NORWICH CATHEDRAL.

We must go far back in English antiquity, to notice the sees from which that of Norwich originally sprung. It appears, that as long ago as the year 630, the bishop's seat for the kingdom of the East Angles was at Dunwich, in Suffolk; and that, about forty years afterwards, the diocese was divided into two parts, one continuing at Dunwich, the other being fixed at North Elmham, in Norfolk, each place having its own bishop. Towards the end of the ninth century, however, these dioceses were formed into one, called North Elmham, and so remained until 1075, a period full of change as to the positions of several English sees. Before the time of William the Conqueror, some of the cathedral churches were in mere villages; but, by order of a council held by Archbishop Lanfranc, it was decreed that thenceforward the bishops' sees should be removed to the chief cities; and the diocese of Elmham accordingly became that of Thetford. Thetford, which is an ancient market-town, was near yielding up its honour to Bury St. Edmund's; but when the abbot and monks of that rich monastery, backed by the power of the Pope, prevented this arrangement, Herbert de Losinga, who had been appointed Bishop of Thetford by corrupt means, settled the see in its present situation at NORWICH.

In an ancient Latin history of the foundation of this Cathedral, we are told that Herbert de Losinga, who had been Prior of Fescamp, in Normandy, and was the favourite chaplain of William Rufus, purchased a spot at Norwich, called Cowholme, a pasture belonging to the manor of Thorpe. On this site he began the Cathedral, a Gothic free-stone building, placing the first stone, in the name of the blessed Trinity, in 1096. "After he had settled his foundation thoroughly," says Blomefield*, "and adorned his church with all manner of garments, robes, books, and other necessaries, he departed this life in 1119, and was buried in his own cathedral, before the high altar."

The calamity which seems to have been common to almost every cathedral at that early period,-its partial destruction by fire,-occurred in at least three instances to that of Norwich: first, in 1171; secondly, by design, in 1272, on the occasion of a dreadful riot which happened in the city, at a fair held on Tombland, a quarrel, which was not soon healed, having broken out between the servants of the monastery and the inhabitants. Yet we cannot suppose that, in either case, the destruction of the cathedral was entire, as we clearly trace in the present venerable fabric its massive Norman features, the chief of which are the semicircular arch, the thick short column, and the well-known varieties of rude moulding applied by way of ornament. The oldest portion is the choir. Bishop Eborard, Herbert's successor, built the nave. John of Oxford was a splendid benefactor, supplying various ornamental appendages to the Cathedral in 1197. Walter de Suffield founded the chapel of the Virgin Mary; and to Ralph de Walpole, in 1297, is given the credit of having erected the tower, and a large portion of the cloister south of the nave.

The pains and penalties visited on the people for the outrages of 1272 were frightfully severe. In addition to the forfeiture of the lives and goods of several persons, it was decreed that the citizens should, within six years, pay 3000 marks, to restore the church; a decision, to the terms of which they were strictly kept: for, in 1278, the new structure was consecrated in the presence of the King and Queen, and many bishops and barons. Norwich afterwards * See his History of Norfolk,

enjoyed the honour of a royal visit, in 1344, when Edward the Third, and his consort Philippa, were lodged in the priory, as were Richard the Second and his queen in 1383.

In 1361 a violent hurricane injured the church, and in 1465 it was struck with lightning and received much damage. Following its history to the end, we find that, in 1509, the building, especially the interior, suffered from its old enemy, fire, and that in 1601 a portion of the spire was again injured by lightning. We now come to the oft-told, but too true, tale of mischief, which is supplied by the annals of the Commonwealth. During that period, in a false and savage spirit, which some men mistook for righteous zeal, the finest specimens of sculpture were levelled to the ground; the beautiful pavements of churches trampled upon by rebels, and their less stupid horses; and the "sober pomp" of our church services denounced as a remnant of popery.

Of this kind of assault Norwich Cathedral had its full share; and in perusing the details of havoc then committed on the sacred edifices, by the tools of the Parliament, we call to mind the passage in the 74th Psalm:-"He that hewed timber afore out of the thick trees, was known to bring it to an excellent work. But now they break down all the carved work thereof with axes and hammers. They have set fire upon Thy holy places, and have defiled the dwelling-place of Thy name, even unto the ground! Yea, they said in their hearts, Let us make havoc of them altogether."

This miserable vengeance, however, was not contented with venting itself in plundering and demolishing the windows, treasures, and monuments of the Cathedral. There was an aged, pious, and learned person, then resident in the palace adjoining, who was cruelly exposed to the insolence of the soldiery and the mob. Bishop Hall, translated from the diocese of Exeter to that of Norwich in 1641, had become too distinguished for loyalty and sound religion, to escape the fury of the rebels in power. Accordingly, having been driven from the House of Lords, protesting with twelve other prelates, against the validity of such laws as should be passed in their unwilling absence, he was, after being sent to the Tower, and then released, sequestered as a notorious offender. The conduct of the sequestrators at Norwich, on stopping his rent, and scizing his palace, with all his real and personal estate, is stated at length in an affecting treatise of the Bishop's, entitled 'HARD MEASURE. "They left me," says he, "not so much as a dozen of trenchers, or my children's pictures, out of their curious inventory." For these, and other particulars concerning this excellent prelate,—his undaunted courage in preaching at Norwich, whenever he could obtain the use of a pulpit,-his hospitality and charity, exercised to the utmost of his means, in his little property at Higham, after the loss of his bishopric,-and his wonderful talents, and industry as a Christian philosopher and divine, we must refer to his life and works. He died in 1656, in his 82nd year.

Nor was this the only apostolical pastor of our Church, whose name, as connected with Norwich Cathedral, adds a peculiar interest to its history. Dr. George Horne, author of the invaluable Commentary on the Book of Psalms, was advanced to this bishopric in 1789. Owing to his infirmities, however, though he was then only fifty-nine, the church could not long be benefited by his piety and zeal. "Alas!" said he, on observing the large flight of steps which lead into the bishop's palace at Norwich, "I am come to these steps at a time of life when I can neither go up them nor down them with safety." Even the Charge

which he composed for his primary visitation, he was unable to deliver, and it was printed "as intended to be delivered." This exemplary prelate died at Bath in January, 1792, in the sixty-second year of his age, and was buried in the churchyard of Eltham, Kent, where his tomb and epitaph may be seen.

Having furnished this short, and necessarily imperfect, sketch of the history of the Cathedral, and of its two most distinguished bishops, we have only space to add a general description of the structure, as stated in the modern edition of Dugdale's Monasticon. The Cathedral consists of a Nave, with side aisles: a North and South Transept, without aisles or columns; a Choir, occupying part of the nave and area under the tower; an unoccupied space east of the choir; and a Chancel, with side aisles, continued round the semicircular east end; a Chapel of very singular form at the south-east angle, and a corresponding Chapel at the north-east angle; a square Chapel, branching from the south side of the choir; a small Chapel, with a semicircular east end, on the east side of the north transept; and a Tower and Spire rising where the Choir, Nave, and Transept join. To the south side of the nave is the Cloister, forming a square of 174 feet within the walls. Feet.

411

Extreme length of the Church from east to west
Length of the Nave from the west door to the Transept 140
Width of the Nave and Aisles
Height of the Tower and Spire

72 315

Several repairs have taken place from time to time, particularly soon after the Restoration, and more recently, in 1763, and in 1807; and we learn that very considerable alterations have been commenced, and are now in progress, under the direction of the Dean and Chapter.

BISHOP HORNE'S COMMENTARY ON THE

PSALMS.

MANY of our readers have, no doubt, derived profit and delight from reading this work. With what satisfaction the pious author composed it, may best be judged from the following passage in his Preface.

Could the author flatter himself that any one would have the pleasure in reading the following exposition, which he hath had in writing it, he would not fear the loss of his labour. The employment detached him from the bustle and hurry of life, the din of politics, and the noise of folly. Vanity and vexation flew away for a season; care and disquietude came not near his dwelling. He arose fresh as the morning to his task: the silence of the night invited him to pursue it; and he can truly say, that food and rest were not preferred before it. Every Psalm improved infinitely on his acquaintance with it, and no one gave him uneasiness but the last; for then he grieved that his work was done. Happier hours than those which have been spent in these meditations on the Songs of Sion, he never expects to see in this world. Very pleasantly did they pass, and move smoothly and swiftly along; for when thus engaged, he counted no time. They are gone, but have left a relish and a fragrance on the mind; and the remembrance of them is sweet.

The pure and sweet feeling with which this excellent prelate dwells on his past labours, if labours they can be called, could scarcely have been greater, had he foreseen the immense circulation which his work enjoys, and the universal esteem in which it is held.

M.

"As thou wilt-what thou wilt-when thou wilt," are the emphatic expressions of the faith and resignation of Thomas à Kempis.

CLEMENCY is a debt which we ought to pay to those that crave it, when we have cause to believe they would not after abuse it, since God himself suffers us not to pay any thing for his mercy, but only prayers and praises.-Icon Basilike.

LIGHT.

EVERY one may be convinced, by his own observa tion, of the great effect of the presence or absence of light on the growth of plants. As animal life exhibits less striking changes, the influence of light upon it, is in general wholly lost sight of. The following experiment can leave no doubt as to its reality and power :

Frogs, in passing from the egg to maturity, go through an intermediate state, in which they are called tadpoles. They then not only have no limbs, and possess a tail, but, like fishes, live in water, and breathe by means of gills instead of lungs. Dr. Edwards took a considerable number of frogs in this state, and dividing them into two portions, placed them under water in perfectly similar circumstances, except that the one portion was exposed to light and the other excluded from it. This difference had the very remarkable effect of retarding the transformation of the latter to the state of perfect frogs. Whilst the tadpoles in the light had undergone this change, several of those in the dark retained their original form, but had greatly increased in size. The effect of the absence of light appears likewise to be shown in the colour and structure of the proteus, and some other animals, which inhabit situations into which light never enters.

We cannot suppose that man is altogether insensible to the influence of an agent which is capable of producing so marked an effect on inferior animals ; and we can scarcely refrain from in part attributing to this cause, not only the peculiar appearance, and the prevalence of a particular kind of rickets, accompanied by idiocy, amongst the inhabitants of some deep and shaded valleys, but also the sallow and sickly complexions of the inhabitants of confined cities, when compared with the ruddy glow on the checks of the peasant.

The narrowness of the streets, in conjunction with the height of the houses, offers a great and almost irremediable obstacle to the free access of light; and as we can only hope to see it partially removed, it becomes the more important to turn the admitted rays of the sun to the greatest advantage. This is far from being done. The dark, and almost black, external walls absorb nearly all the light which falls upon them; hence little or no benefit is gained from reflection.

An easy remedy is to be found in whitening the walls. The means of doing this are within the reach of all, since the object might be effected by the cheapest lime-wash, as well as by the most costly stucco. In narrow and confined streets the process should be performed regularly and annually. The fall of the year would be the best season, as the fresh white would then afford some compensation for the shortness and dulness of the days. In doing so we have Nature herself for our guide, for we see her in Winter overspread every thing with a covering of the purest white. Before the return of long and bright days could render the general prevalence of white injurious or unpleasant to the eyes, the smoke of innumerable chimneys would have sufficiently changed the colour to do away all danger of this kind. The influence of the measure would not be confined to day-time and twilight. In increasing the effect of the street lamps, its advantages would be still more conspicuous.--HODGKIN

How many habits and opinions do we begin with from impulse, and persevere in from indolence: as idleness is the root of all evil, so indolence is the bar to all improvement.-DANBY.

THE MANUFACTURE OF POTTERY AND

PORCELAIN. No. I.

THE first advances towards civilization must have suggested to the inhabitants of any country the convenience, if not the necessity, of possessing vessels of various descriptions, for the purpose of holding their food. The objects which would first present themselves to their notice for this purpose, would be the larger kinds of shells; and, in hot climates, the hard coverings of the cocoa-nut, or the larger description of gourds. In some cases, the skins of beasts were employed, as they are at present in many eastern countries, where they are sewn up, and formed into a kind of leather bottle, to hold milk, wine, and other liquors *. But the people of more temperate regions would not be able to avail themselves of these natural productions, and would consequently be obliged to resort to other substances. Clay, which in many countries is found in such great abundance, from its adhesive property, and on account of its being able to retain its form when dry, and becoming insoluble in water, after having been subjected to the action of fire, would naturally attract the attention of an improving people: from this it arises, that the early remains of culinary and other vessels, which have been discovered, have been formed of this material. Among the remains of ancient Egypt, numerous vessels are found, formed of common clay, and baked in the fire: although the workmanship of these is rude, the forms of many are extremely elegant, and much superior in every respect to the earlier attempts of modern nations. Engravings of several of these are given on the following page.

The greater portion of the specimens represented in the engraving, are evidently utensils which were employed for domestic purposes. The small vessel with the spout is seen in many Egyptian paintings in the hands of the priest, who employed it in religious ceremonies, in pouring out a libation to the honour of the Deity. There is no doubt it was a vessel of this description which is alluded to in several parts of the Holy Scriptures, where mention is made of the phial employed in pouring out the oil at the consecration of kings. Several of the vessels with handles, are represented as blackened on the lower part these are most likely such as were used for cookery, and the black colour is intended for the effects of the fire and smoke. We find vessels of this description in the Egyptian paintings, about the time the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt; and we may consider them as accurate pictures of the "flesh-pots of Egypt," mentioned in the Scriptures.

It appears from the engraving, representing an Egyptian potter at work, that the potter's wheel was not at that time invented. The kneading of the clay seems from other ancient paintings, to have been effected by the workman, by means of his feet; and the furnaces were very small, and incapable of holding many vessels at one time.

After the lapse of time, a finer description of ware was invented, which is now called porcelain, or china. The first inventors of porcelain, as far as our knowledge goes, were the Chinese, and for many years all our supply was derived from that country. We shall therefore occupy the remainder of this paper with a description of the Chinese method of manufacturing porcelain, reserving an account of the European manufactures of coarse pottery and porcelain for a future number.

In most cases, the manufactures of nations as they increase in civilization, become more perfect; but

See Saturday Magazine, Vol. I., p. 44.

although this is almost universally the case, we must not apply the rule to the Chinese. This singular people appear for a time to have outstripped all others in their arts and inventions, and then, as if contented with what they had effected, and considering that no further improvement could be made, they set their faces against any alteration, and remained, at the best, stationary, until others had gone far beyond them. It is the universal belief in China, that the porcelain-ware of former times was much superior to any of which the present age can boast.

There was formerly a peculiar kind of china made, which went by the name of magic porcelain, but the art of making it is entirely forgotten. The magic porcelains exhibited their colours and devices only when filled with water, and were therefore regarded as the most curious and romantic specimens of the art to which they belonged.

Though the mode in which they were manufactured cannot now be described with accuracy, the following has been conjectured as not very remote from the truth. The first requisite, which was quite indispensable, was, that the vessel be extremely thin, so that the figures to be formed might be sufficiently clear and perceptible. After the vessel had been baked, the figures, which were mostly fish, as these corresponded best with the water, must be formed on the inside; and after the colour has had time to dry, a second extremely thin coat, of the same substance of which the vessel was constructed, must be spread over the whole of the inner part. The vessel being baked and the outside only, glazed, the roughness of the internal surface would prevent the figures being seen until it was rendered transparent by filling the vessel with water or any other liquid. To understand this, let us take a piece of ground glass, and endeavour to look through it: this we shall find impossible as long as the surface is dry, but if it is wetted, greased, or varnished, it will become nearly as transparent as a piece of plain glass. The Japanese, and some others of the Eastern nations, appear to have understood the art of making china, but never brought it to the same perfection as the Chinese.

The principal substances used in the manufacture are two kinds of earths, or pounded stones, called kaolin and petuntze: both, however, are nearly of the same nature, consisting of about three-fourths of silex (flint), the remaining fourth being chiefly composed of alumina (pure clay). After these substances have been well bruised and reduced to powder, they are mixed with a quantity of water, and well stirred; the upper part of the liquid is then skimmed off, and placed in another receptacle, where the fine powder it contains is allowed to settle, when the water is poured off, and the mass which is left is placed in square moulds to dry.

Proper proportions of these two substances being taken, and properly combined, are put into a large pit or basin, well paved and cemented, and are trodden by the workmen, and hardened until they obtain a proper consistence; they are then removed and rolled or kneaded a second time on a slate, when the least admixture of any foreign substance, even a hair or a grain of sand, is carefully guarded against, to prevent failure in any of the subsequent processes.

The modelling of china is performed, as with us, by means of the potter's wheel, or by the use of moulds. So great is the division of labour in this manufacture, among this precise people, that one cup is passed through the hands of no less than seventy individuals.

The Chinese, for many ages, used only white porcelain, which was first superseded by blue, and

soon afterwards every variety of shade of colour was introduced. The blue, it is supposed, they originally prepared from a species of lapis lazuli, which, previous to being used, was calcined and reduced to a powder of the greatest fineness; but as Britain can supply them with smalt at a cheaper rate than they can prepare it, they obtain the article from this country. The fine deep blue by which the most ancient chinaware was characterised, and which is so much valued by the curious, is now no longer to be seen; the art of making it, indeed, seems to be entirely lost.

In preparing the glazes, the most tedious processes are gone through. The impalpable powder of

petuntze (already described,) and she-kao, (calcined gypsum, plaster of Paris,) are mixed with water in certain proportions. Lime is slacked by sprinkling it with water; and its powder, placed on alternate layers of fern, is repeatedly burned, and one per cent. of she-kao is added to this, in a suitable quantity of water. With these materials, mixed with water in various proportions, the glaze, or, as the Chinese call it, the oil, is made. We shall not enter at present into the different processes of baking, painting, gilding, glazing, &c., as we intend to describe more fully these parts of the manufacture, when referring to the improved methods resorted to in Europe.