WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL. THE city of Winchester is situated in a valley watered by the river Itchen, and is surrounded by cultivated downs; as a bishop's see it is of very great antiquity, and having been the metropolis of the West Saxons, the city abounds with objects of historical interest. Here Egbert was crowned king of all England in A.D. 827, by Wighten, bishop of Winchester. One of the greatest benefactors to the Cathedral and the city at this early period was the celebrated Saint Swithin, to whom various miracles have been attributed; according to a very old versification of the lives of the saints Seynt Swithin his bishopricke to al goodnesse drough, The towne also of Wynchestre he amended inough.' Saint Swithin was a native either of this city or its suburbs, and of a noble family; he was ordained priest by Helmstan, bishop of Winchester, and was appointed president of a monastery here which afterwards bore his name, the priory of Saint Swithin. He became preceptor to Prince Ethelwulph, who, after his accession to the crown of his father Egbert, promoted Swithin to the see of Winchester, to which he was consecrated A.D. 852; the bishop died in the year 862, and was buried in the open cemetry of his Cathedral, but his remains were afterwards removed into the new church at the desire of Bishop Walkelyn, in the year 1093. The translation of Saint Swithin's corpse from the church-yard to the choir of the Cathedral being delayed by violent rains, gave rise to an adage, that whenever rain falls on his festival, 15th of July, there will be forty days' continuance of the same.' King Edward the Confessor was crowned at Winchester in the year 1042, by Eadsinus, archbishop of Canterbury, the first ceremony at which there is any notice of a coronation sermon. 1 Warton's History of English Poetry, vol. i. VOL. I. And every penthouse streams with hasty showers, R It was here also that his mother Emma underwent, without injury, the ordeal of walking blindfold and barefoot over nine red hot ploughshares placed at unequal distances. A charter of privileges was granted to the city of Winchester by King Henry II. in the year 1184, under which the mayor, the earliest appointment of that office in the kingdom, and the heads of the corporation, claimed by the tenure of grand serjeantry the superintendence of the royal kitchen at coronations. Richard Cœur de Lion was crowned here on the 17th of April, 1194. King Henry III., surnamed of Winchester, was born and frequently held his court in this city, but the royal residence was in a great measure removed to London, in the reign of his son Edward I. King Henry IV. was married at Winchester to Joan of Navarre, in the year 1401. Prince Arthur, eldest son of King Henry VII., was born here; and at Winchester, King Henry VIII. entertained the emperor Charles V. during a week, in 1522, when the celebrated round table was repainted." The marriage of Queen Mary with Philip of Spain was solemnized at Winchester, on the 25th of July, 1554, when the queen and king dined in public at the episcopal palace, and several days were devoted to festivities. In the middle of the city, which occupies an area within the ancient walls, is a very beautiful cross, ornamented with tabernacle work and crocketed pinnacles, arranged in three stages to the height of forty-three feet; it was erected by the guild of the Holy Cross, founded by King Henry VI. Wolvesey castle, the venerable episcopal residence, situated south-eastward of the Cathedral, to which its precinct joined, was 3 King Arthur's round table at Winchester is said to have originated with King Stephen, as a means of preventing disputes for precedency amongst the officers of his household. Philip Augustus of France is also said to have introduced into his court and kingdom the chivalrous institutions of the romances, and thus gave an historical existence to the twelve peers of King Arthur, knights of the round table. The huge table is still to be seen at Winchester; it is preserved as a curious piece of antiquity in the county hall, formerly the chapel of the royal castle, and is supposed to be seven hundred years old. It is made of thick oak plank, and is eighteen feet in diameter, painted over with the Tudor colours, green and white, in compartments, with a red and white rose in the centre. Each division is inscribed in old English characters with the name of a knight; excepting that in one compartment is a portrait of King Arthur himself. rebuilt on the site of a more ancient palace by Henry de Blois, bishop of Winchester, about the year 1138; it was nearly all destroyed by order of Cromwell, in 1646. The picturesque ruins of the bishop's palace or castle are of considerable extent, without any prominent architectural feature, consisting of heaps of walls, some very lofty, and nearly all clad with ivy or concealed by shrubs and trees.* Its principal gatehouse originally fronted the north, and the embattled walls were defended by many round and square towers placed at irregular intervals. The principal remains belong to the keep, which appears to have been a parallelogram in plan, extending two hundred and fifty feet east and west, and one hundred and sixty feet north and south. Within this keep was a court, which, besides the principal entrance, had two other gateways, one on the western, and the other on the southern side. The Cathedral Church was founded and endowed by Kynegils, the first Christian king of the West Saxons, A.D. 634, who granted to the church all the lands within seven miles' distance. His son Kenelwach was equally liberal to the see, and not only confirmed his father's grant, but added to it the manors of Alresford, Downton, and Worthy. The church was first dedicated to Saint Amphibalus, the instructor of St. Alban, then to Saint Peter, afterwards to Saint Swithin, and lastly to the Blessed Trinity. The bishops of Winchester had anciently very great privileges and large possessions, and were reputed to be earls of Southampton. Henry de Blois, brother of King Stephen, during his prelacy procured the Pope's consent to make Winchester an archbishopric, although his intention was never carried into effect. William de Edington, bishop of Winchester, lord treasurer and chancellor to King Edward III., was elected archbishop of Canterbury on the decease of Islip, but the bishop refused to accept of the primacy, alleging, that although Canterbury had the highest rack, yet Winchester had the deepest manger." This bishop had the office of prelate of the order of the Garter conferred upon him by King Edward III. at its institution, and it has been continued to the " 4 Farnham castle, the present residence of the bishop of Winchester, was also in a considerable degree demolished by an order in 1648, but after the restoration of Charles II., it was repaired by Bishop Morley. The fine gatehouse of Farnham castle, built in the reign of Henry VII., adds much to the effect of that venerable edifice. |
