London Legends Volume 1 (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. 1844 Excerpt: ...a great part of the city, destroyed by fire; but, soon after, Bishop Maurice conceived the design of raising the stupendous structure which, after a lapse of six hundred years, was doomed to perish, like its predecessor, in that awful conflagration, commonly termed "The Great Fire." Stow, in his Survey, informs us that the second building was of such prodigious extent, " that men of that time judged it would never have been finished; it was to them so wonderful for length and breadth." The ancient church, the ground plan of which was in the form of a cross, consisted of a body with north and south aisles, and two square towers at the north and south sides of the west front, the latter being the steeple of St. Gregory's church, which was attached to the cathedral. The architecture of the east end is described as very beautiful, being heightened by the additions made to it in the fourteenth century. The windows in the basement afforded light to the crypt and sub-chapels; those of the superstructure resembled the south transept of Westminster Abbey; while above them was a large circular window of exquisite carving. Over this window was a gallery with quatrefoils. The aisles were of the same character.. The cloisters were two stories in height, the upper one having pointed windows, the lower forming an arcade. The nave was three stories in height, the first consisting of an arcade formed by eleven semicircular arches, supported by clustered pillars. The gallery story was in the This tower was called the "Lollers' Tower," heing used as the bishop's prison for heretics, and was, at a period later than that of which we are writing, the scene of a barbarous murder committed on a citizen named Hunne, by the chancellor of the diocese, as...