Wulstan, upon the site of an earlier edifice, formerly the church of a
priory founded by one of the Saxon kings. Recent restorations, carried
on under the direction of the Dean and Chapter, have led to the
correction of defects, resulting from time, and ignorance on the part of
past builders, and have disclosed features which add much to the grandeur
of the edifice; so that in addition to impressions its magnificence
creates upon the mind of the general visitor, it now affords a rich treat
to all who delight to trace the boundary lines of ecclesiastical
architecture, as they approach or recede from the present time. First,
there is the Norman or Romanesque of the period of its erection, of which
the crypt and part of the central transept are specimens; secondly, the
First Pointed or Early English, as seen in the eastern transept; thirdly,
the Middle Pointed or Decorated, as in the tower, guesten hall, and
refectory; and, fourthly, the Third Pointed or Perpendicular, as in the
north porch, in the cloisters, and Prince Arthur's Chapel. Amongst
ancient mural monuments, covering the dust or commemorating the virtues
of the great, will be found King John's tomb, in the centre of the choir;
one in white marble of Prince Arthur; and those of bishops Sylvester,
Gauden, Stillingfleet, Thornborough, Parry, and Hough, the latter a _chef
d'oeuvre_ of Roubilliac's; also that of Judge Lyttleton, "the father of
English law;" and others of men renowned for learning, piety, or bravery.
Near this fine old ecclesiastical edifice once stood the feudal
stronghold that protected it, the only remaining portion of which is a
crumbling mass of stone known as Edgar's Tower. From standing in the
college precincts it is sometimes mistaken for a portion of the
cathedral; it is, however, a relic of the old castle, the keep of which
rested on a mound of sand and gravel, which was found to contain, upon
its removal in 1833, Roman remains of the reigns of Augustus, Nero,
Vespasian, and Constantine. In High Street, leading from the Cathedral
to the Cross, is the Guildhall, erected from a design by a pupil of the
great Sir Christopher Wren, and considered to be one of the most handsome
brick-fronted structures in the kingdom. It is decorated with statues of
Charles I., Charles II., Queen Anne, and with emblematic figures of
Justice, Peace, Labour, &c.; whilst over the doorway is the city coat of
arms, with the motto, "_Floreat semper fidelis civitas_