FLORENCE. Sweet Florence! could another ever share This wayward, loveless heart, it would be thine: To cast a worthless offering at thy shrine, Nor ask so dear a breast to feel one pang for mine. Thus Harold deem'd, as on that lady's eye, Love kept aloof, albeit not far remote, Who knew his votary often lost and caught, But knew him as his worshipper no more, And ne'er again the boy his bosom sought: Since now he vainly urged him to adore, Well deem'd the little God his ancient sway was o'er. Fair Florence found, in sooth with some amaze, One who, 'twas said, still sigh'd to all he saw, Withstand, unmov'd, the lustre of her gaze, Which others hail'd with real or mimic awe, Their hope, their doom, their punishment, their law: All that gay Beauty from her bondsmen claims; And much she marvell'd that a youth so raw Nor felt, nor feign'd at least, the oft-told flames Which, though sometimes they frown, yet rarely anger dames. BYRON. The cathedral of Winchester may be regarded as a nearly complete record of all the successive changes in the Norman style of architecture from its rise, or at least its introduction into this country, in the eleventh, till its disappearance in the sixteenth century. It is one of the largest of our cathedrals; its length, from east to west, is 545 feet, and that of the transepts, from north to south, within the walls, is 208 feet. The breadth of the nave, with its aisles, is 86 feet; and the height is 78 feet. The choir, from the screen to the altar, is 135 feet in length; and the Lady chapel is 54 feet, while the length of the nave is 250 feet. The presbytery is 70 feet in length, and the breadth of the chapel, behind the high altar, is 20 feet. The height of the tower is 138 feet, and its breadth 50 feet by 48. Within the middle arch of the nave, on the northern side, is an ancient font, consisting of a square block of marble, supported by a stool and pillars of the same; the central pillar or stool has horizontal flutes, and the pillars at the angles are also fluted, excepting one; their capitals are formed of leaves, and the basement of the whole design is enriched with a tortuous moulding. Both the top and the sides are covered with rude sculpture, of great antiquity. The ornaments on the top are doves, emblematical of the Holy Ghost, which appear breathing in phials, surmounted by crosses, supposed to contain the two kinds of sacred chrism used in baptism. On the sides of the font, doves are repeated in various attitudes, together with a salamander, emblematical of fire, and in allusion to the passage in the gospel of St. Matthew-" He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." The sculptures on the southern and western sides represent passages in the life of St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra, in Syria, who lived in the fourth century after Christ, and was the patron of children. On one side is represented the church of Myra and its arcades, the upper part of which is terminated by crosses the dresses of the several figures are curious, as denoting the costume of a remote period of history. On turning to the south aisle, between the fifth and sixth pillars, the first object that invites our attention is the chapel, or tomb and chantry, of the founder, William of Wykeham, who died in 1404. This chapel is the most perfect specimen of monumental architecture, both in design and execution, of the time in which it was built. The chantry consists, in its length, of three arches; and the canopies are curved in conformity with the arch of the nave. Within the chapel, there are five tabernacled niches over the head of the monument, and ten others at the feet, besides those on the outside. The foundation of the altar and a part of the The effigy of the credence table still remain. bishop, which lies over his mortal remains, is represented in full costume, with his mitre and crosier, and other episcopal ornaments worn at that period. On a pillow, supported by two angels, rests the head; and three curious figures at the feet, apparently in the attitude of prayer, are generally supposed to represent those monks who were chosen weekly to pray and repeat mass for the souls of Wykeham, his relatives, and his benefactors. The choir is entered from the nave by a flight of steps, under a screen of modern workmanship. Adjoining these steps, and within the tenth arch from the west end, is the chantry of William of Edington. It contains his tomb and effigy, and is of similar architecture to Wykeham's, though greatly inferior in design. The inscription is in brass letters, inserted around a beautiful Purbeck marble slab, in the same curious manner as his successor's. The stalls in the choir are particularly beautiful. They are of Norway oak, ornamented with canopies, and were probably erected in the 14th century. At the termination of these on the left hand is the pulpit, carved in cane work, erected by prior Silk. stede, whose name occurs on many parts of it. On the same side is the organ, placed under the north arch of the great tower. The throne on the opporite side is carved in oak; the details of which were copied from the ancient ornaments existing in different parts of the church, by the late Mr. Garbett. The ceiling, which contains the arms and devices of Charles I., his consort, the prince of Wales, &c., as well as a beautiful medallion of the royal pair, has recently been restored in good taste. The vaulting of the choir, from the eastern window to the tower-the work of bishop Fox-displays, on the several bosses at the intersections of the ribs, a variety of heraldic enrichment in proper colours amidst a profusion of gilding. Here are arms of the sees of Winchester, Wells, Durham, Bath, and Exeter; of the houses of Tudor and Plantagenet, and the arms of cardinal Beaufort. Along the centre of the vaulting (from the steps of the altar to the eastern window), are a number of carved ornaments, intended to represent the implements, &c., employed at our Saviour's passion, viz.—the dice, cock, ladder, lantern, sword, lance, sponge, reed, scourges, pillar, hammer, nails, crown of thorns, and finally, the cross. Several faces, intended to represent the Roman soldiers, Pontius Pilate and his wife, Herod, Annas and Caiaphas, Judas Iscariot, Malchus, with the sword of Peter through his ear, and blood issuing therefrom, the Jewish false witnesses in the act of spitting, with the expression of malignant rage upon their countenances, Peter, and the high-priest's maid accusing him; with several other devices. Over the cominunion table is the celebrated picture, by West-" The Raising of Lazarus from the Dead." Over the screen is the eastern window, filled with ancient stained glass, consisting of representations of bishops, prophets, and apostles, with their legends attached. This glass was taken out during the civil war in 1642, and subsequently inserted in a confused position. In many instances, the figures were jumbled together without any regard to order or propriety, their legends were misapplied, and the whole was greatly mutilated. But the window has been judiciously restored. This window, with the others on each side of the sanctuary, was the work of bishop Fox. THE NEW MONTHLY BELLE ASSEMBLÉE. JANUARY, 1846. THE MARTYR. (A Story of Spain in the 15th century.) BY GRACE AGUILAR. "The wild dove hath her nest-the fox his cave- CHAP. 1. "They had met, and they had parted; Time had closed o'er each again, Leaving lone the weary hearted Mournfully to wear his chain."-M.S. A deliciously cool, still evening had succeeded the intense heat of a Spanish summer day, throwing rich shadows and rosy gleams on a wild, rude mountain pass, in Central Spain. Massive crags and gigantic trees seemed to contest dominion over the path, if path it could be called; where the traveller, if he would persist in going onwards, could only make his way by sometimes scrambling over rocks, whose close approach from opposite sides presented a mere fissure covered with flowers and brushwood, through which the slimmest figure would fail to penetrate; sometimes wading through rushing and brawling streams, whose rapid currents bore many a jagged branch and craggy fragment along with them; sometimes threading the intricacies of a dense forest, recognising the huge pine, the sweet acorn oak, the cork tree, interspersed with others of lesser growth, but of equally wild perplexing luxuriance. On either side-at times so close that two could not walk abreast, at others so divided that forests and streams intervened -arose mountain walls seeming to reach the very heavens, their base covered with trees and foliage, which gradually thinning, left their dark heads totally barren, coming out in clear relief against the deep blue sky. That this pass led to any inhabited district was little probable, for it grew wilder and wilder, appearing to lead to the very heart of the Sierra BYRON. Toledo-a huge ridge traversing Spain. By human foot it had evidently been seldom trod; yet on this particular evening a traveller there wended his solitary way. His figure was slight to boyishness, but of fair proportion, and of such graceful agility of movement, that the obstacles in his path, which to others of stouter mould and heavier step might have been of serious inconvenience, appeared by him as unnoticed as unfelt. The deep plume of his broadrimmed hat could not conceal the deep blue restless eye, the delicate complexion, and rich brown clustering hair; the varying expression of features, which if not regularly handsome, were bright with intelligence and truth, and betraying like a crystal mirror every impulse of the heartcharacteristics both of feature and disposition wholly dissimilar to the sons of Spain. His physiognomy told truth. Arthur Stanley was, as his name implied, an Englishman of noble family; one of the many whom the disastrous wars of the Roses had rendered voluntary exiles. His father and four brothers had fallen in battle at Margaret's side. Himself and a twin brother, when scarcely fifteen, were taken prisoners at Tewkesbury, and for three years left to languish in prison. Wishing to conciliate the still powerful family of Stanley, Edward offered the youths liberty and honour if they would swear allegiance to himself. They refused peremptorily; and with a refinement of cruelty more like Richard of Gloucester than himself, Edward ordered one to the block, the other to perpetual imprisonment. They drew lots, and Edwin Stanley perished. Arthur, after an interval, succeeded in effecting his escape, and fled from England, lingered in Provence a few months, and then unable to bear an inactive B |