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GLASGOW CATHEDRA E THIRTEENTTH N I L H CENTURY1 15 . I. GLASGOW CATHEDRA E THIRTEENTTH N LI H CENTURY, FRON MA ANCIENT SEAL: WITH SIDELIGHT N CONTEMPORARO S Y HISTORY. BY REV. JAMES PRIMROSE, M.A., P.S.A. SCOT. In historic research too little attention, generally speaking, has been devote sealo dsourca t s sa f informationeo t herfiela ye s ;ei d awaiting exploration. As is frankly admitted, architects are uncertain as to the exterior appearance of Glasgow Cathedral in the latter half of the thirteenth century; that is to say, as to how much of the fabric had then been constructed. Authorities on seals, however, tell us, that the art of seal-engraving was far advanced in Scotland in the thirteenth century, and that the seals of this period throw valuable sidelights on contemporary history. Among the early specimens of ecclesiastical seals those of Glasgow present features of great excellence,1 especially those executed during episcopate th Roberf eo t Wishart-(1272-1316). "The seals of capitular bodies," remarks Dr. Walter Birch,2 "are among the most notable of Scottish seals, both for antiquity and import- ance." " In this class," he adds, " no conventionalism has been" observed, a local tradition, a patron saint, an historical event suffice to mark the desige themseal.e th th r n "ne o fo Here arrestinn thea s ni g statement— "no conventionalism has been observed"; and this opinion has been endorsed by one who is, perhaps, our greatest living authority on Scottish seals, Mr W. Rae Macdonald. In support of this contention that real and not conventional churches representee ar e earlieth n o dr seal havee w s t seemsi , , examplee th n i s following:—In a thirteenth-century chapter seal of St Andrews, in which St Rule's Church is clearly depicted; in a chapter seal of Dunf ermline of 120 1226r 0seao a f Cambuskennetn o i l; h Abbe thirteente th f yo h century; and in a seal of Holyrood Abbey of 1141. If thie correctb s e representationth , f churcheo s s engraven o d thirteenth-century seals are not conventional but real—not necessarily accurate, however—of the churches as they stood. But further, this remark applies not only to the churches and their style of architecture, costumee th e clergyo t th t f e altaso th ,bu r furniture e symbolth d an ,s depicted. v 1 Glasgo particularlws i y ric sealn hi t thisa s period. Would some French artifice sealn i r s reside here? 2 Dr Birch, History of Scottish Seals, vol. ii., "Ecclesiastical Seals," see pp. 143, 211, 197, 219. 152 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , APRI , 1918L8 . Let us confine attention to the second chapter seal of Glasgow appended a documen o t t circa 1280 A.D.,1 tha , durinis t e episcopatgth f Bishoeo p Robert Wishart, who befriended Wallace and Bruce in the Great War of Scottish Independence. This seat vesic rouns no li r pointed o a dan d ova shapen i l mors i s a ,e usual among ecclesiastica usen i s ,l say sealswa d s Birch,an , fro lattee mth r part of the thirteenth century to ' the beginning of the fifteenth century, perhapd an s earlie lated ran r tha datee nth s mentioned.2 Bein gchaptea affixers sealwa t d,i to all documents to give authentica- tion to the resolutions agreed to by the chapter or majority thereof.3 It was thus most important, guarded with jealous carkepd an e t secure under triple locks. THE, OBVERSE SIDE. On the obverse side of the seal is representatioe th churca f no h which contains some striking features. ' If this then be not a conventional but actuan a l church have w , rougea h kin picturf do Glasgof eo w Cathedral a t existesi d toward lattee sth r half thirteente oth f h century. Observe, Fig . Chapte.1 r Sea f Glasgoo l w Cathedral, circa 1280 A.D. (Obverse side.) ther centraa s ei l belfrystonw lo ea , base wit ht spirPluscardinea a s ea , t clearlbu y differin styln i g e fro e massivmth e towe elegand an r t spire r dayoou f . M'Ure tell thas s u Bisho n ti p Glendoning's time (1387-1408 steeple )th e Cathedrae oth f l church, whic s buil hf wa woo o t covered dan d with lead, was burnt down with lightning.4 This then might be a representation of the steeple that was standing in 1,280, but burnt down .over a century later, and not the campanile OP north-west tower as is frequently stated.6 1 Liber de Melros, Libee 290. p Melrose Th . d .ri . was compiled fro e Melrosmth e chartern si possession of the Earl of Morton. Laing's impressio e casseae th plastegoodth n s i i tlt f no bu ,s mor i r e accurate. Laing's Catalogue2 of Scottish Seals, i., Plate xxii., Nos. 1024-5. 3 This seaappendes wa l conventioa o dt n betwee mastee nth brethred ran f Torphicheno d nan Reginalr Si ' Chene dl e regardin patronage gth Churce th f e o Ochiltrf ho diocese th n e i Glasgowf eo . The cyrograph mentione instrumenn a s di t divided intpartso otw . 4 History of Glasgow, edit. .1830, p. 17. Note the cross fleury surmounting the spire and a plain - . crosroofe th t f eithes.a o d ren MacGeorge d Glasgow,Ol , d edit.3r . 100p , . ~. 5 GLASGOW CATHEDRA E THIRTEENTTH N I L H CENTURY3 15 . After this, Bishop William Lauder (1409-1425), Glendoning's successor, whose arm upoe se perforatear nth d parapet, erecte w e toweno dth e rw see—the earliest example bees ha nt e Scottis i , saidth f o , h typ f belfryeo . Then Bishop John Cameron (1426-1446) crowne additiotowee e dth th y rb n of the elegant octagonal spire, the design of which excited a powerful influenc laten eo r Scottish mediaeval steeples. THE SYMBOLS OVER THE ROOF. Abov Cathedrae th rooe f ee righth o f th s representeo i tlt dcrescena t moon between the horns of which there is a star. While we are familiar, in our day, with this conjoint emblem as emblematic of the Turkish Empire t appeari , s tha a similat r emble s beemha n foun Grecian o d n coins struck about the year 200 B.C. The ancient Greeks, to judge from their coins, seem to have associated symboe crescene th th f o l stae t mooth r d wit goddesne an hth s Aphrodite or Venus. This later, somehow s revivee Christiawa th , y db n Church elevente ith n twelftd han h centurie d regarde an sn appropriat a s da e emblef Johe Virgio e Baptist th d th n f man o n e crescenth : t being symboli e staVirgine f Johth th o r e Baptist d f cno th an , . King John of England, when he visited Ireland early in the thirteenth century, caused the emblems of the crescent moon and the star to'be painted for decorative ornamen t e wallPatrick'S th f n o so t s Cathedral, Dublin.1 Turn attention now to the left side: we see a radiant sun or star; d thian s is_ generally accepte s symbolia d f Jesuco s Christ e Sunth ,f .o Righteousness. THE LOWER COURSES. lowee th t ra Loonavcoursee w walle th th kno ef f o sunderneato s h windowse th . This seems more than ordinarily conspicuous amone gth early seals. Is there any countenance given by this to the opinion of architects that the lower courses of the nave—the chancel having been already completed—were laid down all round by Bishop Bondington or predecessorss onhi f eo thad ,an t subsequently, upon those courses, Bishop Robert Wishart proceeded to erect the nave-and the two western towers ? INTERIORE TH . Pass now to the lower portion of the obverse side of the seal. Here an interior is evidently open to view and designed to represent the celebration of the mass. There are three niches, under three Gothic 1 Proceedings Royale oth f Irish Academy, 1879, series ii. ,. 468volp . .ii . 154 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , APRI , 1918L8 . arches in the style then in vogue. In the central niche observe an altar, or God's board, with a design somewhat like a chevron in front, or is e desigth n wrought upo a nfronta l hanging? Doe e for th f sthim o s altar—the higtype—suggesx hbo relia t c altar placed ove grave th r f eo t KentigerS lowee th n i r Churc• h. ?1 looNowe w k f ,narrowli t thiya s altar t woul,i d see havmo t e something like feet upon which to stand. If so, it would be a feretrum or portable altar. Now, we know that Edward I. when he visited Glasgow in August and September 1301 made offerings ad feretrum—at the feretory—of t KentigerS n e churcinth f Glasgoho w Cathedral.2 Here then, l inal probability, in this seal of 1280, we are gazing on a picture of the shrine of St Kentigern in the Lower Church, before which the King of England knelt in adoration in 1301. t againBu , standing upon this e sacrealtath s i rd chalic masr eo s cup, apparently richly carved.