wall. It happened again, some time after, that the same village and church were burnt down the second time, and even then the fire could not touch that post; and when in a most miraculous manner the fire broke through the very holes in it wherewith it was fixed to the building, and destroyed the church, yet it could do no hurt to the said post. The church being therefore built there the third time, they did not as before place that post on the outside as a support, but within, as a memorial of the miracle." Bede, Hist. Ecel., lib. iii. c. 17. 652. St. Finan built a church in the isle of Lindisfarne. Nevertheless, after the manner of the Scots, he made it not of stone, but of hewn oak, and covered it with reeds." Eadbert, afterwards bishop of that place, "took off the thatch, and covered it, both roof and walls, with plates of lead." Bede, Hist. Eccl., lib. iii. c. 25. 653. St. Cedd "built churches in several places" in Essex. (Bede, Hist. Eccl., lib. iii. c. 22.) The Middle-Saxons converted. Sax. Chron. 654. "Botulf began to build a minster at Ycean-ho." Sax. Chron., Florence. He took for his model the similar buildings which he had seen in France. The nearly contemporary writer of his life (Vit. SS. Bened., sæc. iii. part i. p. 6.) states, Brevi necdum elapso tempore ad instar monasteriorum ubi conversatus fuerat in partibus Galliæ, cœptum opus perfecit. 655. The monastery of Medeshamstede (Peterborough) begun by Penda, king of Mercia. (Sax. Chron.) It was finished in 657. Ibid. Immanissimos itaque lapides in fundamentis cœpit jacere, quales octo paria boum vix unum traherent, quos et nos vidimus, cum esset combustum et destructum ipsum monasterium. Hugo Candidus, p. 4. Hugo lived in the twelfth century. 657. Hilda built the monastery of Streoneshalch, or Whitby. Florence; and Bede, Hist. Eccl., lib. iii. c. 24. 660. Monastery of Gilling founded. 660. Monastery of Lestingau, or Lestingham, near Whitby in Yorkshire, built by St. Cedd. "In the process of time, a church was built of stone in the monastery, in honour of the Mother of God, and his body interred in the same, on the right hand of the altar." (Bede, Hist. Eccl., lib. iii. c. 23.) The present church of Lestingham is a very ancient structure. 662-671. The old cathedral in Brescia. "This church was built by Marquadus and Froardus, two Lombard dukes, father and son, with the assistance of king Grimoaldus. The walls are of stone, and quite plain. Within these is an insulated peristyle of eight piers, bearing round arches, which help to support the dome, in conjunction with the outer circle of the walls. This church offers an instance of the preference of the Lombards for the round form." Gally Knight, Italy, vol. i. Plate 21. 669. The monastery of Reculver built. Sax. Chron. 672-674. Benedict Biscop built the monastery of Wearmouth (Bede, Vita Abb. Wiremuth. et Gerv. ed. Giles, p. 364), and in 680 that of Jarrow. (Ibid., p. 370.) A year after the monastery of Wearmouth had been built, "Benedict crossed the sea into Gaul, and no sooner asked than he obtained and carried back with him masons (comentarios) to build him a stone church in the Roman style, which he had always admired. So much zeal did he shew from his love to St. Peter of Wearmouth, in whose honour he was building it, that within a year from the time of laying the foundation you might see the roof on and the solemnity of the mass celebrated therein. When the work was drawing to completion, he sent messengers to Gaul to fetch makers of glass (that is a tificers), who were at this time unknown in Britain, that they might glaze the windows of his church, as well as those of the cloisters (porticuum) and dining-rooms. This was done, and they came, and not only finished the work required, but taught the English nation their art, which was well adapted for enclosing the lanterns of the church, and for the vessels required for various uses." Benedict then went on his fourth journey to Rome, and on his return "he brought with him pictures of sacred subjects, to adorn the church of St. Peter which he had built; namely, a picture of the Virgin Mary and of the twelve Apostles, with which he intended to encircle the central nave (testudo) on boarding placed from one wall to the other; also some subjects of the gospel history, to adorn the south wall of the church, and others from the Revelation of St. John for the north wall, so that every one who entered the church, even if they could not read, wherever they turned their eyes might have before them the amiable countenance of Christ and his saints, though it were but in a picture, and with watchful minds might reflect on the benefits of our Lord's incarnation; and having before their eyes the perils of the last judgment, might examine their hearts the more strictly on that account." When he had built the second monastery (Jarrow), Benedict made a fifth voyage to Rome, and on his return he "brought with him pictures out of our Lord's history, which he hung round the church of our Lady which he had made in the larger monastery (Monks Wearmouth); and others to adorn St. Paul's church and monastery (Jarrow), ably describing the connection of the Old and New Testament; as, for instance, Isaac bearing the wood for his own sacrifice, and Christ carrying the cross on which He was about to suffer, were placed side by side. Again, the serpent raised up by Moses in the desert was compared with the Son of Man exalted on the cross." (Ibid., p. 366.) This account of Bede is of great importance, because he was an inmate of these monasteries, contemporary with the events he relates, and must have seen almost daily the pictures and ornaments he describes. The present tower of Monks Wearmouth is very rude both in design and workmanship, and evidently of remote antiquity. The church of Jarrow was dedicated in 684, when Ceolfrid was abbot of that monastery under Benedict Biscop: the follow ing inscription is still preserved cut in stone on the church wall, where it was probably placed when the church was rebuilt soon after the Nor man conquest. PDEDICATIO BASILIKAE CEOLFRIDI ABBEIVS DEM Pegge's Sylloge of Q'ECCLES DO AVCTORE Inscriptions, p. 15. The present church of Jarrow CONDITORIS ANNO IIII is of early Norman character, but it D&H.Se appears from the engraving of it in Pegge's Sylloge, that there are rude arches and other remains of an earlier building concealed by the plastering of the walls. Near the church are the ruins of some domestic or monastic buildings of very rude and early character, much resembling the supposed Saxon. The straightlined arch or opening occurs over a door and a window, formed of single stones meeting at an angle in a very rude manner. 673. St. Etheldritha built the monastery of Ely. Bede, Hist. Eccl., lib. iv. c. 19, and Chron. Petriburg., p. 2. 674. The church of York restored by bishop Wilfred. He found the church of York, which had been built of stone by Paulinus in the reign of king Eadwin, in a complete state of ruin-"nam culmina antiquata tecti distillantia, fenestræque apertæ, avibus nidificantibus intro et foras volitantibus, et parietes inculta, omni spurcitia imbrium et avium horribiles manebant." He repaired the supports of the roof, covered it with lead, had the windows glazed, and cleaned and restored the walls-" Primum culmina corrupta tecti renovans, artificiose plumbo puro tegens, per fenestras introitum avium et imbrium vitro prohibuit, per quod tamen intro lumen radiebat: parietes quoque lavans, secundum prophetam, super nivem dealbavit.” Eddius, Vit. Wilfr., chap. 16. For glazing the windows, in all probability he employed the same artificers whom his friend Benedict Biscop had then recently introduced into England. See A.D. 672. Wilfred also built a church at Ripon. It was built from the foundations to the summit of smoothed stone, and supported on various columns and porticoes-"in Rypis basilicam polito lapide a fundamentis in terra usque ad summum ædificatam, variis columnis et porti cibus suffultam in altum erexit et consummavit." (Eddius, Vit. Wilfr., chap. xvii.) Eddius in another place speaks of the horns of the church-" a cornibus basilicæ nostræ Sancto Petro dedicatæ." Ibid., chap. 65. The same bishop built the church of Hexham in honour of St. Andrew the Apostle. “Cujus profunditatem in terra cum domibus mirifice politis lapidibus fundatam, et super terram multiplicem domum, columnis variis et porticibus multis suffultam, mirabilique longitudine et altitudine murorum ornatam, et variis linearum anfractibus viarum, aliquando sursum, aliquando deorsum, per cochleas circumductam non est meæ parvitatis hoc sermone explicare . . . neque ullam domum aliam citra Alpes montes talem ædificatam audivimus.” Eddius, Vit. Wilfr., chap. 22. "Cum ædificantes namque comentarii murorum hujus domus altitudines, quidam juvenis ex servis Dei, de pinna enormis proceritatis elapsus ad terram, deorsum cadens in pavimentum lapideum, illisus cecidit," etc. Eddius, ib. c. 23. Wilfred built another church at Hexham, which he dedicated to the Virgin Mary-" construxerat quondam beatus Wilfridus in eodem vico ecclesiam in honore beatissimæ virginis Mariæ opere rotundo, quam quatuor porticus quatuor respicientes mundi climata ambiebant." It was destroyed by the Danes, and afterwards repaired by a [Saxon] priest. Mirac. S. Wilfr., Act. SS. Bened. sæc. iii. part 1, p. 210. 675. The Mercians converted under their king Wulfhere, who built churches in many places-" multis in locis ecclesias ædificavit." Florence. Ermenildis, daughter of Wulfhere, king of Mercia, built a church at Staines. "Processu vero temporis Ermenildis venustiori opere de lapidibus ecclesiam ibidem fabricari fecit." Vit. Wulf., ap. Leland. Collectan., vol. i. p. 1. 675. The abbey of Malmesbury founded by Eleutherius bishop of Winchester, and Aldhelm appointed abbot. W. Malmesb., de Eccl. Reg. Ang., p. 6. 675-704. BRIXWORTH CHURCH, Northamptonshire, supposed to be founded by Cuthbald, second abbot of Medeshampstead (Peterborough), about this period. This church has been rebuilt of Roman materials at some period antecedent to the twelfth century, and the work is of rude character, but affords no evidence by which any judgment can be formed of the actual date. "Unde factum est ut ex ipso monasterio (Medeshamstedhensi) plura alia sint condita, et de eadem congregatione monachi et abbates constituti, sicut ad Ancarig, quod modo Torneia dicitur, et ad Bricklesuurtha, et ad Bredun, C et ad Wermundeseya, et ad Repingas, et ad Wochingas, et ad plura alia." Hugo Candidus, p. 8. Tower, vol. iii. Plate 38. Arch, vol. iii. Plate 4. Doorway, vol. iii. Plate 30. Window, vol. ii. Plate 147. Window, vol. iii. Plate 39. 676. The abbeys of Chertsey and Barking founded by Erkenwald, bishop of London. (Florence.) 695. The church of S. Frediano of LUCCA, called Basilica Longobardorum, built by order of Bertarith, king of the Lombards, and of Cunipert his son. Mem. Lucch., t. viii. p. 6. 708. Glastonbury restored very sumptuously by king Ina. Chron. Petriburg., p. 3. It took several years to finish the building of the church, which was the same that was standing in the time of Dunstan. A MS. at Oxford (cited in the Monasticon) gives an extravagant account of the munificence of Ina, and says that a “chapel" was made of gold and silver. "Ina rex fecit construere quandam capellam in Glastonia ex auro et argento." The verses given by Pegge (Sylloge, p. 14.) describe the church as having two towers in front. Anglia plaude lubens, mittit tibi Roma salutem, Fulgor apostolicus Glastoniam irradiat. A facie hostili duo propugnacula surgunt; 709. Acca succeeded Wilfred as bishop of Hexham. He much adorned and added to the structure of his church, which is dedicated to St. Andrew the Apostle. For he made it his business, and does so still, to procure relics of the blessed Apostles and martyrs of Christ from all parts, to place them on altars, dividing the same by arches in the walls of the church." Bede, Hist. Eccl., lib. v. c. 20. 710. Naitan, king of the Picts, sent messengers to Ceolfrid abbot of Jarrow; "he also prayed to have architects sent him to build a church in his nation after the Roman manner, promising to dedicate the same in honour of St. Peter," and Ceolfrid "sent the architects he desired." Bede, Hist. Eccl., lib. v. c. 21. 716. The monastery of Croyland founded by Ethelbald, king of the Mercians. Ingulph. Hist., p. 484, ed. Savile, and Chron. Petriburg., p. 5. 718. Cuthburga built the monastery at Winburne. Sax. Chron. |