ROCHESTER. 



and on being rruitrated in their refiftance, they haftened the 

 interment, that it might take place before the interdict 

 which the nation then lay under was removed. This prelate 

 rebuilt the bifhop's palace, which had been burnt down by 

 the fire above noticed ; and alfo eredted a cloifter of ftone 

 for the monks : but the re-edification of the cathedral made 

 very flow progrels, as we find it remained unfinished till the 

 year 1240, when Richard de Wendover held the bifhopric. 

 He had been clefted to the fee by the monks, in oppofition 

 to the claims of patronage maintained by Edmund, arch- 

 bifhop of Canterbury, who appealed on the fubjeft to the 

 court of Rome, but without fuccefs. On his death, in 

 1 250, Laurence de St. Martin was advanced to the epifcopal 

 dignity, and held it till 1274, when he died, and gave 

 place to Walter de Merton, to whom his country is indebted 

 for the foundation of Merton college, at Oxford, which :s 

 eonfidered to be the " firlt literary community in this kingdom 

 that had the fanction of a royal charter." His immediate 

 fucceffors were, John de Bradiield, who died in 1283 ; Tho- 

 mas de Ingelthorpe, who died in 1291 ; and Thomas de 

 Woldham, who died in 1316. On the deceafe of the lat- 

 ter, Hamo de Hethe obtained the bifhopric. He was a 

 rery active prelate, and conferred confiderable benefits on 

 the priory and the church. His fucceffor was John de 

 Shepey, who had been a monk in the priory, and was a man 

 of great learning and abilities. Some fermons attributed to 

 him are ftill extant in New college, Oxford, and there are in 

 the king's library two MSS. of his on legal fuhjedts. He 

 died in 1360, when William Wittelley was confecrated 

 bifhop, but was foon afterwards tranflated to the fee of 

 Worceftcr. Thomas Trilleck next obtained the bifhopric, 

 and after him Thomas Brinton, confeflor to king Richard II. 

 and the fifty-firft bifhop of this fee. Richard Young, the 

 third in fuccefiion after him, met with great difficulties in 

 obtaining poffefiion of his bilhopric, owing to the death, 

 firlt of pope Boniface, by whofe mandate he was tranflated 

 from Bangor, and afterwards of his fucceflor, pope Inno- 

 cent. At length, however, he was inftalled, in May 1407, 

 and held the fee till 1418, when he was removed by death, 

 and was fucceeded by John Kemp, who fubfequently became 

 bifhop of Chichefter and of London, and archbifhop of 

 York and of Canterbury. His fucceffor was the learned 

 John Langdon, who was diltinguifhed for his extenfive 

 knowledge of hiftory and antiquities, and was author of a 

 chronicle of England. On his death, which happened in 

 J434, while he was attending the council at Bafil on the 

 part of Henry VI., Thomas Brown, D.D. was elected to 

 the vacant fee. John Lowe, the fifty-ninth bifhop, was 

 provincial of the order of Auguftine friars. He held the 

 bifhopric twenty-three years, and is fuppofed to have re- 

 built the palace at Rochefter. He died in 1467, and was 

 fucceeded by Thomas de Rotherham, fubfequently bifhop 

 of Lincoln, lord chancellor, and archbifhop of York. The 

 next bifhop of note was the unfortunate John Fifher, who was 

 beheaded in 1535, by order of Henry VIII. for maintain- 

 ing the fupremacy of the pope in ecclefiaftical affairs. His 

 fucceffor was John Hilfey, D.D. a controvexfial writer of 

 confiderable eminence, who died in 1538. Two years after* 

 ■wards, the priory here was furrendered to the king ; and in 

 1542 anew foundation charter was granted, by which a col- 

 legiate body was eftablilhed in the church, to confift of a 

 •• dean, fix prebendaries, fix minor canons, a deacon and 

 fub-deacon, fix lay clerks, a mailer of the cheriiters, eight 

 chorifters, one grammar matter, twenty fcholars, two fub- 

 facrifts, and fix poor bedefmen," bcfides inferior officers. In 

 the new eftablifhnjent, Walter Phillips, the prior of the late 

 convent, was mads firft dean of the cathedral , and Nicholas 



Heath, D.D. was the firft reformed bifhop of the fee 

 From his time to the prefent period, twenty-five bifhops have 

 been advanced to the epifcopal dignity of Rochefter, among 

 whom the moil: noted were the pious Ridley, who fuffered 

 along with bifhop Latimer at Oxford ; Francis Atterbury. 

 who was exiled for treafonable correfpondence in 1723 ; and 

 the late bifhop Horfley, one of the mod erudite divines 

 the church of England can boaft of. 



The fituation of Rochefter cathedral is at a fhort diftance 

 fouth from the High-ftreet, and ealt from the caftle. It is 

 of a cruciform fhape, and is divided into a nave, aides, two 

 tranfepts, and a choir, with a low tower and fpire rifing at 

 the interaction of the nave and great tranfept. This edifice 

 evidently appears, from the different ityles of its architec- 

 ture, to have been the work of different eras. The chief 

 part of the nave and weft front dilplay themaffive character 

 of the early Norman age. The weft entrance is particu- 

 larly deferving of attention, and muft have been, when en- 

 tire, a molt magnificent piece of workmanfhip. The arch 

 which forms this entrance is femi-cireular ; and is fup- 

 ported on each fide by feveral columns, two of which are 

 cut into itatues, reprefenting king Henry I. and his queen 

 Matilda, the patrons of the founder, bifhop Gundulph. 

 The capitals of all the columns are compofed of wreathed 

 foliage, mixed with the heads of bird;, and other animals. 

 The lintel of the door, immediately under the arch, exhibits 

 a figure, probably defigned to reprelent the Saviour, 

 attended by angels, and the attributes of the four evan- 

 geliits. The mouldings of the arch, and the tranfom- 

 ftone, are charged with varied fculpture. The remaining 

 parts of the cathedral are comparatively plain in their 

 exterior. Entering the nave by the weftern door, the 

 maffive Norman ftyle is confpicuous in the firft five co- 

 lumns, and half of the fixth, on each fide, all of them fup- 

 porting circular arches, decorated with zigzag mouldings, 

 above which is a feries of fmaller arches, having over them 

 arches, correfponding, both in fize and ornament, with 

 the larger ones beneath. Still higher are two ranges of 

 obtufe-pointed windows, each divided into three lights. 

 The roof is of timber, with knees fupported on corbels, the 

 fronts of which are carved into figures of angels fuftaining 

 fhields, on which are painted the arms of the city, the fee, 

 and the priory of Rochefter, as well as thofe of the arch- 

 bilhopric and cathedral of Canterbury. The weft wall ap- 

 pears to have been divided into ranges of niches, fome of 

 them crowned with arches, having plain and billetted mould- 

 ings, fupported on fmall three-quarter columns, with fluted 

 capitals : others, having neither pillar nor capital, are deco- 

 rated with zigzag mouldings, continued down the fides of 

 the recefs. The alterations made in Gundulph's defign by 

 the introduction of the prefent welt window, are clearly to 

 be feen in the abrupt termination of the different ranges of 

 thefe niches, fome of them having been cut through the 

 centre. The two eafternmoft. arches of the nave, on each 

 fide, exhibit a very different ftyle of architecture to the 

 preceding ; thefe being in the pointed ftyle, with deep 

 • rooved mouldings, rifing from clutters of flender columns. 

 The great tower is fupported by four obtufely-pointed 

 arches, refting on .pieces of folid mafonry, which are en- 

 vironed by flender columns of Petworth marble. The welt 

 tranfept is in the pointed ftyle ; but, from having been erefted 

 at different periods, the architecture is fomewhat diflimilar. 

 Ib the upper part of the north end is a triforium, behind 

 which are lancet windows, each having a fcreen in front, di- 

 vided into three arches of unequal height ; the vaulting is 

 of ftone, groined, with a plain grooved moulding : feveral 

 of the lefler pillars and imports of arcbes are fupported by 



corbel 



