The Cathedral Church of Canterbury | Page 2

of the Monks' Infirmary 37 Ruins of the Monks' Infirmary 38
The Baptistery Tower 39 Turret of South-West Transept 41 The
Cloisters 43 Norman Staircase in the Close 45 Details of the Norman
Staircase in the Close 46 Details of Ornament 47 Old Painting, "The
Murder of St. Thomas à Becket" 51 The Shrine of St. Thomas à Becket
(from the Cottonian MS.) 52 Capitals of Columns in the Eastern Apse
54 The Choir--looking East 59 Do. before Restoration 62 A Miserere in
the Choir 65 Some Mosaics from the Floor of Trinity Chapel 73 The
Black Prince's Tomb 77 Shield, Coat, etc., of the Black Prince 80 West
Gate 81 Trinity Chapel, looking into Corona, "Becket's Crown" 88
Chair of St. Augustine 89 Transept of "The Martyrdom" 92 Part of
South-Western Transept 94 The Crypt 97 Do. St. Gabriel's Chapel 100
Do. Cardinal Morton's Monument 101 Plans of Cathedral at three
periods 130
* * * * *
[Illustration: THE CATHEDRAL FROM THE NORTH (FROM A
PHOTOGRAPH BY CARL NORMAN AND CO.).]

CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL.
CHAPTER I.
THE HISTORY OF THE BUILDING.
More than four hundred years passed by between the beginning of the
building of this cathedral by Archbishop Lanfranc (1070-1089) and its
completion, by the addition of the great central tower, at the end of the
fifteenth century. But before tracing the history of the construction of
the present well-known fabric, a few words will not be out of place
concerning the church which preceded it on the same site. A British or
Roman church, said to have been built by a certain mythical King
Lucius, was given to St. Augustine by Ethelbert in A.D. 597. It was

designed, broadly speaking, on the plan of the old Basilica of St. Peter
at Rome, but as to the latest date of any alterations, which may or may
not have been made by Augustine and his immediate successors, we
have no accurate information. It is, however, definitely stated that
Archbishop Odo, who held the see from A.D. 942-959, raised the walls
and rebuilt the roof. In the course of these alterations the church was
roofless for three years, and we are told that no rain fell within the
precincts during this time. In A.D. 1011 Canterbury was pillaged by the
Danes, who carried off Archbishop Alphege to Greenwich, butchered
the monks, and did much damage to the church. The building was,
however, restored by Canute, who made further atonement by hanging
up his crown within its walls, and bringing back the body of Alphege,
who had been martyred by the Danes. In the year 1067 the storms of
the Norman Conquest overwhelmed St. Augustine's church, which was
completely destroyed by fire, together with many royal deeds of
privilege and papal bulls, and other valuable documents.
A description of the church thus destroyed is given by Prof. Willis, who
quotes all the ancient writers who mention it. The chief authority is
Eadmer, who was a boy at the monastery school when the Saxon
church was pulled down, and was afterwards a monk and "singer" in
the cathedral. It is he who tells us that it was arranged in some parts in
imitation of the church of St. Peter at Rome. Odo had translated the
body of Wilfrid, Archbishop of York, from Ripon to Canterbury, and
had "worthily placed it in a more lofty receptacle, to use his own words,
that is to say, in the great Altar which was constructed of rough stones
and mortar, close to the wall at the eastern part of the presbytery.
Afterwards another altar was placed at a convenient distance before the
aforesaid altar.... In this altar the blessed Elphege had solemnly
deposited the head of St. Swithin ... and also many relics of other saints.
To reach these altars, a certain crypt which the Romans call a
Confessionary had to be ascended by means of several steps from the
choir of the singers. This crypt was fabricated beneath in the likeness of
the confessionary of St. Peter, the vault of which was raised so high
that the part above could only be reached by many steps." The
resting-place of St. Dunstan was separated from the crypt itself by a
strong wall, for that most holy father was interred before the aforesaid

steps at a great depth in the ground, and at the head of the saint stood
the matutinal altar. Thence the choir of the singers was extended
westward into the body of the church.... In the next place, beyond the
middle of the length of the body there were two towers which projected
beyond the aisles of the church. The south tower had an altar in the
midst of it, which was dedicated in honour of the blessed Pope
Gregory.... Opposite to this tower and