another staircase, winding from the floor of the first story to the top of the tower, with communications with every room. There are many holes in the outward walls, on every side, for the admission of light, and for annoying the enemy. On the third floor, were the apartments of state, and here the architect seems to have exhibited immense ability. These apartments were about thirty-two feet high, and separated by columns, forming four grand arches curiously ornamented. About midway to the ascent to the next floor, is a narrow arched passage or gallery in the main wall, quite round the tower. From the upper, or fourth floor, the staircase is carried the height of ten feet, to the top of the great tower, which is about ninety-three feet from the ground; round the top is a battlement seven feet high, with embrasures. From this elevation is an agreeable and extensive prospect of the country, the city and adjacent towns, the barracks and dock-yard at Chatham, and the pleasing and romantic meanders of the river. Near the castle is a descent to Bully or Boley-hill. From the many Roman urns and lachrymatories found on digging this hill, it is conjectured to have been a place of sepulture of the Romans; and historians add, with great probability, that the mound was cast up by the Danes when they be sieged the city in 884. Whence the hill itself derived its appellation, has puzzled antiquaries; but an attention to its situation with respect to the castle, and the use to which it was applied while that fortress was in its prosperity, may lead to a very reasonable surmise concerning the etymology. To most old castles were appertaining outworks called Ballia; and that there was an outer ballium is clear, from Matthew of Westminster's History, who, relating the unsuccessful attack of Montfort earl of Leicester and the confederate barons against the castle, observes, that having by a fireship destroyed the bridge, and a tower of wood upon it, he became possessed of the city cum exteriori ballio castri. But there there is clearly no spot without the castle, except Bullyhill, which can be meant by this passage*. The south gate of the city was at the east corner of the Bailey; the arch of it was taken down in the year 1770. Through this gate was the high road to Maidstone, up a street called St. Margaret's. On the right side of St. Margaret's Street, is a house, that, towards the end of the seventeenth century, was given by Francis Head, Esq. to the bishops of Rochester, for the better accommodation of their lordships, when they should visit this part of their diocese. The parish church of ST. MARGARET, is situated at the south extremity of St. Margaret's Street, and consists of a nave and two chancels on the south side. At the west end is a tower, covered with ivy, containing five bells. Here are memorials for SYR JAMES ROBERTE, preest, 1540; THOMAS COD, vicar, a benefactor to the steeple, 1465; and in the chapel west of the Lee chancel, the bust of a person with a crown on the head, much defaced. Near the bottom of St. Margaret's Street, on the right, are the precincts of the antient priory. Here is the ROYAL * King Edward IV. in 1460, granted to the mayor and citizens a right to a view of frankpledge in the city, and in a certain place called the Boley within the suburbs of the city. It is a court-leet still kept separate from that holden in the Guildhall. The inhabitants of this small district are to appear before the recorder of the city as steward of the court, which is held on the Monday after St. Michael, and an officer is then appointed, called the baron of the Bully. The form of admission is by the delivery of a staff, no oath of office being required. It is thought that the baron might be the first officer under the governor of the castle, before the institution of the court-leet. The court is kept under an elm tree at the east end of the hill, and the householders of the several tenements within its limits are generally appointed in succession to this office. The habitation of the benevolent Mr. Watts, was opposite the castle. He had here the honour of entertaining queen Elizabeth in 1573, who, as tradition reports, gave to this mansion the title of Satis, as a compliment to the generosity of her host; it still bears that name. The large house on the eminence, is held by lease from the governors of St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London. GRAMMAR GRAMMAR SCHOOL, founded by Henry VIII. for the education of twenty boys, called King's Scholars. It is endowed with four exhibitions, to be paid by the church to four scholars; two to be of Oxford, and two of Cambridge, which exhibitions of 51. per year each, they enjoy till they have taken the degrees of A. M. if they continue members of the universities, and have no fellowship. Ant upper and under master are appointed for the instruction of youth in this school. Six houses in the row opposite are inhabited by the minor canons of the cathedral; the seventh at the east end belongs to the organist. At a small distance to the left is the site of the antient palace belonging to the bishop. Bishop Fisher appears to be the last who resided here. The present buildings were erected about the middle of the eighteenth century, and are leased out by the bishop to tenants, as is his house in St. Margaret's. In the west quarter of the palace precincts were the bishop's court, for the trial of civil causes, and a prison. No debtors have been confined in it for years, the practice of the court not being sufficient to defray the expences of supporting the jurisdiction. In what used to be the gaoler's garden, the late bishop Pearce, in the year 1760, erected a register's office. Not many yards from Minorcanon Row, on the right, is a small embattled tower, through which was the entrance into the cloister of the priory. The arch of the gateway is visible, but, the ground being much raised, it is not easy to fix its height. Contiguous to the cloister were the dormitory and refectory, but they were taken down soon after the dissolution of this religious house. A part of the east wall of the cloister is standing; there are in it round pilasters and arches, some of which are intersected. There are also doorways with semicircular arches that have been neatly carved; this was called the dormitory cloister. Ernulph, bishop of Rochester from 1115 to 1124, built this dormitory, and probably this cloister. It is certain that he erected the chapter-house, which is at the north end of the cloister; of the front of the chapter house there are conVOL. V. No. 110. siderable Сс siderable remains, particularly three windows, and three arches under them. These arches were embellished in a very elegant stile of sculpture, but the greatest profusion of ornaments appears to have been on the compartments which formed the fascia of the centre arch, or doorway. The almonry of the convent was at the south-west extre mity of the church. It is now the house of the fifth prebendary, and this stall is annexed, by act of parliament, to the provostship of Oriel College in Oxford. There was within memory a gate adjoining to the gable end of this house, which inclosed this part of, the precinct, now called College Green. THE CATHERDAL. Augustine, archbishop of Canterbury, established an episcopal see at Rochester about the year 604, and king Ethelbert built a church for Justus, the first bishop. An entirely new fabric was erected by Gundulphus, who was promoted to this diocese in 1077, and continued in it till his death, which happened in March 1107. He is said to have finished his plan before his decease, and several parts of the present fabric were doubtless of his construction; the beautiful west door has been attributed to him, and the stile of its sculpture shews it could not be the work of a much later period. It has a semicircular arch, agreeably to the early Norman architecture, with several members. unfortunately mutilated, containing a great variety of ornaments. Beneath the crown is the figure of Our Saviour sitting on a throne, with a book open in his left hand resting upon his knee, the right hand being raised in the attitude of blessing; but the hand is broken off, as is likewise the head, though the nimbus or glory is discernible. The throne is supported on the right by St. Mark, and on the left by St. John the Evangelist; they have their usual symbols, the lion and the eagle; and above their heads are doves. On the north side of the door is the statue of king Henry I. and on the south that of Matilda his queen. Henry was present at a dedication of this cathedral by archbishop Corboyl, on May 11, 1130, and was after wards wards a benefactor to the neighbouring priory; bishop Gundulph had been confessor to the queen. In a niche of the west front of the north-west tower of the nave, is a very antient episcopal figure standing upon a shrine, designed, as it is thought, for Gundulph. The old tower was taken down in 1763; the statue was an ornament of that tower, but placed in the north side of it, facing the gate of entrance, from the city into the precincts. The ground at the west end is so much raised, that there is a descent by several steps into the body of the cathedral, which consists of a nave and two side aisles. The dimensions of this church are: from the west door to the steps leading up to the choir one hundred and fifty feet; from thence to the east' wall of the chancel one hundred and fifty-six feet; total three hundred and six feet. The transept between the nave and the choir is in length, from north to south, one hundred and twenty-two feet. The east transept is in length, from north to south, ninety feet. In the original plan of Gundulph's church, it is not unlikely there might be a tower over the steps leading up to the choir. When the alteration was made in the columns and arches at the east end of the nave, and the cross aisles were erected, this tower must have been rebuilt; but bishop Haymo de Hethe, in 1843, raised the tower higher with stones and timber, which he covered with lead, and placed in it four bells, named Dunstan, Paulinus, Ithamar, and Lanfranc. In 1749 Mr. Sloane, an architect of Gravesend, built the present steeple. There are in the tower six bells, and the height of it is one hundred and thirty-six feet. The choir was made with the offerings at the tomb of William, a charitable Scotch baker, who was by the device of some crafty monk converted into a martyr and a saint; because, whilst travelling towards the Holy Land, he was unfortunately murdered and robbed near Rochester by his servant: but the work was manifestly completed upon an œconomical plan, the architect having been very sparing in his ornaments. Very considerable alterations and improvements were made in the choir in the years 1742 and Cc 2 1743, |
