The window over the entrance from the Galilee, was inserted a.d. 1800, and improved in 1807 at the expense of Bishop Yorke, who filled two portions of the upper part with stained glass, the other two being filled at the cost of Dr. Waddington, then a Prebendary of the Cathedral; the remainder has lately been completed by Mr. Clutterbuck; the subjects are taken from the history of our Lord. This, with the wall decoration below, has been done at the expense of J.T. Waddington, Esq., and of his widow. Beneath the window are four shields of arms; the upper one on the south side shows the arms of Bishop Yorke impaled with the arms of the see; on the north side are those of Bishop Yorke with those of Dr. Waddington; the lower ones contain on the south, the arms of J.T. Waddington, Esq., and on the north side, the same impaled with those of the family of Cocksedge, of which Mrs. Waddington was a member.
Before proceeding further the visitor should pause, and observe the great length of the Cathedral, the noble appearance of the lofty arches, and the sublime grandeur of the whole. When we look around and see the lofty Tower with its decorated ceiling above; on the right, the south-west Transept, rich in the extreme with its several arcades of plain, intersecting, and trifoliated arches; and in front, through the long vista of the Nave, the noble Octagon, and the enriched Choir, to the extreme end of the church, we cannot but pause and admire the skill of man shewn in such a work; but when we consider to whose honour and glory such skill is exerted, we no longer wonder that man's best energies should be called forth to construct and ornament such a temple,
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"Where through the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault The pealing anthem swells the note of praise."—Gray. |
May those who visit this temple for the purpose of examining it as a building made with hands, ever bear in mind the great and solemn purpose for which it was erected—the worship of Almighty God—and let their aspirations of prayer and praise ascend to Him in thankfulness for the privilege afforded to them of freely and openly worshipping Him, who as freely invites all to become partakers of a home made without hands, eternal in the heavens.
The South-west Transept
was, until a few years ago, separated from the Tower by a wall of stud and plaster, and used as a receptacle for materials required for the repair of the fabric, but is now thrown open in all its beauty; it has been repaired and restored at considerable expense.
The architecture of this portion of the Cathedral is worthy of special notice; the various forms of the arches, and the beautiful mouldings and ornaments on some of them, cannot but attract attention. The panelled ceiling has been painted by T. Gambier Parry, Esq., of Highnam Court, Gloucester; the floor has been re-laid with encaustic tiles and marble; a new font[28] in the transitional style, has been placed here, at the cost of the late Canon Selwyn, and this Transept will in future be used as the Baptistry of the Cathedral. Several windows, which had for many years been blocked up with stone and rubbish, have been re-opened, and those of the lower tier at the south end filled with stained glass by Mr. Wailes:
The west window contains—the Meeting of Jacob and Rachel; the Choice of Esther; and the Crowning of Esther; and was the gift of Dean Peacock.
The east window comprises—the Meeting of Isaac and Rebecca; of Boaz and Ruth; and the Marriage at Cana: given by Hamilton Cooke, Esq., of Carr House, Doncaster.