Among the monuments in the church there is one of Duke Robert of Normandy, “Robert Curthose." The effigy is carved of Irish bog-oak, and covered with a wire net-work; its legs are crossed, for he was one of the first Crusaders; the head is crowned with a coronet of pearls and fleur-de-lis ; the body wears a chain-mail suit of armor, and his right hand grasps his sword, which still bears its ancient coloring and gilding. It is not too much to say that this is the likeness (if it be a likeness) of a remarkably handsome man. The limbs are long and gracefully turned, and they are by no means so stalwart and big as we might suppose the build of the strong Norman race to have been. The features of the face are as regular as those of a young Greek warrior. There is a mournful interest attached to this monument. Robert, from having been a stirring, bold, ambitious prince, with a life full of adventure and fighting, was made prisoner by his brother Henry, his eyes put out, and for twenty-eight years he lingered in misery as a close prisoner in Cardiff Castle, Glamorganshire. He was the eldest son of the Conqueror. I said that the pillars of the nave were unornamented. Their capitals, however, are strung around with meagre but curious flower and carved work. Nothing is more varied than the Norman capital. Its shape is usually that of a bowl truncated at the sides; but its carving and ornament are exceedingly diverse and fanciful. Sometimes it is braided with interlacing lines of bead-work, as if hung over with a net of pearls. Sometimes it is wreathed with large-leaved flowers, or a stiff widespreading vine, resembling a Corinthian capital. At other times it is like a number of bird's-nests, with the birds sitting in them. Then a strange monster, or dragon-lizard, twists around the bell of the capital. Then human faces appear, sometimes of men holding their mouths open with their fingers; and sometimes of female heads, or the upper half of the figures of veiled nuns interlacing their arms around the column. And I have been much struck with the resemblance between these human-headed capitals and the Isis-headed pillars at Denderah, and other temples in Egypt. Nor is the resemblance less striking between the common tulip-capital of the Egyptians, and one rather rare capital of the Norman architecture, which is composed of a single bell-shaped cup. All architecture came from the East; and the influence of the Byzantine style upon the Norman is very direct. What is Norman architecture but the ancient Byzantine-Roman, still further modified by the gloomy and grotesque fancy of the North? It has the ponderous masses and round lines of the older Roman edifice. Sometimes the Norman arch has its centre above the line of the impost, and then curves inward below the point of springing, making a perfect horseshoe arch, thus increasing the resemblance to Oriental buildings. The chapel in the White Tower in London, and the little Iffley church near Oxford, are among the best examples of the peculiarities of the most ancient Norman architecture in England. This style was introduced into Britain by William the Conqueror, and continued about one hundred and twenty-four years, to the end of the reign of Henry III., in 1189. Then came the first true Gothic, or Early English style. Gloucester is beautifully placed in a broad valley on the banks of the Severn, and has just claims to its British name of "Caer Gloew," the "fair city.' It is a city which mingles largely in the early history of England, and was one of the twentynine principal towns of the Britons before the Roman invasion. It was "Colonia Glevum" of the Romans. Hengist, Athelstane, and the unfortunate Elgiva, wife of Edwy, are said to have died in Gloucester. Here Edward the Confessor lived, and the Norman kings frequently held their court. Henry III. was crowned in the old Abbey church, and Edward II. was buried in the Cathedral. After his accession to the throne this was the residence of Richard of Gloucester, of whom Sir Thomas More wrote, 66 Richarde, the thirde sonne of Richarde, Duke of Yorke, was in witte and corage eqall with his two brothers, in bodye and prowesse far under them both, little of stature, ill fetured of limmes, croke backed, his left shoulder much higher than his right, hard fauoured of visage, and such as in states called warlye, in other menne otherwise, he was malicious, wrathful, envious, and from afore his birth ever frowarde. It is for trouth reported that he came into the world with the feete forwarde, and also ontothed, as if Nature chaunged her course in hys beginnynge, whiche in the course of his lyfe monny thinges vnnaturallye committed.” But he adds, euill captaine was hee in warre." 66 none Gloucester sustained a memorable siege by the royal army commanded in person by Charles I.; the inhabitants enduring great sufferings. It is likewise not without its interest in the conflicts of truth and religion. Here George Whitfield was born and preached his first sermon; here Robert Raikes, in 1781, began his Sunday-school enterprise, which vitalized the Christian church, and brought back the primitive spirit in respect to her fostering care of the young; and here, above all, the good Bishop Hooper, one of the most illustrious victims of the Marian persecution, suffered martyrdom near the old Minster gate, proving that he held a "doctrine that would abide the fire." 9 CHAPTER VIII. WORCESTER TO DUDLEY. For those who are traveling about England, and are of necessity left to spend an odd hour now and then in a railway station, there is nothing more entertaining than to look over the books in the ample stalls at the station-house of every considerable town. And there is more of interest and point to this, from the fact that one house in London (W. H. Smith & Son) supplies all the railways in the kingdom, with the exception of a single line. One gets, therefore, a pretty good idea of the books that are read by the traveling community; and this, after all, represents the more intelligent class. Thus we may approximate to a tolerably correct judgment of what is the living modern literature of England. Of course we do not expect to see the books of the highest scientific character at the railway stands, though even this is not impossible; but we find there the books that are read, that seize the popular mind and heart. One finds in these stalls books that glow with the fresh life of genius, whether they be new or old. frequently seen. Translations of the Iliad I have |