Hand-Book to the Cathedral Church of Ely (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1867 Excerpt: ...and between the two a quatrefoil; all highly adorned with mouldings. Between each of these lower arches also is an enriched corbel of Purbeck marble, adorned with foliage in high relief, from which rises the vaulting shaft in a group of three between the arches of the triforium, to the foot of the clerestory, having a capital of leafage, and from the top of which spring the ribs of the vaulting. The spandrils throughout are relieved with trefoils and quatrefoils deeply sunk and backed with Purbeck marble, and, on the whole, the contrast of light and shade, depth and projection, produces a very fine effect. The clerestory arches are of the same span, but each is divided into three smaller, the centre arch being higher than those on the sides in order to admit light from the windows behind, which are three lancet-shaped lights under one Millers' Description of Ely Cathedral, p. 74. arch in the outer wall, and are, we believe, original; the windows of the aisles and triforium were re-placed in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries by larger windows of a flamboyant character. In the first and second bays on both. sides the triforium was removed and the windows placed in the inner wall, probably to give additional light to the high altar, the position of which was indicated by a boss in the ceiling with a figure of St. Peter; and also to the rich and gorgeous shrine of St. Etheldreda, said to have been of pure silver profusely adorned with jewels, which at that period stood near the altar, as indicated by a boss in the ceiling with her effigy on it. The tracery in these windows is similar to that in the corresponding arches of Hotham's work, but not so highly ornamented. One of them on each side has been filled with stained glass: On the north side, "The A...