The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-04 00:00:00

WALTHAM ABBEY.

This venerable fabric—one of the landmarks in our eccle-
siastical history—having for several months been closed for
epairs, was re Tened yesterday, the 800th anniversary of
its consecration, with special services. Without entering on
the dis_puted gliestidn whether the abbey church of Wal-
tham Holy Cross was founded by Harold, or owes it origitt
to Henry I. or Stephen, although ecclesiologists kicline to
the former belief, it possesses a historical interest second
only to that of Westminster Abbey, and therefore to rescue
it from the decaying hand of eight centuries was truly a
great national work. We should be wrong if we regarded it
as one of restoration. It has been simply a repair judiciously
conceived and admirably carried into effect with but one view,
the conservation of the severe and massive style of the
early Norman period in all its simplicity and grandeur.
Long have been the disputations amongst learned antiqua-
ries on what is still a moot point in English history, the
burial-place of " the gentle earl," the last of the Saxon
kings. Waltham, and Harold in Bedford, which old Fuller
says is " properly HarewOod or Harelswood, on vulgar,
groundless tradition;" contend for the honours of his sepul-
ture. Tradition says his bones lie in the apse of the struc-
ture in which the present generation came to worship
yesterday as Harold's Abbey Church. Tradition is seldom
wrong, but even the indefiniteits9 of this vexed question
throws around the fabric an interest which does not always
attach even to the stately monuments of the piety of past
ages.

Far more telling, perhaps, on this ancient fabric than the
ravages of time was man's handicraft. The nave—all that
is left of the work of the founder of the abbey—had under-
gone some strange architectural transformations which
come under the name of restorations. " The remainder of
the history of this church," remarks Mr. Burges in his
report to the committee of repairs, "is unfortunately the
common one of gradual erection of pews, galleries, and the
destruction of all the original features. Thus the begin-
ning of last year saw the whole area of the church
filled with pews ; two western galleries were added on the
western side, and another on the south ; on the north side
the majority of the windows had been barbarously cut
away, and a large 'square one inserted; the huge columns
were cracked and split in all directions, besides being very
seriously injured by the beams supporting the galleries ;
the old high-pitch roof had given way to a low one made of
the old materials, and finished internally with a plaster
ceiling; a hideous porch had been built on the south side,
the tracery of the windows of the beautiful Lady Chapel hnd
been destroyed, and the walls covered with plaster in imita-
tion of rustic-work, while every feature of the interior had
been totally obliterated in the fitting it up for a schoolroom."
Such then was the condition of this stately pile a year ago,
and then originated that movement, the success of which we
have now to record. By the untiring energy of the incum-
bent, the Rev. James Francis, funds were raised sufficient
to avert the natural decay of this monument of the skill of
our Saxon ancestors. The popularity which he has justly
acquired in his parish rendered his task comparatively easy.
This, aided by the honest pride which every parishioner
must feel in such a church, led to liberal subscriptions,
which were augmented by contributions from those who,
though not locally interested, regard Waltham Abbey as a
national church. So, although much remains to be done,
yet enough has been dons to justify its reopening to the
service of God as a temple worthy of His service.
Few who visited the church yesterday would have known
it as the same building of a twelvemonth ago, except that
there is a character about it which nothing can destroy as
long as one stone clings to another. The first thing which
strikes the eye is the ceiling, the general design of which is
taken from Peterborough cathedral, which is the only one
of contemporary date in the kingdom. Here, however, a
great revolution in ornamental decoration has taken place.
In Peterborough Cathedral, as most of our readers are well
aware, the centres of the compartments are filled up with
a confused mass of saints, bishops, and grotesque animals.
At Waltham the effect is far more pleasing to the eye.
The signs of the zodiac occupy the middle compartments,
and on either side the labours of the months of the year are
typified—a regular scheme being thus followed out with
admirable effect. The painting has been executed by Mr.
Poynter, the son of the well-known artist, and the subjects
have been all taken from nature, instead of from manu-
scripts. This, we think, is an advance in the right direc-
tion ; for, while the framework has been derived from
ancient art, all the resources of modern knowledge
have been applied. The whole effect is remarkably
good, and is perhaps the very best refutation of
the charge of gaudiness so frequently brought against
polychromatic decorations. Next in order come the four
stained-glass windows. One, with two lights, has been
executed by Messrs. Lavers and Berreaud, from cartoons by
Mr. N. Westlake. It owes its peculiar brilliancy to the
employment of enamelled colours for the shades, instead of
the usual brown smeaa The subject is the good women
of the Old Testament, beginning with Eve, who is repre-
sented in the tracery listening to the seductions of the
serpent. This is a gift, in memory of his wife, of Captain
Edenborongh, of theEssexYeomanry. Another window in the
north aisle represents four of the Apostles, it being intended
to fill up the Norman windows on either side with the figures
of the remaining eight of our first teachers of Christ's word.
The Rev. J. Thomas is the donor, in memory of his father.
It comes from the well-known workshop of Messrs. Clayton
and Bell, who have also supplied the two Norman windows
in the south aisle, representinc, the four Evangelists.
These windows have been placed° in the church by the
esteemed incumbent in memoriam, of some members of his
family. We understand that a design has been prepared
by the architect for a new east-end window, the present
one being so utterly bad that a very short time must elapse
before it is removed and replaced by something more
appropriate to the structure. Previous to the late altera-