A curious and somewhat detailed account is given by the Aleenk or of the construction of the church at 1:am sey existing previously to the one dedicated in his time. lle says. "it was raised on a solid in by the batterhw-rani, and had two towers above the roofs: the lesser was itt front at the west end ; the greater, at the inter section of the four parts of the building. rested on four colutims, connected together by arches carried front one to the Ile further adds, that this church was oblidda•d to be pulled down, and a new one erected in its stead, in consegolence of a Settletuent in the central tower. which ren dered the entire Intildilltf, Unsafc,—That this church was of stone can scarcely be doubted, after perusing the above narrative; but we have direct and explicit mention of the tact, for the same author. in describing the labours of the workmen. Some brought the stone's. others made the cement. while others attended to the machines for raising the stones; so that in a short time was seen the sacred two where previously there had been dint a barren waste." A curious representation of an Anglo-Saxon church is to be seen in :in Illuminated Pontifical in the Public Library at llonen. eontaininri the order for the dedication and con secration of chums lies; the date of which is by sortie to the eighth, and by others to the tenth, century ; that the manuscript is of English origin has never been doubted. This miniature in black outline represents the ceremony of dedication. form of the church is remarkably similar to that of our existing cathedrals, which is more especially noticeable in the form of the towers and spires, the symbol ical cock on the steeple, and the ornamental hinges of the door.
\N'e arc here naturally led into some inquiry respecting the matenials, form. and disposition of these early cathedrals. The materials employed by the Anglo-Saxons seem to have been wood and stone, hut during what time either material eannot easily be determined ; whether they were both t such at the same period. under different cireumstances, or win:eller at any point of time the one was superseded by the either, we are unable to learn. It has been supposed, with some plausibility, that wooden churches were erected Scotch and Irish missionaries, and the substan tial fabri is by those from and this idea seems to be leunte out by Bede. who states that Adrian, the first bishop Lindisthrne, having departed this life, Milan, sent and ordained by the Scots. succeeded hits, and built a church in the island after the method of the Scots; which was built not or stone, but or hewn oak, and covered with reeds." This writer adds, that " Eadleert, the seventh bishop, tuck OW the thatch, and covered both the walls and roof with leach.'' It seems Very reasonable likewise that the 'Roman mission aries. who had been used to the structures of Italy, should not feel satisfied with mere 'wooden It is it seems tee be noted as somewhat unusual, that A•ilfrid built a church at IZipon of polished stone, yet the novelty may not have •enisisted in the erection being of stone. but rather
in the finit of the store. being smoothed or polished ; fon it is probable that the first buildings, alter the Roman man ner, we're of rough undressed stone, there being neither time, means, nor workmen to complete a more finished structure. It is very probable that. AVilfriebs church was built ley Italian workmen, as we know that he had f'requente'd and was :t inan too zealous in promoting the temporal splendour of the church. tee allow ativ opportilloitV of Ihr w a RI ing his object to slip past ainiinproveei. There can lee little doubt but that in processOf thole the eloployMent Of stone entirely superseded that of tilloben.
ilteOlisiolorable notion is its of the form and disposition of the parts of the early ea:Inalrals„ art account already referred to—we' that of the church at Nanisey. From this description e • that the plan of the church leas cruciform. with a tower rising from the interseetion, and another at the west did of the chiliad'.
We learn. from Wolstan, that their. was a tower at the west cite! of the old church. at \Vine , • stet.. but that in the new structure the tower was towards eastern extremity, and of the last it is related that it consisted of five iu each of which were four windows looking towards the cardinal points.
Further, in the miniature of the 111.uninated Pontifical above described, we notice that the tower is surmounted by at steeple, a fact \\illicit, were it not for , would almost tempt its to refer the mai uscript tee a much later date, us we know that such additions were not eery f•eoltient, even in the eerie ; indeed, the idea ot' Saxon cathedral afforded its by these descriptions, approaches very nearly tee actual existing sidecimens of cinch later date. We must not colicIllde from these accounts that all of this elate were cruciform. we learn the from I;ede, who speaks of churches as solitary; some have sup posed that Natilsey Wit: the first instance of a erncitinim edifice, lent this was not the ease, as is e\ inewd by a metrical description of a cathedral. written long befewe its erection.
l laying thils:1;tr considered the nature of the Saxon eatho drals, we arrive at the Nonum era, dining which a great number were erected ; but as we have no lack of existing examples of this period, we he not think it requisite to pur sue a detailed inquiry any further : we shall now proceed to some description of the eat hedrals of the present day.
The term l'athedral includes generally the whole or the buildings connected with the bisheep's see, including the church, chapter-house. chapels, cloisters, dormitories, refee• tories, residences tor those eliga'wel in attendance 011 the bishop, and in the services ()I' the cathedral. and buildings for a variety or uses: it is applied, however, in a more espeeial sense, only tee the church, and tee such application we shall confine ourselves in the following remarks.