as well as false, to say there is noNorman architecture--that the term is misapplied, --that the Normanswere incompetent either to invent a novelty in art, or improve upon anything of their Saxon predecessors. The instance of the building beforeus, which is said by its monastic historians to have been raisedbetween the years 1117 and 1250, is sufficient evidence to confute thereasoning, or rather dogmatic assertions, of those who wish to exaltthe Saxons by depreciating the Normans: and we have a still strongerconfutation of this theory in the style and general character of theTrinity chapel, Canterbury, the history of which is well authenticatedand generally credited. That it is a novelty and great beauty inarchitecture can only be disputed by those who are blinded byprejudice, or influenced by obstinacy and bad taste. "[26]

During the prelacy of Bishop Marsh, 1819-1839, great efforts were madeto restore the cathedral to its original beauty, under the auspices ofDr. Monk, then Dean of Peterborough, and afterwards Bishop ofGloucester. "By him the noble west front, which he found in a veryruinous state, was perfectly restored from top to bottom;six-and-thirty windows were opened in various parts of the church, which were built up, and two Norman doors were brought to light, whichhad been hidden under mean depressed arches. "

It may, perhaps, be desirable to describe the different portions of thebuilding in the order in which they present themselves to the visitor, and in doing this, we shall avail ourselves of the excellent remarksmade by the Rev. Owen Davys, son of bishop Davys, in his work on thecathedral, and also of the superior talent of a gentleman, formerlywell known in this city, (the Rev. T. Garbett, ) who has investigated, with great care, the whole plan of the building, and has laid theresult of his researches before the public. 

[Sidenote: Western Gateway. ]

First, then, is the ancient western gateway, built by Benedict, andthough it has since been much altered, a considerable part of theoriginal structure remains: "The western side has been faced withPerpendicular work, and an arch of that character has been built infront of the original Norman arch, above which is a very elegantarcade, the alternate arches of which have small windows within them;these light the chamber over the gateway which occupies the situationof the chapel of St. Nicholas. The lower roof of this gateway is a goodspecimen of a plain Norman roof, being groined with bold cross ribs. The arcades on the right and left hand, which have lately been veryjudiciously restored, are also worthy of notice; one of the arches ineach arcade is considerably larger than the others, and forms adoor-way. Above the arch, on the east side of this gateway, is a windowwhich may strike the architect at first sight as being somewhatpeculiar. It is in reality a part of an ancient Perpendicular shrine, which formerly existed in the cathedral, of which a portion is stillstanding in the northern part of the new building; it was broughtthere, and turned to its present use as a window, some time ago. "

[Sidenote: Thomas ą Becket's Chapel. ]

On the left hand, as we pass through the gate, is the grammarschool-room, formerly the chapel of Thomas ą Becket, who wasassassinated at Canterbury, and canonized by the catholics as a saintand a martyr. "The chancel of this building is of a very Late Decoratedcharacter, in fact so late as almost to come under the denomination ofTransition from that style to Perpendicular; it has, on the south side, two windows, each of three lights, which appear, at first sight, to beDecorated, but, upon further examination, the architectural studentwill perceive, by a tendency to right lines in the tracery, that theyare of Transition character, of which they form good examples. The eastwindow of this chancel is a very good one, it is of five lights, andthe tracery is very beautiful, though of a description not at alluncommon; in fact most of the Decorated windows in parish churchesthroughout Northamptonshire, which have any pretensions to size orbeauty, have their tracery of this form, as, for instance, the eastwindow of Higham Ferrers church, and many others. Above this window isan elegant pierced cross, probably of the same date as the windowitself. The parapet of this chancel has nothing worthy of notice aboutit; it is like the rest of the building, of plain Late Decoratedcharacter. "

[Sidenote: Palace Gateway. ]

On the right of us, is the magnificent gateway which leads to thebishop's palace, over which is a chamber, called the knights' chamber. "This gateway is of somewhat peculiar Early English character, having afine groined roof, springing from very beautiful clustered shafts. Aline of arches, each of which contain within them two smaller arches, continues along either side of the interior; which is entered on thenorth and south sides, through fine and lofty arches supported byclustered columns. The bases of all these columns, like those of manyothers about the remains of this abbey, are covered with soil which thelapse of years has caused to accumulate around them; this of coursemuch diminishes the height of each shaft. This beautiful gateway isflanked at its angles by square turrets, each ornamented, as also isthe apex of the gable, with a fine niche, which has within it a figureof an unusually large size. The niches on the south side, contain thefigures of St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Andrew; those on the north, contain the representations of King Edward II. , Abbot Godfrey deCroyland, and the Prior of the Abbey of that time, in full Benedictinecostume. 

[Sidenote: West Front. ]

"The splendid front of the building is the most interesting andimportant of its members. This beautiful and original compositioncannot fail to strike the mind of the beholder with awe and admiration;the first sight of it usually makes an impression on the memory whichis not easily obliterated. It is indeed one of the finest specimenswhich the universe can produce, of the Pointed style of architecture. As a west front, scarcely any in this kingdom can be brought intocomparison with it for beauty of proportion, and elegance of design. The west fronts of the cathedrals of Wells, York, and Lichfield havebeen mentioned as surpassing it in some respects; and in point ofrichness of detail, the two first may be perhaps considered as superiorto it; but they all of them fall far short of Peterborough in thegrandeur of their general effect. 

"The outline of this front forms a regular square of 156 feet, thatbeing the height of the side spires, and also the extreme width of thebuilding. Its plan consists of three lofty arches of the same height, of which that in the middle is considerably the narrowest, the two sideones being of equal dimensions. These rest on triangular piers facedwith shafts. At either extremity of this arcade are two lofty turrets, flanked at the angles by clustered columns, instead of buttresses, which run the whole height of the turrets. These turrets connect thearcade with the western wall of the church, from which it is distantfifteen feet, which gives the appearance of great depth and beauty tothe arches. " [_Davys' Guide. _]

"There was, perhaps little or no interval between the completion of thenave in the Circular style of architecture, and the erection of thenorth-west tower, in the Lancet, or first style of the Pointed. Theoriginal plan of the front, like that of Lincoln, comprised, no doubt, two towers rising at the western extremity of the side aisles of thenave, having a Norman base with circular lights, and an additionaltransept, projecting north and south beyond the line of the sideaisles. But before this design could be carried into execution, architecture itself had undergone a change; pointed arches weresubstituted for circular ones, and slender isolated columns for theclustered shaft, or solid cylinder. Hence the difference in style ofthe tower just referred to: the string moulding at the base of it, together with the superstructure, and the pinnacles and pediment whichsurmount the adjacent transept, being all of a later order than thework of the nave: and hence also the union of both styles in thetransept itself--its lofty arches, parallel to the side walls, beinghighly pointed, but with the zigzag ornament, and resting on Normanshafts; and the doorways of the front having circular heads, inaccommodation to the arches of the nave, but with pointed mouldings andpillars. 

"The tower, towards the south, appears never to have been finished, although unquestionably included in the architect's design. The presentbase, above the transept, is of a comparatively modern date, andaltogether inferior to the work of the north-west tower. In theprogress of great undertakings it not unfrequently happens that freshobjects present themselves to the mind, which at first were not thoughtof. Such appears to have been the case in respect of this cathedral, the architect of which, while completing the front, seems to havecaught a new idea--that of erecting two lofty turrets beyond the outerangles of the transept, towards the west, and of converting theintermediate space into a sort of piazza, by arches constructed infront of the nave and closed in above by a vaulted roof. This idea sounique and at the same time so splendid, he was enabled to realize: andposterity, at the distance of six centuries, beholds with ineffabledelight and admiration, a composition, the outlines and details ofwhich, for their beauty and variety, render it one of the noblestfacades in existence. Towards the north and south are two loftyturrets, flanked at the angles by clustered shafts, rising from aprojecting base and crowned with spires, the height of which from theground, makes a square with the breadth of the front. The space betweenthese turrets is occupied by three pointed arches, reaching the wholeheight of the upper walls of the nave, and resting on triangular piers, which are faced with clustered shafts like those of the turrets, andterminate in octangular pinnacles, resting each upon a square basement, and divided by a moulding into two stages, the upper one of which isperforated with narrow lights, edged with the dog-toothed quatrefoil. The sides of the pier are lined with isolated columns in channelledrecesses, each column sustaining a ribbed moulding of the arch above, and the whole series being finished with interlaced and foliatedcapitals. 

"The centre arch is narrower than the outer ones, the reason of whichwill appear when we look at the situation of the doorways opening intothe side aisles of the nave. Had the architect designed the threearches of equal breadth, the piers which sustain the centre arch musthave stood immediately in front of these door-ways, or the outer archesmust have been so contracted as to bring the turrets within the line ofthe transept, and thereby conceal, in part at least, the towers behind. 

"This circumstance of itself shows that the turrets, piers, and arches, as they now exist, formed no part of the original plan. The intersticesbetween the pillars which sustain the centre arch differ from those ofthe outer arches, in that they are chequered at regular distances withclumps of foliage, as if exuberance of ornament were designed tocompensate for inequality in other respects. This inequality has beenstill further obviated by the erection of a porch, which, after aminute inspection, appears to have been inserted by way of support tothe central piers, both of which had previously swerved from theperpendicular, as may still be seen. Over each arch rises a loftypediment, bounded by the wave and billet ornaments, and surmounted by aperforated cross. The spandrils formed by the base of the pediment andthe arches beneath, severally contain, first, a deeply recessedquatrefoil, above this two trefoil arches, and still higher two pointedarches, resting on slender pillars, and filled with statues, --and alsoa hexagon, the featherings of which clasp a human head. 

"The pediments contain each a large circular light, with otherapertures and niches. The circle of the central pediment is divided bymullions into eight lights, under trefoil arches radiating from an orb. Those on the sides are divided into six lights, the featherings ofwhich are very beautiful. The mullions, or radii, are all faced withsmall pillars and capitals, and lined with the dog-toothed quatrefoil. The outer moulding of the central circle is composed of closelycompacted trefoils, that of the others has the wave ornament. At thebase of each circle is a series of trefoil arches, rested on isolatedcolumns, four of which admit light into an apartment above thevaulting, and three contain statues. The intermediate spaces formed bythe circle and the pediment, contain two niches, one on each side andanother above, all filled with statues. The niche in the apex of thecentral pediment contains a statue, apparently of St. Peter, to whomthe church is dedicated, representing the apostle with the mitre, pall, keys, and other insignia of the bishop of Rome. 

"The turrets, before mentioned, are divided by the round moulding andstring courses into six stages, which are empannelled in front witharches of different forms and dimensions. In the first stage from theground, and rising from a channelled base, are two lofty pointed archesresting on slender pillars. In the second stage are four trefoil archessimilarly supported; this range is continued round the facings of theinner wall immediately over the doorways, and forms the base of thewindows. The third stage contains one pointed arch, intersected by apillar in the centre, with curved mouldings, forming two lesser arches;which last are again subdivided by pillars sustaining one circular archin the centre, and segments of arches on the sides. 

"The interstices above contain two trefoil arches, with brackets at thebase for the figures. The mouldings of the outer arch, with the sidesof the pillars and all the sub-divisions, are studded with thedog-toothed quatrefoil. In the fourth stage, are two deeply recessedpointed arches, resting on clustered pillars; immediately over these isa string course of stemmated trefoils, which is continued round thefront, the transepts, and the base of the north-west tower, togetherwith the more modern base towards the south. In the fifth stage arefour trefoil arches, like those of the second stage: these lie parallelwith those at the base of the pediments, already described, and withthose also of the side transepts. The sixth stage contains four longand narrow pointed arches, having corbels in the space above, andresting, like the whole series of arches below, on slender isolatedcolumns, with prominent foliated capitals: above these is a stringcourse of rosettes, forming the base of the parapet. Thus far the twoturrets are strictly uniform; but in the parapets, by which they aresurmounted, and in the pinnacles, which terminate the clustered shafts, there is a marked difference. 

"The parapet of the north turret consists of the wave ornament, withdouble featherings and intersections: the pinnacles at the angles arehexagonal, corbelled at the base of the pyramid with human heads, andfinished above with crockets and finials. 

"The parapet of the south turret contains a series of quatrefoils, while the pinnacles at the angles are beautifully blended with theclustered shafts, so as to form a regular and continuous course andtermination; the mouldings are carried up in high pointed pediments, and from these a cinquefoil arch at each angle, surmounted also by apediment, with a quatrefoil in the spandril, connects them with thespire in the centre, and sustains a lofty triangular pinnacle, which, like the pediments below, is decorated with crockets and a finial. Inthis respect the south spire differs from the other, which has noconnection with the side pinnacles. Both are pierced with pointedwindows in two ranges, four in each range, divided by mullions, andcrowned with crocketted pediments; and the apex of each is terminatedby a finial and a cross, included in the extensive repairs carried onby the present dean[27] and chapter. 

"The style of these spires, with the parapets and pinnacles, marks themout as a later work than the turrets beneath; and we may infer from thesimilarity of their details to those of the porch, that they formed apart of the repairs and alterations which the whole front appears tohave undergone when the appendage was inserted; and when the centralwindow of the nave was enlarged, and that, and the others which nowenliven the inner wall, were filled with perpendicular tracery. Theporch is vaulted with stone, and is entered by an obtuse arch, overwhich is an elliptical window, divided by mullions into six lightsunder cinquefoil arches, which are again subdivided in the head intolesser arches. 

"The spandrils formed by the curve of the arch, and the base of thewindow, are enriched with circles, clasping shields of arms, androsettes with other devices. The arches and windows are bounded bybuttresses, which are broken by offsets and empannelled with niches. Besides these, the porch is flanked with staircases, one on each side, forming three parts of an octagon, and leading to an apartment now usedas a library. The summit is closed with an embattled parapet, having apediment at each end, and one in the centre. The surface of the wallsis enriched with canopied niches, pilasters, brackets, panel work, andstring courses in all the wildness and profusion which distinguish thelast stage of gothic architecture. 

"Besides the arch before mentioned, the porch has two smaller arches, north and south, parallel with the piazza formed by the great archesand piers of the front, and keeping up the communication with itsopposite extremities. Over these also are mullioned windows with blankinterstices. 

"The great window of the nave, the outer arch of which is obviously analteration from the original design, is divided by mullions into fivelights, --those of the side aisles into three lights, both undercinquefoil arches, and the lancet windows of the transepts into twolights, under trefoil arches: these windows are parted, each by anembattled transome into an upper and lower range of lights, and theheads filled with subordinate tracery. 

"The door-ways beneath are exceedingly rich, and in point of executionand delicacy of detail perhaps the finest portions of the front. Thecentral door-way is divided by a pillar, rising from a carvedcylindrical base into two smaller arches; but the whole design andfinish cannot be made out, in consequence of the introduction of theporch, the foundation and butments of which are built against it. 

"The arches of the side door-ways are lined with isolated columns, receding in the manner of perspective; the ribbed mouldings betweenthese columns, the interlaced and pendent foliage of the capitals, andthe multiplied mouldings of which the arches above are composed, cannotbe too closely examined, or too much admired. This is that peculiarstyle of gothic architecture, in which the beauty of the pointed arch, with its accompaniments is best discerned; and, therefore, it is thatjudges are wont to give it the preference over all subsequentalterations and refinements. The spaces between these door-ways, likethose of the windows over them, are empannelled with pointed arches, subdivided by smaller arches, and resting on slender pillars. 

"From the description thus given of this stately front, the reader willperceive that it was begun in one age, and finished, as we now beholdit, in another. Some discrepancies of style may therefore be expectedto present themselves, but these are so eclipsed by the grandeur in itsleading features, that the eye takes in the whole as a singleconception, and overlooks, in its contemplation of such a magnificentassociation of objects, the marks of difference that exist between theefforts of earlier and later genius. "[28]--The Purbeck pillar, whichdivides the greater arch of the West door into two lesser arches, has acuriously sculptured base, apparently representing a sinner beingtormented by devils. 

[Sidenote: Gateway and Deanery. ]

As we cross the square to the north-eastern side of the church, we passanother gateway, which leads into the deanery, which is a fine specimenof architecture, and bears the monogram of its builder, viz. --theletter R, a kirk, and a tun, [R. Kirkton] and we then enter at onceinto the

Burial Ground. 

[Sidenote: Exterior north, east, and south. ]

A finer association of beautiful and mournful objects could not well beimagined than is here presented to us. The most graceful trees, arranged in delightful groups, hang over the decayed tombs, which arecarpeted to their base by a green sward, covered with flowers. As wepass along, we get a view of the deanery, and at the end of the easternpart of the church we see Tout Hill with the Training College forschoolmasters on the left, and the pretty villa in the vineyard, with asplendid avenue of old elm trees leading to it by a broad gravel walk. We pass likewise the large painted window, and as we turn the easternend of the building, we catch a glimpse of the ruins of the infirmaryand great hall, with their magnificent arches and ivy clad columns. Proceeding round to the southern side of the cathedral, we enter thesquare, where are the ruins of the cloisters, through a fine olddoor-way with a pointed arch, surmounting others of a circular form, and enriched with sculptural mouldings and figures. The southern andwestern walls of the cloisters remain, and contain a singular varietyof tracery, mouldings, columns, and door-ways. Two door-ways to thesouthern aisles of the nave are also seen in the cloisters--one havinga semicircular arch, with archivolt mouldings, enriched with thechevron and other Norman ornaments; the other in the pointed or gothicstyle, with raised mouldings, and supported by slender shafts at thesides. [29] At the southern extremity of the cloisters is anotherdoor-way of the same style and character as that by which we enteredthem, which leads through the bishop's garden to the palace. [30] Passingalong the western wall of the cloisters we go through a plain Normandoor-way, which brings us again, by a narrow passage, to the west frontof the cathedral. 

The Dimensions

_Of the several parts of the Cathedral are as follows:--_

The breadth of the west front, measuring from corner to corner on theoutside of it, is 156 feet. 

The length of the whole cathedral, measured on the outside of it, is471 feet. In this measurement are included the most prominentbuttresses at the west and east ends. 

The distance from the inside of the west door of the cathedral to theorgan screen at the entrance into the choir is 267 feet. 

From the organ screen to the altar screen, 117 feet. 

From the altar table to the east window 38 feet. So that the distancefrom the west door to the east window is 422 feet. 

The length of the two cross aisles or transepts within, including thediameter of the lantern, 180 feet. 

The breadth of the nave within, measuring from the south wall to thenorth wall, is 78 feet; that is half the breadth of the west front. 

From the floor of the nave to its painted wooden roof is a height of 81feet. 

The height of the lantern within the church is 135 feet. The wholeheight of it without is 150 feet. 

The height of each gothic arch at the west front of the cathedral is 82feet. 

The distance from the ground to the top of each pinnacle at the cornersof the west front is 156 feet; that is, the same with the breadth ofthe front. 

The Interior of the Building

is grand beyond conception. The northern and southern aisles are formedby massive ranges of pillars, supporting vast arches of singularsimplicity and beauty. The great pictured roof or ceiling in the naveof the church, is a curious specimen of fanciful ingenuity. Thedivisions are of a diagonal form filled with various devices, somerepresenting kings and queens or early patrons and founders of themonastery: others being of an hieroglyphical character. 

"The nave and its aisles, " says Mr. Britton, [page 70] "display auniform style of architecture in their arches, piers, triforia, andwalls; but the windows of the clerestory, triforia, and aisles are allof a later date, and are evident insertions in the originalwalls, --excepting indeed the exterior walls of the triforium, whichappear to have been raised, and a new roof formed when some greatalterations were made to the church. On the eastern side of thetransept is an aisle, the southern division of which is separated intothree chapels, or oratories, as they were originally appropriated, butnow used as appendages to the choir. Over this aisle is a triforium, behind an arched screen, which extends along the aisles of the choir totheir junction with the new work. "

The lantern is another remarkable feature in this building. It "is opento the vaulted roof, " and is a fearful height to contemplate. 

The choir is nearly of the same kind of architecture as the transept. Its vaulted roof is boarded, but assumes an imitation of the floridpointed style, --being disposed in several compartments by thin ribs. Over the altar end it is painted with an emblematical representation ofChrist as a vine, and his disciples the branches. The remaining portionof the roof, which had been painted white and yellow, has also beenrecently restored to its original character, the bosses being gilt andthe spandrils painted bright blue and richly ornamented. 

Until the year 1827, the choir of this cathedral was composed of dealpainted to resemble oak, and "although in good repair, " was generallyallowed to be "unworthy of the magnificent structure to which itbelonged. " At the suggestion, and under the immediate patronage of thethen dean and chapter, a subscription was entered into for the purposeof erecting a new choir and organ screen; and the sum of £5021 11s. 0d. Was shortly obtained towards that object. The architect employed wasthe celebrated Mr. Blore, who, assisted by Mr. Ruddle, of Peterborough, completed the work in 1830. 

The organ screen is composed of clunch stone, and is decorated withspiral turrets, having a number of gaudily painted shields in thespandrils, which, together with the rainbow hues of the organ pipes, give it an appearance rather offensive to modern taste, althoughstrictly in accordance with the rest of the work, which is in the styleof the 1st and 3rd Edward. 

On the right of the entrance to the choir is a brass plate with thefollowing inscription:--

 THIS ORGAN SCREEN WITH THE CHOIR AND ALTAR SCREEN, WAS ERECTED A. D. MDCCCXXX. BY SUBSCRIPTION FROM THE MEMBERS OF THIS CATHEDRAL CHURCH, THE INHABITANTS OF THE CITY AND NEIGHBOURHOOD OF PETERBOROUGH, AND OTHER ADMIRERS OF ECCLESIASTICAL ARCHITECTURE, UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE VERY REV. JAMES HENRY MONK, D. D. , DEAN. 

The New Pulpit, Erected to the memory of the Rev. John James, D. D. , for 40 years Canonof the Cathedral, has a most massive appearance. The principal materialused in its construction is Dumfries stone, with pillars of Devonshireand Greek marble. The body rests on a centre marble base, with cornerpillars of Greek marble. At each corner of the pulpit stand figures ofthe four evangelists. The three panels are richly carved, and in thecentres are cut the figure of a lamb, a Norman cross, and the lettersI. H. S. Greek marble has been employed as pillars for the stair rails, along which and around the upper part of the pulpit is Devonshiremarble. The following inscription inlaid with gold is cut in the Greekmarble bordering:--"In Memoriam. Johannes James, S. T. P. , hujus EcclesięCathedralis XL. ; Anno Canonici P. C. Filii Superstites A. D. MDCCCLXXIII, O. B. XV Dec. MDCCCLXVIII. " The arms of the See and the Dean and Chapterare cut in the stone body. The architect was Mr. Barry, of London, andthe work was executed by Messrs. Field, Poole, and Sons, Westminster. 

Monuments. 

There are very few ancient monuments remaining in this cathedral, thegreater portion having been destroyed by Cromwell's soldiers. A brazeneagle, or lectern, in the centre aisle of the choir, from which thedaily lessons are read; an ancient stone at the east end of thebuilding, till lately supposed to be commemorative of the murder ofeighty-four monks by the Danes, in 870;[31] and a picture of oldScarlet, who died in 1594, aged 98, are the principal objects ofinterest. 

Turning to the left, as you enter the west door of the cathedral, hangsthe portrait of this celebrated character, who buried within the wallsof the cathedral, Catherine of Arragon, who died at Kimbolton Castle, in 1536; and Mary Queen of Scots, who was executed at FotheringhayCastle fifty-one years afterwards. The accompanying engraving is arepresentation of the old sexton, with his spade, pickaxe, and otheremblems of office. 

In the south-west or opposite corner of the nave, is an _ancientfont_, originally composed of native marble, obtained from thequarries at Alwalton. [32] The basin of this font was, for many years, inone of the prebendal gardens, where it was placed upon the base of anold Norman pillar, and used for holding flowers, but was removed by Dr. Monk, when dean of Peterborough, to the chapterhouse. The celebratedstatuary, Mr. Gresley, of Oxford, put it upon its present pediments, which are composed of Purbeck marble, and it was then placed where itnow stands. It is considered a very fine piece of workmanship. 

[Illustration: YOV SEE OLD SCARLEITS PICTVRE STAND ON HIE BVT AT YOVRFEETE THERE DOTH HIS BODY LYE HIS GRAVESTONE DOTH HIS AGE AND DEATHTIME SHOW HIS OFFICE BY THEIS TOKENS YOV MAY KNOW SECOND TO NONE FORSTRENGTH AND STVRDYE LIMM A SCAREBABE MIGHTY VOICE WITH VISAGE GRIM HEEHAD INTERD TWO QVEENES WITHIN THIS PLACE AND THIS TOWNES HOVSE HOLDERSIN HIS LIVES SPACE TWICE OVER: BVT AT LENGTH HIS OWN TVRN CAME WHAT HEEFOR OTHERS DID FOR HIM THE SAME WAS DONE: NO DOVBT HIS SOVL DOTH LIVEFOR AYE IN HEAVEN: THO HERE HIS BODY CLAD IN CLAY. ]

As you enter the south aisle of the choir, upon the wall is a neatmarble tablet to the _Rev. Dr. William Parker_, who died October 3rd, 1730. 

Next, in a recess, is a tablet to abbot _Andreas_, and two of hispredecessors, with the following Latin inscription:--

 "Hos tres abbates quibus est prior abba Iohannes Alter Martinus, Andreas ultimus unus Hic claudit tumulus; pro clausis ergo rogemus. "

The following is a free translation of the above:--

 "_These three abbots, of whom the first is abbot John, The other Martin, the last Andrew, This one tomb shuts up [incloses]; therefore for those shut up, let us pray. _"

Above this is a small tablet to the memory of _Mary_, the wife of the_Rev. Payne Edmunds_. 

Next, is a marble tablet to _Robert Pemberton_, who was a magistrate ofthis city, and steward to the Rev. The Dean and Chapter. He died in1695, in the 75th year of his age. 

Near these, removed from the old chapter-house, founded by king Peada, are the statues of _three other abbots_, whose names are unknown. 

Adjoining, is an effigy of _Abbot Alexander_, whose body, with hisboots and crosier, were found by some workmen when making a foundationfor the new choir in 1830, as related at page 15 of this work. 

Opposite to this, is a black marble slab, beneath which the body of_Mary, Queen of Scots_, was at first deposited, and remained fortwenty-five years, when it was disinterred and removed to WestminsterAbbey, by order of her son, king James the 1st. Hanging near it is theoriginal letter of the king ordering the removal. See note on page 29. 

At the end of this aisle are two handsome compartments; the left hand, to the memory of _Joseph Stamford_, who died in 1683; and the righthand, to _Thomas Whitwell_, who died at Wisbech in 1759. 

Above that of _Joseph Stamford_, is a tablet to _Francis Lockier_, whodied 1740; and below, a small tablet to _John Speechley_, for 33 yearsorganist of the cathedral. 

We now enter the building known by the name of

The New Building. 

"The whole appearance of the interior of this beautiful building isgrand and imposing in the extreme; its roof, which is composed of theelaborate fan vaulting, for which the Perpendicular style is so famous, rises from slender shafts, and is ornamented with large and handsomebosses, upon each of which is carved a shield, with armorial bearings. In these respects, as well as in the general aspect of its details, this building so nearly resembles the noble chapel of King's College, Cambridge, as to warrant the supposition that they were both erectedfrom the designs of one architect. The New Building is lighted bythirteen very fine windows, two of which are filled with modern paintedglass. The space below the windows is occupied by a rich cornice, anelegant arcade, and a stone seat. Here is to be seen a monument, tilllately supposed to be that of abbot Hedda and his monks, whose massacreby the Danes was spoken of in the first chapter of this work, which isconsidered to be one of the oldest christian monuments now extant inEngland. " See note on page 4. 

At the south end of this building, are the remains of a beautifulmarble monument, erected by Sir Humphrey Orme, the destruction of whichis recorded at page 34 of this work. 

By the side of this monument are two tablets, one in memory of_Archdeacon Davys_, his wife _Selina_, and their son _John WilliamOwen_; underneath which is a black tablet, surmounted by a shield, bearing a coat of arms, with a mitre, in memory of _Francis Jeune, D. C. L. _, twenty-fifth bishop of Peterborough, who died in 1868. 

On the south-east side of the altar, is a very stately and handsomemarble monument of the Corinthian order; on which is a portraiture ofthe gentleman for whom it was erected, lying on his left side, andleaning on a cushion, with his hand upon a scull; above which statue isthis inscription--

 "Sacred to the memory of _Thomas Deacon_, Esq. , a native of this city; sometime high sheriff of this county: a person eminent for his morality and good life; a true son of the established church: a constant attendant on her worship and service: his piety consisted not in empty profession, but in sincerity and unaffected truth. He had an ample estate, which he fairly acquired, and increased by an honest industry, and managed with excellent prudence, and disposed of to laudable purposes. His charity (even in the time of his life) was very large, extensive, and exemplary; of which he has left a lasting monument in this city, by founding a charity school, and endowing it with a freehold estate, of above one hundred and sixty pounds per annum: And also, by settling another estate of twenty-five pounds per annum, for a constant annual distribution of alms to poor ancient inhabitants of this city. Having thus laid up in store to himself a good foundation against the time to come, he quietly departed this life, on the 19th day of August, 1721, aged 70 years. 

 "To whose memory as an instance of her conjugal affection, Mary, his sorrowful relict, caused this monument to be erected. "

Beneath his effigy, and upon the front of the tomb, is the followinginscription--

 "In memory of _Mary_, the relict of Thomas Deacon, Esq. ; daughter of John Harvey, of Spalding, gent. To which place she was a kind generous benefactor, and bestowed upwards of £400 in pious and useful charities. She gave also to Fleet £250, for founding a charity school in that parish. To the poor of this city, she extended her daily bounty, so private as not to be told; so large as not to be equalled; to which she added several public benefactions, and gave towards augmenting the vicarage of St. John Baptist £100; and likewise £100 to the salary of the grammar school; she died January 27th, 1730, aged 77 years. "

In a recess adjoining this monument, is a neat tablet to the memory of_Mary_, the mother of the Rev. J. S. Pratt, formerly a prebendary ofthis cathedral, and vicar of the parish of St. John the Baptist, Peterborough. 

Underneath this, a handsome tablet to the late _William Strong_, D. D. , forty-five years archdeacon of this diocese, and for nearly half acentury a magistrate for the Liberty of Peterborough. 

Near the last monument, behind the altar screen, are interred theremains of six bishops, viz. :--_Cumberland_, _Kennett_, _Hinchcliffe_, _Madan_, _Marsh and Davys_; tablets to the four latter, are in therecess opposite the large painted window. 

Beneath these, is an effigy, supposed to be that of _Abbot William deHotot_, who died in 1250. 

On the north-east side of the altar, is a very handsome marble monumentto _Bishop Cumberland_, great grandfather to the celebrated dramatistof that name. 

Beneath this, is a neat tablet to _Joseph Parsons_, formerly aprebendary of this cathedral, and _Letitia_, his wife; near which, is amonument erected to his intimate friend _William Tournay_, D. D. , also aprebendary of this cathedral, and of St. Peter's, Westminster, and fortwenty-five years warden of Wadham College, Oxford, &c. 

Adjoining, are the remains of an ancient shrine, supposed to be that of_St. Ibba_. 

Above this is a marble tablet to _Louisa Cole_, of the Vineyard. 

On leaving the Lady Chapel, in the north aisle of the choir, is asplendid monument to _Richard Trice_, beneath which is a handsomedouble _piscina_. 

Opposite to this, a small marble monument to _Frances_, wife of _DeanCosin_, who died March 25th, 1642; above which is an epitaph to_Dorothy_, the wife of _Francis Standish_, formerly precentor of thiscathedral, who died in 1689. 

Opposite, is another plain black marble slab, similar to that in thesouth aisle, with a small brass inscription which marks the grave of_Catherine of Arragon_. 

On the north wall of the side aisle is a monument by the celebratedGibbons, with the following inscription--

 "Sacred to the memory of _Constance_, daughter of _John May_, of Rawmeare, in Sussex, Esquire; and of _Constance_, his wife, one of the daughters and co-heiress of _Thomas Panton_, of Westminster, knight and baronet, and wife of _John Workman_, prebendary of this church, who, having by all christian virtues and good qualities, been an ornament to her worthy family, and an honour to all her relations in her life, resigned up her soul to God with admirable patience at her death; she deceased in childbed at London; and, together with her infant son, she was according to her desire, here interred, where she had frequently worshipped God, in hope of a joyful resurrection, September 30th, A. D. 1681. "

Next, is a tablet to _James Duport_, formerly dean of this cathedral, chaplain to Charles II. , and professor of Greek at Trinity College, Cambridge. 

Adjoining, is another tablet to the memory of the _Rev. John Workman_, M. A. , formerly a prebendary of this cathedral, and rector of Peakirk, &c. 

Next, is a tablet to _William Rowles_, of Washingley, and _AnnWilkinson_, his daughter. 

The next is to the _Rev. William Gery_, also a prebendary of thiscathedral, and Susannah, his wife, who lived together 47 years. This isa very handsome tablet. 

The last is a handsome tablet to the _Rev. William Waring_, A. M. , formerly master of the grammar school, who died 1726, aged 66. 

In a small chapel, known as the Morning Chapel, dedicated to St. Johnand St. James, is some _ancient tapestry_; one piece representing St. Peter and St. John healing the lame man at the beautiful gate of thetemple; the other representing St. Peter's deliverance from prison. Inthe north-east corner is a tablet to the _Rev. John Stevens_, A. M. , rector of Folksworth, Hunts. ; and in the centre of the east wall is astained glass window, representing four scenes from the life of ourLord. Here also are the remains of the woodwork of the _old choir_, which have been converted into seats, and will serve to show to thecurious its former character and style. 

The Organ, Which is placed above the screen, dividing the nave from the choir, isa very fine toned instrument, and was built in 1809, by the late Mr. Allen, of Sutton Street, Soho. It has within the last few years beenmuch improved and enlarged. It contains forty-eight stops, viz. :--twelve in the great organ, twelve in the swell, ten in thechoir, eight in the pedal organ, and six couplers. These improvementswere made by H. P. Gates, Esq. , of the Vineyard, and are commemoratedby a brass plate on the south side of the organ, inscribed as follows:"To the praise and glory of God and memory of John and Frances Gates, this organ was re-built and enlarged at the charge of Henry PearsonGates, their son, Anno Domini 1871. " The case of the instrument, whichis of carved oak, presents towards the nave, a front in the earlyEnglish style, while on the side looking into the choir, the fronts aredecorated, to harmonize with the interior fittings. 

The Choir. 

As we enter the choir, the bishop's throne, with the stalls, pulpit, pews, and altar screen burst upon us, all of which are beautifullycarved. The altar screen is composed of a soft white stone, found nearCambridge; the rest that we have mentioned, is oak, very finely carvedin the decorated style of architecture. The bishop's throne especially, with its ogee canopies, and elegant and almost fairy-like spire, rivetsthe eye of the spectator. The _coup d'oeil_ of the choir is sostrikingly beautiful, from the good arrangement and entire keeping ofthe whole, that it can scarcely be surpassed. 

At the east end, immediately under the large window, are three tabletswith the names of all the Abbots, Bishops, and Deans from thefoundation of the monastery to the present time, of which the followingis a copy:--

List of the Abbots of the Cathedral, _With the date of their appointment. _

 Saxulphus 654 Cuthbaldus 673 Egbaldus Pusa Beonna Celredus Hedda 833 Adulphus 972 Kenulphus 992 Elsinus 1005 Arwinus 1055 Leofricus 1063 Brando 1066 Thoroldus 1069 Godricus 1098 Matthias 1103 Ernulpus 1107 Iohn of Salisbury 1114 Henricus de Angeli 1128 Martinus de Vecti 1133 William de Waterville 1155 Benedictus 1177 Andreas 1194 Acharius 1200 Robert of Lindsay 1214 Alexander 1222 Martin of Ramsey 1226 Walter St. Edmonds 1233 William Hotot 1246 Iohn de Caleto 1249 Robert Sutton 1262 Richard of London 1274 William of Woodford 1295 Godfrey of Croyland 1299 Adam Boothby 1321 Henry Morcot 1338 Robert Ramsey 1346 Henry of Overton 1361 Nicholaus 1391 Willielmus Genge 1396 Johannes Deeping 1408 Richard Ashton 1438 William Ramsey 1471 Robert Kirton 1496 Iohn Chambers 1528

Iohn Chambers was the last Abbot and the first Bishop. 

List of the Bishops of Peterborough, _With the date of their appointment. _

 Iohn Chambers, B. D. 1541 David Pool, LL. D. 1556 Edmund Scambler, D. D. 1560 Richard Howland, D. D. 1584 Thomas Dove, A. M. 1600 William Pierse, D. D. 1630 Augustine Lindsel, D. D. 1632 Francis Dee, D. D. 1634 Iohn Towers, D. D. 1638 Benjamin Lany, D. D. 1660 Joseph Henshaw, D. D. 1663 William Loyd, D. D. 1679 Thomas White, D. D. 1685 Richard Cumberland, D. D. 1691 White Kennet, D. D. 1718 Robert Clavering, D. D. 1728 Iohn Thomas, D. D. 1747 Richard Terrick, D. D. 1757 Robert Lamb, LL. D. 1764 Iohn Hinchliffe, D. D. 1769 Spencer Madan, D. D. 1794 John Parsons, D. D. 1813 Herbert Marsh, D. D. 1819 George Davys, D. D. 1839 Francis Jeune, D. C. L. 1864 William Connor Magee, D. D. 1868

Bishop Davys was advanced to this see in 1839. He was formerly a fellowof Christ's Church College, Cambridge, and took a wrangler's degree in1803. He subsequently became curate of Littlebury, and in 1814 ofChesterford; this latter curacy he held until Dr. Bloomfield, the latebishop of London, was presented to that living, when Mr. Davys becamecurate of Swaffham Prior; he afterwards removed to Kensington, and wasappointed tutor to the Princess Victoria. Shortly after this he waspresented to the rectory of All-Hallows, London, and in 1831 to thedeanery of Chester, on which occasion he took the degree of doctor ofdivinity. He discharged his episcopal duties for a period of abouttwenty-five years in such a manner as to gain universal esteem; anddied at Peterborough, after a short illness, in the 84th year of hisage, on the 18th April, 1864. 

The Rev. Dr. Francis Jeune, who was appointed to the Bishopric in theroom of Dr. Davys, was educated at Pembroke College, Oxford, were hegraduated in 1827, when he took a first-class in classics. In 1832 hewas admitted into Holy Orders by Dr. Bagot, Bishop of Oxford, beingthen tutor of his College. In 1834 he was elected to the HeadMastership of King Edward's School, Birmingham, and held thatappointment until 1838, when he was nominated to the Deanery of Jersey, and the Rectory of St. Heliers. In 1843 he was elected to theMastership of Pembroke College, with a canonry at Gloucester annexed, and almost immediately afterwards he was presented by the Dean andChapter of Gloucester to the Rectory of Taynton. In 1850 he wasappointed one of Her Majesty's Commissioners of Inquiry for theUniversity of Oxford, and in 1859 was elected Vice-Chancellor of theUniversity. About three months previous to his promotion to thisBishopric, Dr. Jeune was made Dean of Lincoln, in the room of the Rev. Thomas Garnier. Dr. Jeune lived only four years after his appointmentto the see. Suffering from an internal disease he went to Whitby forchange of air, where he died on the 21st of August, 1868, after a shortand painful illness, and was succeeded by the Rev. W. Connor Magee. 

Bishop Magee was born at Cork in the year 1821, his father at that timeholding a cure in that city before being presented to the living of St. Peter's, Drogheda, in 1829. His grandfather filled the Metropolitan seeof Dublin previous to Archbishop Whately. The future bishop ofPeterborough received his earliest education at Kilkenny, from whichplace, at the age of thirteen, he was removed to Trinity College, Dublin. Here he obtained a scholarship in 1838, and Archbishop King'sDivinity prize. He graduated A. B. In 1842, A. M. And B. D. In 1854, andD. D. In 1860. In 1844 Mr. Magee received deacon's orders at the handsof the Bishop of Chester, and in the following year was ordained priestby the Bishop of Tuam. His first curacy was that of St. Thomas, Dublin, which he was obliged to resign through ill health, and after a twoyears' residence abroad he accepted a curacy at St. Saviour's, Bath, in1848. Two years later he was appointed to the joint incumbency of theOctagon Chapel, Bath. During his residence in Bath, Mr. Magee publishedtwo volumes of sermons. In 1859 he was nominated an Hon. Canon of WellsCathedral, and received the degree of D. D. From his University; and onthe resignation of Dr. Goulburn, minister of Quebec Chapel, PortmanSquare, London, Canon Magee was appointed to the vacant post. In 1860he was transferred to the precentorship of Clogher in conjunction withthe rectory of Enniskillen; in 1864, on the death of Dr. Newman, he wasinstalled Dean of Cork; and in 1866 was appointed Dean of the ChapelRoyal, Dublin. He was enthroned as Bishop of Peterborough shortly afterthe death of Bishop Jeune in 1868, receiving his appointment from theConservative Prime Minister, Mr. Disraeli. 

List of the Deans of Peterborough, _With the date of their appointment. _

 Francis Abree, D. D. 1541 Gerard Carlton, B. D. 1543 James Curtop, A. M. 1551 Iohn Boxhall, LL. D. 1558 William Latimer, D. D. 1560 Richard Fletcher, D. D. 1585 Thomas Nevil, D. D. 1590 Iohn Palmer, D. D. 1598 Richard Cleyton, D. D. 1608 George Meriton, D. D. 1612 Henry Beaumont, D. D. 1616 William Pierse, D. D. 1622 Iohn Towers, D. D. 1630 Thomas Jackson, D. D. 1638 Iohn Cosin, D. D. 1640 Edward Rainbow, D. D. 1660 James Duport, D. D. 1664 Simon Patrick 1679 Richard Kidder, D. D. 1689 Samuel Freeman, D. D. 1691 White Kennet, D. D. 1707 Richard Reynolds, LL. D. 1718 William Gee, D. D. 1721 Iohn Mandevil, D. D. 1722 Francis Lockyer, D. D. 1725 Iohn Thomas, D. D. 1740 Robert Lamb, LL. D. 1744 Charles Tarrant, D. D. 1764 Charles M. Sutton, D. D. 1791 Peter Peckard, D. D. 1792 Thomas Kipling, D. D. 1797 James Henry Monk, D. D. 1822 Thomas Turton, D. D. 1830 George Butler, D. D. 1842 Augustus P. Saunders, D. D. 1853 J. J. Stewart Perowne, D. D. 1878

The present Dean of Peterborough, The Very Rev. John James StewartPerowne, D. D. , was born about the year 1823, and married in 1862 AnnaMaria, third daughter of the late Humphry William Woolrych, Esq. , Serjeant-at-Law, of Croxley, Hertfordshire. His family is of French(Huguenot) extraction, which came over to this country at theRevocation of the Edict of Nantes. He was appointed to the Deanery inAugust, 1878. He was educated at Norwich Grammar School and at CorpusChristi College, Cambridge, of which College he became a Fellow. He wasa Bell's University Scholar in 1842, took the Members' Prize for aLatin Essay on three different occasions, viz. , 1844, 1846, and 1847, and graduated B. A. In 1845, in which year he was also Crosse Scholar, and in 1848 he proceeded M. A. And was Tyrwhitt's Hebrew Scholar. Eightyears afterwards he took the degree of B. D. , having in the meantimebeen ordained deacon in 1847 and priest in the same year that he tookhis master's degree. In 1855 he was appointed examining chaplain to theBishop of Norwich, and was made prebendary of S. Andrew's and canon ofLlandaff cathedral in 1869. In 1872 he became pręlector in Theology ofTrinity College, Cambridge, and in 1873 took his degree of D. D. , andbecame Fellow of Trinity College. In 1875 Her Majesty was pleased tograciously appoint him one of her hon. Chaplains, and in the same yearhe was appointed Hulsean Professor of Divinity. In 1851 and 1852 he wasexaminer for the Classical Tripos at Cambridge, and select preacherbefore the University on several different occasions. For 10 years heheld the vice-principalship of St. David's College, Lampeter, whichappointment he resigned in 1872. Before this, he had been Lecturer inDivinity at King's College, London, and assistant preacher at Lincoln'sInn. In 1868 he was Hulsean Lecturer, and Lady Margaret's Preacher in1874-5. From 1867 to 1872 he was third cursal prebendary of S. David'sCathedral. From 1874 to 1876 he was one of the Whitehall preachers. TheDean is the author of "The Book of Psalms, a New Translation withNotes, Critical and Exegetical;" Hulsean Lectures on "Immortality"; avolume of Sermons; occasional Sermons; Articles in Dr. Smith'sDictionary of the Bible; _Contemporary Review; Good Words, &c. _ And heis a member of the Company engaged on the revision of the OldTestament. 

 [25] Gunton says, "that in the foundation thereof, Peada laid such stones, as that eight yoke of oxen could scarce draw one of them. "

 [26] See _Britton's His. Cathedral Church of Peterboro'_, note p. 53. 

 [27] James Henry Monk, afterwards bishop of Gloucester. 

 [28] _Garbett's Architectural Account of Peterborough Cathedral. _

 [29] Britton, in speaking of these door-ways, says, "There are also two door-ways to the southern aisle of the nave, _both_ having _semicircular_ arches, &c. ;" but this is evidently an oversight. 

 [30] These door-ways are supposed to have been built in the middle of the 12th century. It is worthy of remark, that one door-way in the western wall, which is now filled up, is attributed to the Anglo-Saxon age. 

 [31] Vide note at page 4 of this work. 

 [32] The columns of the beautiful west front were also composed of the same marble; but, being much dilapidated, they were in the time of Dean Monk, taken down, the best sorted and again put up, and the others replaced by Ketton stone. 

GEO. C. CASTER, PRINTER, MARKET-PLACE, PETERBOROUGH. 

LIST OF BOOKS & FORMS

PUBLISHED BY_GEO. C. CASTER, Printer & Bookseller_, MARKET PLACE, PETERBOROUGH. 

FASTING. A Lenten Sermon, by the Very Rev. J. J. Stewart Perowne, D. D. , Dean of Peterborough. Price 3d. 

NATIONAL EDUCATION. A Sermon by the Very Rev. J. J. Stewart Perowne, D. D. Price 3d. 

OUR DEBT TO THE PAST. Two Sermons by the Rev. Brooke Foss Westcott, D. D. , Canon of Peterborough. Price 6d. 

ADVENT SERMONS, Preached in Peterborough Cathedral: "The GospelPreached to the Poor, " by the Very Rev. J. J. Stewart Perowne, D. D. , Dean; "The Word of God, " by the Rev. B. F. L. Blunt, M. A. , Vicar ofScarborough; and "Preparation, " by the Rev. F. W. Farrar, D. D. , Canonof Westminster. 6d. Each, by post 7d. ; or the three in wrapper, 1/-, bypost 1/1. 

PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL. A General, Architectural, and Monastic History. By Thomas Craddock. Fcap. Fo. , 234 pages, fancy wrapper, 2/6, clothgilt, 5/-

NEW GUIDE TO PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL. By G. S. Phillips. Illustrated, Crown 8vo. , 1/-

PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL at the Commonwealth; being extracts from SimonGunton's History, with a sketch of his life. The work is illustrated byfour photographs from scarce engravings, showing the original LadyeChapel, Altar Screen, etc. Crown 4to. , bevelled boards, red edges, 6/-

NOTES ON THE PARISH CHURCHES in and around Peterborough, including theCathedral, and Crowland, Ramsey, and Thorney Abbeys. By the Rev. W. D. Sweeting, M. A. , Head Master of the King's School, Peterborough, Illustrated by 32 Photographs. Demy 8vo. , cloth antique, bevelledboards, 21/-; or in three parts, wrappered, 2/6 each. 

NOTES ON TWENTY PARISH CHURCHES in the five mile circle roundPeterborough, comprising Alwalton, Castor, Eye, Farcet, Fletton, Glinton, Helpstone, Marholm, Orton Longueville, Orton Waterville, Paston, Peakirk, Stanground, Thorpe, Waternewton, Werrington, Whittlesey (St. Mary), Whittlesey (St. Andrew), Woodstone, and Yaxley. Paper covers, 1/-; cloth, 1/6. 

FIRST WORDS AND LAST, or EASTER THOUGHTS, in verse. By Rev. A. S. Newman, M. A. Crown 8vo. , paper covers, 1/6; cloth gilt, 2/-

CROWLAND AND THORNEY ABBEYS. By the Rev. W D. Sweeting, M. A. , with twophotographs, wrappered, 1/-

WILD FLOWERS. Being a list of varieties found in the neighbourhood ofPeterborough. By F. A. Paley, M. A. Price 1/-

CĘSAR'S COMMENTARIES. For the use of Junior Classes, Book II. , withvocabulary. Price 6d. 

CANTICLES POINTED FOR CHANTING. Suitable for Village Choirs. By JohnSpeechley, late Organist of Peterborough Cathedral. Price 1d. 

SAVIGAR'S ARITHMETICAL TABLES. For the use of Schools, with rules formental accounts. Price 1d. ; or twelve copies, post free, 1/-

THE SHOWER OF PEARLS. By Charlotte Phillips. A collection of Poemssuitable for Home and School use. 14th edition, Demy 18mo. , cloth gilt, 1/-

THE BOOK OF ANTHEMS. As used in Peterboro' Cathedral, with a newappendix. Crown 8vo. , Cloth lettered on side, red edges 2/6 Ditto, bevelled boards 3/- Roan, lettered on side, red edges, burnished 3/6 French Morocco limp, gilt or red edges 5/- Persian limp, gilt or red edges 6/- Best Calf limp, gilt or red edges 7/- Best Turkey Morocco do. 7/6

PHOTOGRAPHS OF PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL. In various sizes, at 6d. , 1/-, 2/6, and 5/-

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE CHURCHES in Sweeting's "Notes on Parish Churches. "Carte de Visite size, 6d. Each. 

DIRECTORY OF PETERBOROUGH and 52 Neighbouring Places, with Plan of theCity. Price 2/6. 

SPIRIT STOCK BOOKS. 1/- each. 

OVERSEER'S and SURVEYOR'S BOOKS and FORMS. 

NOTICES TO QUIT. Tenant to Landlord or Landlord to Tenant. 1d. Each. 

CERTIFICATE FORMS for Baptism, Burial, Banns of Marriage, and Marriage. 1d. Each; two dozen, assorted, 1/6. 

DISTRAINT NOTICES. 1d. Each. 

PROBATE FORMS. BANKRUPTCY FORMS. 

PARCELS DELIVERY BOOKS. Strongly bound. 100 pages, 2/6; 200 pages, 3/6. 

CASTER'S HOUSEKEEPER'S ACCOUNT BOOK. To commence at any time, and lastone year. Price 2/-

CONFIRMATION CARDS. In red and black. 1d. Each; 25 for 1/6. 

AGREEMENT FORMS. For letting Unfurnished Apartments. 

RECEIPT BOOKS. 

MAP OF PETERBOROUGH, and 20 miles around. Plain, 1/-; Coloured, 1/6;Mounted on Cloth in case, 4/-; Mounted on Roller and varnished, 5/-. 

AN APPEAL. 

THE DEAN AND CHAPTER _earnestly hope that Visitors to the Cathedralwill contribute something to the Fund in aid of its Restoration. Forthis purpose a box has been placed in the Nave, under the Screen, and abook in which names, together with the amount of the donation, may beentered. It will be seen that the need of Restoration is urgent, thecentral tower being much shattered, and its south-eastern pierpresenting a very unsightly appearance. One of the most strikingfeatures of the Cathedral, the beautiful groined roof of this tower isat present entirely concealed by a scaffolding put up some years agowhen the work of Restoration was suspended for want of funds. _

THE DEAN AND CHAPTER _feel that they may with the more confidenceappeal to the liberality of Visitors in aid of the Restoration, becausethe Cathedral is open free of all charge throughout the day (exceptduring the hours of Divine Service), the Vergers not being allowed toask for any gratuity. _