114 Notes on the Heraldry of Salisbury Cathedral. 



builders of Salisbury Cathedral were content to build as well ati 

 they could with the money at their disposal, without calling in the 

 aid of heraldic art as an additional luxury of adornment, a reason 

 which possibly would not weigh with a wealthy community such: 

 as the Abbey of Westminster. But if the building itself is not 

 heraldic, it possesses many great monuments which are. You will 

 scarcely expect me to enumerate all the heraldic monuments in the 

 cathedral. I have not the time to make, nor could I tax your 

 patience so far as to expect you to listen to, a bare enumeration of 

 all the coats of arms in the building. Let me then beg your 

 attention while I speak of six great monuments, belonging respec 

 tively to the thirteenth and five following centuries. 



The first of these is the famous timber altar-tomb supporting the 

 stone effigy of William Longespee, Earl of Salisbury, son of Henry 

 II. and Rosamund Clifford. This monument stands on the " stone 

 bench " between the two easternmost pillars on the south side of 

 the nave, where it was placed by the ingenious Mr. Wyatt after 

 its impious removal by him from the north side of the Lady Chapel 

 during his disastrous "restoration" at the end of the last century. 

 The earl, who died in 1226, is represented in a complete suit of 

 chain mail, carved with extraordinary fidelity, the body being 

 covered from neck to knee with a loose surcoat confined at the 

 waist by a narrow belt, the latter supporting the long sword which 

 gave the earl his surname. On his left arm is the great war shield 

 reaching very nearly from the shoulder to below the knee, charged 

 with the arms of Longespee — Azure, six lioncels rampant or, 3, 

 2, 1. On the shield the charges are carved in relief ; on the 

 surcoat they were simply painted flat. Traces of colour and gilding- 

 are still quite plainly visible on both. 



Let us cross now to the north side of the nave, where, on the 

 plinth in the second bay to the east of the north porch, rests — only 

 temporarily, it is to be hoped — the monument of Sir John Montacute, 

 younger son of William, first Earl of Salisbury of this family, who 

 died in 1390. His tomb, desecrated and placed in its present 

 position by Wyatt, formerly stood on the north side of the Lady 

 Chapel, apparently against the wall, though Grough places it on the 



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