HEREFORD CATHEDRAL. THE precise period when the see of Hereford was founded is not known. Archbishop Usher states that there was a bishop there A.D., 544, when an archbishop resided at St. David's. In 601 a bishop of Hereford attended an ecclesiastical synod at Canterbury. Putta, bishop of Rochester, being driven from his seat by Ethelred, was appointed to Hereford by archbishop Theodore. To him followed bishops Tirktell, Tortere, Walstod, and Cuthbert-the last-mentioned being a person of excellent dispositions, anxious to reform the abuses of the church. Towards the end of the eighth century, Ethelbert, king of the East Angles, visited the court of Offa, king of Mercia, arriving at Hereford with a great retinue, for the purpose of marrying Elfrida, Offa's daughter. "Amidst the joy and festivity of these entertainments," says Hume, "he was seized by Offa, and secretly beheaded; and, though Elfrida, who abhorred her father's treachery, had time to give warning to the East Anglian nobility, who escaped into their own country, Offa, having extinguished the royal family, succeeded in his design of subduing that kingdom. The perfidious prince, desirous of reestablishing his character in the world, and perhaps of appeasing the remorse of his own conscience, paid great court to the clergy, and practised all the monkish devotion so much esteemed in that ignorant and superstitious age. He gave the tenth of his goods to the church, bestowed rich donations on the cathedral of Hereford," &c., &c. VOL. XI.-NO. CCCXVI. PRICE 1 d. Many marvellous cures were stated to have been wrought at Ethelbert's grave, and many astonishing sights seen. His shrine, which was near the choir, was destroyed during Cromwell's usurpation. After the death of Offa and his son Egfrid, Milfred, the viceroy, built "an admirable stone church" at Hereford, which he dedicated to Ethelbert, endowing it with valuable lands. Early in the eleventh century, bishop Ethelstan is said to have materially repaired, if not rebuilt, the cathedral. During the hostilities however between the Confessor and Algar, son of Leofric, duke of Mercia, the church was materially injured by fire. The writer of the Saxon chronicle, under the year 1055, speaking of the ravages and enormities perpetrated by earl Algar and his ally, Griffin, king of Wales, says, "They went to the town (of Hereford) and burnt it utterly; and the large minster also, which the worthy bishop Athelstan had caused to be built, that they plundered and bereft of relic and of reef, and of all things whatever; and the people they slew, and led some away." The chronicle of Mailross, under the same year, more explicitly states, that the Danes "burnt the city of Hereford, and the monastery of St. Albert, the king and martyr, and slew the canons and about four hundred others." Bishop Lozin commenced rebuilding the cathedral A.D., 1079, after the model of the church at Aken, now Aix la Chapelle. It was completed by bishop Raynelm, A.D., 1107, with the exception of the tower erected by bishop Egidius or Giles de Bruse, or Braoes, who was consecrated to the see, A.D., [London: Joseph Rogerson, 24, Norfolk-street, Strand.) с с 1200. A small volume was published in 1827, entitled "A brief inquiry into the ancient and present state of Hereford cathedral." The author differs from Mr. Britton, whose opinion is here stated. He conceives that Athelstan was the founder of the present church. "There is the best reason," says he, "for believing that the arches of the choir, the east wall of the transept, with its side aisle, also the arches which communicate between the side aisles of the choir and nave, and the great transept, are the remains of Athelstane's church; whilst the arcade of the choir, the arches beneath the central tower (but not the piers), with the whole of the Saxon work westward, are the additions of Lozing and Raynelm these prelates having repaired rather than rebuilt the church." : The cathedral is a cruciform edifice, the great tower rising from the intersection. It was formerly surmounted by a spire, which has, however, been taken down. The western tower fell down in 1786. The event is thus recorded in a periodical of that time. "Hereford, April 20, 1786.-About nine days ago a small part of the stone-work of the inside roof under the west tower of the cathedral church in this city fell, and continued frequently so to do till last Monday afternoon, between six and seven o'clock, at which time all that beautiful and magnificent structure fell down, and with it part of the body of the church. No person has received any hurt, nor has any damage been done to any of the buildings near it, except the music room, which it has considerably injured. There was a great number of people in the church-yard, it being a remarkably fine day. This tower, which is now a heap of rubbish, has been deemed by most of the antiquarians to be as beautiful and magnificent a piece of building as any in the kingdom. The height of it was 125 ft." The west end was rebuilt from the designs of Mr. James Wyatt, in a style which Mr. Britton condemns in no measured terms. The nave, of Norman architecture, is separated from the aisles by massive circular columns and arches. The north transept presents a rich specimen of the early English, with large decorated windows. The choir is Norman, intermixed with early English. The episcopal throne, and the fifty stalls for the members of the cathedral, are surmounted by ornamented canopies of tabernacle work. A copy, by Leening, of the celebrated painting of the Saviour bearing the cross, in Magdalene college chapel, Oxford, was, in 1816, erected over the communion table. The east window, 40 feet high and 20 wide, represents the Lord's supper; the figures, painted by Mr. Backler from West's celebrated picture, are 15 feet in height. Eastward of the choir The cathedral contains many monuments to the memory of various bishops and others, of which the most ancient is that of bishop Walter. The sepulchral memorials of several have been destroyed, and others much injured. When the parliamentary soldiers occupied the city, in 1645, a hundred and seventy brasses were removed, and several of the monuments defaced, but marks of them still remain. Many brasses were likewise displaced when the cathedral underwent repairs, after the fall of the west end in 1786; Mr. Britton says no less than two tons weight. There is a noble monument of Dr. Tyler, bishop of Llandaff, and dean of Hereford; and another of Sir R. Pembridge, knight of the garter, in the reign of Edward III. The tomb of bishop Cantelupe is also here, who died August 25, 1282, travelling to or from Rome to obtain the co-operation of the pope against Gilbert Clare, earl of Gloucester, and John Peckham, archbishop of Canterbury, with both of whom he was at variance: he was seized with illness at Civita Vecchia, in Italy. His heart was brought to Hereford, and buried in the cathedral. He was canonized, in 1310. The tomb, now mutilated, is curiously adorned with effigies. It was a place of great repute for the miraculous powers it possessed: four hundred and twenty five miracles, according to the legend, having been wrought at it. It was the resort of pilgrims from all quarters. In consequence of the great notoriety of the saint, the bishops of Hereford relinquished their ancient arms, which were those of St. Ethelbert, and adopted those of Cantelupe, viz., Gu. three leopards' heads jessant, with a fleur-de-lis issuing from the mouth, or. Limited space prevents notice of other monuments. The bishop's palace is an ancient building at the west of the cathedral, containing several elegant rooms, with a fine garden, and grounds attached. The deanery is near the church; and four houses adjacent are appro- | priated to the residentiaries." Previous to the recent ecclesiastical changes, the officers of the cathedral were a dean, five residentiaries, a chancellor of the church, precentor, treasurer, two archdeacons, prelector, twenty-three prebendaries, the college of vicars consisting of twelve members. The diocese comprehends the county of Hereford. The bishop's income, calculated at 25167., is fixed at 42001. In 1837, the diocese comprehended 360 churches and chapels, 346 parishes. confidence, and by persons on whose veracity I could ing, where, spite of the nakedness and listlessness of 66 PRESBYTERY OF EDINBURGH. "The ordinary monthly meeting of presbytery was holden on Wednesday--the rev. Mr. Bennie, moderator, in the chair. The college, where the vicars choral reside, is a brick building of the time of Ed-presbyterian service, he was much edified with the ward IV. It stands east of the cathedral, with which it communicates by a cloister, leading to the south end of the eastern transept. It contains a chapel, hall, dining-room, and dormitories. In 1820 some incendiary set fire to the college, but the flames were extinguished before they had made much progress. The beams, where the fire commenced, had been saturated with spirit of turpentine; and a quantity of brushwood, straw, and matches, were laid to add fury to the flames. Two respectable gentlemen were imprisoned on suspicion of being engaged in the affair, but were discharged as perfectly innocent. Similar attempts were made at different times-the incendiary was never discovered. Some months ago Mr. Collingham, architect, providentially discovered an alarming crack in the walls of the tower, which, there is every reason to suppose, would ere long have caused the ruin of the whole fabric. Prompt measures have been taken for substantial repair. The nature and extent of which when completed will be noticed. M. MY SCOTTISH TOUR. (A parenthetical Paper.) MOST persons who have read the preceding papers of "My Scottish Tour," must be aware that I have frequently stated my firm conviction, that the present most unhappy condition of feeling in the established church would induce many to withdraw from its communion. To the ranks of the secession church I did not suppose many would join themselves; for the political as well as religious violence, in a voluntary point of view, manifested by its members, could not fail to prevent any right-minded man doing so. My impression has been that those, or at least the great majority of those who left the establishment, would become members of the united established church of England and Ireland, with which the Scottish episcopal church is in the very closest communion. From recent correspondence, from my own personal observation, and from the testimony of persons whose veracity is unimpeachable, I had been led to believe that there was a probability that some ministers of the Scottish establishment would ere long resign their livings. The names of such were mentioned to me in "The Moderator having intimated that a letter read as follows: had been put into his hands from Mr. Marshall, the "Episcopal government I believe to be not only expedient, but, being coeval with apostolic times, to have had the sanction of those who were divinely authorised to plant and model the Christian church. "With such sentiments I cannot remain any longer a minister of the church of Scotland; and though, in the prospect of leaving a church of which I have been a minister for more than twenty years, of separating from a congregation to which I am tenderly attached, and of casting myself and family on the providence of God, I feel deeply affected, and have endured a conflict of mind that has done considerable injury to my health, still integrity and truth compel me to make the sacrifice; and though I know, sir, that you and my brethren of the presbytery will disapprove of the step I have taken, yet I trust you will believe I have acted conscientiously, and will receive my assurance that it is my heart's desire and earnest prayer to God, that you and they may increasingly be blest, and be made more and more blessings to those among whom you labour. 666 "I am, rev. and dear sir, yours very truly, (Signed) 'JAMES MARSHALL.' "Mr. Marshall rose and said-In addition to the communication which has just been read, I have simply to state that, so far from being influenced by any temporal considerations in the step I have now taken, I have literally the prospect before me of being cast with my family on the providence of God; and though being conscious of an ardent desire to devote |