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Article CLASSICAL THEOLOGY.—VII. ← Page 2 of 2 Article BASILICA ANGLICANA—VI. Page 1 of 2 Article BASILICA ANGLICANA—VI. Page 1 of 2 →
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Classical Theology.—Vii.
In this subterranean abode he expired , and was , after his death , deified as an oracular god , or Eoman saint ; and was most consulted and evoked . Futurity was made known in this cavern through the medium of the senses of vision or hearing . The seeker of its altar , or mysteries , had to undergo peculiar purifications and
ceremonies . He was to offer the appointed sacrifices ; with sweet oil of cleansing he was to anoint his body , and then to # , bathe in the river , or lave himself with jrare water . These preliminaries ended , he approached the mouth of tho cave with slow steps , clothed in a white linen robe , bearing in his hands a cake of honey mingled with butter and flouron a
, salver or platter ; he then descended the narrow underground passage , and on his leaving the cave he came out walking backwards . His appearance was wild , he looked astounded , dejected , and very melancholy . Hence the Latinized Greek proverb , In antra Trophonii vaticinatus es . The priest of Jupiter , Trophoiiius , conducted the neophyte through the
temple to an elevated chair , called thc scat of Mnemosyne .-seated in which he rendered an account of what he had seen and heard . Next , his companions brought him to the chapel of Sonus Genius , or Good Portune , in which they were not long restoring him to his usual cheerfulness . The temple , or high place of the oracle , was on the summit of the grove planted acclivity mentioned ; at least so it is brought to the mind ' s eve by such classic authors as Plutarch and Tacitus .
Basilica Anglicana—Vi.
BASILICA ANGLICANA—VI .
NORWICH CATHEDKAL . T .. T- city of Norwich has from the earliest period held a very prominent place in British history ; the capital of one of ihe most populous and most influential agricultural counties , and the seat at various periods of some of tbe most important of English manufacturesit has ever been the
, centre of political and polemical discussion . Naturall y its most jirominent feature , its cathedral , reflected the passions of the hour , and within its sacred walls the fanatic and the charlatan , the presbyter and the politician , have found audiences for their harangues , and sometimes enthusiastic followers for designs by turns praiseworthy and
impious . The cathedral church of Norwich , though not boasting the antiquity of many others of our . English ecclesiastical edifices , is yet one of the most interesting , whether its history or its antiquities bo considered . " Inferior to some , in point of design , to others it is superior in richness of detail , and in a few particulars stands alone of all our reli gious
buildings . Its vicissitudes have been frequent and extreme , and its history is hardly less entertaining than instructive . In a previous paper wc mentioned the names of most of thc principal Norman ecclesiastics who by their munificent endowments of abbeys , colleges , and religious edifices , generally caused themselves to bo affectionately remembered
by tlio faithful who came after them . Among those not the least eminent was Herbert de Losengc , or as ho is sometimes called , Herbert cle Losinga . This distinguished prelate ivas Bishop of Thetford , and was deposed from his bishopric , in consequence of certain malpractices , of which the evidence is . at the present time cither incomplete or lost . One thinn- is
. however , sufficiently well attested , namely , that ho was u nen vi ably known as " Herbert the Liar / ' Upon his denudation he made a pilgrimage to Eome , where he pleaded his cause before the then poutilf , and with such success that he was restored to his see , but only on condition that he should build a church in imitation of the example ivhich had been
set hi in by his brethren , and also a , priory capable of g ivinc accommodation to sixty monks . William of Malmosbury telta us that he was not a rich bishop , but other writers persist in the opinion that his wealth was enormous . It is not , however , improbable that the command laid upon him
Basilica Anglicana—Vi.
to build a church worthy of his title and rank was one which had a view to his avarice ; for the times were such , and the . encouragement given by the Norman Conqueror to those who undertook religious works , was so well known for princely munificence , that De Losinga must have fallen in with the fashion which had been set by his brethren in the church
and the temporal peers , who could have no interest other than could be derived by the absolution of their rapacity whenever occasion required . Accordingly when De Losinga returned from Eome in 1094 , ho removed the see of Thetford to Norwich , ancl purchased a piece of marshy land from the citizens of Norwich ,
upon which he employed himself for about two years in preparing it for the structure which lie had resolved to raise upon it . This ground was called the " Cow Holm , " and appears to have been used as common land , for the title to it was subsequently a matter in dispute . The foundation stone was however laid in 1096 . Under the superintendence of
Herbert the church soon rose to command tbe attention and at length the admiration of tho clergy and architects of that time . For twenty-one years , until his death in 1119 , the prelate laboured at his penitential work ; he lived to see its
walls nearly covered in , and he was enabled to utter his last prayers beneath its roof Herbert de Losinga was succeeded by Eborard , who was also deposed . It should be remembered that in those days the church militant had many other enemies than Satan . As an illustration we may mention how the fi ghting Bishop Spenser was as accustomed to" coat
of mail ancl casque as he was to the stole and crozier—howhe was not less conspicuous in the lists than in the pulpitin proof whereof his monument exhibits in exquisite carving both helmet and mitre , with the effigy of St . Michael tlm archangel , armed cap a pie , and with drawn sword , in menacing attitudesculptured above them . The soldier and the
, priest were sometimes convertible terms , with this difference , however , that the sword of the former was double edged , and was wielded by delegation from a power which was then unquestioned . Tho work therefore begun by De Losinga was continued regardless of cost by his successors . Before its completionlike others of our ecclesiastical structuresit was
, , nearly destroyed by fire , but was at length finished by John of Oxford , bishop of Norwich , in the year 1200 , who restored what had been consumed , and perfected the original design . Norwich Cathedral has however suffered more from the
fury of party rancour than from the hand of time or tinravages ofthe elements . In 1272 occurred riots during the King ' s ( Edward I . ) absence in Scotland ; and on this occasion tho mob rushed in , dismantled the church , and had well nigh completed its destruction . Their rage was however quelled by the vigorous , wise , but yet stern resolution of the
king , who ordered the damage to be repaired , and attended himself , with Eleanor his queen , and all his court , to witness its recousecrafcion in the year 1378 . The cathedral , under the royal favour , became still more magnificent . In 1295 " , the tower over the central transept was blown down and the injury done to the building was thought for a time to be
irreparable . That which at present stands was erected b y Bishop Percy , in 1361 . The groat central window was built by Bishop Alnwick , about 1-130 : in 1403 Bishop Lyharfc raised the magnificent stone roof by which it is covered in . Bishop Gold well raised tlio upper part of the east end of the choir , with the clerestory windows and fl
yingbuttresses about 1180 , but it was not until 1510 that it was at length completed as it is now beheld , thus occupying iu its construction a period of four hundred and sixteen years . Surely the pr-n-evcrance of our fovclkilwrs in prosecuting their designs is hardly less astonishing ancl admirable than the grand and igantic scale upon ivhich those designs were formed .
g . But this noble edifice ha ? had to pass through two memorable crises . The first was when Henry VIII . sent out his commission for inquiry into the state of the relig ions houses , witli a view to their ultimate suppression . Mr .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Classical Theology.—Vii.
In this subterranean abode he expired , and was , after his death , deified as an oracular god , or Eoman saint ; and was most consulted and evoked . Futurity was made known in this cavern through the medium of the senses of vision or hearing . The seeker of its altar , or mysteries , had to undergo peculiar purifications and
ceremonies . He was to offer the appointed sacrifices ; with sweet oil of cleansing he was to anoint his body , and then to # , bathe in the river , or lave himself with jrare water . These preliminaries ended , he approached the mouth of tho cave with slow steps , clothed in a white linen robe , bearing in his hands a cake of honey mingled with butter and flouron a
, salver or platter ; he then descended the narrow underground passage , and on his leaving the cave he came out walking backwards . His appearance was wild , he looked astounded , dejected , and very melancholy . Hence the Latinized Greek proverb , In antra Trophonii vaticinatus es . The priest of Jupiter , Trophoiiius , conducted the neophyte through the
temple to an elevated chair , called thc scat of Mnemosyne .-seated in which he rendered an account of what he had seen and heard . Next , his companions brought him to the chapel of Sonus Genius , or Good Portune , in which they were not long restoring him to his usual cheerfulness . The temple , or high place of the oracle , was on the summit of the grove planted acclivity mentioned ; at least so it is brought to the mind ' s eve by such classic authors as Plutarch and Tacitus .
Basilica Anglicana—Vi.
BASILICA ANGLICANA—VI .
NORWICH CATHEDKAL . T .. T- city of Norwich has from the earliest period held a very prominent place in British history ; the capital of one of ihe most populous and most influential agricultural counties , and the seat at various periods of some of tbe most important of English manufacturesit has ever been the
, centre of political and polemical discussion . Naturall y its most jirominent feature , its cathedral , reflected the passions of the hour , and within its sacred walls the fanatic and the charlatan , the presbyter and the politician , have found audiences for their harangues , and sometimes enthusiastic followers for designs by turns praiseworthy and
impious . The cathedral church of Norwich , though not boasting the antiquity of many others of our . English ecclesiastical edifices , is yet one of the most interesting , whether its history or its antiquities bo considered . " Inferior to some , in point of design , to others it is superior in richness of detail , and in a few particulars stands alone of all our reli gious
buildings . Its vicissitudes have been frequent and extreme , and its history is hardly less entertaining than instructive . In a previous paper wc mentioned the names of most of thc principal Norman ecclesiastics who by their munificent endowments of abbeys , colleges , and religious edifices , generally caused themselves to bo affectionately remembered
by tlio faithful who came after them . Among those not the least eminent was Herbert de Losengc , or as ho is sometimes called , Herbert cle Losinga . This distinguished prelate ivas Bishop of Thetford , and was deposed from his bishopric , in consequence of certain malpractices , of which the evidence is . at the present time cither incomplete or lost . One thinn- is
. however , sufficiently well attested , namely , that ho was u nen vi ably known as " Herbert the Liar / ' Upon his denudation he made a pilgrimage to Eome , where he pleaded his cause before the then poutilf , and with such success that he was restored to his see , but only on condition that he should build a church in imitation of the example ivhich had been
set hi in by his brethren , and also a , priory capable of g ivinc accommodation to sixty monks . William of Malmosbury telta us that he was not a rich bishop , but other writers persist in the opinion that his wealth was enormous . It is not , however , improbable that the command laid upon him
Basilica Anglicana—Vi.
to build a church worthy of his title and rank was one which had a view to his avarice ; for the times were such , and the . encouragement given by the Norman Conqueror to those who undertook religious works , was so well known for princely munificence , that De Losinga must have fallen in with the fashion which had been set by his brethren in the church
and the temporal peers , who could have no interest other than could be derived by the absolution of their rapacity whenever occasion required . Accordingly when De Losinga returned from Eome in 1094 , ho removed the see of Thetford to Norwich , ancl purchased a piece of marshy land from the citizens of Norwich ,
upon which he employed himself for about two years in preparing it for the structure which lie had resolved to raise upon it . This ground was called the " Cow Holm , " and appears to have been used as common land , for the title to it was subsequently a matter in dispute . The foundation stone was however laid in 1096 . Under the superintendence of
Herbert the church soon rose to command tbe attention and at length the admiration of tho clergy and architects of that time . For twenty-one years , until his death in 1119 , the prelate laboured at his penitential work ; he lived to see its
walls nearly covered in , and he was enabled to utter his last prayers beneath its roof Herbert de Losinga was succeeded by Eborard , who was also deposed . It should be remembered that in those days the church militant had many other enemies than Satan . As an illustration we may mention how the fi ghting Bishop Spenser was as accustomed to" coat
of mail ancl casque as he was to the stole and crozier—howhe was not less conspicuous in the lists than in the pulpitin proof whereof his monument exhibits in exquisite carving both helmet and mitre , with the effigy of St . Michael tlm archangel , armed cap a pie , and with drawn sword , in menacing attitudesculptured above them . The soldier and the
, priest were sometimes convertible terms , with this difference , however , that the sword of the former was double edged , and was wielded by delegation from a power which was then unquestioned . Tho work therefore begun by De Losinga was continued regardless of cost by his successors . Before its completionlike others of our ecclesiastical structuresit was
, , nearly destroyed by fire , but was at length finished by John of Oxford , bishop of Norwich , in the year 1200 , who restored what had been consumed , and perfected the original design . Norwich Cathedral has however suffered more from the
fury of party rancour than from the hand of time or tinravages ofthe elements . In 1272 occurred riots during the King ' s ( Edward I . ) absence in Scotland ; and on this occasion tho mob rushed in , dismantled the church , and had well nigh completed its destruction . Their rage was however quelled by the vigorous , wise , but yet stern resolution of the
king , who ordered the damage to be repaired , and attended himself , with Eleanor his queen , and all his court , to witness its recousecrafcion in the year 1378 . The cathedral , under the royal favour , became still more magnificent . In 1295 " , the tower over the central transept was blown down and the injury done to the building was thought for a time to be
irreparable . That which at present stands was erected b y Bishop Percy , in 1361 . The groat central window was built by Bishop Alnwick , about 1-130 : in 1403 Bishop Lyharfc raised the magnificent stone roof by which it is covered in . Bishop Gold well raised tlio upper part of the east end of the choir , with the clerestory windows and fl
yingbuttresses about 1180 , but it was not until 1510 that it was at length completed as it is now beheld , thus occupying iu its construction a period of four hundred and sixteen years . Surely the pr-n-evcrance of our fovclkilwrs in prosecuting their designs is hardly less astonishing ancl admirable than the grand and igantic scale upon ivhich those designs were formed .
g . But this noble edifice ha ? had to pass through two memorable crises . The first was when Henry VIII . sent out his commission for inquiry into the state of the relig ions houses , witli a view to their ultimate suppression . Mr .