DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6910#0067
st. sepulchre's church, cambridje. 43
the term of history, or description,) that they prove more tantalizing than gratifying
to our curiosity.
This sacred structure was revered, by the holy knights, above all earthly objects;
their enthusiasm had endowed its every stone with marvellous qualities; and they
foolishly fancied it a secure passport to heaven, if they lost their lives in defence of
the building. As it was their province to protect Christian pilgrims against the
Saracens, and as they were originally instituted and stationed at the Church of the
Holy Sepulchre, it seems extremely probable that they would imitate that structure,
when they were afterwards distributed in companies over Europe, and when they
had occasion to erect a new church. This appears actually to have been the case
with those that settled in England; for we have already seen that they had circular
churches at several places,* and some of these were dedicated to the Holy Sepul-
chre, or Sanctum Sepulchruin. Perhaps the most ancient of these is that at Cam-
bridge, which I now proceed to describe.
CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE,
or,
»t Sepulchre's CJjurcJ),
CAMBRIDGE.
" Of this curious structure," says Mr. Essex,t " it will be easier to ascertain the
age, than to tell who was the founder." This he endeavours to prove by the style
Of the building ; for it happens equally unfortunate, in this instance, as with most
* " The German writer of 'Voyage en Sicile & dans la Grande Grece addresse a 1'Abbe Winckelman, Lausanne
8'0. 1773/ gives this description of a church of St. Sepulchre at Brindisi. the ancient Brundusium On donnc
1'Kghse du St. Sepulcre pon, un temple antique ; Cetoit une rotonde; cet edifice n est point du bon tern de
''architecture : sa forme n'est pas parfaitcment circulate & il n'y a point de port.que al entree, c ,1.decnt un dem,
«rcle different, qui ne fait point corps avec le reste du batiment; ce qui lui donne une irregulante desagreable
I-n reconnoit aussi le mauvais gout du terns de la decadence des arts aux ornemens de 1 ancienne portc qui est
muree aujour d'hui. Cet edifice est voute & soutenu entierement par des colonnes de marbre,
" This person, who was over head and ears in Roman and Grecian antiquities, would not have thought I worth
«• while to have taken notice of an ancient Christian temple, as this is no doubt, had he not mistaken it for a
pagan one. The description answers exactly to our Church of the Holy Sepulchre at Cambridge. -British
Museum, Cole's MSS. Vol. II. p. 46.
t Archaeologia, VI. 173.
the term of history, or description,) that they prove more tantalizing than gratifying
to our curiosity.
This sacred structure was revered, by the holy knights, above all earthly objects;
their enthusiasm had endowed its every stone with marvellous qualities; and they
foolishly fancied it a secure passport to heaven, if they lost their lives in defence of
the building. As it was their province to protect Christian pilgrims against the
Saracens, and as they were originally instituted and stationed at the Church of the
Holy Sepulchre, it seems extremely probable that they would imitate that structure,
when they were afterwards distributed in companies over Europe, and when they
had occasion to erect a new church. This appears actually to have been the case
with those that settled in England; for we have already seen that they had circular
churches at several places,* and some of these were dedicated to the Holy Sepul-
chre, or Sanctum Sepulchruin. Perhaps the most ancient of these is that at Cam-
bridge, which I now proceed to describe.
CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE,
or,
»t Sepulchre's CJjurcJ),
CAMBRIDGE.
" Of this curious structure," says Mr. Essex,t " it will be easier to ascertain the
age, than to tell who was the founder." This he endeavours to prove by the style
Of the building ; for it happens equally unfortunate, in this instance, as with most
* " The German writer of 'Voyage en Sicile & dans la Grande Grece addresse a 1'Abbe Winckelman, Lausanne
8'0. 1773/ gives this description of a church of St. Sepulchre at Brindisi. the ancient Brundusium On donnc
1'Kghse du St. Sepulcre pon, un temple antique ; Cetoit une rotonde; cet edifice n est point du bon tern de
''architecture : sa forme n'est pas parfaitcment circulate & il n'y a point de port.que al entree, c ,1.decnt un dem,
«rcle different, qui ne fait point corps avec le reste du batiment; ce qui lui donne une irregulante desagreable
I-n reconnoit aussi le mauvais gout du terns de la decadence des arts aux ornemens de 1 ancienne portc qui est
muree aujour d'hui. Cet edifice est voute & soutenu entierement par des colonnes de marbre,
" This person, who was over head and ears in Roman and Grecian antiquities, would not have thought I worth
«• while to have taken notice of an ancient Christian temple, as this is no doubt, had he not mistaken it for a
pagan one. The description answers exactly to our Church of the Holy Sepulchre at Cambridge. -British
Museum, Cole's MSS. Vol. II. p. 46.
t Archaeologia, VI. 173.