MEDIAEVAL STAINED GLASS FROM HOLYROOD ABBEY CHURCH. 81

IV.

MEDIAEVAL STAINED GLASS RECENTLY RECOVERED PROE MTH . RUIN F HOLYROOO S D ABBE Y. EELESC CHURCH . P , Y B . P.S.A. SCOT. The fragment f mediaevao s l stained glass e describeaboub o t t d were found on the top of the vaulting of the south aisle of the nave of Holyrood Abbey Church during repairs to the roof in 1909. They have since been ^carefully cleaned and set up to form part of a window e picturth f o e e eas d galleryth en t t a . Their discover f first-claso s yi s importanc o Scottist e h ecclesiastical archaeology, because [hardly yan stained glas s surviveha s d from mediaeval Scotland.

ROUGA H SKETCHISTORE TH F STAINEHF O Y O D GLASS. Before describing the Holyrood glass in detail, it will perhaps be n over ru s wel a ,o t lver y briefly e historth , d developmenan y f o t mediaeval stained glass, as a glance at the main points may make t easiei realiso t r exace eth t positio relatiod nan e newl th f no y recovered Holyrood fragments. The ornamentatio f glasno s vessel meany b s f colouso s practisewa r d e Romanbyth s wel a ss othea l r ancient e decorationationsth d an , n oa largf e surfac meany eb numbea f o s f pieceo r f coloureso d glasr o s glazed material carefully fitted together was also well known, but the principlt applieno s windowso dt wa e , althoug e glazinhth f windowgo s with plain glas knows e Romansth wa s o nt r windofo , w glas founs i s d in almost every Roman fort. In the middle of the seventh century, Benedict Biscop brought glass workers from Gau glazo t l windowe eth s churches ohi f t Wearmoutsa Jarrowd s churca an h d h,an architecture progressed during what is called the Romanesque period, methods of window glazing also underwen a correspondint g development. Coloured glass, arranged in patterns after the manner of a mosaic, was commonly employe churchen di s befor e eleventth e h centuryd an , the further development of foliage and figure work must have followed very quickly, for all our evidence goes to show that stained glass as we know it, though in its earliest form, was the rule for a great and rich churce beginninth Normane t ha th f go , r perioislandou d n di an , that it had been in use on the Continent for some time previously. As decorativa e arte staininth , f glasgo s probably aros Gauln i e . Early glass was very thick, and the pieces were small. The lead- 6 VOL. XLIX. 82 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JANUARY 11, 1915, e ironworth d an kt worse tha s whicn tki wa o supporte t t h i d ha t i d be stron plentifuld an g . Fro e firstmth , both leadin d ironworgan k wer arrangeo s e o havt s a edistincda t decorative valuee glasTh s.

Fia 1. Central part of window at east end of picture gallery at Holyrood Palace, showing fragments of stained glass refixed for preservation.

was placed in medallions of various forms, and the windows were divided into corresponding sections by the supporting ironwork. The heavy leadwor s carefullkwa y utilise o outlint d d emphasisan e e figuresth e , ornaments r groupso , . The glascoloures wa s l throug dal e making th s wha n i hwa s i tt i ; MEDIAEVAL STAINED GLASS FROM HOLYROOD ABBEY CHURCH. 83 called " pot-metal" glass thers ;differenccas e y onlwa th ean e d n yoi re f e in manufacture, and that was " flashed," a thin red coating being spread b yblow-pipa e ove sheera f whito t e glas s thic th glassd l swa kan Al .

Fig. 2. Fragments of ancient glass found at Holyrood. full of bubbles, but irregular in thickness. These characteristics, coupled wit wave hth y surface ,refracted brokan p e ligheu y th dsucn i twa ha as to produce those extraordinarily rich and brilliant colour effects which are so noticeable in early glass. In glass of the Norman period, such as still exists in France and to .some extent in England, as at Canterbury and York, the designs of 84 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , JANUAR , 1915Y11 . windowe th s consiste f smalldo somewhad an , t thiangulad nan r figures in groups, set in medallions. The backgrounds were of plain glass, usuall r blueo d .yre t sparinglFoliagbu s enearlwa s y wa used yd alwayan e stif, th f f o s acanthus-leaf variety, so familiar in Norman stonework and in manuscript illuminations of the period. Wit e thirteenthth h century came First Pointe r Earlo d y English architecture, and the introduction of the earliest forms of Gothic ornament. Figures were enlarge improvedd dan , foliag extensivels wa e y used dan made much more free and varied, though it still followed the conventional types which we know so well in books and carved stone. The medallions whicn i h scenes were placed became more varie largee th formn d i d r an , figures were used singly in lancet windows and placed beneath simple canopies. Whil backgrounde eth s of scene figured san s continuee b o dt of plain glass, the groundwork of the window as a whole, forming the spaces abov r beloeo w medallion nichesr o s s treate,wa d with elaborate interlacing designs of branches and leaves, often most ingeniously, arranged upon the lines of different geometrical figures. Sometimes this foliage groundwork was made wholly of •white, or rather pale blue- green glass, the background of which was covered with cross hatching, throwin p intu g o strong relief crisd vigorouan p s e foliagth f o e characteristic First Pointed type. This kina silvery f glaso ds ha s - grey appearanc distanca knowt s ei a d grisailles enan a frequentls i t I . y use clearstorn di y windows. Towards the end of the thirteenth century, as architectural forms became less severe, the canopies over single figures assumed a richer character, their arches were ~tre containine fth oile d dan g gables crocketed. These arche d crocketan s s were usually mad f brilliano e t pot-metal yellow glass, whicbrassa s hha y appearance. With the fourteenth century came the introduction of large traceried windows, which provided a wider field for the glazier. The early years of the same century also saw the discovery of what is known as "yellow stain," e causeapplicatioth y b d f chloridno f silveo e whito t r e glass, by the use of which a pale yellow could be produced, giving a lighter altogethed an r different effect from heavye thath f o t, brassy, pot-metal yellow, and the colour could also be applied where necessary to a portion only of a piece of white glass, so as to produce another variety of decorative treatment. Figures were made larger, and a rich diaper r bluo r sometimed eo nre s green glas uses their swa d fo r backgrounds. Scenes were place n compartmentdi s under small canopies insteaf do in medallions. Glass became thinner, smoother, and less deep in colour. The most characteristic fourteenth-century development was the great MEDIEVAL STAINED GLASS FROM HOLYROOD ABBEY CHURCH. 85

elaboratio e canopth f no y ove e singlth r e figure crocketee Th . d gable was increase heightn di crockets ,it s enlarged wall-lika d ,an e background s providedwa , often embattle d otherwisan d e enriched e flankinTh . g pinnacles rose to a great height and were subdivided into smaller ones above, while additional pinnacles and gablets rose in the back- e wholgroundth t e Bu structur. s depicte withoud flae ewa th an t n do t perspective. Grisaille work and foliage borders changed their character accordancn i e wit e timbecame d stylth h th ean f eo e naturalistick Oa . leave d acornsan s leavey iv d ,berries an s , e tak crisplace th th epf eo and lumpy conventional foliage of the previous century. Grisaille backgrounds lose their geometrical characte d consisan r f naturao t l stem d leavean s s wandering about ove a trellis-worr f varieo k d geo- metrical forms produce e carefuth y db l arrangemen e leadworkth f o t . e fifteentth n I h century Perpendicular architecture overspread Englan d broughan d t still large stylw r f glassne windoweo a ,d an s of whic chiee hth f characteristi increasen a s f whitci o generad e deus an l lightness of colour. Canopies, whether over single figures or groups, became still more elaborate, were drawn n perspectivei - usualld an , y made very white, conveying the impression of white stone. The brown enamel, hitherto laid on in mass and then scraped away to show the coloured desig n reliefi n , begae applieb o t nn thii d n line o makt s e shadin d outlinan g e patterns. e colourSomth f o es changed; blues became more purpl r muco e h paler, reds more scarlet, yellows paler, and greens yellower generaln I . , ther ligha silverd s ei an t y appearance unknown before, and the figures and scenes become more and more realistic. Where there is a conventional background, the connected grisailld ol desige th e f ndisappearso , each quarr treates yi d separately and bear a conventionas l n heraldiflowea r o r c charge e wholTh .e effect of these fifteenth-century backgrounds resembles that of what was called " powdering decorativn "i e time e worth t .ka The introduction of enamel painting (to be carefully distinguished fro e singlmth e dark brown enamel hithert oe sixteentusedth n i ) h century brough a revolutiot n stainei n d glass. Scenes e begab o t n painted in different colours upon white glass. Hitherto, the various colours had been produced by the selection and arrangement of different pieces of coloured glass, the effect being helped out by enamel brown e applicatioth y colouy b an t upo f glasse no rno nth t excep bu , t yellow stain upon white glass. This mad t eimpossibli produco et e much minute detail excep n strici t t subordinatio a broa o t nd colour schemed An . as stained-glass windows depend for their effect upon such a colour scheme, the delicately painted medallions, the carefully shaded figures, and the overloaded detail of the new method proved to be the ruin of 86 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , JANUAR , 1915Y11 .

the art as a whole. Very charming work was done in some of these early enamel-painted medallions a typ, f glaso e s peculiarly suited to domesti e largecd somth usean f o er, wor f thio k s kin s distincdha t merit along a line of its own. But it was vitiated by its artificiality. f makino t e colourear gThth d eol d glass e materiath , l itself, e telth l storye spontaneou trus th o wa e,t s Gothie spirith f o tc period. Whether of the earlier or later type, such work has brilliancy, effectiveness, ane subtlth d e indefinable charm which belongmore th eo t snatura l d direcan t form f arto s, thae instinctivelon t y lackine b feel o t sn gi even the best glass of the Renaissance. And the subsequent history of e enamel-painteth d window showed tha t i market e decadencdth f o e glass painting. ANCIENT GLASS IN SCOTLAND. When we turn to Scotland we find a greater scarcity of old glass than in any other countries of Western Europe, except perhaps Ireland, Denmark Norwayd an ,distressingls i t I . y eas summariso yt e whas ha t survived. . Fragments.I (1) A considerable collection of small fragments at St -Andrews, now e Cathedraith n l museum there, mostl n veri y y brittl d decayean e d condition l veral yd smallan , e s nortfounth wa , n hi d transepte Th . few that hav ornameny ean t appea belono e first r th e t o gparth t f o t thirteenth century, as they show the small, sharply pointed acanthus leaf commonly use n florai d l wor t thaka t time. Placed beside them are a few larger fragments from St Mary's at the Kirkheugh, some of which are of grisaille work of the usual late thirteenth-century type. (2) At Coldingham Priory Church, Berwickshire, there are a few similar fragment latf so e thirteenth-century grisaille wor borderingd kan , described and correctly illustrated in colour in the revised Report of e Royath l Commissio Ancienn no t Monument r thasfo t county. (3) In the National Museum this Society has a few small fragments from Dunfermline, Dunblane, Lindores, lona d Melrosean , f theseO . , the Dunfermline fragments consist of grisaille work like that already referred to; some of those from Lindores seem to be the same; the Melrose fragmen lata s e i t glasd scrare f s po wit h three cross crosslets; and the rest are of indeterminate character. (4) In the Smith Institute, Stirling, are a few small fragments from Cambuskenneth whic hI hav t beeeno n abl examineo et buildine th s a , g t presenisa t use militarr dfo y purpose glase th inaccessibles si d san . Nonwindon i f thiseene p o b u s t wo glast ; se formunti s s a si o s l, MEDLEVAL STAINED GLASS FROM HOLYROOD ABBEY CHURCH. 87 Holyrooe th realle th l dy al glas foundmediaevas s swa wa t i , l glass known to have survived in Scotland. When it is pointed out that if it were all put together it would not amount to half what has been found at Holyrood e importancth , e Holyrooth f eo d discovery wil realisede b l . Scotland possesse a slittl ee sixteenth-centur th glas f o s y heraldic type, namely:— e Magdaleth (5n I ) n Chape e Cowgateth n i l , Edinburgh foue ar , r fine heraldic roundel e seconth f o sd quarte e sixteentth f o r h century, reset in modern glass t almosbu , t certainl windowye stilth n li s they originally occupied. These were carefully described and illustrated in colour in our Proceedings for 1886-7, vol. xxi. p. 266, by Mr George Seton, who considers that they must have been originally set up about 1545. e chapeth f Stobhaln (6o I l) l Castle, Perthshire e considerablar , e remains of heraldic glass of about the same time or a little later, together with fragments that may perhaps be earlier: these are described but not illustrated in our Proceedings for 1891-2, vol. xxvi. p. 34, by Mr J. M. Gray. (7) At Fyvie Castle, a heraldic roundel dated 1599, and (8) At Woodhouselee, a heraldic roundel dated 1600, both described in Mr Gray's paper already referre. to d

II. The Douglas Glass. Although neithe f Scottiso r h makScottisa r eno h survival finese th , t mediaeval glas n Scotlani s d canno e passeb t d t i woulover r e fo b ,d remarkable anywhere churce t Brideth S n f I ho . , Douglas Lanarkn i , - windowso shiretw e f threar , o larga , e ef eon o lightsmala e d on lsan two, containing a great amount of early glass, some perhaps of the twelfth century, but mostly of the thirteenth. The principal subjects consise Blesseth f o t de Hol Virgith yd Childnan , wit seatee hth d figure of King Hezekiah, take o doubn t fro ma windo w representine th g Tree of Jesse. Two smaller groups represent SS. Peter and Paul, and SS. Simon and Bartholomew, under semicircular canopies, with scrolls bearing Lombardic inscriptions. There are medallions of the symbols e fouoth f r Evangelist d threan s e circular floral medallions wite hth stiff leaf ornament commo e time th larg A t n.a e figurt JohS e f neo th Evangelist, represented holding the chalice with the serpent flying out of it, belongs to the fifteenth century. The small two-light window contains thirteenth-century glasa somewha f o s t different character chain i n n me armour o othee tw th lighe fro n e rresti ,e on mar th t n i ; St Paul with his sword. No other church in Scotland can show the liked althougan , h brought from elsewher d fittean e d into these 88 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JANUARY 11, 1915. windows in modern times, the glass is among the most interesting early glass in Britain, and is well worthy of careful description and illustratio e originath n i detain n i d l coloursan l .

III. The Holyrood Glass. positioa n i w appreciato nt no We ear exace eth t naturHolye th f -eo rood discovery. While piece e nonth f verf f glaso eso o e y sar larg e size, a number of them are complete, several that were broken have been joined again otherd an , s were originally adjacent bees ha n t I possibl. e o plact e e fragmentmanth f o y whan i s t were roxighly their original relations, and there are enough to tell us very accurately the type of window from which they come. There are, in fact, fragments of e smalr morth o f o lo ee lanceglastw th f o s t windows e whicon t a h time existee clearstorth e soutn di th f o n he navee yo th sid On f .o e these windows- e seemthirteentth o havf t so d e hen belonge e th o t d century, another to the beginning of the fourteenth. The first of these is represented by several fragments of First Pointed grisaille work, some scraps of crocketing in rich pot-metal yellow, and one or e drapero piece th tw e sama figurf r th o sf o yo en e i eyellow on d an , two pieces of drapery in green. Some green oak leaves, now placed in a medallion, and some plain red and blue background are also most probabl earliee th f yo r typegoo a thers s A d. ewa dea f overlappino l g betwee differene nth t kind workf s o possibl s i t i , e that som f thieo s glass a littlma e same yb eth f elate o nexe perio datn d i th ro t tean s a d be described. The bulk of the coloured fragments belong to an early Decorated window, of the typical fourteenth-century type, with a large canopy ove figura foliage th d r ean e bordea l round f al ro p .to There th s ei large pinnacle with cross-hatched shading in the middle and small crockets up the sides. There are pieces of panelling from the faces e buttresseoth f d shaftan s s that supporte e pinnaclesth d . Several piece f whito s e cusping streaked with yellow stain belone arcth ho gt ovee figure th rd som an , e green background diapered with crescents, and other pieces outlined to represent stonework no doubt came from the embattled walls that were often combined with canopies of this class. Several beautiful pieces of deep ruby covered with a very characteristic wavy diaper pattern evidently formed part of the back- ground of the figure beneath the canopy. A fragment of a crown indicaty ma e tha e figurth t e representeroyae th f lo saintse don . Perhaps the most striking of all the fragments are those which formed part of the foliage border which ran round the sides and arch NOTE. The' secflon is

oF vavir To Hie wa|l-nbb, niese ribs cor- -respond in " wiHi l"hose on w §cible. The

are. correct")) hhc rise of wmdo archer from is

f navo Fig y e. Elevatio 3 .ba clearstor e on f no f Holyrooyo d Abbey Church, reconstructed from existing remains, to show windows from which the glass came. [Drawn by Mr John Watson, 90 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , JANUAR , 191511 Y .

of the window. Several of these are perfect, or have been so easily joine dbees thaha n t i tpossibl t then theii se p mru o e t original form s verticaa l borders a sectio, n eitheno principae r th sid f o e l collection of fragments. They consist of a thick yellow stem branching on one side int oleaa f quadrangulao f r form t unlikno , ee hawthorn thath f to , with plain green glass in the angle on the opposite side of the stem. This particular formula for a border is very characteristic of early fourteenth-century work, and occurs in different varieties, according to the plant represented. o fragments—tw On r o e a white scrap with foliage paintet i n o d in enamel brown, in the very late style, a small piece of greyish blue and another piec f blueo e wit hparticulaa r kin f florado l diape it—man ro y perhaps have come from a fifteenth-century window. Beside colouree sth d glass ther e numerouar e s piece f plaio s n white e beautifuth glas f o s. l greenis e hgreath shadtd an thicknese s characteristi f earlco y work. e morSomth f eo e perfec f theso t e ar e diamond-shaped, others rectangular. They evidently come froa m window of plain glass, glazed, no doubt, in the thirteenth century, when the church was built. Other white fragments are of a different kind altogether, much thinner, much more level in surface, and of e kinth d commo laten ni r days. The e probablyar y relic f repairo s s to windows made when the nave was restored in the time of Charle. sI Many other fragments were found, but not in a condition in which they coul e actiousede e eart db th d rubbis Th f fir.han n o o e n hi whice soutth hf h o theaislp d laito ha yne e vaulburieth d n ha t o d rendered them opaqu d slatyan e . Many more were mere splinters, and there was a large quantity of uselessly small fragments of the late plain glass which seem belono seventeente st th o gt h century. Some time ago, under the direction of Mr Oldrieve, the present writer spent many weeks sorting, cleaning, and arranging the glass at the Office of Works, with the help of Mr Ritchie. When it was all cleaned, and arranged as far as possible in accordance with what could be ascertaine e originath f do l design e fragmentth , s which were capable n leadi o f p o fort su bein mt se ga windopar f o t w were placen i d the hands of Mr Douglas Strachan, the well-known artist in stained glass, who set them up in the form in "which they are now, in a frame whic r OldrievM h e arrange t inte lowefi oth o d t re windo parth f o t w e lonth gf o pictur e e centreasd th th en tf n i eo e galler f Holyrooyo d Palace t manno , y feet fro e positiomth n they originally occupied. They now for e mosmth t important group f fragmento f mediaevaso l stained •glass that has come down to us in Scotland from mediaeval times, and MEDIEVAL STAINED GLASS FROM HOLYROOD ABBEY CHURCH. 91 we owe a very great debt of gratitude to Mr Oldrieve for the effective s takestepha preservo e nt h s e them. The questions now arise, Are these the remains of Avindows of Scottish manufacture f i not d ,e glas an ,th wher sd comdi e e from? The answee firsth t o t questior unfortunatels ni e negativeth n yi d an , e mosth t probable answee secone suggestioth th s o i t dr n that they came from e thirteent Yorkth n I . h centur t i ymus e remembereb t d that nearly everything connected wit Scottisthe h h Church witor , h building or art, came from England, and it is more than doubtful if a native schoo f glaso l s painting could have developed here then. At tha r lont fo time gd afterwardsan , e grea, th Yor s t centrkwa f o e glass painting for all the north of England. It would be the natural place to turn to. There is nothing -whatever to distinguish the glass from English glass carefuA . l studen f Yoro t k glass, Mis . LeafM s , who is one of the best living authorities upon the glass of the north of England, has examined it all, and is of opinion that it was made theregreatee Th s .almosi r t i par f to tidentica l withe th glas f o s same period still remaining in the York churches, especially the Minster; All Saints, North Street; St Denys, Walmgate ; St Martin-cum-Gregory ; St John, Ouse Bridge. Tha Holyrooe th t d canons should have patronise e Yordth k glaziers is most natural. Holyroo s colonisedwa d from e SconSconeth d e an , canons came from the great Yorkshire house of Austin canons at Nostell near Pontefract. Tha Holyrooe tth d canons kepconnectioa p tu n with English housee samth f eo s order knoe w , w fro e manuscripmth t Holyrood Ordinale belongin r MoiM r o gt e presBryce th n si , anw dno Edinburgd Ol e foth r h Club, which contain agreemenn sa t between them and the canons of Carlisle regarding masses for deceased brethren. In conclusion, the writer wishes to express his thanks to Miss Leaf for the enormous amount of time and trouble she has taken in going ovee Holyrooth r d glasd comparinan s t i piecg y piecb e e wite th h glass at York; and also to Mr John Watson, who has made a special study of the structure of the Abbey Church, for the drawing (fig. 3) which reproduces a bay of the nave clearstory windows such as those for which the glass was made.