At what period after the demolition of Leicester in the reign of Henry the second, the church of St. Martin, antiently St. Crosse, was rebuilt, cannot be accurately stated. The chancel, which is the property of the king, rented by the vicar, and was erected after the main fabrick, is ascertained to been have built in the reign of Henry the fifth, at the expense of 34l. And as the addition of spires to sacred edifices was not introduced into England from the east till the beginning of the reign of Henry the third, the date must be fixed between the two intervening centuries, and if the spire was built with the church
not very early after the introduction of that ornament of our churches, as the handsome, solid form of St. Martin’s bespeaks considerable practice and expertness in the art.
The church originally consisted only of a nave and two aisles; the south aisle, where the consistory court is held, which is formed by a range of gothic arches whose clustered columns unite strength with lightness, was added after the erection of the others. In contemplating the inside of this church, it is curious to draw a brief parallel between its present plain yet handsome appearance, and its catholic magnificence before the zeal of the reformation, justly excited, but intemperate in its direction, had, during its career against Romish absurdities destroyed almost every trace of ornament in our churches. And whilst we
survey its present few decorations, its brass chandeliers depending from the elegant cieling of the nave, the beautiful oak corinthian pillars of its altar piece, which is ornamented with a picture of the ascension by Francesco Vanni, (the gift of Sir W. Skeffington Bart.) and its excellent organ, we can scarcely forbear lamenting the violence with which the magnificent range of steps was torn from its high altar, then hung with draperies of white damask and purple velvet.
Its two other altars, [135] its chapels of our Lady and St George, one at the east, the other at the west end
of the south broad aisle, were also destroyed; the sculptured figures that adorned the pulpit, the tabernacles, and brazen eagles demolished, and, as the parochial records testify, 20d. was paid for “cutting the images heads, and taking down the angels wings.” In the succeeding century after this sacred structure had exhibited this scene of demolition, it became a theatre of war. Hither fled part of the Parliamentary garrison, after being driven by the royalists from their fortress in the Newark; making a citadel of a church, which, on the arrival of the enemy to storm the hold was polluted with the bleeding bodies of Englishmen slain by Englishmen, who pursued their victory by chacing the defeated into the Market-Place, where the stragglers were slaughtered.
From this anecdote of civil discord we are led to contemplate the more rationally excited bravery of the present times, by the sight of the old colours of the 17th or Leicestershire regiment of foot, which are suspended over the royal arms at the east end of nave. They were presented to the corporation by Lieut. Col. Stovin, of that regiment, and how much their intrepid defenders suffered in guarding them, may be known from their worn and tattered appearance.
As it is the most curious and useful branch of antiquarian research to read the manners and sentiments of an age in its public solemnities and pastimes, we will not leave the church without a wish for a better investigation of an obscure and singular custom,
that antient carnival of Leicester, “the riding the George.” The horse of this chivalrous saint, which, when the reformation had overthrown the monkish mummeries that so inconsistently blended religion with pastime, was sold for twelve pence, stood at the west end of the south aisle, harnessed in all the trappings of Romish splendor. Notice of the day appointed for this festivity was annually given by the master of St. George’s Guild; sports of every variety animated the town, and that the jubilee, was, in the strictest sense general, is proved from the summons issued in the 17th of Edward the fourth, ordering all the inhabitants to attend the mayor, to ride the George. Mention of the celebration is recorded so late as the 15th of Henry the eighth.
The stranger who is an admirer of