. Cathedrals, abbeys and churches of England and Wales, descriptive, historical, pictorial . but it wasnot actually finished until 1349. The sculptures with which the interioris profusely adorned, though the figures arenow, with one single exception, head-less, have been recently subjected tolearned and intelligent examination,and have been conclusively shownto consist of a series of groups repre-senting the Life and Miracles of theVirgin Mary. In the days of itsglory the whole chapel must havebeen a perfect storehouse of statuaryand elaborate canopies; no part ofthe wall-S23ace was left undec
. Cathedrals, abbeys and churches of England and Wales, descriptive, historical, pictorial . but it wasnot actually finished until 1349. The sculptures with which the interioris profusely adorned, though the figures arenow, with one single exception, head-less, have been recently subjected tolearned and intelligent examination,and have been conclusively shownto consist of a series of groups repre-senting the Life and Miracles of theVirgin Mary. In the days of itsglory the whole chapel must havebeen a perfect storehouse of statuaryand elaborate canopies; no part ofthe wall-S23ace was left undecoratedwith diapering, executed in the mostbrilliant colours or carved in the stone itself. Every true lover of art must wishto see this English Sainte Chapelle reverently restored to its pristine beauty. The dissolution of the abbey in 1531 fell gently upon Ely. When theprior became dean, and when eight canons, three of whom had been monks,were established in houses of residence near the church; when eight minorcanons, six of whom had been monks, with eight singing-men, eight choristers,. THE WEST DOOR,INTERIOR. OVIN S CROSS. Ely.] RUIN AND RESTORATfON. 197 and the masters of a school for twenty-four poor boys of ]01}, were lodood inthe old monastic buildings, the change, however important in itself, must liavebeen little more than nominal to those on the an end had come to the care and devotionlavished on the cathedral. Bishop Goodrich (1534:—1554), the last episcopal Lord Chancellor, andBishop Cox (1559—1581) were resolute promotersof the Reformation, and cared little for the relics ofthe past. It was during the episcopate of Goodrich,and by his order, that the sculptured groups in theLady Chapel, and in other parts of the church, weredefaced. The Lady Chapel was handed over in thereign of Elizabeth to the parish of the Holy Trinityin Ely as its church, with the usual results. TheParliamentary Survey in 1649, signed Mr. Crom-well, condemned to destruction manv of
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectchurcharchitecture
