Part 10 (1/2)

Till the twenty-seventh year of the reign of Henry VIII. the royal franchise of Ely, in several statutes, was recognised as the county palatine of Ely. Henry, by Act of Parliament, remodelled the privileges, and ordered the justices of oyer and terminer, and gaol delivery, and justices of the peace for the Isle of Ely, to be appointed by letters patent under the Great Seal. The dissolution of the monasteries also was the means of converting the conventual church into a cathedral--much more appropriate to the dignity of the Bishop, whose t.i.tle had been granted, as we have seen, by Henry I. in 1107. This ecclesiastical building, first a conventual and then a cathedral church, was commenced in 1081, and entirely completed in 1534. The dedication to St. Peter and St. Ethelreda was changed to ”The Holy Trinity.”

It is a magnificent cruciform structure, displaying the many changes that took place in ecclesiastical architecture from the early years of the Norman Conquest down to the latest period of English style.

The main feature is the extraordinary variety of arches built according to successive styles. Though this peculiar treatment suggests an unfinished appearance, it cannot rob the church of its wonderful beauty.

There is a departure from the general plan of other cathedrals. The nave is continued through an extended range of twelve arches. It belongs to the Late Norman period, and its completion probably dates from about the middle of the twelfth century. From 1174 to 1189 the western tower and the transepts were built by Bishop Ridall. Bishop Eustace, between 1198 and 1215, erected the Galilee or western porch, a n.o.ble Early English structure. Much at the same time a curious coincident is noticeable.

Bishop Pudsey was busy at Durham building the Galilee or Western Chapel, which is such a n.o.ble adjunct to that city's cathedral.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ELY

FROM THE FENS]

Ely's choir was originally Early Norman, and terminated in an apse.

Unfortunately this Norman apse was destroyed. In restoration the church was extended eastward by six more arches under the guidance of Bishop Northwold, about the middle of the thirteenth century. His addition is Early English. The carving is very rich and elaborate.

While Bishop Hotham was engaged upon the building of the Lady Chapel, the Norman tower erected by Abbot Simeon tumbled down in 1321. Hotham immediately replaced it by an enlarged octagonal subst.i.tution. On it he placed a lofty lantern of wood, a rich ornament and in good keeping with the rest of the holy edifice. Though this prelate deserves every recognition, yet we are much more indebted to Alan of Walsingham, who designed the Lady Chapel and the octagonal tower and lantern so ably carried out by Hotham. Alan had also made his influence felt in the choir-bays of this same cathedral, where he has so cleverly preserved and combined the old Early English elegance of proportion with richness of detail. Under the superintendence of Sir G. B. Scott the fabric has been extensively restored.

Attached to the Cathedral is the church of Holy Trinity; it was formerly the Lady Chapel of the Cathedral. It was commenced in the reign of Edward II., and is one of the most perfect buildings of that age.

Another handsome church is that dedicated to St. Mary, and is partly Norman and partly Early English in character.

At the Grammar School, founded by Henry VIII., Jeremiah Bentham, the celebrated political writer, received the rudiments of his education.

The Sessions House, the new Corn Exchange, and Mechanics' Inst.i.tute are other notable features of Ely.

An historic relic, now preserved at Trinity College, Cambridge, is the ”Ely Book.” It cannot be pa.s.sed over without a word. On a page are portrayed Ethelwold and King Edgar, but its chief importance is the record of instructions received by the commissioners to supply details and valuation of property for the ”Doomsday Book.” The inquiries and answers indicate that England had already been divided up into manors, and furnish besides a variety of most interesting information.

Another incident in the history of Ely, if not of great importance to the city, is nevertheless an interesting insight of the respective position of the Church and State soon after the dissolution.

In the good days of Queen Bess, the Bishop of Ely received a royal rebuke.

In the great struggle between the Protestants, or anti-papal world, and the Catholic reaction, there was little leisure for the clergy to air their grievances. They were compelled to submit to the will of the Queen and her counsellor Cecil, from whom Archbishop Parker of Canterbury received his cue for the government of the Church. Though he enjoyed the personal confidence of Elizabeth beyond any other ecclesiastic of the time, his complaints were unavailing. The supremacy of the lay power over the ecclesiastical was too thoroughly accomplished to allow of the Church to exist apart in the early years of Elizabeth's reign. The Bishop of Ely, for expressing unwillingness to hand over the gardens of Ely house to Sir Christopher Hatton, received a characteristic warning, couched in elegant language, for his temerity.

”By G.o.d, I will unfrock you!” was the Queen's gracious answer to the daring prelate, if he did not mend his ways.

Through the cultivation of its fertile soil by market-gardeners, Ely offers its produce to the London market.

A considerable factory for earthenware and tobacco-pipes, and numerous mills for the preparation of oil from flax, hemp, and cole-seed, help to furnish the trade resources of this historical town, which is situated on the river Ouse, in Cambridges.h.i.+re, and just sixteen miles from the celebrated University of Cambridge.

Gloucester

Glowecestre.

”Doomsday Book.”

To the long list of ”cesters,” the Anglicised form of the Latin ”Castra”

(camp), must be added Gloucester, famous in more respects than one; the city where Henry I. died from a surfeit of lampreys, where Henry II.

held a great council in 1175, where the coronation of Henry III. in its abbey took place; the city which the same monarch ”loved better than London,” the city extolled by Bede as one of the n.o.blest in the land.

Prior to the Roman invasion it is held to have been of considerable importance, and to have originated from the settlement of a tribe of Britons, called the Dobuni. This tribe, with that of the Cornavii, also controlled about the same time the destinies of Worcester, now renowned for its beautiful china. By the Dobuni the city was called Cr Glou, either out of compliment to its founder Glowi, a native, with the meaning, ”the city of Glowi,” or because the same British words, according to another interpretation and its reputation, can be rendered ”the fair city.” In the year 47 this stronghold pa.s.sed into the Roman possession, under Aulus Plautius, and according to Richard of Cirencester, a colony was established. This he styles Glebon, whilst the ”Itinerary” of Antonine and other ancient records enter it as Glevum Colonia.

An interesting account upon the Roman cla.s.sification of towns in England discloses a very important particular. It adds considerable weight to the description of the city by the authors just quoted. Their statements that Gloucester was cla.s.sified as a colony called Glevum seemed to be borne out by a tombstone found at Rome. It purports to be in memory of a citizen of Glevum. This has given rise to the supposition that ”Glevum”

was the honourable t.i.tle bestowed upon an English town of importance made a ”colony” by Nerva. This period would be between 96 and 98 A.D.