We did not of course attempt to climb the Salisbury spire, although
there were quite a number of staircases inside the cathedral, and after
climbing these, adventurous visitors might ascend by ladders through the
timber framework to a door near the top; from that point, however, the
cross and the vane could only be reached by steeple-jacks. Like other
lofty spires, that of Salisbury had been a source of anxiety and expense
from time to time, but the timber used in the building of it had been
allowed to remain inside, which had so strengthened it that it was then
only a few inches out of the perpendicular. When a new vane was put on
in 1762 a small box was discovered in the ball to which the vane was
fixed. This box was made of wood, but inside it was another box made of
lead, and enclosed in that was found a piece of very old silk--a relic,
it was supposed, of the robe of the Virgin Mary, to whom the cathedral
was dedicated, and placed there to guard the spire from danger. The
casket was carefully resealed and placed in its former position under
the ball.
A very large number of tombs stood in the cathedral, including many of
former bishops, and we were surprised to find them in such good
condition, for they did not appear to have suffered materially in the
Civil War.
Pages:
891
892
893
894
895
896
897
898
899
900
901
902
903
904
905
906
907
908
909
910
911
912
913
914
915