credit        ,transcribed from the     
#ahei ,courant ,office edition by ,david
 ,price1 email  ccx#jgdpglaf4org        
,picture3 ,public domain book cover     
,,on ,,the                      ,lady   
,chapel in ,chester ,cathedral4         
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,a ,,paper ,,read ,,before              
,the ,architectural1 ,archological1 and 
,historic ,society                      
of ,chester4                            
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,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,,canon ,,blomeield4  
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,,chester3               ,,printed ,,at 
,,the ,,courant ,,office1 ,,northgate   
,,street4                               
#ahei4                                  
99 99 99 99 99          ,on the ,lady   
,chapel in ,chester ,cathedral4  ,,by   
,,the ,,rev4 ,,canon ,,blomfield4 #c    

,,the ,lady ,chapel of the ,cathedral of
 ,chester has long been known to        
antiquarian architects as an interesting
 and valuable specimen of the  ,early   
,english style1 but it has scarcely ever
 been examined in detail by  them1 and  
to the general observer has presented no
 features of special  interest4  ,the   
keen and accurate judgment of ,rickman  
discovered the  general beauty of its   
proportions2 but the destruction of all 
the  original windows1 and other        
disfigurements of the building1 which   
took  place when the side aisles were   
added in the #aeth century1 have served 
so  far to obscure its beauties1 that it
 has been supposed to possess little  or
 nothing worthy of observation4         
,picture3 ,exterior of ,lady            
,chapel--,chester ,cathedral    ,it is  
now undergoing restoration1 as far as   
circumstances admit of it2  and the     
chromatic decoration of the interior has
 been entrusted to the  care of ,mr4    
,octavius ,hudson1 whose works at       

,salisbury and elsewhere have           
established him as an artist of the     
first rank in this special  department4 
,the beauty and high finish of his work 
have attracted  general admiration1 and 
awakened a new interest in the structure
 and  composition of the ,lady ,chapel  
itself4  ,on this account ,i am induced 
to  think that some remarks upon the    
history of ,lady ,chapels in general1   
and  of our own in particular1 will not 
be inappropriate to the purposes of  the
 ,chester ,archological ,society4    ,i 
think it fair to state in my own        
defence1 if the information which ,i am 
able to give shall appear to be meagre  
and imperfect1 that1 when ,i  entered   
upon the subject ,i had hoped to meet   
with some materials  elucidating the    
origin1 uses1 and characteristics of    
,lady ,chapels1 which  ,i have failed to
 discover4  ,i have not been able to    
find that the subject  has been         
specially investigated1 or that the     
history of ,lady ,chapels1 as  separate 

from that of ,cathedrals1 has ever been 
traced up to its source4  ,i believe it 
to be a yet unexplored mine of          
antiquarian lore1 and one  well worthy  
of the labour of the ecclesiastical     
archologist4  ,but1 for  myself1 having 
neither leisure nor opportunity to      
explore it thoroughly1  ,i must be      
content to give such few and simple     
elements of the history as  ,i have been
 able to glean out of the few books     
within reach4    ,it is well known that 
all the ,european nations1 from the     
earliest  introduction of ,christianity 
among them1 have directed their most    
solemn  worship towards the ,east1--a   
custom which we may clearly trace to the
  course which the progress of the      
,gospel took in its advance through     
,europe1 arising from the ,east1 and    
going on still towards the ,west1 and   
thus realizing to each nation the       
,scriptural promise of the rising of    
the ,sun of ,righteousness with healing 
on his wings4  ,the hope1 also1 of  the 

re-appearing of the ,saviour has always 
been directed towards the  ,east2 and as
 that hope was of a very vivid and      
energetic character in the  earlier     
times of the ,church1 it gave further   
strength to the habit of  addressing    
their devoutest aspirations in that     
direction4  ,as soon as the             
acknowledgment of ,christianity by the  
,empire admitted of the erection of     
public buildings for the celebration of 
divine worship1 the system of           
,orientation was introduced into them4  
,the altar was placed in or near  the   
eastern extremity of every church3 all  
the higher ceremonies of  religion1 and 
especially the administration of the    
,lord's ,supper1 were  celebrated there2
 and thither the eyes and thoughts of   
the congregation  were directed as to   
the place of sacredness and honour4     
,for a long  period the eastern part of 
the churches was especially held sacred 
to the  name and honour of ,jesus       
,christ4  ,but when the worship of the  

,virgin ,mary  began to assume the      
prominence which it has ever since held 
in the ,romish  ,church1 and to eclipse 
that of our ,lord himself1 it was       
usually  celebrated in the eastern      
portion of the church2 and1 as if to    
give to it  more special honour1 the    
recess or chapel at the eastern         
extremity1  adopted from the holy place 
of the ,temple at ,jerusalem1 was       
appropriated  to it4  ,and a still      
further eastern end was frequently      
thrown out from  the original structure1
 where the worship of the ,virgin might 
be  specially celebrated2 where her     
statues1 and shrines1 and offerings     
might  be placed2 and to which not only 
the gaze of the people in the choir1 but
  of the officiating priest himself as  
he stood before the high altar1  might  
be constantly directed4  ,thus1         
according to the quaint remark of       
,fuller1 a gradation of reverence was   
established--,the porch said to the     
church-yard1 and the church said to the 

porch1 and the chancel said to  the     
church1 and the ,lady ,chapel said to   
them all3 ',stand further off1 ,i  am   
holier than thou4'    ,it sometimes1    
indeed1 happened in particular          
,cathedrals or churches that  there was 
a ,saint connected with the place who   
was locally held in higher  honour1 on  
account of the miraculous powers        
attributed to his or her  relics1 than  
even the ,virgin ,mary1 and in such     
cases the eastern chapel  was devoted to
 the honour of that ,saint3 as that of  
,becket1 at  ,canterbury2 ,st4          
,cuthbert1 at ,durham2 ,st4 ,ethelreda1 
at ,ely2 ,st4 ,alban1 at  ,st4 ,albans2 
and ,st4 ,edward1 at ,westminster       
,abbey4  ,in such cases we find  the    
,lady ,chapel placed elsewhere1 as at   
,canterbury in the north aisle of  the  
nave2 at ,durham1 at the west end1 where
 it is called the ,galilee2 at          
,rochester1 in the south transept2 at   
,oxford and ,bristol1 on the north  side
 of the choir4  ,in all the other       

,cathedrals the ,lady ,chapel is at the 
eastern extremity4    ,in the ,cathedral
 of ,chester it is most probable that   
the eastern  extremity of the ,norman   
choir was occupied by the chapel and    
shrine #e  of ,st4 ,werburgh1 reaching  
as far as the eastern arch of the       
present  choir2 and1 if so1 the chapel  
of the ,virgin would be at the extremity
 of  the south aisle of the choir4      
,although the present building is far   
more  extensive than that of ,norman    
times1 we shall probably find the same  
principles of structure and arrangement 
still adhered to4  ,we have a  niche    
still remaining1 indicating the         
existence of an image of the  ,virgin1  
and a piscina1 implying an altar1 at the
 eastern termination of  this aisle2 and
 these are probably the vestiges of an  
earlier arrangement  which had          
appropriated that part of the building  
to the worship of the  ,virgin1 and they
 were merely repeated on the new and    
enlarged choir1  though the altar of the

 ,virgin was then removed to a more     
honourable  place4    ,at the date of   
the erection of the present ,lady       
,chapel1 which ,i shall  endeavour to   
fix about ,a4,d4 #abhj1 ,st4 ,werburgh  
had begun to decline  somewhat in       
popular estimation2 no miracles were    
ever performed at her  shrine1 and the  
taste of the age was for some           
demonstration of the power  of the      
saints4  ,there happened also to be a   
burst of devotion at that  period       
towards the ,virgin ,mary4  ,and        
therefore1 when the ,norman ,chapel of  
,st4 ,werburgh was pulled down1 and the 
choir extended1 it was natural that  a  
new and more sumptuous chapel should be 
given to the honour of the  ,virgin1    
occupying the same relative position1 at
 the eastern extremity of  the choir4   
,the original position of the shrine of 
,st4 ,werburgh was  probably preserved  
under this new arrangement2 but instead 
of being in a  separate chapel to the   
east of the ,choir1 it now fell within  

the ,choir1  which was lengthened so as 
to include it4  ,in this position it is 
believed to have remained until the     
period of the ,reformation1 when the    
stone structure containing the shrine   
was removed and converted into a  throne
 for the ,bishop4  ,thus1 without doing 
disrespect to the patron  saint of the  
,church1 the ,virgin ,mary was honoured 
with a new ,chapel1 to  which special   
care and large expenditure of means were
 devoted4    ,the history of ,lady      
,chapels1 as they are found appended to 
all the larger  ,churches of ,europe1   
and forming a part of the interior      
arrangement of the  smaller ones1 can   
hardly be investigated without some     
reference to the  rise and progress of  
the ,mariolatry of the ,church of ,rome4
  ,such  reference would hardly fall    
within the range of subjects usually    
treated  of by this ,society1 and would 
lead us off into questions of theology  
and  ecclesiastical history far too     
extensive to be dealt with in a brief   

and  popular lecture4  ,i shall         
therefore content myself with observing 
that  the exaltation of the ,virgin     
,mary as an object of worship took its  
rise  in the fifth century1 and advanced
 by gradual stages of growth until we   
find in the eleventh century1 about the 
date of the ,conquest1 that a  daily    
office was instituted in her honour1    
divine titles began to be  ascribed to  
her1 and every imaginable epithet1      
expressive of adoration  and extravagant
 superstition1 was lavished upon her in 
the writings of  the time4  ,it was at  
this period1 just when the first ,norman
 ,earl  re-founded the ,monastery of    
,st4 ,werburgh1 and erected the building
 of  which so many portions still       
remain1 that ,lady ,chapels began to be 
added  to churches in this kingdom4     
,the worship of the ,virgin1 which had  
then  assumed a very prominent and      
elaborate character1 required a separate
  place for the celebration of it4  ,and
 it is not uninteresting to remember    

that ,anselm1 ,abbot of ,bec and        
,archbishop of ,canterbury1 whom ,hugh  
,lupus  brought to ,chester in order    
that he might re-model the conventual   
establishment1 was a devoted worshipper 
of the ,virgin ,mary1 and  introduced   
into ,england a festival in honour of   
the ,immaculate  ,conception4  ,he would
 take care1 therefore1 that all honour  
was done to  her1 and all due provision 
made for the celebration of her worship 
in the  new conventual church4  ,we have
 no exact plan of that ,norman          
structure1  but from the vestiges of it 
which were discovered in #ahda1 it was  
apparent that there was an eastern apse 
or chapel1 extending beyond the  choir  
itself1 which was intended probably as  
the chapel of the ,virgin1  though1 as  
we have suggested1 used as a site for   
the shrine of ,st4  ,werburgh4  ,all    
this structure disappeared at the end of
 the #acth century1  to make way for the
 present buildings1 and just at this    
period the  enthusiasm on the subject of

 the honour due to the ,blessed ,virgin 
was at  its height4    ,we will         
endeavour now to fix1 as nearly as we   
can1 the date of the  present ,lady     
,chapel4  ,upon comparing it with the   
,chapter ,house the  earliest of our    
buildings of the ,early ,english period1
 a marked  difference appears in the    
composition of the mouldings1 the form  
of the  window jambs1 the size and      
character of the bosses1 bespeaking for 
the  ,lady ,chapel a more advanced      
period of the style4  ,we find here1    
externally1 ponderous upright           
buttresses1 chamfered at the angles1 and
  with indications of clustered columns 
on those of the eastern part of the     
building4  ,a rich and deep hollow      
cornice1 with very large and massive    
single dog-tooth ornaments1 placed above
 a foot apart1 over-hangs the  outer    
wall1 but it is now concealed under the 
roof of the side aisles4  ,we have1     
internally1 multiplied round-and-hollow 
mouldings around the  windows1          

interspersed with the dog-tooth         
mouldings2 bold and massive ribs  in the
 groined roof1 with very rich and       
highly-wrought bosses of great  size at 
the intersections of the main ribs4     
,these indications of an  advanced style
 lead us to fix the date of erection at 
the period of  transition from the      
,early ,english to the ,decorated       
,order1 or about the  close of the #acth
 century4  ,this would bring us to the  
time when ,simon de  ,albo ,monasterio  
was ,abbot of ,st4 ,werburgh4  ,he was  
the most able of the  ,abbots of        
,chester1 and the most magnificent in   
his architectural  restorations4  ,his  
accession to the ,abbacy is dated as    
,a4,d4 #abfe1 and he  lived until #abhi1
 in the reigns of ,henry ,,iii4 and     
,edward ,i4  ,in the #abth  year of     
,edward ,i4 we have a record of a       
precept being granted to allow  venison 
from the ,king's forests of ,delamere   
and ,wirral1 for the support  of the    
,monks of ,st4 ,werburgh who were       

engaged in the building of their        
church4  ,it is clear that the first    
building on which they were then        
engaged was the present ,lady ,chapel1  
which bears evidence of the desire  of  
the ,abbot to make it worthy of her to  
whom it was dedicated1 and of  his own  
character for munificence4  ,it is not  
improbable that this ,chapel  was all   
that was finished during the life-time  
of this ,abbot1 for there  is an evident
 decline of architectural effort and    
means in the eastern  portion of the    
choir1 which was erected immediately    
after the ,chapel4  ,the great arch     
which unites the choir with the ,chapel 
is remarked upon by  ,rickman1 for the  
richness of its multiplied rounds and   
hollows1 but this  richness is not      
carried on to the westward4  ,i may here
 remark1 by the  way1 that this arch    
seems to have been formed out of the old
 ,norman east  window of the original   
,lady ,chapel1 as there are plain       
indications of  ,norman structure in the

 wall on each side of it4  ,we venture  
then to fix  the date of the erection at
 about #abhj4    ,the ,lady ,chapel1 as 
built by ,simon de ,albo ,monasterio1   
was without  aisles2 the outer walls    
being buttressed and corniced as before 
described1 and with a parapet1 of which 
no portion now remains4  ,there  were   
three triplet windows on each side1 of  
which the jamb mouldings only  remain4  
,the tracery of four of them was        
entirely removed when the side  aisles  
were built1 and that of the other two   
replaced at the same period  by coarse  
perpendicular tracery4  ,the eastern    
window was probably of five  lights4    
,traces of its mullions yet remain1     
running down on the external  face of   
the eastern end4  ,sufficient vestiges  
of the composition of the  exterior of  
the ,chapel yet remain to admit of its  
being restored  externally1 as well as  
internally1 to its original form4    ,it
 does not appear that there was any     
entrance to the ,chapel1 as it was      

first built1 except through the eastern 
arch from the choir4  ,we enter it  now 
through the side aisles1 one of the     
windows having been cut away on  each   
side1 down to the base of the wall1 in  
order to open this passage4  ,this was  
probably done at the same time that the 
high altar was erected  in the choir and
 elevated upon a platform so lofty as   
wholly to obstruct  the passage under   
the eastern arch4  ,this platform1 which
 buried the  columns up to four feet    
above the base mouldings1 was           
considerably  lowered in #ahda4    ,when
 we enter the ,chapel1 the first thing  
perhaps that strikes us is the  lowness 
of the ceiling1 being only #cb feet from
 the floor to the central  rib1 for it  
is one characteristic of the buildings  
of this date that they  rise far above  
the height of the ,norman vaulting1 and 
give a great  impression of loftiness   
and lightness4  ,the causes of this     
defect1 if it  be one1 in this building1
 seem to have been two3--,in the first  

place1 it  was necessary to keep the    
roof at such an elevation as would not  
interfere with the light of the upper   
east window of the choir4  ,in the      
second place1 the floor of the ,chapel  
has been raised above its original      
level1 as will be apparent from the line
 of the stone bench which runs  round   
the exterior2 and from the position of  
the ,sedilia at the east end4  ,of the  
eastern window1 as well of the two which
 are near it1 on the north  and south1  
it is obvious to remark that the tracery
 is of a late  ,perpendicular character1
 while the jamb mouldings are of late   
,decorated4  ,thence arises one of the  
chief defects of the interior of the    
,chapel1--the  want of harmony in its   
architectural details1 striking the eye 
most  forcibly in the east window1 the  
plain perpendicular tracery of which is 
so manifestly incongruous with the      
pointed ,english character of the       
surrounding features of the building4   
,the liberality of the citizens of      

,chester has indeed in some measure     
diminished the unpleasing effect of     
this contrast1 by the introduction of a 
fine east window of painted  glass1     
designed by ,pugin1 and executed by     
,wailes in his best manner4  ,but  it is
 impossible not to regret that the      
tracery itself was not restored  to its 
proper character before the painted     
glass was introduced2 nor is  it        
unreasonable to hope that this may yet  
be done1 and that the fine  window of   
five lights may yet be reconstructed1 in
 order to complete the  restoration of  
the interior of this beautiful ,chapel4 
,the next observable feature of the     
,chapel is the groined roof1 marked     
especially by its singular and beautiful
 bosses at the three principal  points  
of intersection of the ribs4  ,these    
bosses are of unusually large  size for 
so low a building1 being of three feet  
diameter1 and descending  below the     
ceiling more than #ah inches4  ,the     
weight of each boss is nearly  two tons4

  ,they exhibit great care and skill in 
design and execution1 and  are finished 
with that attention to details which    
marks the works of that  age1 though it 
appears to be almost a waste of labour  
when employed on  objects so far above  
the eye of the spectator4    ,the       
central boss bears a figure of the      
,virgin and ,child1--the eastern one1  a
 symbol of the ,trinity1--and the       
western one a representation of the     
murder of ,thomas a ,becket4    ,it is  
not improbable that these three         
subjects1 placed in this order from     
east to west1 were designed to embody   
the three great features of the         
,christian ,church of that age4  ,we    
have in the first a figure of the       
,father1 seated on ,his throne1 holding 
between ,his knees a small crucifix1    
and the dove rests on the cross1 in the 
attitude of whispering into the         
,saviour's ear4  ,this was not an       
uncommon form of representing the       
,trinity  in early times1 and forcibly1 

though rudely1 shadows out the elements 
of  ,christian truth1--the ,father1 who 
is in heaven1 holding forth the ,son1   
crucified for us2 and the ,holy ,spirit 
concurring in the scheme of  redemption1
 and ministering comfort to the ,saviour
 to support ,him in ,his  last agony4 #i
    ,we have in the second boss the     
representation of the worship of the    
,virgin ,mary1--the prominent           
characteristic of the ,romish ,church4  
,the  ,virgin is represented1 according 
to invariable custom1 as seated1 and    
with the infant ,saviour in her arms2   
she1 and not the ,saviour1 being  the   
main subject of the work4  ,the ,saviour
 was always thus represented1  as an    
infant in ,his mother's arms1 not only  
to mark her identity1 but to  embody the
 idea of her influence and authority    
over ,him and ,his ,church4    ,we then 
have in the third boss an indication    
both of the worship of the  ,saints and 
of the supremacy of the ,pope1 in the   
martyrdom of ,thomas a  ,becket4  ,and  

thus we have a complete series of       
symbolic representations  of the        
doctrine of the ,church of ,rome4       
,this third boss deserves some special  
attention4  ,it had long perplexed  the 
judgment of curious observers1 and      
defied the skill of archological        
critics4  ,being beyond the reach of    
minute examination1 and the  arrangement
 of the figures being somewhat involved1
 it was not easy to  interpret it4  ,it 
passed with some for the ,assumption of 
the ,virgin2 with  others for the       
,resurrection of our ,lord1 because the 
figures of armed men  were apparent in  
it2 but no one guessed at the true      
subject1 until a cast  was taken of it  
and it could be examined upon the       
ground4  ,there is no  question now as  
to what it represents1--the murder of   
,thomas a ,becket1--and  that it gives a
 somewhat unusual version of that event4
  ,there are many  representations of   
the murder--some almost contemporary    
with it--both in  painted glass and in  

sculptured stone1 especially in ,france 
and ,italy4  ,not only was ,becket      
himself one of the most distinguished   
and courageous  defenders of the rights 
and authority of the ,romish ,church    
against regal  aggression1 but his death
 formed a great crisis in the history of
 the  ,papal power1 and opened the way  
to a vast extension of it throughout    
,europe4  ,on this account the memory of
 his martyrdom was perpetuated in  every
 possible form4  ,but singularly enough1
 for an event so notorious1  and of     
which the details were recorded by      
nearly thirty contemporary  writers1 the
 actual representations of it differ    
very much from one  another1 and from   
the real facts of the story4  ,in ,mr4  
,stanley's  ,memorials of ,canterbury   
,cathedral1 a careful comparison of all 
the  narratives of the martyrdom is     
instituted1 and an accurate analysis    
given  of the facts which may be deemed 
authentic4  ,with these facts our boss  
agrees more closely than most other     

delineations of the same subject4  ,we  
have in it1 of course1 the figures of   
the four memorable ,knights who were    
the perpetrators of the deed3 ,reginald 
,fitzurse1 ,hugh de ,morville1  ,william
 de ,tracy1 and ,richard de ,brez4      
,these are all represented as  wearing  
chain armour1 with the usual steel caps 
of the ,crusaders1 and  bearing swords  
and shields4  ,the figures are curiously
 interwoven1 and  turned backwards upon 
the stone1 in order to bring them all   
into the  limited space4  ,the shields  
which they carry have all their several 
heraldic devices4  ,this is exactly     
according to fact4  ,the figure of      
,becket is represented1 as usual1       
kneeling at an altar1 with his head bent
  forward4  ,beside him stands the monk 
,grim1 bearing the crozier or cross4    
,fitzurse1 whose identity is marked by  
the bears on his shield1 holds his      
sword with both hands1 prepared to      
strike2 but it seems to be ,richard de  
,brez1 who bears a boar's head on his   

shield1 who strikes the blow1 and  the  
blow is represented as falling on the   
crown of ,beckett head1 so as to  cut   
off the scalp4  ,this is precisely in   
accordance with the best  authenticated 
narratives4  ,for though the first blow 
which was struck was  from ,tracy1 the  
fatal one was given by ,brez or ,breton4
  ,the stroke was  aimed with such      
violence1 says the narrative of the monk
 ,grim1 that the  scalp or crown of the 
head--which it was remarked was of      
unusual size--was  severed from the     
skull1 and the sword snapped in two on  
the marble  pavement4  ,this is the     
final act which is represented upon the 
boss1--the  act which completed the     
martyrdom and set free the soul of      
,becket1 as it  was said1 from its      
earthly prison1 that it might go to     
receive its glory  in heaven1 as one of 
the chiefest ,saints of ,christ's       
,catholic ,church4    ,it is not        
uninteresting to trace out a reason for 
the accurate  delineation of the facts  

of this murder upon this boss4  ,in the 
celebrated translation of the body of   
the canonized ,saint from the crypt  of 
,canterbury ,cathedral1 where it had    
been at first buried1 to the            
newly-erected ,shrine at the east end of
 the choir of the same  church1--which  
translation was made by ,stephen        
,langton1 ,archbishop of  ,canterbury1  
in the presence of ,king ,henry ,,iii4  
and all the ,prelates of  the realm1 and
 cost1 in pomp and ceremony1 more than a
 coronation1--the  ,bishop of ,chester  
of that day #aa;a was a principal actor4
  ,he was joined  with ,langton in the  
,royal ,commission1 which bears date    
,a4,d4 #abbj4  ,the  ,bishop would most 
likely bring back with him from         
,canterbury to ,chester a  vivid        
impression of the solemnity of the      
scenes1 and of the virtues of  the      
martyr4  ,he did bring back with him a  
very precious relic of the  ,saint1 no  
less than the girdle which he wore at   
the time of his  martyrdom4  ,and this  

girdle he presented to the ,abbey of    
,st4 ,werburgh1  where it was preserved 
with religious care until the time when 
all such  relics acquired perhaps       
something less than their intrinsic     
value1 and  were destroyed at the       
,dissolution4  ,with the relic1 the     
,bishop would be  likely to bring with  
him an accurate version of the details  
of the  murder1 and this version would  
be embodied on the sculptured stone of  
this boss4    ,i will venture1 on taking
 leave of this subject1 to add to my    
remarks the  more valuable commentary of
 ,mr4 ,stanley1 #aa;b which will point  
the moral  of my tale3--,we must all    
remember1 that the wretched             
superstitions which  gathered round the 
,shrine 7and name7 of ,thomas of        
,canterbury1 ended by  completely       
alienating the affections of thinking   
men from his memory1 and  rendering the 
name of ,becket a bye-word of reproach1 
as little  proportioned to his real     
deserts as had been the reckless        

veneration paid  to it by his           
worshippers in the middle ages4         
,picture3 ,no4 #b and ,no4 #c4  ,bosses 
recently discovered in the ,lady        
,chapel1 ,chester ,cathedral    ,i pass 
now from the architectural character of 
this ,lady ,chapel to its  history4     
,would that ,i could say that any       
materials exist from which ,i  might    
construct a narrative of the events     
which have occurred within its  walls   
during the six centuries of its         
existence4  ,if we were able to look    
back into the dark period of its early  
history1 and discover the secrets  of   
monastic life which have been transacted
 here1 we might tell some  tales which  
would interest and astonish hearers of  
these more enlightened  times4  ,but it 
is as well1 perhaps1 that curiosity     
cannot be satisfied  with the discovery 
of facts which we should be very likely 
to  misunderstand and misjudge4  ,and we
 must be content to pass the whole      
period from the building of the ,chapel 

in or about #abhj to the  dissolution of
 the ,monastery1 in #aeda1 as a blank on
 which no light of  history or of       
records1 or even of tradition1 has been 
thrown4  ,the only  fact of that period 
which bears the slightest interest1 is  
the burial of  ,john de ,salghall1 one  
of the later ,abbots1 who died in the   
year #adeb1  temp4 ,henry ,,vi4  ,his   
burial place is described as being      
between two  pillars on the south side  
of the ,chapel1 under an alabaster      
stone2 on  which we may observe that1 as
 the spot so marked out is in the       
opening  made by the cutting away the   
wall under the south window to gain an  
opening into the south aisle1 that aisle
 must have been built previously2  and  
yet it is commonly said to have been    
built in the reign of ,henry  ,,vii4 #ab
    ,the stone under which the ,abbot   
was buried still remains1--not of       
alabaster1 but ,purbeck marble1--and    
bears the traces of a very rich brass1  
which must have nearly covered the whole

 stone4  ,about thirty years ago  this  
stone was removed1 and the ,abbot's     
coffin was found under it1 in a         
tolerably perfect state4  ,his body was 
enveloped in folds of cerecloth2  and an
 illegible writing on parchment lay upon
 this breast4  ,his gold  ring of       
office1 containing a large sapphire1 was
 on the forefinger of his  right hand4  
,this was not interred again with the   
rest of the contents of  the coffin1 but
 is now preserved amongst the treasures 
of the ,chapter4     ,picture3          
,martyrdom of ,st4 ,thomas of           
,canterbury4  ,a painting discovered    
at ,st4 ,john's ch4 ,winchester1 ,aug4  
#dth #ahec4  ,from the ,archological    
,association ,journal ,vol4 x    ,i may 
observe that1 at the period of the      
,reformation1 when the worship of  the  
,virgin was repudiated by the ,church of
 ,england1 it seems to have been  an    
object with the ,reformers to desecrate 
all the ,lady ,chapels1 with a  view to 
extinguish the yet lingering prejudice  

in favour of the places  where the      
interest and intercession of the        
,blessed ,virgin had been sought  for   
during so many centuries4  ,they were1  
for the most part1 converted to  some   
secular uses1 and employed as schools1  
or vestries1 or consistorial  courts4   
,to this latter use the ,lady ,chapel of
 our ,cathedral was  appropriated2 and  
there it was that ,bishop ,cotes1 in the
 reign of ,queen  ,mary1 7,a4,d4 #aeee7 
held the trial of ,george ,marsh for    
heresy1 and  condemned him to be burned 
at the stake1--a sentence which was     
shortly  afterwards carried into        
execution at ,boughton on ,april #bd1   
#aeee4 #ac;a    ,we know not how soon   
after this the ,consistory ,court was   
removed from the  ,lady ,chapel to its  
present position in the south-western   
tower1 but  probably at the period of   
the ,restoration4  ,from that date the  
,chapel has  been restored to more      
befitting uses1 and the early ,morning  
,prayers1 or  ,matins1 have been always 

read there4    ,in ,webb's ,itinerary1  
#ac;b speaking of the ,lady ,chapel as  
it appeared  in his day 7,a4,d4 #afdj71 
he says that it was adorned with a fair 
window  to the east1 of very curious    
workmanship in glass1 where hath been   
the  story of the ,blessed ,virgin1 her 
descent from the loins of ,jesse1 in the
  line of ,david2 though now1 through   
injury of time and weather1 the same    
story is much blemished4    ,forty years
 after that1 the mischief which had been
 commenced by time  and weather1 was    
completed by a tumultuous mob of the    
citizens of  ,chester1 instigated1 as it
 was supposed1 by ,james ,duke of       
,monmouth1 who  was at that time in     
,chester1 courting popularity4  ,they   
broke into the  ,cathedral1 and amongst 
other outrages committed upon the       
contents of the  sacred building1 wholly
 destroyed the painted glass of the east
 window of  the ,lady ,chapel4  ,it has 
been the work of the citizens in a later
 age1  and under a better feeling1 to   

repair the injury done by their         
forefathers1 and once more adorn the    
east window with very curious           
workmanship in glass1--an example which 
has been followed by many private       
individuals1 so that we have now all the
 windows of the ,chapel so  decorated1  
at a cost of not less than #a1ejj4      
,permit me to say a few words in        
conclusion1 as to the purpose and       
character of the works which are now    
going on in this ,chapel4  ,i shall  not
 venture to name the person by whose    
suggestion they were entered  upon1 and 
at whose cost the decorative part is to 
be executed1 as it is  her desire to be 
kept in the back ground1 and to let all 
be done to the  glory of ,god4  ,but ,i 
may state that the object is to restore 
the interior  of the ,chapel to the same
 state in which we may believe it to    
have been  left by its first builders4  
,from a close and careful examination of
 the  bosses1 ribs1 window mouldings1   
and capitals1 it is apparent that they  

had received the decorative colouring   
usual in buildings of that date2  and   
the remains of it1 found under          
accumulated coats of whitewash1 were    
sufficient to indicate precisely the    
several tones of colour1 so as to       
enable the artist who examined them to  
restore exactly the original  design4   
,mr4 ,octavius ,hudson1 who has made    
this branch of ancient art his  special 
study1 and has shewn his skill and      
knowledge of the subject in  his        
admirable chromatic works at ,salisbury1
 has had the restoration of  this       
,chapel entrusted to his care4    ,i    
believe that there are some persons who 
look with no little suspicion  upon     
these attempts to revive the medival    
character of our sacred  buildings2     
thinking it to be symptomatic of        
,romanizing tendencies2 or1 at  least1  
likely to foster them2 and apprehending 
that1 if we begin by  introducing       
medival ornament1 we may perhaps end by 
bringing in medival  ceremonies4    ,it 

is quite true that whitewash has long   
been the symbol of true  ,protestantism4
  ,successive coats of it have been laid
 over the ancient  mural decorations of 
our ,churches1 in order1 as it were1 to 
perpetuate  the abhorrence of ,popish   
superstition by washing out the stain of
 it from  the very walls4  ,everything  
that would serve to please the eye1 and 
indulge the sentiment2 everything that  
even tended to express a desire to      
glorify the ,house of ,god1 and to      
impress the worshippers in it with      
reverential feelings1 has been excluded1
 as if it were idolatrous4  ,we  have   
all been educated in an atmosphere of   
ecclesiastical whitewash4  ,people's    
eyes have been so habituated to it1 as  
the one established  ,church pigment1   
that they are with difficulty brought to
 think anything  else orthodox or       
appropriate4    ,but1 as to the         
principle of colouring1 as a means of   
giving a pleasing  and reverent         
character to the interior of our        

,churches1 surely we need  not confound 
the idea of simplicity in the worship of
 ,god1 with that of  plainness in the   
building4  ,to the former we are happily
 restricted1 as  well by our established
 ,ritual1 as by our common sense of what
 is true  and edifying4  ,to the latter 
we are not limited by any rule1 legal or
  ,scriptural4  ,admitting that when we 
introduce fanciful varieties of         
costume1 and gesture1 and embellishment 
into the offices of ,divine  worship1 we
 are lowering the spirit and the meaning
 of it1 it by no means  follows that the
 same objection applies to the rich and 
chromatic  ornamentation of the edifice 
itself4  ,in that we are obviously doing
  honour to ,him whose name it bears1   
and shewing a desire to give ,him the   
best we have4  ,the ,king's daughter is 
all glorious within1 may be no  less    
applicable1 though in a secondary sense1
 to the material than to  the spiritual 
,church of ,christ4  ,all natural       
products are to be  employed to beautify

 the place of my sanctuary1 under the   
,christian  dispensation no less than   
under the ,jewish2 and ,i will make the 
place of  my feet glorious1 7,isaiah lx4
 #ac74  ,we do not in these days        
question the  propriety of reviving the 
highly elaborate ecclesiastical         
architecture of  the middle ages1 in    
order to give a rich and grand effect to
 our ,houses  of ,god4  ,i do not see   
the difference between doing that1 and  
enriching  them with appropriate        
colouring1 to relieve the monotony of   
effect4  ,one  is as much calculated as 
the other to give a richer and more     
impressive  tone to what presents itself
 to the senses of the worshipper4       
,there is  no more symbolism in one than
 in the other2 no more symptom of a     
return  to medival superstition4        
,viewing the question simply in an      
artistic or archological point of  view1
 it may be very well doubted whether we 
can form a correct estimate  of the real
 beauty and effect of medival           

architecture without restoring  the     
colouring which originally formed a part
 of it4  ,we do not see it  as they who 
built the ,churches saw it4  ,if we     
trust to them for a correct  taste in   
structural arrangement1 why not trust   
them also in the point of  colour8      
,what would those medival artists feel1 
if brought back to see  the now         
colourless walls and ceilings of their  
richly ornamented  structures8  ,what   
would ,simon de ,albo ,monasterio say to
 the state of our  ,lady ,chapel8  ,what
 would ,michael ,angelo1 or any person  
of taste1 say if  he could see the      
interior of ,st4 ,peter's all covered   
with whitewash8    ,whatever caution may
 be required in the revival of this     
ancient style of  decoration1--and1     
beyond all question1 great judgment and 
skill are needed  to revive the ancient 
tone of colouring1 so that it may serve 
to please  the eye without offending the
 sense of propriety1--yet ,i think the  
advancing intelligence and taste of the 

age will be found to sanction the       
attempt4  ,the few experiments which    
have lately been made in this art in    
,ely ,cathedral and ,salisbury ,chapter 
,house1 have been eminently  successful1
 and have brought out effects in the    
building unobserved  before4  ,it is    
probable that this will be also the     
effect here4  ,and ,i  will venture to  
add the expression of a hope that the   
day will come when  the same style of   
decoration may he extended1 in some     
measure1 to the  groined roof of the    
,choir4  ,that monotonous mass of wood  
and plaster  would be awakened into some
 life and beauty by a few touches of    
gold and  colour1 and it would be       
relieved from the reproach1 now         
sometimes cast  upon it1 of being but a 
very poor attempt to represent stone4   
,to revert for a moment to the ,lady    
,chapel4  ,i have already complained of 
the incongruous character of the tracery
 of the east window as disturbing  the  
harmonious effect of the interior4  ,a  

project is now on foot for  replacing it
 by a five-light ,early ,english window1
 from a design by ,mr4  ,scott4  ,it    
were much to be wished that the         
benevolence of individuals1  interested 
in ,church restoration1 could be applied
 to assist the ,dean and  ,chapter in   
restoring the exterior of this ,chapel4 
,it is now in a  dilapidated1 if not a  
dangerous condition2 and as it is the   
first part of  the building which       
presents itself to the eye of an        
observer on the ,city  ,walls1 it might 
be made as rich and pleasing in         
architectural effect1 as  it is now poor
 and offensive4  ,the spirit of the     
citizens and of the  county has been    
once called forth to aid the work of    
restoration4  ,may it  be again awakened
 to promote the honour of ,almighty     
,god1 by beautifying  this place of ,his
 sanctuary6 #af          ,,footnotes4   
#c  ,read before the ,society on        
,monday1 ,february #a1 #aheh4    #e     
,hanshall1 in his ,history of ,cheshire1

 #dto1 #ahag1 page #bba1 states  that   
the ,shrine of ,st4 ,werburgh1 and the  
pedestal on which it rested1  formerly  
stood in the ,chapel of the ,virgin at  
the east end of the ,choir2  and that   
the pedestal was removed to its present 
position soon after the  ,reformation1  
and converted into the ,episcopal       
,throne4  ,history is silent  as to the 
fate of the ,shrine itself2 but being of
 great intrinsic value1  it no doubt    
vanished at the ,dissolution1 along with
 other precious relics  belonging to the
 ,abbey4    #i  ,several examples of    
this ,trinitarian device occur to us2   
but it will  suffice to instance the    
beautiful contemporary seal of the ,holy
 ,trinity  ,priory at ,york1 the general
 design of which very much resembles    
that upon  the ,lady ,chapel boss1      
except in the position of the dove1     
which in the  ,york seal appears to be  
in the act of descending from the       
,father upon the  head of the crucified 
,saviour4  ,another and a later example1

 of the #afth  century1 is given in the 
,journal of the ,british ,archological  
,institute1 ,vol4 ,,viii41 p4 #cag1 from
 a silver medallion1 the work of        
,heinrich ,reitz1 of ,leipsic1 who      
flourished from ,a4,d4 #aeec-aehf4  ,it 
ought  perhaps to be mentioned1 that    
this curious boss was for more than two 
centuries hidden from view by an immense
 block of plaster moulded into  the form
 of a ,tudor rose2 and that its real    
character was only discovered  by mere  
accident1 while preparing the groined   
ceiling for chromatic  treatment1 at the
 hands of ,mr4 ,octavius ,hudson4       
,picture3 ,no4 #a4  ,boss from ,lady    
,chapel1 ,chester ,cathedral            
,picture3 ,no4 #a4  ,corresponding      
subject from seal of ,holy ,trinity     
,priory1                                
,york    #aa;a  ,william de ,cornhill1  
,bishop of ,chester1 ,lichfield1 and    
,coventry1  from #abaf to #abbc4        
#aa;b  ,memorials of ,canterbury1 p4    
#aaj4    #ab  ,this southern aisle of   

the ,lady ,chapel is said to have been  
anciently called the ,chapel of ,st4    
,erasmus4  ,close to the spot above     
indicated1 if not indeed in the same    
grave1 were deposited1 according to     
,webb 7,vale ,royal1 ,vol4 ,,ii4 p4     
#bf17 the remains of the good ,bishop   
,bridgman1 about the year #afef4  ,other
 accounts give ,kinnersley ,church1     
,shropshire1 as the place of his burial4
    #ac;a  ,a full account of the trial 
and execution of ,george ,marsh will be 
found in ,foxe's ,book of ,martyrs1     
,vol4 ,i4 p4 #adha4    #ac;b  ,vale     
,royal of ,england1 ,vol4 ,,ii4 p4 #cc4 
#af  ,while these pages are passing     
through the press 7,november1 #ahei17   
the alterations and improvements        
suggested in the above concluding       
paragraph are being actually carried    
out1 under the auspices of the ,dean    
and ,chapter4  ,the late east window of 
stained glass has1 with the  tracery1   
been carefully removed1 and will be     
placed in one of the north  windows of  

the ,lady ,chapel1 while a new east     
window of five lights has  been erected 
in its stead1 and will in due time be   
adorned with another  subject in stained
 glass4