108 THE DOVER ROAD 



their licences merely for the love of licensed victualling, 

 while the " commercials " still travel the roads for 

 old acquaintance's sake rather than for any business 

 that may be doing. How disinterested of them ! 



XXII 



I NOTICE that there is a great tendency among those 

 who have to describe Rochester Cathedral to dismiss it 

 with the remarks that it is quite small, and that it 

 was " restored " in 1825 and 1875. These, of course, 

 are the merest ineptitudes of criticism, and if we allowed 

 praise or censure to be awarded according to the bulk, 

 then that hideous elephantine conventicle, Jezreel's 

 Temple, on the summit of Chatham Hill, would easily 

 bear away the bell. 



But size has little to do with a right appreciation 

 of architecture. Chasteness of proportion, the degree 

 of artistry shown alike in details and in the execution 

 of the whole, are the sole considerations that shall 

 weigh with those who take any sort of an intelligent 

 interest in the architecture of cathedrals ; and the 

 admiration of a thing that " licks creation " in the 

 matter of measurement is senseless if it is not wedded 

 to a proper perception of the justness of the parts that 

 go to make its bulk. 



The Cathedral of Saint Andrew at Rochester is at 

 least equally interesting with that of Canterbury ; 

 and that this should be so is only natural, for one is 

 the complement of the other. Canterbury was the 

 earliest Cathedral in England ; the See of Rochester 

 was established immediately afterwards, and was for 

 many years not only intimately associated with that 

 great metropolitan church, but was actually dependent 

 upon it. Then, the early Norman Archbishops and 

 Priors of Canterbury and the Bishops and Priors of 

 Rochester were often intimate personal friends who 



