VIII. and the iconoclastic rage of the Puritans, Time alone has dealt
with it; and Time has mellowed the whole to a pale amber hue which adds
greatly to the beauty of the mighty fane. Beorminster Cathedral is a
poem in stone.

Within, the nave and transepts are lofty and imposing, with innumerable
arches springing from massive marble pillars. The rood screen is ornate,
with figures of saints and patriarchs; the pavement is diversified with
brasses and carved marble slabs, and several Crusaders' tombs adorn the
side chapels. The many windows are mostly of stained glass, since these
were not destroyed by the Puritans; and when the sun shines on a
summer's day the twilight interior is dyed with rich hues and quaint
patterns. As the Bishop of Beorminster is a High Churchman the altar is
magnificently decorated, and during service, what with the light and
colour and brilliancy, the vast building seems--unlike the dead aspect
of many of its kind--to be filled with life and movement and living
faith. A Romanist might well imagine that he was attending one of the
magnificent and imposing services of his own faith, save that the
uttered words are spoken in the mother tongue.

As became a city whose whole existence depended upon the central shrine,
the services at the cathedral were invariably well attended. The
preaching attracted some, the fine music many, and the imposing ritual
introduced by Bishop Pendle went a great way towards bringing
worshippers to the altar. A cold, frigid, undecorated service, appealing
more to the intellect than the senses, would not have drawn together so
vast and attentive a congregation; but the warmth and colour and musical
fervour of the new ritual lured the most careless within the walls of
the sacred building. Bishop Pendle was right in his estimate of human
nature; for when the senses are enthralled by colour and sound, and vast
spaces, and symbolic decorations the reverential feeling thus
engendered prepares the mind for the reception of the sublime truths of
Christianity. A pure faith and a gorgeous ritual are not so incompatible
as many people think. God should be worshipped with pomp and splendour;
we should bring to His service all that we can invent in the way of art
and beauty. If God has prepared for those who believe the splendid
habitation of the New Jerusalem with its gates of pearl and its streets
of gold, why should we, His creatures, stint our gifts in His service,
and debar t