112 THE DOVER ROAD 



nothing less than a pilgrimage to Jerusalem would 

 serve his purpose. However, he never reached the 

 Holy City ; for, having arrived at Rochester in 1201, 

 and having contributed magnificently to the shrines 

 there, he was murdered by his guide while journeying 

 hence to Canterbury. At least, so runs the story, 

 but I believe the monks themselves did the deed. 

 They were exceedingly poor, having by some 

 unexplained excesses squandered the wealth which the 

 once highly venerated bones of Saint Paulinus had 

 brought them, and they had already melted down 

 the silver shrine of that Saint to pay their way withal. 

 The competition of Canterbury, too, was killing, and 

 the fame of Paulinus paled before that of Becket ; and 

 so they probably conceived the idea of murdering the 

 rich pilgrim in order to obtain at once a remunerative 

 martyr of their own, and to i3ut themselves in funds 

 with the wealth he carried about with him. If the 

 Dean and Chapter of Rochester could in after years 

 wilfully api3ropriate to their own uses an annual income 

 of several thousands of pounds intended for educational 

 purposes, and become thus common thieves and 

 peculators, what scruples could be supjDOsed to hinder 

 the monks of the dark ages from becoming murderers ? 



The south-east transept has a curious mural monu- 

 ment to Richard Watts ; with a coloured and very 

 life-like portrait-bust " starting out of it like a ship's 

 figure-head," and underneath is a brass to the memory 

 of Charles Dickens. On the eastern wall is a medallion 

 profile of Joseph Maas, the singer, vulgar and 

 amateurish beyond the power of words to tell. 



Rochester Cathedral is not rich in decorative 

 carvings, but its two enriched doorways are famous. 

 One is the beautiful Norman west door, of five receding 

 arches, carved over with a profusion of characteristic 

 Norman scrolls ; interlacing patterns ; semi-human 

 and half -supernatural figures of appalling build and 

 ferocious expression ; and flanked by two statues 

 supposed to represent Henry the First and Queen 



