Britton, John: Chronological history and graphic illustrations of christian architecture in England: embracing a critical inquiry into the rise, progress, and perfection of this species of architecture (London: Nattali, 1835)

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of Areat beauty, neitber of wbicb ba8 been brou^bt forward to tbe
notice of tbe public so full^ a8 tbeir arcbitectural excellence de8erv68. 8t. Nar^'8
Oburcb i8 ok a lute 8t^1e, ceiled witb wood, pannelled and painted, and PO8868868
Areat variety of curiou8 detail8 of 8culpture : tbe otber ebureb, commonly called
t/?e i8 a M08t 8tatel^ and complete 8tructure, wortb^ to be a catbedral,
and would rank amount tbe bne8t of tbat cla88. mona8ter^ wa8 68tabli8bed
bere earl^ in tbe 8axon period of our bi8tor^; wbicb, after variou8 mi8fortune8
and re8toration8, became cbanAod into a college of 8ecular clerA^, and 80 con-
tinued to tbe 37tb z^ear of tbe rei^n of blenr^ VIII. ^.v. 1544, wben it wa8
reduced to a mere pari8b ebureb, witb onl^ a moderate 8tipend for one mini8ter.
brom tbat time till tbe beAmninA of tbe la8t century, notbinA appear8 to bave
been done to tbe fabric; and it wa8 con86^uentl^ in a ver^ ruinou8 condition,
in tbe time of OeorAe I. Hrat monarcb Aave tbe ma1erial8 of 8t. Vtar^'8 ^.bbe^,
Vorb, toward8 repairing and re8torinA tbi8 ebureb. 8ir Nicbael ^Vbarton, tben
lVI. ?. for tbe town, liberally patronised tbe plan; and otber Oentlemen united
witb bim in rai8in^ a fund. bkawl<8moor wa8 employed a8 tbe arcbitect, wbo
neitber under8tood nor felt tbe beautie8 of Obri8tian arcbitecture. Hence mueb
of tbe mone^, tben rai8ed, wa8 mi8emplo^ed in pompou8 8creen8, pew8, §cc.
of Homan de8iA-n ; but fortunately tbe8e bave been recently removed. ^Vitbin tbe
la8t bfteen ^ear8, ver^ Areat improvement8 and re8toration8 bave been eifected.
^be Vrcbbi8bop, and tbe late Dean of Vorb, 8ent a ^anA of men from tbeir own
fabric; and, under tbe ^udiciou8 direction8 of Nr. OumminZ-, tbe^ bave nearly
re8tored tbe min8ter to it8 pri8tiue cbaracter and beauty. I'be earlie8t part8 of
tbe pre86nt building ma^ be dated 8bortl^ after tbe zmar 1188, wben tbe old
ebureb wa8 de8tro^ed b^ bre. ^be arcbitecture of tbe86 part8 re8emble8 tbat
of 8ali8bur^ Oatbedral, exbibitiuA a plain and 8imple 8tzde; tbe plan i8 al8o
8imilar, bavins a double tran86pt; tbe rootb are al80 vaulted witb 8tone; and tbe
column8. libe tbo8s in tbat catbedral, tbe 8tandard example of tbe earlie8t variety
of tbe ^Zr//e, are neatly wrou^bt witb clu8tered 8baft8, and capital com-
pO8ed of plain moulding witbout foliage, d^be nave i8 more modern tban tbe
cboir and tran86pt8; and tbe we8tern front, wbicb wa8 tbe work of tbe bfteentb
century, appear8 to bave been 8carcel^ completed wben tbe cban^e of religion put
a period to ecc1e8ia8tical ma^nibcence ^be ^reat baronial family of ?erc)?, wbo
bad two plac68 of re8idence near Leverle^^ were liberal benefactor8 to tbi8
I^oelcon^iiel^ lVlanoi-, ancl ^rossol Lastlo. Loo vol. iv. os Ike ^ntitiusrian Itopoiloi'^.
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