THE CATHEDRAL

"Here the careless passer by
Shall bethink him, in its beauty
Of the holier House on high.'

DURING the last few years much has been written and said about Southwark Cathedral, and gradually an appreciation of its romance and beauty is beginning to grow among Londoners. The people of the borough may well be proud of this stately church, whose history stretches back into the ninth century, or even earlier.

Quaint legends cluster round its origin; one is that before the building of London Bridge a certain maiden named Mary lived with her father, a ferryman, on the river bank. With the proceeds from the ferry, Mary founded a house for nuns of which she became the head. In course of time the nunnery became known as St. Mary Overie ("over the water") and this delightful name it kept until the Dissolution. Probably there is little truth in this legend, but it suffices to indicate the antiquity of the church. In the 9th century St. Swithun-the weather saint-Bishop of Winchester, established a college of priests in place of the nunnery, and in 1106 two Norman knights assisted by Gifford, Bishop of Winchester, refounded it, making it a Priory of Augustinian Canons.

At the same time the Bishop built himself a palace, Winchester House, adjoining the western end of the church. To-day warehouses and offices occupy the site, but fragments of the Gothic building which replaced Gifford's palace may still be seen, and the name Winchester Square preserves its memory.

The convent buildings filled the space between the church and the river; Montague Close, now a workman's yard, was occupied by the convent cloisters, where Canons in white robes and black hoods passed in stately procession, where in later days Chaucer and his friend Gower paced up and down in earnest conversation, and where still later, Fastolf, the original of Shakespeare's famous knight, came to ask advice from the Bishop.

But we must return to the story of the church.

In the beginning of the 13th century the Norman building was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt in what is known as the Gothic style, with pointed arches in roof and windows, another Bishop, Peter de Roche being the chief helper in the rebuilding. He built at the same time the parish church of St. Mary Magdalene, which formed a wing to the Priory Church, and also, across the road, the Hospital afterwards to be dedicated to St. Thomas of Canterbury. Of the fate of these two buildings we shall think later. Towards the end of the 14th century, another fire took place, and in the subsequent repairs, the flying buttresses which the Gothic builders had placed outside to the walls to resist the pressure of the pointed roof, were removed. In consequence of this the roof fell in, and was replaced by a flatter wooden one with quaint painted bosses at the intersection of the ribs.

In the reign of Henry VIII, the Priory shared the fate of others and was dissolved. The convent buildings were destroyed and the Canons were turned adrift, but the church was allowed to stand, and the parishioners leased the building from the king-a new name, St. Saviour, taken perhaps from Bermondsey Abbey, being given to it. In later times the church was shamefully neglected and abused. For many years the beauty of the nave was entirely obscured by galleries and great box pews, while the exquisite Lady Chapel at the east of the church became a bakehouse.

"The fair pillars became ordinary posts against which they piled billets for burning. In one place they had their ovens, in another bolting place, and in another a kneading trough."

In 1830 the wooden roof of the nave was found to be dangerous and was taken down, leaving the main part of the church exposed to the weather. The walls suffered so much in consequence that in 1839 they were taken down and rebuilt in a very hurried and mean style.

From earliest days until 1877 the Church had belonged to the diocese of Winchester, but at that date it was transferred to the See of Rochester and, with the appointment of Dr. Thorold as Bishop, brighter days began to dawn for this historic church. The rebuilding of the nave was begun in 1890. The architect, Mr. afterwards Sir Arthur Blomfield, followed faithfully the plan of the 13th century church, so that to-day the nave, though only a restoration, is a good representation of the purest Gothic architecture and is a worthy approach to the Choir and Lady Chapel which have been altered but little. The church is now the Cathedral of Southwark. The Diocese of Rochester was divided in 1905 and Southwark was constituted a diocese with this old Church of St. Mary Overie as its Cathedral. Now let us visit this building, which is in truth "a rare epitome of English letters and English history.”

Entering by a door at the south-western end, we find ourselves looking down the length of the nave with its aisles on the north and south. The pillars are alternately round and octagonal; above the main arcade is the triforium or blind story, and above that again the clerestory lighted by plain glass windows. Overhead the vault soars upwards giving an effect of dignity and beauty.

The windows of the nave are modern, but are particularly interesting in that they portray the history of Southwark.

Here, above the Shakespeare memorial, is a window showing Shakespeare and Edmund Spenser, on each side of the Muse of Poetry. In a little opening in the upper part of the window is the portrait of Shakespeare's actor brother, Edmond.

The other windows on the south side are in memory of Shakespeare's friends and contemporaries on Bankside: Massinger, Fletcher, Beaumont and Alleyn respectively.

In the last-named, Alleyn is seen reading the Charter of his College in Dulwich, and we are reminded that another borough owes an inestimable debt to this one-time actor and theatre manager.

The windows in the south-west corner are in memory of St. Paulinus, Bishop of Rochester, in the 7th century, and St. Swithun, Bishop of Winchester, in the 9th century. On the opposite side of the nave is a window to St. Augustine of Hippo, the patron saint of the Augustinian Canons.

Next in order comes the Goldsmith window. Oliver Goldsmith, poet, playwright, novelist and historian, practised as a doctor on Bankside, but was not successful. One story says he was so poor that he had to wear a coat with a big patch on the breast. This patch he endeavoured to conceal by carrying over it his three-cornered hat. The latter part of his life was spent in the Temple, where his grave may be found to-day.

Dr. Johnson, who is commemorated by the next window, was a frequent visitor to Southwark. His friend, Henry Thrale, was the owner of a brewery in Park Street, and Dr. Johnson was an honoured guest at his home near by. Boswell, Johnson's faithful biographer, tells how the Doctor acted as executor after his friend's death, and assisted in the sale of the brewery.

The window, which comes next in order, is in memory of Dr. Sacheverell, chaplain of St. Saviour's during the reign of Queen Anne. The Queen came to the church to hear him preach, and her coat of arms hung up at that time on a pier of the tower may be seen in the Harvard Chapel.

Alexander Cruden, commemorated by the next window, was the compiler of the "Concordance" a tabulated list of words used in the Bible. He was buried in Deadman's Place, Southwark, a burial place now covered by Barclay, Perkins' brewery.

The next window shows a scene from Pilgrim's Progress and is in memory of John Bunyan, who used to preach in a little chapel in Zoar Street, Southwark. Unfortunately, no trace of the chapel remains to-day.

The small windows over the Gower tomb show the figures of St. John and St. Agnes, and thereby commemorate the names of John Gower and his wife Agnes. The last - the Chaucer - window tells its own story. It depicts the yard of the Tabard Inn with pilgrims just starting on their journey, and St. Thomas of Canterbury to whose shrine they are journeying, with his hand raised in blessing.

Before leaving the nave let us examine two memorials, one on each side.

The first is the Shakespeare Memorial tomb or cenotaph-empty of course, for our greatest poet is buried at Stratford-on-Avon. The half reclining figure is of Shakespeare himself; behind him, carved in relief, stand the entrance to London Bridge, St. Saviour's Church, Winchester Palace and the Globe Theatre.

In the north aisle is the Gower tomb. John Gower, the first English poet and the close friend of Geoffrey Chaucer, lived in the Priory of St. Mary Overie for many years. He was a generous friend to the church, and is supposed to have helped considerably in its restoration.

The head of the recumbent figure is laid upon three books, his great works, written in French, Latin and English respectively. eminent artist has recently challenged the 15th century date which has been ascribed to the figure of the poet.

Leaving the nave and passing under the tower with its four massive piers, we find ourselves in the choir. This is not a restoration - it is part of the 13th century church. The most conspicuous feature here is the stone screen which fills up the space behind the altar. Originally two great arches led through into the Lady Chapel, but in 1520 the screen was erected, and all the space closed in. During the 18th century the screen was defaced and injured by placing over it a wooden screen, very elaborate in character. Not until 1830-39, when the choir was being restored, was the ancient one disclosed, renovated and enlarged.

The larger figures on this screen form another record of the history of Southwark. Space forbids a detailed description. That can be obtained elsewhere. Suffice it to say that such widely-differing people in time and temperament as St. Olave and Cardinal Beaufort, St. Swithun and King Edward VII are represented here, bound by one common link, their share in the development of Southwark.

Notice the tomb on the south side of the choir. It is that of Bishop Andrewes, a wise and tolerant Bishop of Winchester, who lived on Bankside in the days of Elizabeth and James I. He was buried originally in the Little Lady Chapel which used to project from the eastern end of the Lady Chapel. When that was demolished in 1830 the tomb was given a position behind the high altar, and finally in 1919 it was removed to its present position.

The tomb on the north side is that of Richard Humble, a City alderman in Elizabethan times.

In the north transept, which dates probably from the 13th century, there may be found the entrance to Harvard Chapel, built and adorned by students of Harvard University in memory of its founder, John Harvard. John Harvard has been mentioned already in connection with the Queen's Head Inn.

In the south transept is the coat of arms and cardinal's hat of Cardinal Beaufort, the supposed builder of this part of the church. The floor of the south choir aisle contains some Roman tessaræ - relics of Roman Southwark - and beyond the organ are some quaint wooden bosses, originally part of the 15th century roof of the nave. The organ chamber is on the site of the old Church of St. Mary Magdalene, built by Peter de Roche in the 13th century and finally demolished in 1830.

One of the treasures of the cathedral is a carved oaken figure of a Crusader dating from the 13th century. It has suffered much ill treatment in the past and has been placed in different parts of the church; now it rests in peace and dignity in a recess in the north choir aisle.

The gem of the whole cathedral is the Lady Chapel behind the altar. It was built in the 13th century at the same time as the choir and choir aisles, and before the altar screen was erected two large arches provided a passage way between choir and chapel. In the days of the Canons three altars stood at the east end. The chapel was used as a Judgment court after the Dissolution, and in 1555 Bishop Gardiner and Bishop Bonner tried and condemned there six of their fellow-clergymen for heresy.

Of the turning of the chapel into a bakehouse, we have spoken already. It was cleaned and restored in the reign of Charles I. but suffered from neglect in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Fortunately in 1832 men were found sufficiently public-spirited to insist on the restoration and preservation of the chapel, and to-day Southwark rejoices in the possession of this the earliest example of Gothic work to be found in London. As in the main body of the cathedral, the windows are an interesting record of historical characters. On the south side is the "Faith" window depicting the trial of 1555 and the imprisonment of the martyrs in the neighbouring Clink prison.

The north-east window shows Charles I, Thomas à Becket and William Laud, while those at the eastern end show scenes in the life of Our Lady, and several famous saints.

The stone figure in the north-east corner is Memento mori," a reminder of death. Legend says it is the figure of John Overy, the miserly father of Mary, the founder of the nunnery. Unfortunately, legend-though quaint and interesting is not to be trusted, but the story of his death may be found in full elsewhere.

The lectern and its books commemorate the heroic action of a little Southwark servant, Alice Ayres. She rescued from fire the three children of whom she was in charge, but died herself. Two other memorials, one on the west wall, the other a new altar, are both designed by Mr. J. N. Comper, in memory of the men who fell in the Great War.

This account of the cathedral is far too brief to do justice to the subject, but much information is available, and perhaps this short description may awaken an interest which will deepen into love as more knowledge is gained.