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Article ROUND CHURCHES. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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Round Churches.
that the entrance door from the street on the western side opened into the triforium of the interior . The piers of the rotunda are in part circular ( as ours are ) , in part square -. the arches in this part were round ; though traces of a pointed arcade , the work of the Crusaders , still remain in the choir and eastern apse , and a pointed arch doorway at one of tho entrances . How this church grew up from the
simple tomb hewn in the native rock to the present uncouth conglomeration through ages of persecution and superstition , of good faith and of bad faith—how infidels desolated and defiled it — how emperors and patriarchs restored and sophisticated it—how Mahomedans and Christians fought over it—and Christians , one with another—how legends and traditions obscured its genuine history—and rival churches
and sects overwhelmed its primitive form—till the great fire in 1808 left little but fragments of the old walls remaining—ivould form a singular and instructive history , but one far too long to be even sketched in here . To us , its interest becomes greatest when , towards the close of tbe eleventh century , Europe was roused , by the preaching of Peter the Hermitinto fchat military and reliious frenzy
, g which resulted in the Crusades . It was from this crusading spirit of mingled faith and glory , which took tho cross-formed sword-hilt as tho symbol of its creed , that the great- military monastic orders which are so intimately connected with our round churches sprang up . The earliest ivas that of tho " Brethren of the HolTrinity" bufc far conspicuous above this and several
y , smaller societies were the two great orders , often confounded , but strictly distinct and often antagonistic — 1 . " The Knights of St . John of Jerusalem ; " and 2 . " The Knights Templar . " The Knights of St . John were so named , in the first instance , from their patron saint , John the Patriarch , and
they wore called also Hospitallers , from their early connection with fche hospital , or hostel , or hotel ( for it is the same word ) , attached to the St . Sepulchre at Jerusalem , for the reception of pilgrims to the sacred places . Originally thej" were Brethren of Mercy attending on the sick , the poor , and tho stranger , and rendering them tho offices of hospitality and charity . But about tho year 1113 , when '
the disturbed state of the Holy Land drovethem from these works of peace and love , the lay members of the society drafted themselves of ? into a new order , under the name and guardianship of St . John the Baptist , taking the three vows of poverty , chastity , and obedience , and making tho defence of the holy places and their visitors the main object of their union . These Knights Hospitallers of St . John , being first
called of Jerusalem , were afterwards known from their possessions and change of domicile , successively as Knights of Cyprus , of Rhodes , and of Malta , at which last place many vast buildings and unedited records yet remain . Their dross AA'as a black cloak , with white cross , in contradistinction to that of the Templars , which was white , with a red cross . They became exceedingly poiverful and numerous in England , and at one time , after they had
acquired the possessions of the dissolved Templars , they had as many as 53 establishments ov " coruiuamleries" ('"' preceptory" was the name assigned to the Templars' houses ) in this kingdom , of which I may mention one—Dingley , in this county , in the collars of whoso modern houses there are yet , I believe , remains of ancient vaulting , as early as tho time of the Knights' proprietorship of the place . Long after their ivas
occupation gone they lingered on , a rich and dreaded body , who might longer have stood their ground , and kept their own , had not the sweeping revolution of Henry the Eighth whirled them along in the wholesale destruction of all kindred societies . HoAvever , they had spirit enough to "die game , " and our native historian , Fuller , speaking of their dissolution , says : — "The suppression of the
Hospitallers descrveth especial notice , because the manner thereof ivas different from tho dissolution of other religious houses , for manfully they stood it out to the last , in despite of several assaults . The Knights Hospitallers ( ii'hose chief mansion was at Cicrkonwell , nigh London ) , being gentlemen and soldiers of ancient families and high spirits , would not be brought to present to Honry VIII . such puling petitions , and public recognitions of their errors , as other orders Lad done . Wherefore , like stout
fellows , they opposed any thafc thought to enrich themselves with their ample revenues , and stood on their own defence and justification , But Barnabas-day itself hath a night , and this long-lived order , which in England wept over " the grave of all others , came at last to its own . " Aud this last grave of its last prior is yet to be found in this county . In the parish church of Rushton ( removed , I believefrom the church
, destroyed , which stood in the last century close to the hall ) , is the beautiful monument of Sir Thos . Tresham , hi his robes of prior of the order of St . John of Jerusalem . Though Henry VIII . suppressed the order , Queen Mary revived it on her attainment to the throne , and appointed Sir Thos . Tresham , well regarded for his adherence to the unreformed faithas the head " and prior
, of the order in England . Ho died shortly after , and this most unique and curious , but little known , monument ( of which I am enabled , by a friend ' s kindness , to exhibit a most faithful drawing ) , remains a singular memorial of the last brief revival of this ancient society ; though I have au indistinct recollection of seeing , ou the walls of the Royal Academyeither this or last yeara full-length portrait of
, , Sir G . Bowyer , M . P .. in the robes of the prior of the Knights of Malta . Still grander monument of the order , and in closer connection with our present subject , is the round church of Little Maplestead , in Essex , the most perfect of all the crusadic churches in England , and ivhich , by the cruel irony of timethough still a parish churchhas passed from the
, , patronage of the world-known and dashing Hospitallers into that of an obscure and feeble sect of Sabbatarians . Founded within a few years of the same time ( 1118 ) was the order of the Knights Templar , who woro of a more exclusively military character , and effected no deeds bufc deeds of arms . Nevertheless , the rule of discipline was
strict , and after St . Bernards s rule . They took their name from a palace adjoining the Temple at Jerusalem , which was appropriated to their use hy Baldwing I . Their dress was a tunic of chain-mail , with a long white cloak , on which a red cross was subsequently engrafted , and became their well-known badge . They came to England in Stephen ' s reign , and first settled in
Holborn , whence they removed to fche sice nearer fche Thames , which , though the arms have yielded to the gown , and the long Avhite cloak of the soldier to the long black robe of the lawyer , still retain the name of the " Temple ; " and rejoices in that round Temple Church , which exhibited almost the first noble , though still imperfect , example of the spirit of church restoration which has since so widely spread . The
pride and haughtiness of this order brought it to an early fall , and though the name of the Templar is more popularly known than that of the Hospitaller , the existence of the former society was of far shorter duration , tho Templars having been , with great severity and cruelty , suppressed in the fourteenth century , and their lands passed over to their more fortunate rivals . Of their domains , of which the Hospitallers took possession , I may name as places probably
familiar to most of you , Temple Breuern , in Lincolnshire ( described in the volume of our Architectural reports for 1858 . ) Temple Baishall , in Warwickshire , and Rothley Temple , in Leicestershire . I do not find that they were ever established in Northamptonshire , but I am told to-day that they had possessions at Hardivick . The ground-plan of tho Temple Church is the least elegant
of all that remains , the round being smaller in proportion to the rest of the building , aud forming rather a vestibule than the chief feature of the church . It differs from our own church in having twelve instead of ei ght piers , and so far has closer resemblance to the plan of the original . In its triple arches , opening from the rotunda into the chancel , it folloAVs its Northampton sister .
We have , thou , the round church of the Temple built by tlie Knights Templars , the round church of Maplestead by tlio other great society of the Hospitallers , ivhilo in the other two round churches , of Cambridge and of Northampton , can be traced no connection with either order ; bufc they sprang , iu ali likelihood , from the unaided bounty of individual benefactors ; that of Cambridge from sonic unknown pilgrim or crusader , whose name has perished , though bis good work remains ; that-of our own town , from
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Round Churches.
that the entrance door from the street on the western side opened into the triforium of the interior . The piers of the rotunda are in part circular ( as ours are ) , in part square -. the arches in this part were round ; though traces of a pointed arcade , the work of the Crusaders , still remain in the choir and eastern apse , and a pointed arch doorway at one of tho entrances . How this church grew up from the
simple tomb hewn in the native rock to the present uncouth conglomeration through ages of persecution and superstition , of good faith and of bad faith—how infidels desolated and defiled it — how emperors and patriarchs restored and sophisticated it—how Mahomedans and Christians fought over it—and Christians , one with another—how legends and traditions obscured its genuine history—and rival churches
and sects overwhelmed its primitive form—till the great fire in 1808 left little but fragments of the old walls remaining—ivould form a singular and instructive history , but one far too long to be even sketched in here . To us , its interest becomes greatest when , towards the close of tbe eleventh century , Europe was roused , by the preaching of Peter the Hermitinto fchat military and reliious frenzy
, g which resulted in the Crusades . It was from this crusading spirit of mingled faith and glory , which took tho cross-formed sword-hilt as tho symbol of its creed , that the great- military monastic orders which are so intimately connected with our round churches sprang up . The earliest ivas that of tho " Brethren of the HolTrinity" bufc far conspicuous above this and several
y , smaller societies were the two great orders , often confounded , but strictly distinct and often antagonistic — 1 . " The Knights of St . John of Jerusalem ; " and 2 . " The Knights Templar . " The Knights of St . John were so named , in the first instance , from their patron saint , John the Patriarch , and
they wore called also Hospitallers , from their early connection with fche hospital , or hostel , or hotel ( for it is the same word ) , attached to the St . Sepulchre at Jerusalem , for the reception of pilgrims to the sacred places . Originally thej" were Brethren of Mercy attending on the sick , the poor , and tho stranger , and rendering them tho offices of hospitality and charity . But about tho year 1113 , when '
the disturbed state of the Holy Land drovethem from these works of peace and love , the lay members of the society drafted themselves of ? into a new order , under the name and guardianship of St . John the Baptist , taking the three vows of poverty , chastity , and obedience , and making tho defence of the holy places and their visitors the main object of their union . These Knights Hospitallers of St . John , being first
called of Jerusalem , were afterwards known from their possessions and change of domicile , successively as Knights of Cyprus , of Rhodes , and of Malta , at which last place many vast buildings and unedited records yet remain . Their dross AA'as a black cloak , with white cross , in contradistinction to that of the Templars , which was white , with a red cross . They became exceedingly poiverful and numerous in England , and at one time , after they had
acquired the possessions of the dissolved Templars , they had as many as 53 establishments ov " coruiuamleries" ('"' preceptory" was the name assigned to the Templars' houses ) in this kingdom , of which I may mention one—Dingley , in this county , in the collars of whoso modern houses there are yet , I believe , remains of ancient vaulting , as early as tho time of the Knights' proprietorship of the place . Long after their ivas
occupation gone they lingered on , a rich and dreaded body , who might longer have stood their ground , and kept their own , had not the sweeping revolution of Henry the Eighth whirled them along in the wholesale destruction of all kindred societies . HoAvever , they had spirit enough to "die game , " and our native historian , Fuller , speaking of their dissolution , says : — "The suppression of the
Hospitallers descrveth especial notice , because the manner thereof ivas different from tho dissolution of other religious houses , for manfully they stood it out to the last , in despite of several assaults . The Knights Hospitallers ( ii'hose chief mansion was at Cicrkonwell , nigh London ) , being gentlemen and soldiers of ancient families and high spirits , would not be brought to present to Honry VIII . such puling petitions , and public recognitions of their errors , as other orders Lad done . Wherefore , like stout
fellows , they opposed any thafc thought to enrich themselves with their ample revenues , and stood on their own defence and justification , But Barnabas-day itself hath a night , and this long-lived order , which in England wept over " the grave of all others , came at last to its own . " Aud this last grave of its last prior is yet to be found in this county . In the parish church of Rushton ( removed , I believefrom the church
, destroyed , which stood in the last century close to the hall ) , is the beautiful monument of Sir Thos . Tresham , hi his robes of prior of the order of St . John of Jerusalem . Though Henry VIII . suppressed the order , Queen Mary revived it on her attainment to the throne , and appointed Sir Thos . Tresham , well regarded for his adherence to the unreformed faithas the head " and prior
, of the order in England . Ho died shortly after , and this most unique and curious , but little known , monument ( of which I am enabled , by a friend ' s kindness , to exhibit a most faithful drawing ) , remains a singular memorial of the last brief revival of this ancient society ; though I have au indistinct recollection of seeing , ou the walls of the Royal Academyeither this or last yeara full-length portrait of
, , Sir G . Bowyer , M . P .. in the robes of the prior of the Knights of Malta . Still grander monument of the order , and in closer connection with our present subject , is the round church of Little Maplestead , in Essex , the most perfect of all the crusadic churches in England , and ivhich , by the cruel irony of timethough still a parish churchhas passed from the
, , patronage of the world-known and dashing Hospitallers into that of an obscure and feeble sect of Sabbatarians . Founded within a few years of the same time ( 1118 ) was the order of the Knights Templar , who woro of a more exclusively military character , and effected no deeds bufc deeds of arms . Nevertheless , the rule of discipline was
strict , and after St . Bernards s rule . They took their name from a palace adjoining the Temple at Jerusalem , which was appropriated to their use hy Baldwing I . Their dress was a tunic of chain-mail , with a long white cloak , on which a red cross was subsequently engrafted , and became their well-known badge . They came to England in Stephen ' s reign , and first settled in
Holborn , whence they removed to fche sice nearer fche Thames , which , though the arms have yielded to the gown , and the long Avhite cloak of the soldier to the long black robe of the lawyer , still retain the name of the " Temple ; " and rejoices in that round Temple Church , which exhibited almost the first noble , though still imperfect , example of the spirit of church restoration which has since so widely spread . The
pride and haughtiness of this order brought it to an early fall , and though the name of the Templar is more popularly known than that of the Hospitaller , the existence of the former society was of far shorter duration , tho Templars having been , with great severity and cruelty , suppressed in the fourteenth century , and their lands passed over to their more fortunate rivals . Of their domains , of which the Hospitallers took possession , I may name as places probably
familiar to most of you , Temple Breuern , in Lincolnshire ( described in the volume of our Architectural reports for 1858 . ) Temple Baishall , in Warwickshire , and Rothley Temple , in Leicestershire . I do not find that they were ever established in Northamptonshire , but I am told to-day that they had possessions at Hardivick . The ground-plan of tho Temple Church is the least elegant
of all that remains , the round being smaller in proportion to the rest of the building , aud forming rather a vestibule than the chief feature of the church . It differs from our own church in having twelve instead of ei ght piers , and so far has closer resemblance to the plan of the original . In its triple arches , opening from the rotunda into the chancel , it folloAVs its Northampton sister .
We have , thou , the round church of the Temple built by tlie Knights Templars , the round church of Maplestead by tlio other great society of the Hospitallers , ivhilo in the other two round churches , of Cambridge and of Northampton , can be traced no connection with either order ; bufc they sprang , iu ali likelihood , from the unaided bounty of individual benefactors ; that of Cambridge from sonic unknown pilgrim or crusader , whose name has perished , though bis good work remains ; that-of our own town , from