Exeter Cathedral

Exeter has suffered many sieges, and during that of Stephen, in 1136, the Cathedral was much injured by fire. The two towers at the end of the transepts are all the portions that remain of Warelwast's building, and one of these (that on the north) has been much altered, until it has assumed the features of Perpendicular style. This was done by Bishop Courtenay (1478-1487), when he transferred here a great bell from Llandaff.

In 1258 a poor man's son, one Walter Bronescombe, though not in priests' orders, was elected bishop, and set to work to rebuild his Cathedral, his labours being continued by his successor. The Lady Chapel with adjoining chapels was partly built by this bishop. His successor, Bishop Quivil, the foe of the Franciscans (1280-1291), finished it, and erected the north and south transepts. The choir, nave, porches and west front were built by Bishops Stapledon (1308-1326) and Grandisson (1327-1369). Stapledon was a great statesman, and in the troubles of the second Edward's reign took the side of the king against the queen and Mortimer, and was murdered by the citizens of London in Cheapside. Grandisson was also a mighty prelate who refused to allow the Archbishop of Canterbury to visit his Cathedral as his ecclesiastical superior. He, with a band of armed men, met the intruding archbishop at the west door and forbade him to enter, and an armed conflict was with difficulty averted. These mediæval bishops were very powerful. They usually built a strong wall with gates around the precincts of the Cathedral, and ruled their clergy, their servants and dependants quite independently of any external control. The conflicts between the clergy and the townsfolk were very numerous, and the struggle severe in nearly all our cities and monastic towns.

When Queen Elizabeth came to the throne, "visitors" were appointed to examine churches and to remove all that savoured of "superstition." Their zeal outran their discretion, and much mischief was wrought in Exeter and elsewhere by their iconoclastic violence. Strange events took place during the Commonwealth period. The Cathedral was divided into two portions by a brick wall, and in one called "West Peter's" an independent preacher thundered forth his declamation, while in the other, "East Peter's," a Presbyterian divine conducted his form of service. Happily the Restoration put an end to these curious proceedings, and the wall was taken down, and the Church of England service renewed.

We will now examine the west front erected at the close of the fourteenth century. The screen is very remarkable and beautiful, and has three rows of figures of saints and kings and warriors. In the first row appear angels; the second has figures of kings and knights, and the third saints, and figures of Athelstan and Edward the Confessor stand above them. Some of the ancient figures have crumbled away and been replaced by modern sculptures. Bishop Brantyngham was the builder of this screen, who lived in the time of Richard II., and the crowns and armour represented on the figures belong to that period. The figures in the lower row, beginning on the left, are:—

1.Canute.16.Robert of Normandy.
2.Edgar.17.William II.
3.Ethelred.18.A king unknown.
4.Justice, } small figures19.} Bishops.
5.Fortitude, } above north20.}
6.Discipline,} door.21.John.
7.Edward II.22.Edward I.
8.Henry III.23.Edward III., { over
9.} Unknown bishops.24.The Black Prince,{ south
10.}{ door.
11.Richard I.25.Godfrey de Bouillon.
12.Henry II.26.Stephen, Count of Blois.
13.Stephen.27.Guy de Lusignan.
14.Henry I.28.Ethelwold.
15.William I.,{ a modern29.Alfred.
{ imitation.30.Edward the Elder.

In the upper row, beginning at the left hand, are:—

1.Samuel.19.St. John.
2.Samson.20.St. James the Greater.
3.Jephtha.21.St. Thomas.
4.Gideon.{ a
5.Barak.22.St. James the Less,{ modern
6.Deborah.{ statue.
7.Noah.23.St. Simon.
8.St. Matthew.24.St. Luke.
9.St. John.25.St. Mark.
10.St. Jude.26.St. Augustine.
11.St. Bartholomew.27.King Ethelbert.
12.St. Matthias.28.St. Berinus.
13.St. Philip.29.St. Boniface.
14.St. Andrew.30.Kynigils, }
15.St. Peter.31.Cwichelm, }
16.King Richard II.32.Kenwalch, } Kings of
17.King Athelstan.33.Kentwald, } Wessex.
18.St. Paul.34.Caedwalla,}
35.Ina, }