Anonymous

“ Millers observes, "everything seems in its proper place and fitly proportioned: all harmonize, and taken altogether, give a general character of lightness and elegance. This is nowhere more conspicuous than in the roof; the plain ribs of which, diverging from their imposts, instead of crossing each other and spreading into intricate forms, go straight to a longitudinal midline running from west to east, and decorated with coloured figures or flowers where the springers meet it. There is a precise line of separation between this and the more elaborate ceiling of Bishop Hotham's work ”

“ The backs of the niches and indeed many parts of the chapel show remains of rich colouring; the ceiling was painted a rich blue studded with silver stars, the bosses at the intersections of the ribs represented flowers, foliage, and grotesque masks, and some of those along the mid-rib represented emblems of the nativity, crucifixion, the virgin, &c.; they had been richly coloured and gilded, but, like other parts of the building, have been defaced and injured; and every person who sees it must feel a deep regret that so beautiful a building should ever reach such a stage of desecration. ”

“ All must feel, more or less, the influence of impressions to which such thoughts and scenes give rise, and may such feelings cause us to remember that we are but dust, and that we must, perhaps soon, become as those who lie beneath our feet! ”

“ The lighter style of architecture and the large windows of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries made the support of buttresses necessary, in this instance they are deep, and surmounted by crocketed pinnacles; on the sides of many of them are gargoyles, or water-spouts of grotesque figures; flying buttresses are sometimes used in addition, reaching from the side buttresses to the clerestory walls, thus forming an important addition to the support as well as to the external beauty of the fabric: of this the exterior of the Choir of Ely Cathedral is a splendid proof. ”

“ The west front of the Lady Chapel [53] is richly decorated with niches, and has a noble window, under which is an arcade of small arches formed entirely in the thickness of the wall, in the back of some of which may be seen traces of coloured decoration; the gable point is adorned with a niche rising above the pierced parapet running up the sides. On each side of the building are five large windows, the tracery of which is much decayed, having been executed in a softer kind of stone than the walls. ”

“ About the same time a spire of timber covered with lead was erected on the Tower.
We now come to the period in which the "two great and famous productions of the fourteenth century—the two special objects of pride which our Cathedral boasts—the Lady Chapel and the central Octagon, with the three adjoining bays eastward," [8] were erected; "each work is of the highest and of undisputed merit, and forms a most marked feature in the building;" [9] affording most admirable specimens of the Decorated English style. ”

“ There is no Cathedral in England which possesses finer examples of the various successive styles of ecclesiastical architecture [Pg 9] than that of Ely; affording excellent opportunities of judging of the comparative merits of each. The Norman portion of the building—the Nave and Transept—is lighter in character than earlier examples of the same style; indeed, in many places it bears marks of transition from the round to the pointed style. ”

“ It is impossible to contemplate this beautiful oratory, even in its mutilated state, but with feelings of admiration; the taste of the designer, no less than the execution of the sculptor, are wonderful, and although every part is covered with niches, pedestals, and canopies, interspersed with relievos, grotesque designs and ornaments, the whole appears light and airy. The ceilings of [Pg 82] the canopies are covered with tracery that can only be compared to lace-work exquisitely varied and finished; the ceiling and pendents are deserving attention ”

“ The figures and groups in the three noble lancets are executed with great spirit; and although numerous, are arranged, more especially in the central window, in masses which the eye can readily follow, and by occupying so large a portion of the entire surface, leave little room for the monotonous repetitions of foliage or other patterns; the distribution of colour is also thus sufficiently varied without its masses in one part of the window unduly preponderating over those in another, a condition which is never grossly violated without serious injury to just architectural effect. ”

“ A good view of the Nave may be obtained as it is unobstructed through its whole length. A band of treble billet moulding runs under the lower windows; a double hatched moulding under the second tier; and immediately below the parapet is the ornament called the corbel table; these with the billet moulding round the clerestory windows, are in excellent preservation. The parapet on the wall of the aisle is embattled, that above the clerestory windows is plain. Although at one time battlements ran the whole length on both sides, those on the north were removed nearly one hundred years ago. ”

“ The vaulting is of wood, and its fan-shaped compartments terminate at a distance from the centre, thus allowing an aperture thirty feet wide, over which rises the Lantern, an exact octagon, having on each of its sides a large pointed window of four openings with rich tracery, all filled with stained glass, which has the effect of subduing the light; below these windows are a series of panels with decorated heads, and under them another series of smaller ones; above the ceiling is a chamber formerly used for bells. ”

“ In the Presbytery, where the absence of stall-work allows space [Pg 72] for more elaborate design, it will be seen much care and skill has been used, and the effect produced is very good. The communion table is raised five steps above the level of the floor, each step being laid in mosaic and encaustic tiles of beautiful and varied patterns, used in conjunction with veined, and faced with black, marble.
The new reredos or altar screen is remarkable for its chaste but elaborate design and richness of detail, as well as skill in execution ”

“ While we are on the spot it may be well to observe the burial-ground near us, where lie the remains of generation after generation of former inhabitants of the town. Reader, let thy foot tread lightly hereabout, for the dust it presses on is all that remains of the earthly portion of creatures once breathing and [Pg 92] living like yourself. What a lesson is afforded us when we contemplate, on the one hand the works of men of ages long past, but still standing as monuments of their skill and piety, and on the other the graves of the silent dead ”

“ The Lantern above is of two stories, the lower, (which is open to the interior of the Octagon) is lighted by windows assimilating with the large [Pg 95] windows in the angles of the Octagon; the upper story is lighted by louvres as adapted to a belfry, for which purpose this chamber was originally designed; the lower windows have been reconstructed, a series of flying buttresses (which had been taken away) have been re-placed against the angle divisions, which are finished with embattled turrets instead of pinnacles, and between them runs an open-work parapet. ”

“ The length on each side, internally, is occupied by two large pointed arches, comprehending under each two tiers of subordinate ones, the upper tier of five and the lower of three, which contains both outer and inner arches of different heights, supported by very slender columns; all the shafts were originally of Purbeck marble, with elegant capitals; the ribs of the vaulting are of free-stone, but the vault is of clunch. The arch of communication with the Tower is also very beautiful ”

“ The eastern faces of the aisles appear as wings to the end of the Choir, and are flanked with double buttresses at the angles, upon which are set larger pinnacles crocketed. The windows lighting the two chapels at the end of the aisles were probably inserted when the chapels were erected; that in the north aisle is set in the wall, while that in the south aisle projects beyond the wall nearly to the depth of the buttress. ”

“ The windows of the lantern were filled, some years ago, with coloured glass, the colouring of which is harsh, and in strong contrast with the mellow and rich painting of the woodwork, and injurious to the general effect.
"Below the windows are thirty-two openings surmounted with rich tracery. They are filled by panels on which is painted the angel choir. The figures are composed in groups of four, under each window, and are represented playing mediæval instruments. The two eastern and two western bays are intended to be severally grouped together, forming distinct series of eight figures. ”

“ The floor of the Choir has been re-laid with marble combined with Minton's encaustic tiles, and a large marble slab has been placed over the grave of Bishop Hotham, inlaid with brass and bearing the arms of the see and those of the bishop, surrounded by an inscription. At the foot of this another has been laid over the grave of Prior Crauden, superior of the monastery at the time of the erection of the Octagon; this is the original gravestone of the prior, but it had been removed with several others to another part of the church ”

“ From a strong buttress, surmounted by a pinnacle, at each of the angles formed by the walls of the Nave and Choir aisles with those of the Transept spring two massive flying buttresses, abutting octagonal turrets at each angle of the Octagon; these turrets were probably originally designed to be finished with pinnacles, and thus form a corona; between them runs a pierced parapet formerly surmounted by a bold cresting of leaves and other ornaments; and there are bases of pillars at the cardinal points. ”

“ The ascent, though tedious, is not dangerous, if due caution be used. Many parts will be found worthy of attention; the timber work of the Octagon is a very curious piece of carpentry executed in English oak, and very massive. A fine view of the interior may be had by standing against the upper tier of the windows at the east end, and looking westward; and another from the great Tower, by looking eastward through one of the openings near the clock face in the Nave. ”

“ Those of the second tier comprehend in each two smaller ones, supported by a much lighter column; each compartment in the upper tier is divided into three small arches, the middle one being larger and higher than that on either side of it. Over the whole aisle on each side runs a broad gallery usually called the "triforium," lighted by Perpendicular windows in the outer wall; and above is the "clerestory," or "clear-story," affording a narrow passage in the thickness of the main wall, lighted by the original Norman windows ”

“ The wings of the western Tower formed a second Transept to the church, and were doubtless perfectly similar; the remaining wing has towers at the angles; that at the south-west angle is larger than the other, though they are of equal height, and rise considerably higher than the wing. Both wing and towers are covered with ranges of arcading one above another, commencing a few feet from the bottom; the three lowest tiers are round-headed, the fourth are trefoil-headed, the fifth and all above are pointed and profusely adorned with mouldings ”