Account of the Royal Hospital and Collegiate Church of Saint Katharine, Near the Tower of London - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1824. Excerpt: ... Caesar, when he was Master of this Hospital. Round the six sides is this inscription: Ezra, The Scribe, Stood Vpon A Pvlpit Of Wood WHICH HE HAD MADE FOR THE PREACHIN. Neheh Chap. VIII. 4. Being erected when the Grecian style first came into use, the Pulpit is consequently covered by grotesque figures. The architects of those days had no idea how the Grecian style was to be compiled and decorated. Hence the mock representations of Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite capitals; with men, women, birds, beasts, &c. &c. and intricate tracery on shafts of pillars, pilasters, cornices, friezes, &c. Thus the pulpit at St. Katharine's is covered with unmeaning figures, and each pannel with representations of some temple, church, or castle. The large sounding-board has been removed since Dr. Ducarel published his engravings of it. Dr. Ducarel fancied he discovered in the ornaments on this pulpit "four views of the Hospital in its very ancient state, and also the two gates thereof." (See the Plate.) Upon this Mr. E. Burton observes, "This Collegiate fraternity may possibly be in poseession of some draughts or registers of the old Hospital, from which the carved work upon the Pulpit may have been taken; if not, conjecture will intrude, and suppose that so large a scale of building as here represented, is rather descriptive of some outworks belonging to the Tower of London at that time, especially as the workmanship is so much embattled." It is more probable that the ornaments are the mere creations of the carver's brain. From the preceding account of this Hospital, it appears to have existed on its present footing, from the year 1273, when it was endowed by Eleanor, widow of Henry III.; but dating from its original foundation by Matilda, Queen of Stephen, in...