The cathedral church of Wells : a description of its fabric and a brief history of the Episcopal see. With 46 illus.

  • Dearmer, Percy, 1867-1936.
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The cathedral church of Wells : a description of its fabric and a brief history of the Episcopal see. With 46 illus. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    ness. (An angel appearing from the clouds, broken off since 1862. The fragment is 80. now in No. 72). 72. Figures in critical attitudes. Perhaps the Sermon on the Mount. Empty. 73. Christ in the Wilderness, prob- Si. ably. 74- Figures in intent attitudes. Perhaps the Mission of the Apostles. 75. Five figures sealed at a table. Perhaps the Anointing of Christ's feet. 76. Figure on a Mount surrounded 82. by many figures. Perhaps the 83. Feedingofthe Five Thousand. North side of Tower. 84. 77. Christ, sitting, with other figures. Perhaps the Feeding S5. of the Four Thousand. 78. The Transfiguration.* A fine composition, two of the S6. Apostles crouching in the foreground. S7. 79. The Entry into Jerusalem. Under the city gate two men strew clothes and branches: from the walls and tower many people are looking. The Betrayal. Chief priest with mitred head-dress in centre : winged devil holds up the train of right figure. On left a figure holds open a money-box. The Last Supper. * The Virgin kneels to receive the Com- munion from her Son : St. John's head rests on His bosom. The drapery is very fine. Underneath are a bottle and a basket. Empty. Christ before Pilate. Christ bearing the Cross. Muti- lated. The Elevation of the Cross. Much mutilated. The Deposition. Much muti- lated. Empty. The Resurrection. An angel on either side, guards below. Pentecost : the Birthday of Holy Church. A dignified group of figures. Fourth and Fifth Tiers.—The fourth and fifth tiers contained at least 120 figures (about a dozen of which are gone), varying in height from 7 ft. 10 in. to S ft. 1 in., a few running as high as 8 ft. 10 in. They no doubt represent the kings, bishops, and heroes of English history from Egbert to Henry II. Cockerell was probably right in his general interpretation of the series, but it is easy to prove that he is wrong in many of the names he gives. It is not so easy to suggest any better, and therefore his names have stuck to the figures, since people naturally like to know them by something more interesting than a number. I shall therefore adopt his nomenclature, with the admission that equally good grounds could be given in almost every case for some other theory. Besides Mr Ferrey's account (Inst. Brit. Arch., 1870), quoted in inverted commas, Cockerell's descriptions, inaccurate as they are, have been con- sulted, and also Mr Planches criticism of Cockerell. The word Buttress means that the figure (generally a sitting one) is on the west face of the buttress in question. Bishops (Bp. ), unless otherwise stated, wear the usual vestments—mitre, chasuble, dalmatic, tunicle, stole, maniple, alb, and apparelled an-.ice. Kings (K.) and Queens ( Q.) wear crowns. A favourite attitude is described as holding cord ; this cord being the lace or cord of the mantle, which crossed the