The West Entrance, as we now behold it, has a large and magnificent window of delicate tracery, recently filled with a series of designs in stained glass, illustrating the final sentence of the Apostles’ Creed, “The Resurrection of the Body, and the Life Everlasting.” In the centre of the main opening, we have the “Appearance of our Lord to St. Mary Magdalene in the Garden;” and beneath, “Our Lord’s Supper with the Disciples at Emmaus.” The three lights south of the centre illustrate the “Resurrection of our Lord,” above Whom are seen the Heavenly Host, while below are the affrighted soldiers, the angel at the tomb, with the apostles and holy women. In the three divisions on the north side is depicted “Our Lord in Judgment,” surrounded by the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and saints: beneath is the Archangel Michael trampling upon Satan, with groups of “the Just” on their way up to Heaven, accompanied by guardian angels. The rich tracery overhead is filled with the “Genealogical Tree of our Lord,” commencing with the reclining figure of Jesse, and its branches spreading through more than one hundred openings, finishing with the birth, death, and glorification of Jesus Christ. This is a memorial window, erected by the widow of the Rev. P. W. Hamilton, of Hoole, near Chester, and cannot fail to be an object of surpassing interest to every visitor. It was designed and executed by Messrs. M. and A. O’Connor, of London.
The door being open, let us step out to the open air, and refresh our eyes with a momentary glance at the West Entrance of the Cathedral. This is, externally, the most beautiful remaining portion of this glorious edifice. Time has, of course, been at work here, as elsewhere, gnawing away at the old red sandstone; but there is still enough left to give us an idea of its ancient beauty.
Forms of saints are meekly kneeling
The Cathedral door above:
the which door is a beautiful double Tudor arch of chaste design, supported on either side by four canopied niches, once ornamented with statuettes, but now fast going to decay. Over this is the great west window of eight lights, the whole flanked by two fine octagonal turrets with embattled parapets. Altogether, this front is a sight grateful to look upon, but one eminently suggestive of the ephemeral character of all things here below.
Returning to the Nave, we find at the head of the north aisle a flight of stairs leading up through the arched doorway into the Episcopal Palace; through this door the bishop ordinarily enters the Cathedral in his robes. The external wall of this aisle is one of the most ancient portions of the entire structure, being part of the Norman edifice of Hugh Lupus. It has two doors, one at each end, opening to the east and west walks of the Cloisters, of which more anon. The windows of the Nave and of the clerestory above it, are all of the perpendicular character, and throw a flood of dim religious light into the interior. There is but one stained-glass window, and that an obituary one, in the south aisle of the nave. Numerous monuments deck the walls, and disfigure the pillars of the nave, conspicuous among which are those to Dean Smith, translator of Longinus, Thucydides, and other classic authors; also memorials of the Mainwaring, Dod, Buchanan, Matthews, Ward, and Hilton families. One in the north aisle to the memory of Captain John Moore Napier, who died in India of Asiatic cholera, is worthy of special remark, from the spirited and touching epitaph, written by his uncle, that brave and gallant soldier, Sir Charles Napier, the veteran hero of Scinde. It runs thus:—
The tomb is no record of high lineage;
His may be traced by his name.
His race was one of soldiers;
Among soldiers he lived, among them he died,
A soldier falling where numbers fell with him
In a barbarous land.
Yet there died none more generous,
More daring, more gifted, more religious.
On his early grave
Fell the tears of stern and hardy men,
As his had fallen on the grave of others.
True poetry this, albeit expressed in modest prose! The Nave is 160 feet long, 74½ feet wide, and 78 feet high.
The following are the present dignitaries of the Cathedral:—
Bishop—The Right Rev. John Graham, D.D.
Dean—The Very Reverend Frederick Anson, D.D.