office of him, who suffered thereon for the sins of the whole world. I have before remarked, (p. 549,) that “I have some reason to think, that the statue of the supposed Saint Christopher may have occupied that niche on the front of the north-western buttress of the far-famed Cathedral of Salisbury, which is nearest to the northern porch." When I made that remark, I added, that its then explanation would be premature. The time is now arrived for me to give that explanation. The niche alluded to is, in my opinion, the principal one of the series pertaining to the west end of the Cathedral; it is nearly equi-distant from the northern porch and the western entrance, and equally visible to all thus approaching from the City; and, under these united circumstances, it was doubtlessly occupied by the principal statue of the series, and that principal statue was, I ween, either our Saviour alone, or else borne on the shoulders of the personified Cross-the supposed Saint Christopher. This is made apparent by the still remaining, and perfect, pedestal, with its accompanying emblems, which, although enigmatic, tell their tale to the reflecting mind as plainly as the expressed title of a picture. The pedestal, now pointed out, has three sides on the front is sculptured a Sun, the disc of which is pourtrayed (as usual) as a human face surrounded with rays— this declares the statue (which once surmounted it) to represent the second Person in the Trinity-The Sun of Righteousness. The two sides of the pedestal present well-sculptured fish-here, again, we have the symbolical allusion-the 'IXOYE-the 'Inos XgIOTòs, OE "Vids, Ewrng-that is, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour; and thus did the whole, unitedly, proclaim to the spectator, that the statue, which he was beholding, was that of -The Sun of Righteousness-Jesus Christ—the Son of God— the Saviour of Man; and thus is he clearly, and fully, set forth in his name, in his title, and in his office. It may be alleged, that the head, alluded to, bears not human features, but the visage of a lion. If this be so, I still say non constat, that it is not the symbol of the sun. In fact, I maintain, that it is so; and that, unless it be so, it is utterly destitute of meaning, which is improbable, when we consider its prominent situation. Amongst the many hypotheses, which have been advanced for the origin of Gothic Architecture in this country, or the use of the pointed, as in contradistinction to the circular, arch, this is one-that it is of Saracenic Derivation. This opinion was, I believe, first advanced by Sir Christopher Wren in his "Parentalia," and has since been supported by Bishop Lowth, Warton, Grose, &c. I did, heretofore, strongly doubt the correctness of this hypothesis, (see the note on the "Crusades," p. 454,) but I am now the advocate of this opinion, to which, I must confess I am converted by the perusal of "Two Letters to a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries," being "An Enquiry into the Eastern Origin of the Gothic, or Pointed, Style," by the Rev. John Haggitt, 8vo. 1813. This work is in answer to Dr. Milner's "Treatise on the Ecclesiastical Architecture of England," who asserts, that the pointed style arose from the observation of the arch developed by the intersection of two concentric circular arches. If, then, we assume, (and, I think, we may rationally do so,) that the pointed arch is of Saracenic Origin, and was introduced at the close of the last crusade, then we may not only regard the head of the lion, (if it be one,) sculptured on the front of the pedestal in question, as the symbol of the sun, but we may consider its appearance on the Cathedral of Salisbury (the most early complete specimen of the pointed style) as affording corroborative proof of the Eastern Derivation of Gothic Architecture. The use of the head of the lion throughout Egypt, and the countries of the East, in aqueducts, &c., is too well known to insist on, and from thence it spread throughout Europe, and is become prevalent, not only as an architectural ornament, but is seen on almost all articles of furniture. The origin of the general use in the East of the head of the lion is from the circumstance, that, when the sun enters Leo, the waters of the Nile then begin to rise.* Let it be here observed, that, in this instance, the fish are pourtrayed without water; and that, on the pedestal, these symbols would be equally applicable, whether referred to our Saviour, as represented alone, or as accompanied by the personified Cross-the supposed Saint Christopher; and that, therefore, the appearance of fish in the waters, through which the supposed Saint Christopher is seen in the act of wading, is not a necessary accompaniment, albeit they be considered as the waters of affliction. p. 211. Hieroglyphica Horapollinis, p. 32. A. Macrobii Saturnal. (Gronov.) I must now remark, that the fish pourtrayed beneath the several paintings, and, also, on the two sides of the above-mentioned pedestal, are three in number; and I feel, that it will be demanded of me, why these three fish, since our Saviour was but One Person? I briefly, and firmly, respond, that the three fish form a mystical allusion to the doctrine of the Trinity—the Triune the three in one-and the one in three-even Jesus Christ-the second Person of the Godhead, who was, also-the Sun of Righteousness. There is another obvious allusion to the doctrine of the Trinity. Our Saviour, represented in these interesting pictures, and statues, as seated on the shoulders of the supposed Saint Christopher (the personified Cross) is seen with his arms extended-the two last fingers of the one hand are bent down into the palm-the other three are distinctly raised in an extended position as denotive, again, of the Triune—the three in one-and the one in three-which doctrine, as well as that of a crucified Saviour, he tells us (through the medium of strong symbolical language) shall be promulgated throughout the world. This sentiment is well conveyed by a Mundus, or Globe, held in the other hand, surmounted with the Cross-the Cross triumphant. The characteristic of the Cross is seen to predominate in these curious pictures. Our Saviour is ever pourtrayed in them with his arms extended, and holding, in his right hand, a Mundus (or Globe) surmounted with the Cross. In the plate, previously referred to, are birds flying in the air with wings extended, and thus yielding the form of the Cross; and, in the neighbouring sea, are two vessels represented—the one with one mast-the other with three-and both with their sails furled; and, consequently, the yard-arms being at right angles with the masts, each vessel presents the form of the Cross -the one denotive of the one great sacrifice-the other of the crucifixion of our Saviour, and of the two thieves. In proof, that this is not a speculative idea originating with myself, I will extract the following note of the Commentator, Elmenhorst, from Minucius Felix : * 66 Signum sane crucis naturaliter visimus in navi.] Eleganter Maximus apud Ambrosium part. 3. sermon. 58. Justin. Apolog. pro Christian. 2. pag. 71. Hieron. epist. 29. Auctor Commentarii in Marcum cap. 15. fol. 87. "M. Minucii Felicis Octavius," (Gronov.) p. 304. 1 Aves, quando volant per æthera, formam crucis assumunt. Homo orans vel natans per aquas, formá crucis vehitur. Navis per maria, antemna cruci simulata sufflatur. Auctor de Nativit. Domini apud Hieron. tom. 9. Epist. 30. fol. 116. Antemnæ navium & velorum cornua sub figurá nostræ crucis volitant,” With reference to the sacred allusions, testified by the above authorities, the pious Dr. Donne has the following lines: "Who can deny me power and liberty To stretch mine arms, and mine own cross to be? Material crosses then good physic be, But yet spiritual have chief dignity." In a similar plate given in Gage's "History and Antiquities of Hengrave," the Cross does, also, appear to form a prevalent idea. Our Saviour, with his arms extended-holds the Mundus (or Globe) surmounted with the Cross-the staff of the supposed Saint Christopher exhibits at its top a crossthe steeple of a distant Church bears on its summit a crossand a figure, coming forth from the porch, with a light, has, suspended from his girdle, a cross. Thus am I well sanctioned in repeating, that the Cross does form a prevalent feature in these interesting, and emblematic, paintings. With reference to the figure coming forth from the distant Church with a torch, I must observe, that this is in accordance, certainly, with the concluding lines of those verses, which I have previously extracted from Collier's Dictionary, and which are descriptive of one of these allegories. The lines alluded to, are these: "Porro quis insignis cana procul ille senecta, Fax præmissa refert venturi Oracula Christi ; Hùc ades, o Hospes, tuque o Puer optime, Christe, I should say, that this figure (and not the supposed Saint Christopher, as suggested by Pierius) is intended to represent the Minister of the Church of Christ-the "insignis cana procul ille senecta❞—coming forth from his holy temple with the torch of the inquiring mind-seeking for the glories of the Crosseager to discover the engrafted word--the Gospel of Christ thus divulged to Mankind through his sufferings-anxious to believe in him, and to assist in the promulgation of his Religion throughout the Globe, whose Cross proclaimed, that he was the Sovereign of the world. To the early Christians the symbol of the fish-the 'Ixerz -as denoting Jesus Christ-the Son of God-the Saviour of Man-was rendered more acceptable by the consideration, that he more peculiarly connected himself with that part of the creation. They could not but regard him as the great Fisher of Men, who, by the cords of his love, (like unto a net,) would draw all men even unto him. No wonder, then, that they thus humbly styled themselves "Nos Pisciculi," "We Little Fishes." (p. 553.) He seemed to favour the peaceful avocation of fishermen by the replenishing of their nets with a miraculous draught; and he specially selected those lowly men, Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John, as the foremost of his Apostles, thus saying unto them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." After his resurrection he appeared to Simon Peter, and other of his disciples, on the shore of the sea of Tiberias— they had been unsuccessful-Jesus then made himself known unto them by again miraculously filling their nets, and he afterwards partook with them of the fish, which they had caught.† Matth. iv. 19. The delightful, and ingenious, Izaak Walton thus alludes, at the close of his "Angler's Song," to the bias of our Saviour's mind in the apparent favour of fish, and fishermen-he thus adverts to the last meal, of which our Saviour partook on earth: "As well content no prize to take, As use of taken prize to make: Where, (which is in no other game,) * John xxi, 12. t Complete Angler," 8vo. 1815. p. 167. |