The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-01-23
STORY OF LINCOLN CATHEDRAL,
Stormy History of a Famous Old Religious
Pile in England.

Stormy History of a Famous Old Religious
Pile in England.
There was a monk in Williams army
named Remigius who was possessed of
money and influence enough to provide
that eminent commander with a big
boat. whose crew was twenty fighting
men. And William promised that, in
case of victory he would give this loyal
monk the first vacant Bfshopric in En-
gland. He was as good as his word.
The Bishop of Dorchester presently died
and Remigius was made Bishop in his
room. But Remigius liked not the looks
at Dorchester. The diocese was the
largest in England, but the town was
contemplate. He looked about his
wide jurisdiction to find better. And
of Lincoln, and here made his choice,
and the diocese of Dorchester became
the diocese of Lincoln.
At once Remigius began the building
of cathedral church. That was at the
close of the eleventh century. The
front of Lincoln Cathedral is different
from any other-fat, high, cut straight
corners and the two tall western towers
rising behind it. Across the front runs
I" series of queer, rude panels, gro
tesquely carved with Old Testament
pictures, and inserted tout of order) into
the wall. The greater part of this wall
was built by Remigius. The panels be-
longed to a church which stood here
when that ambitious Norman made his
wise decision.
In 1892 the church was ready for con-
sccration. The day was set and the in
vitations were distributed. All the
Bishops in England were to be present.
And they all came-all the Bishops of
England-except two. One was Robert
of Hereford who was an astrologer. and
had read secret in the stars which kept
him comfortably at home. The other
was Remigius himself. Remigius was
dead. Robert had read his obituary
written across the sky, and SO he had
staid away.
Fifty years after the building of the
cathedral there was week or two of
fierce fighting. partly beside the church
and partly in the church itself. Stephen
and Matilda We're cOntending for the
crown of England: and the two armies
had come to blows in Lincoln. Matilda
held the castle: Stephen seized the great
stone church. The two buildings stand
close together upon the summit of the
same hill SO the fighting prospered
back and forth: the cathedral being
filled with soldiers. stones and arrows
being flung from the vantage of the
roof. At last upon Candlemas Day
there was decision of the matter
There had been ill-omens in the air the
day before. stephen had attended mass
in the desecrated cathedral, and when
he had made his royal Offering of d
great candle the candle broke in twain
in the priests hands; the golden pyx,
too, hung above the altar, had snapped
its chain and come down in sorry
tumble. 1t looked bad for Stephen.
And the OmenS proved true prophets.
The deSecratOr of the cathedral went
out to the battle and lost it, and was
carried in triumph across England and
lodged in prison.
And after the battle came an earth
quake. The building of Remigius had
now endured not quite a century. when
of sudden it was rent from top to bot
tom. And when the next Bishop. Hugh
of Avalon. came to visit his cathedral
church. he found a wall or two, and a
stone pile. You stand before the cathe-
dral front. and look up above the wall
which Remigius built and you see that
the upper part of it is terminated by two
turrets. each as tall as a church spire.
Each turrct has a statue at the top. One
statue represents Il Bishop. dressed in
his robes. with Il crOZier in his hand and
a inter on his head. This is Bishop
Hugh. The other statue is the figure of
a ragged boy blowing big horn. The
boy. they say, was cOwherd. who made
Il contribution out of his scanty earnings
He gave Il hatful of silver pennies. There
they stand. the Bishop and the cowboy.
II perfect equality of honor. teaching
IL lesson in religion THAT God cares
more for what Il man brings in his heart
than for what he carries in his hand),
and teaching another lesson, also a les
son in history. For it is significant that
these two figures thus standing side by
side at the front of Lincoln. represent
the two great nations who were then
contending for the mastery of England,
and whose united blood flows in our
veins to-day. The Bishop was a Nor
man. the cowboy was Il Saxon. And
when you remember how Briton and
Roman Join in this cathedral's name you
see that here are met the four races who
have in turn dominated this island
Rev. George Hodges in Pittsburgh Dis
patch.
The Advantages of Conversation.
The most agreeable way of getting in
formation is by conversation. If you
talk with well-informed person. who
can express clearly his ideas ON any
subject in which you are interested. you
can ask questions, you can have ex-
plantations. you can go over the subject
until you thoroughly understand it, and
searching out in this way. in the mind
of another, a thing which you earnestly
desire to know, you are more likely to
remember it, and to profit by it. This