Ely Cathedral Part 12

The Creation of Woman.

Adam and Eve in Paradise.

The Fall of Man.

The Expulsion from Paradise.

Adam and Eve at Work.

Cain killing Abel.

Noah building the Ark.

The Deluge.

Noah's Sacrifice.

Promise to Abraham.

Isaac carrying the wood.

Abraham's Sacrifice.

Isaac blessing Jacob.

Jacob's Dream.

Joseph sold by his Brethren.

The Burning Bush.

The Pa.s.sover.

Moses striking the Rock.

Moses raising the brazen serpent.

Return of the Spies.

David anointed by Samuel.

Queen of Sheba's visit to Solomon.

Jonah.

Elijah's ascent to Heaven.

The sub-stalls are new, and of good design; the stall-ends in the upper range have a series of statuettes of the princ.i.p.al among the ancient benefactors, or of the builders of various portions of the church, each under a canopy, and for finials they have figures of angels with instruments of music. Each of the statuettes (where finished) is represented as holding some type or model of the particular portion with which its prototype is more intimately connected. They were designed and modelled by Mr. J. Philip, and executed partly by him and partly by Mr. Rattee; we append a list of them in the order in which they are placed, commencing from the west, as before:

NORTH SIDE.

St. Etheldreda.

King Edgar.

Abbot Simeon.

Abbot Richard.

Bishop Hervey.

Bishop Ridel.

SOUTH SIDE.

Bishop Alc.o.c.k.

Alan de Walsingham.

Prior Crauden.

Bishop Hotham.

Bishop Northwold.

Bishop Eustachius.

The fronts of the stalls are generally of open work, shewing the hinged seats, or misereres as they are usually called, behind; in both series of stalls these are curiously and grotesquely carved beneath.

On the faces of the stall-ends of the lower tier are various emblematical devices, crests, and shields, beautifully carved; our list is made in the same order as of the statuettes.

NORTH SIDE.

Crest of Dean Peac.o.c.k.

Crest of the late Canon Sparke.

Crest of Canon Fardell.

Arms of Canon Ashley.

Bull--emblem of St. Luke.

Eagle--emblem of St. John.

SOUTH SIDE.

Arms of the See of Ely.

Arms of Canon Selwyn.

Arms of Canon Mill.

Pelican--ancient Church symbol.

Lion--emblem of St. Mark.

Angel--emblem of St. Matthew.

An elegant bra.s.s lectern the gift of the late Canon Sparke, has been placed in the Choir, as a memorial of H.S. le Strange, Esq., who painted the ceiling of the Tower and the western portion of the Nave ceiling.

The organ is placed in a position differing from that of most others in England, although not unusual in Continental Cathedrals. The pedal and swell organs have been placed in the triforium on the north side, and the great organ, with the choir organ beneath it, project in front of the third bay, resting upon an over-hanging chamber behind the stalls. The organ was reconstructed, with great additions, by Messrs.

Hill and Son, of London, when the removal took place in 1851, and several important additions were made in 1867, by the same firm.[39]

The magnificent organ-case, with its sculptures, was executed by Mr.

Rattee; the pipes in front have been gilded and ornamented by Mr.

Castell, of London, and much of the woodwork having been left in its natural colour forms an agreeable contrast, and the effect produced, from almost every point of view, is rich and beautiful; while from its unusual position it loses little of its power or sweetness of tone, but sends forth its pealing sounds reverberating through the lofty arches with fine effect. We know nothing more sublime than the voices of a congregation, guided and supported by such an instrument, praising and adoring the great Creator and Father of all, and are led to exclaim with the poet Milton--

"There let the pealing organ blow, To the full voiced choir below, In service high and anthems clear, As may with sweetness through mine ear, Dissolve me into ecstacies, And bring all heaven before mine eyes."

[Footnote 39: See Appendix I.]

The division between the Early English work of Bishop Northwold and that part generally spoken of as Hotham's work is marked by two steps in the floor, and by two strong piers rising from the floor to the vault, which were in fact the original Norman shafts near the commencement of the apse or east end taken down by Hugh de Northwold, eighth bishop, who added the six beautiful eastern bays at his own expense; these form a pure and good example of Early English work, and were completed A.D. 1252, and dedicated in the same year, in the presence of King Henry III., and many n.o.bles and prelates. This was called the "Presbytery," or "Sanctuary," a common name at that time for the east end of a church.

"The character of the three western bays is singularly yet beautifully arranged to harmonize, in point of elevation of its parts, with the six eastern arches; this and the very great excellence of the details, render this part of the edifice a most valuable study."[40] The absolute contact here of the two styles, Early English and Decorated, affords the spectator an opportunity of contrasting them, and of judging of the comparative merits of each. By many, the eastern bays are preferred for their chaste and elegant appearance, not being so profusely ornamented as those of the western ones, but, as Mr. Millers observes, "everything seems in its proper place and fitly proportioned: all harmonize, and taken altogether, give a general character of lightness and elegance. This is nowhere more conspicuous than in the roof; the plain ribs of which, diverging from their imposts, instead of crossing each other and spreading into intricate forms, go straight to a longitudinal midline running from west to east, and decorated with coloured figures or flowers where the springers meet it. There is a precise line of separation between this and the more elaborate ceiling of Bishop Hotham's work; being thus brought into contact the two may be compared with singular advantage."[41]

[Footnote 40: Rickman.]

[Footnote 41: Millers' Description of Ely Cathedral, p. 74.]

The bases of the piers of the lower arches are octagonal, but the shafts are cylindrical, surrounded by slenderer detached ringed shafts with foliated capitals, all of Purbeck marble. The triforium (except in the first and second bays on both sides,) extends over the aisles, and is lighted by large windows with Decorated tracery in the outer wall; and the arches are separated by a cl.u.s.ter of slender shafts into two smaller ones with trefoil heads; and between the two is a quatrefoil; all highly adorned with mouldings. Between each of these lower arches is an enriched corbel of Purbeck marble, adorned with foliage in high relief, from which rises the vaulting-shaft, in a group of three, between the arches of the triforium to the base of the clerestory, having a capital of leaf.a.ge, and from the top of which spring the ribs of the vaulting. The spandrils throughout are relieved with trefoils and quatrefoils, deeply sunk and backed with Purbeck marble; and, on the whole, the contrast of light and shade, depth and projection, produces a very fine effect. The clerestory arches are of the same span, but each is divided into three smaller ones, the centre arch being higher than those on either side, in order to admit light through the windows behind, which are three lancet-shaped lights under one arch in the outer wall, and are, we believe, original; these windows have been filled with stained gla.s.s, which is another important step towards the general improvement.

The windows of the aisles and triforium were originally three lancet-shaped lights under one arch, but were replaced in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries by larger windows of a flamboyant character. In the first and second bays on both sides the triforium windows are placed in the inner wall, probably to give more light to the high altar, the position of which was indicated by a boss in the ceiling with a figure of St. Peter; and also to give greater effect to the rich and gorgeous shrine of St. Etheldreda, said to have been of pure silver adorned with jewels, which at that period stood near the altar and to her place of sepultre, indicated by a boss in the ceiling with her effigy on it. The tracery in these windows bears a similarity to those in the corresponding arches of Hotham's work, but is not so ornamented. All have been filled with stained gla.s.s by Mr. Wailes, the expense defrayed out of the east window fund:

The western window on the north side--The descent of the Holy Ghost, with figures and emblems.

The eastern window--The Ascension, with figures, &c.

The western window on the south side--Incidents from the history of Moses, with figures, &c.

The eastern window--Incidents from the history of Elijah, with devices, &c.

"The east end," says Mr. Millers, "is eminently beautiful, and will not by any means shrink from comparison with the more gorgeous termination of any church built after great end windows came into fashion. There are two tiers of lights; the lower consists of three very high lancet-shaped lights, nearly all equal; the second of five, the middle one being higher, and those on the sides gradually lower."[42] They are enriched by slender columns, with leafy capitals, and ornamented with toothed and other mouldings, presenting altogether more gracefulness and elegance than one large window filling nearly the whole end. In the last century Bishop Mawson had formed a design of filling this window (for it is generally considered as one window of eight lights,) with stained gla.s.s, and selected an artist to carry it into effect; the work, however, was not then finished; a figure of St. Peter, and the arms of the bishop and contemporary members of the Chapter, are the only remains of it known to be in existence, and these were lately removed from the centre lancet and placed in the east window of the north triforium of the Nave. The window has at length been completed by the liberality of Bishop Sparke, who gave in his lifetime a large sum for that purpose.[43] The bishop died some few years after making his munificent donation, and his two sons, Rev.

J.H. Sparke and Rev. E.B. Sparke, then Canons of the cathedral, as Trustees of the fund, took steps to carry his wishes into effect.