Vernon Parish Democrat., 1920-09-02

his shoes, and, attended by a
procession of church and
state dignitaries, all barefootedy and
followed by a crowd of humber peo-
pie, walked from his cathedral church
| Of Old Sarum to a pleasant meadow
by the riverside, a little' more than a
mile distant. There and then he
founded tie cathedral of New Sarum,
which, il but a few years, was to
spring from the greensward in the sim
pie beauty associated with its newer
name of Salisbury cathedral; to en-
dure as the finest existing example of
early English architecture, says the
London Telegraph.
After cOnsecrating the site of the fu-
ture cathedral, Bishop Poore laid the
first foundation stone in the name of
Pope HOnorius; a second for Stephen
LangtOn, Archbishop of Canterbury,
and a third for himself. William Lon
gespee, first earl of Salisbury, whose
altar tomb on the south side of the
nave is a masterpiece of statuary art,
laid the fourth stone; while the fifth
er stone laying followed, amidst the
acclamation," and old chronicler tells
us, 'Of multitudes of tire people, weep
ing for Joy, and contributing thereto
their aims with a ready mind, accord
ing to the ability which God had Civ
en- them" So quickly did the work
progress that three affairs were conse-
Grated in the new building within five
years of the foundation ceremonies.
Why the Site Was Changed.
TIE founders Of the new cathedral
gave several reasons for abandoning
the structure on the hill of Old Sarum.
One reason mentioned in the bull OBJ
tanned for the purpose from Pope Hon
orius, dated March 30, 1919, was that
the hilly situation of Old Sarum placed
the cathedral at the mercy of winds
so stormy that not only was it often
difficult to hear the words of the serv-
Ice, but the structure became in con-
stant need Of repair. Another trouble
was the insuffieiency of the water sup
ply and a third was the most cOgent
Of all, the military in the neighboring
castle taking all possible pains to
show that they,s and not the ecclesias-
tics, were the lords of Old Sarum.
what has the House of the Lord to
do with castles?" asked Peter of Blois
in support of the proposal to remove
the See from Old Sarum. "It is the
Ark of the Covenant in a temple Of
Balaam. Let US, in the name of God,
descend into the meads. There are
rich meadows and fertile valleys
in the fruits of the earth,
profusely watered by living streams.
There is a seat for tire virgin patron
ess of our church to which the whole
world cannot produce a parallel"
His conclusions as to the situation
were in every sense correct, for among
English cathedrals scarcely One-if
any-can vie with the exquisite. set
ting of Salisbury's aspiring loveliness
Of pinnacIes and spire in the center Of
the greensward.
The Tower and Spire.
Without its spire the cathedral at
would still have been a mar
vel of architectural beauty; with it's
.ower and spire ii stands complete as
he crowning triumph of English ar
,hitecture throughout the ages. For
Over a century the building stood with
4 low, stunted central tower. Then, in
$780, came the daring conception Of
'aising a tower and spire soaring to a
height Of more than 400 feet The bold
less Of the idea, and the danger Of 1t,
inspired the builders with constant
care. They knew that the riverside