XIX. You are next conducted to St. George’s or the King’s chapel, which is no less royally adorned. On the ceiling is finely represented our Lord’s ascension; and the altar-piece is adorned with a noble painting of the last supper. The north side of the chapel is ornamented with the representation of our Saviour’s raising Lazarus from the dead, his curing the sick of the palsy, and other miracles, beautifully painted by Verro; and in a group of spectators the painter has introduced his own effigy, with those of Sir Godfrey Kneller, and Mr. Cooper, who assisted him in these paintings. The east end of this chapel is taken up with the closets belonging to his Majesty and the Royal family. The canopy, curtains, and furniture are of crimson velvet, fringed with gold; and the carved work of this chapel, which is well worthy the attention of the curious, is done by that famous artist Gibbons, in lime-tree, representing a great variety of pelicans, doves, palms, and other allusions to scripture history, with the star and garter, and other ornaments finished to great perfection.
From St. George’s chapel you are conducted to the Queen’s guard chamber, the first room you entered; for this is the last of the state apartments at present shown to the public; the others being only opened when the court resides at Windsor. They consist of many beautiful chambers, adorned with the paintings of the greatest masters.
In passing from hence the stranger usually looks into the inner or horn court, so called from a pair of stag’s horns of a very extraordinary size, taken in the forest and set up in that court, which is painted in bronze and stone colour. On one side is represented a Roman battle, and on the opposite side a sea fight, with the images of Jupiter, Neptune, Mercury and Pallas; and in the gallery is a representation of King David playing before the ark.
From this court a flight of stone steps lead to the King’s guard chamber; and in the cavity under these steps, and fronting this court, is a figure of Hercules also in stone colours. On a dome over the steps, is painted the battle of the Gods, and on the sides of the stair case is a representation of the four ages of the world, and two battles of the Greeks and Romans in fresco.
St. George’s chapel, among the buildings of this noble palace we have mentioned the chapel of St. George situated in the middle of the lower court. This antient structure, which is now in the purest style of Gothic architecture, was first erected by King Edward III. in the year 1337, soon after the foundation of the college, for the honour of the order of the garter, and dedicated to St. George, the patron of England; but however noble the first design might be, King Edward IV. not finding it entirely completed, enlarged the structure and designed the present building, together with the houses of the dean and canons, situated on the north and west sides of the chapel; the work was afterwards carried on by Henry VII. who finished the body of the chapel, and Sir Reginald Bray, knight of the garter, and the favourite of that King, assisted in ornamenting the chapel and compleating the roof.
The architecture of the inside has always been esteemed for its neatness and great beauty, and in particular the stone roof is reckoned an excellent piece of workmanship. It is an ellipsis supported by Gothic pillars, whose ribs and groins sustain the whole ceiling, every part of which has some different device well finished, as the arms of Edward the Confessor, Edward III. Henry VI. Edward IV. Henry VII. and Henry VIII. also the arms of England and France quarterly, the cross of St. George, the rose, portcullis, lion rampant, unicorn, &c. In a chapel in the south isle is represented in ancient painting, the history of John the Baptist, and in the same isle are painted on large pannels of oak, neatly carved and decorated with the several devices peculiar to each Prince, the portraits at full length of Prince Edward, son to Henry VI. Edward IV. Edward V. and Henry VII. In the north isle is a chapel dedicated to St. Stephen, wherein the history of that saint is painted on the pannels and well preserved. In the first of these pannels St. Stephen is represented preaching to the people; in the second he is before Herod’s tribunal; in the third he is stoning; and in the fourth he is represented dead. At the east end of this isle is the chapter house of the college, in which is a portrait at full length, by a masterly hand, of the victorious Edward III. in his robes of state, holding in his right hand a sword, and bearing the crowns of France and Scotland, in token of the many victories he gained over those nations. On one side of this painting is kept the sword of that great and warlike Prince.
But what appears most worthy of notice is the choir. On each side are the stalls of the Sovereign and Knights companions of the most noble order of the garter, with the helmet, mantling, crest, and sword, of each Knight set up over his stall on a canopy of antient carving curiously wrought, and over the canopy is affixed the banner or arms of each Knight properly blazon’d on silk, and on the back of the stalls are the titles of the Knights, with their arms neatly engraved and blazoned on copper. The Sovereign’s stall is on the right hand of the entrance into the choir, and is covered with purple velvet and cloth of gold, and has a canopy and compleat furniture of the same valuable materials; his banner is likewise of velvet, and his mantling of cloth of gold. The Prince’s stall is on the left, and has no distinction from those of the rest of the Knights companions, the whole society, according to the statutes of the institution, being companions and collegues, equal in honor and power.
The altar-piece was soon after the restoration, adorned with cloth of gold and purple damask by King Charles II. but on removing the wainscot of one of the chapels in 1707, a fine painting of the Lord’s supper was found, which being approved of by Sir James Thornhill, Verrio, and other eminent masters, was repaired and placed on the altar-piece.
Near the altar is the Queen’s gallery, for the accommodation of the ladies at an installation.
In a vault under the marble pavement of this choir, are interred the bodies of Henry VIII. and Jane Seymour his Queen, King Charles I. and a daughter of the late Queen Anne. In the south isle, near the door of the choir, is buried Henry VI. and the arch near which he was interred was sumptuously decorated by Henry VIII. with the royal ensigns and other devices, but they are now much defaced by time.