SYNTHETIC OR CONSTRUCTIVE ARGUMENT
Based on Conclusions offered by the Automatic Script, and the Weighing of All available Data in the Light of Same.
| A.—As to the Position of the Loretto Chapel. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Script. | Existing Data. | Result. |
| August 16, 1917. "Deepe,by ye Bank, is ye walle," etc."But capella wasne in muro inBoreali parte ... and in yeBanke deepe downe ye shall findhim," etc. There was a deepplace where they destroyed, andthey covered him, and made abanke full six feet high, and soesaved the wall at the west endfor all tyme." December 4, 1916. "AbbotBere ybuilded ye Loretto Chapelfaire and large to the north sideof the Navis. Itt was not yeChapitre House.... Bere'sChapel was distant from yeNavis thirty-one feet and a half,and from ye aisle of ye transepthe was fulle tenn feet....The same was forty feet bytwenty or thereabouts, and hischief doore was to the west, anda pavement joyned him to theroad from St John's Gate to yeChurche." August 17, 1917. "CapellaLoretta was on ye lower level,with four or six steppys up to thepavement." "Seek my chapple, as I toldye, in ye Banck." "He was entered from ye west,and had a door into the littelcloister by ye transept of yegrete Church, and four stepps upto the pavement." "All ye measures were markedplaine on ye slabbes of St.Mary's Chappel ... so it wasrecorded, as they who buildedand they who came after knewaforehand where they shouldbuild." "The newe chappell he wasin ye bank far oute in line withye transept as I remember it." September 1, 1910. "On yenorth syde of ye grete church,at ye ende, near to ye newechappel which Bere (builded)." | The Deep Place.—The mention of a"deep place" calls attention for thefirst time to a number of facts whichgroup themselves in a manner suggestiveof such a probability. They areas follows: (a) Stukeley's view (1723) (seeFig. [9]) seems to indicate a drop onthe north side of the nave and transept,to a lower level. Coney's view (see Plate [IV].) certainlyshows the small building on thenorth side of the nave with a breakin the ground just in front of it, markinga lower level for the wall. (b) The configuration of the groundis in favour of this. Above and eastwardof the Abbey enclosure is anarrow valley running west, and filledup in its lower part, over which lies thenorthern section of the Abbey enclosure.The High Street runs downthe north side of this valley, and parallelto it, and closely adjoining theAbbey wall is Silver Street, a namesaid by some antiquaries to indicate aford. (c) The drainage of the Abbeychurch is down the north side, as wouldappear by the direction of the drainagechannel in the foundations of theEdgar Chapel, and the larger water-channelwhose course was traceddiagonally beneath the floor of thequire. (d) In excavating the north porch,a very deep pit was found right againstthe north-west angle of the footings.It went down nearly 10 feet below thefloor-level of the church. This mayhave extended east and west, and thenorth porch may in that case be supposedto have been approached by apaved way over a bridge. The Bank.—The foot of the bank, asnearly as may be estimated, lies about27 feet north of the position of thenave wall (outer face). This wouldbring the 31 and a half feet distance indicatedby the script for the wall of thechapel, about 4 and a half feet within thebank, and this would seem to accordwith the old gardener's recollection. The bank runs westwards as far asthe north porch, or about 108 feet westof the transept, so that the west end ofthe chapel as described would be wellcovered, being some 40 feet east of thetermination of the bank. The extreme projection of the transept,beyond the line of the inner faceof the nave wall, would be about 60feet, and not less than 54. The thirty-one and a half feetmeasure from the outside of the navewall, if added to the probable thicknessof the latter, will give a total of39 or 40 feet, and if this measure is assumedto be to the inner face of thechapel wall (south) the position of itsouter face would accord with the 37 feetgeneral line, following the symmetricscheme on which the whole abbey isfound to be built (see Fig. [12]), and thenorth side of the chapel will then comevery nearly into line with the transept. | That the ground on the northside of the Church sloped downformerly to the bed of the brookcoming from the hill behind thetown. This would make a depressionabout 10 feet deep alongsidethe Church, at a distance,roughly, of about 40 feet northof the outer face of the nave aislewall, and immediately north ofthe projection of the north transeptand porch. The bed wouldhave been partly filled when theAbbey was standing, and therewould be a system of drains beneaththe soil, which would havebeen levelled to form a garth orgarden a few feet below the navefloor, terminated on the west by apath or pavement from the porchto St. John's Gate (running duenorth), and beyond this, again tothe west, would be another garthat a still lower level, to the northof St. Mary's Chapel and theGalilee, following the generaltrend of the grounds, which slopeto the westward. This part wasthe cemetery of the laity. It is inferred that Bere's Chapelof the Loretto may have stood onthe upper garth, its floor a fewfeet below the nave, and at aboutthe distance mentioned in thescript. That the present aspect of theground, which shows a uniformrise to the north of the Abbey, isthus totally misleading, and thebank and the higher level beyondon the town side must be altogetherartificial, and nothing buta huge accumulation of débris fromthe destruction of the Abbey. Thebulk of the ancient work nowdestroyed was so enormous thatthere is no difficulty at all in supposingthis, notwithstanding thefact that a great quantity of themasonry went, as is known, tomake a foundation for the newroad to Wells. The further inference is madethat under this bank will mostlikely be hidden a great deal offragmentary work, and that itsremoval will bring to light manythings of archæological interest. That the Loretto Chapel, if itsposition be correctly given in thescript as 31 feet 6 inches fromnave, would appear nearly in linewith the transept (north end),when viewed from the north, but,if anything, rather further out(see Fig. [14]). |
| B.—As to the Western Aisle to the Transept,and the Suggestion of a Cloister or Passage inSame, and the Character of the Building. | ||
| June 13, 1911.... "Somewhatremaineth of ye outer walls,and ye walle by ye crossinge....Ye doore unto hymis at the west (see note), nighunto the pillar of the Navis; onedoore only, on Nave. "Yn feete twenty and two,and foure paces in the widththereof, and ye walle of ye Navewas strengthened thereby," etc. December 4, 1916. "Bere'sChapel was distant from yeNavis thirty-one feet and a half,and from ye aisle of ye transepthe was fulle tenn feet with acovered way unto, and foursteppes up unto ye aisle aforesaid. "There were four steppes—nay,six—to the aisle of ye transeppt,and a covered way vaultedin a round vault to ye chappel." August 17, 1917. "Claustraquae vocantur, vento Borealeaperta est—in vestibule subturre—English volts." "Seek my chapple as I told yein ye Banck. He was enteredfrom ye west, and had a doorinto the littel cloister by ye transeptof ye grete church, and fourstepps up to the pavement. Yedoor was in ye transept wall atye end thereof." "Ye door into ye transept inye north, which I, Camel, used,he was in ye west porche andunder the three high windows. >"A Cloyster from ye Nave toye Lobby, and four steppes untoye Transept floor, and from yeLobby, on ye west, ye Chappell. "Ne Chappel but ye Cloyster inye corner of ye grete church.Claustrum to ye Chappel alongye aisle, then ye lobby and yeChappel west of hym." (Italics mine.—F.B.B.) | (a) The wall-footing discovered in1911 shows a possible breadth of 12 feetor so for this aisle. The thickness ofthe footing is evidence of a strong construction.There were some marks ofa cross-foundation at a point over20 feet out north, and near the face ofthe bank. (b) The indications were in favourof a lower level for this work. Thedrop from the transept level to that ofthe nave is about 4 feet, and this aisleor passage would appear to be on thenave level. (c) Benedictine houses did not usuallyhave western aisles to the transepts,as is the case with cathedralchurches. But Glastonbury followedWells in some things, and at Wellsthere are western aisles to the transepts,and that on the north side hasscreens on two sides, within arches tonave and to transept. (d) The detail found on this site wasof very fine late perpendicular window-tracery,showing the existence ofwindows with heavy central mullions,and most likely of four lights. (e) Camel's house was in the HighStreet at a point which would bereadily approached by a path towardsthis part of the Abbey Church. | That the foundation discoveredin 1911 is not that of a chapel, noryet of an aisle to the transept,properly so called, although itmight be thus described since itwould have that appearance fromwithout. The inference is that this adjunctwould have been on the navelevel, and its use connected withthe nave. It would have beenprimarily a passage-way from thenave to a court or to buildings onthe north side, and it would beproperly described as a cloisteralley. In this position it would, ifsubstantially built, most readilyserve the useful purpose of contributingsupport to the centraltower and to the walls near thecrossing, adding stability to thetransept if affected by the weaknessof the tower, and furnishingsupport for flying buttresses to thenorth-west angle of the crossingand tower itself. There would be little object incarrying it out further north thanwould be requisite to cover onebay of the transept wall. Thiswould make it a possible 22 feet ininternal measure. There wouldbe normally a double square onplan, and if fan-vaulted thiswould give two bays, and twowindows to the west and one to thenorth—three in all. |
| C.—As To the Italian Style of the Chapel. | ||
| December 4, 1916. "AbbotBere ybuilded ye Loretto Chapelfaire and large, to the north (sideof the) Navis.... Yt wasybuilded by Bere most faire andwonderful in ye newe stylebrought from Ytaly when hedidd go there...." "We have said, he was of theYtalian style, new and veryfaire, and Bere ybuilded comingfrom embassadrie in Ytaly....He wasne like anything else, (butwas of the) newe style." Here followed the detailedsketches showing— 1. A rectangular chapel offour bays, with a small apse tothe east, as a "Cava Virginis." 2. Parapets of undulating outline,and others suggestive of thefleur-de-lys, with indications offruit and flower enrichment. 3. Sitting lions, bearingshields, over each division of thebays, mounted on small pillarswith "patellae" or plaques,dividing the parapets. 4. Heads of angels or cherubs,probably in the cornices. 5. Round-headed windows,and vaults with bands of carvedfruit and flowers on the groin-ribs. | (a) The Chapel was built just afterBere's embassage to Italy. He was acultivated and learned man with aknowledge of architecture, as is evidentfrom the quality of his building works.He must have been supported by capable,if not eminent, master-buildersand craftsmen. (b) Bere was impregnated with thenew ideas, and was the friend of Erasmus.A letter of his to Erasmus is extant.His sympathy with new andmore liberal views would be reflected ina wider culture, and the influence of theItalian Renaissance, already affectingEnglish art in minor ways, may wellhave moved him to become a pioneer inintroducing the style which, a half-centurylater, usurped the place of ournative "Tudor" forms. These he usedas a master, and had developed themto their highest pitch. (c) The duration of his visit to Italyis at present unknown to us, but thecircumstance of the death of Pius III.—ifhe overstayed that event—wouldmake for delay and give him time todevote to the study of Italian architecturalmodels. (d) The circumstances of his vow arealso, so far as we know, not a matter ofhistory; but the vow itself or the intentionwhich clearly implies it is ourreading of Leland's note. | That a Chapel dedicated toan "Italian" Madonna, erectedby an Abbot of liberal views,impressed by the newer learning andculture, immediately on his returnfrom a visit to Italy, at atime when the forms of ItalianRenaissance were in process ofadaptation to Gothic buildings,might well have been influencedin its design by Italian ideas,even to a wholesale extent, andthat if an Italian master were employed,as appears by no meansan unreasonable idea, an entirelyItalian model may have beenfollowed. |
| August 16, 1917. "MaestroFrancesco de Padua qui me instruxitet capellam cognoscit inItalia ... struebat in modoItaliano. "Francesco de Padua aedificavit.Two would speak of it—hewho made it, and I who movedfor my fannes and English. Weboth made him." (Name of the model for thiswork)— "Capella di Marco at Padua—hymby the Key." "Domenic di Vallera Castiglioneaedificavit anno 1497—viaSt Ursula." (Name of Bere's architect)— "Vecchi—Francesco DeVecchi." "VECCHI di Torcello in Italia." | The Chapel is undoubtedly a thank-offering.It is built to the honour ofOur Lady in the particular aspect of an"Italian" saint of local repute, possessedof the attribute of protection tolife and health. The choice of a styleand character for the monument designedby Bere would very naturally beconsonant with that prevailing locally—i.e.,Italian. (e) A few fragments of plain mouldedwork, of Italian character, have beennoted amongst the débris of the Abbey.These were hitherto supposed to havebelonged to some Elizabethan building,now destroyed, whose remains hadsomehow found their way into thegeneral mass of Abbey fragments. | That the type that would evokemost readily the Abbot's artisticsympathies would be a NorthItalian type, not too far removedfrom the principles of architecturalform to which he had been habituated.An entirely Roman model,on purely classic lines, is for thisreason less likely. But the selectionof an Italian master for thepurpose of carrying out Bere'sscheme almost necessarily followsif the intention to employ anItalian style be conceded. Berecould not do this unaided, as anAbbot would not be his own architect. |
| D.—As to the Style of the Building at the Angle of the Transept and North Aisle of Nave. | ||
| Script, June 13, 1911. "Imade that building. All that Ididde anywhere is fannes. Nebarrel vault. And under them,three faire windowes of fourelights, with transomes and littelcastel-work on the ramps thereof ... andeach fanne hadtwelve ribs, and they wereycoloured red and gold, like mychapel of Edgar.... "... Ye roundels of ye voltewere golden, and also ye bosses,and ye hollows were bright redde,likewise ye tabernacle of OureLadye in the est wall golde andredde; and ye windowes were ofglasse yellow in canopies withredde and blewe in ye little lightsthereof. Ye floore was of tileisred, with shields and ornamentsin yellow likewise."... | (a) As an integral part of the Churchthe probabilities lie in the direction ofthe use of Bere's own master-masonsfor this work, and the choice of thecustomary English style seems tofollow. This would be all the moreconsistent with probabilities if the workwere involved with the strengtheningof the older masonry at the crossing ofthe Church—a work known to havebeen necessary, since Leland recordsthe fact that Bere strengthened thecentral tower by the addition of the"St. Andrew's" arches beneath it (seePlate [III]). (b) The fragments of window-traceryalready referred to as having beenfound on the site are English in character. | That the building in the angleof the nave and transept wasformed with the double object of asupport to the weak walls of thecrossing, and as a covered approachto the Chapel of theLoretto, erected by Abbot Bere ona site adjoining the north side ofthe nave, but not attached directlyto same, and that this cloister wasbuilt in the later English style inwhich his own masons wereexpert. |
[ENVOI]
THE LAMPLIGHTER
One by one, along the crowded street
The footsteps falter, and the stillness grows
Oppressive as the sudden hush that falls
In shaded chambers whence a life has flown.