of his subjects, he remained for some time at peace, and occupied himself in improving the condition of the people. Olave, however, professed the Christian religion, which his subjects reviled and notwithstanding the good he had done, a strong party was formed against him, and King Canute was invited by the discontented to become their Sovereign. In the first battle which occurred in consequence, Olave, with some assistance from neighbouring powers, subdued Canute; but after many reverses, eventually lost his throne and his life in the year of our era, 1028. Having thus perished for religion's sake, he was adjudged a martyr and sainted, and being much respected by the English nation, not merely for the assistance he had rendered them against the Danes, but for the excellence and holiness of his life, several churches were dedicated to his memory in England. By Rapin,' and other historians, the story is told somewhat differently. It is said, that in the year 994, Olaf, Olaus, or Olave, King of Norway, allured by the success of some former invaders, effected a landing near London, with Sweyn, King of Denmark, and made several attempts to become master of the city, but was repulsed. After they had ravaged Kent, Hampshire, and Sussex, a peace was concluded, and Olaf, having paid a visit to Ethelred, was persuaded by him to be baptized, the English King becoming his god-father; on which occasion, Olaf swore that he would never again molest or attempt the conquest of this country. Respecting the cause and manner of his death the accounts agree, and we must suppose, whichever statement be most correct, that the English people considered they owed him respect, as we find several churches really existing, which bear his designation; namely, St. 1 66 History of England." Tindal's Edition. Vol. ii. p. 6. Olave's, Old Jewry; St. Olave's, Silver Street; the one which for the present more immediately concerns us, namely, St. Olave's, Hart Street, and others. The last mentioned church stands on the south side of Hart Street, at the corner of Seething Lane, and is subject to the Archdeacon of London. In the oldest register books belonging to the See, it is written S. Olave, juxta Turrim Londinensis.1 The patronage was formerly vested in the Nevil family, and next, in that of Richard and Robert Cely, who, according to Stow, were the principal builders and benefactors of the church. It afterwards belonged to the descendants of Lord Windsor, but is now the property of the parish, through the bequest of Sir Andrew Riccard, who was Sheriff of London in the year 1651. Of the early history of the church we know but little. The first mention of the parish, that we find, is in a composition, dated 1319, between William de Samford, who was then Rector, and the prior and brethren of the Holy Cross ; whereby the latter party agreed to bury in the monastery, then building in the parish, any of the parishioners of St. Olave, that desired to be buried there; and to pay two marks and a half per annum to the Rector and his successors for ever, in compensation for the damage that might accrue to them upon the building of this priory in their parish. When the church was founded, is not precisely known; indeed one writer observes, there are no marks of its antiquity, farther than, that Robert Byrche, woolpacker, was burried there in 1433.2 According to Maitland, however, there was in the middle aile a brass figure inlaid, King of Arms, in his coat and crown, and of a 66 underneath was formerly this inscription, of which the date of the year was lately remaining in the old black letter." Orate pro anima Johannis Clarenseux Regis Armorum qui obiit bito die Mensis. Februarii. A. D. MCCCCXXVII.! This carries us a few years farther back, but with the exception of these brief evidences we know nothing of the early history of the building. The interior of this small but interesting church consists of a nave with ailes: clustered columns and pointed arches forming a division between them. Above the arches rises a clere-story, containing small flat-pointed arched windows in three divisions: and the ceiling above is formed by arched tie beams, springing from stone corbels. The corbels on the north side, present on their face angels bearing shields, but those on the south side, have shields only. Moulded ribs and oak panelling, with ornamental flowerets at the angles, fill the spaces between the beams. In the years 1632 and 1633, when the church was repaired at a cost of £437, the roof of the middle aile ("being damaged to the danger of falling") was rebuilt with new timber, and new leaded, and the inside was ornamented. John Bull Gardiner, Esq. Architect, under whose able direction various repairs were made to the church in 1823, states, as his opinion, that the original ceiling as well as that over the ailes which is the same in character, was constructed when Richard and Robert Cely improved the church; 2 and that in 1633, when the present ceiling was "History of London." Vol. ii. p. 1158. The surname of this King of Arms, is supposed to have been Arundell, from an entry in the Office of the Chamberlain of London. 2" Gentleman's Magazine." Vol. XCIII. pp. 207, 317. To Mr. Gardiner our thanks are due for information which he kindly afforded. put up, the builders made no alteration, but restored or repaired it after the old model,-a fortunate exception to the conduct of repairers generally about that period. The ceiling of the ailes, we may say, is thickly studded with small stars; which would lead us to suppose that this part of the church was not disturbed at the last mentioned date, but that it is of the original construction. These stars were formerly painted a different colour to the beams on which they are fixed, as is even now the custom in the cathedrals of Germany, and other Roman Catholic countries, where their introduction is almost universal.' At the east end of the nave is a large acutely-pointed window containing representations in stained glass of the Evangelists and Apostles. Until 1823, this window was quite plain, similar to that at present at the east end of the north aile; but in that year the ornamental tracery and stained glass with which the head is now filled, were introduced. The ailes are lighted by windows in the sides, and one window at the east end of each. That at the end of the north aile is sharply pointed, and may be regarded, in common with the large east window, the window at the west end of the church, and the columns and arches which separate the nave and ailes, as part of the more ancient portion of the building. The heads of all the other windows are less acutely pointed, and are probably of the same date as the ceiling of the ailes. 1 The principles which guided the Architects of the middle ages in decorating, by means of colour, the gorgeous and proud evidences of their skill and science that they have left behind them for our admiration and guidance, have never been thoroughly investigated. Our own country, in the numerous splendid Cathedrals of which it boasts, offers ample materials for such an inquiry, and we are glad to learn that the Council of the Institute of British Architects, by whom already much attention has been given to the Polychromy of Classic Architecture,-has offered a premium for the best essay on the subject. The altar-piece is plain, as is the font, which stands at the east end of the north aile. Two monstrous gallerics of modern date, disfigure the church and obscure several of the monuments. There was formerly a small gallery on the south side of the church, appropriated to the Navy office, which until a few years since was in this parish. This was approached by a staircase on the outside of the church, as is seen in an engraving of the building pubished in 1726, by West and Toms. Among the various monuments and brasses adorning the interior of the church, the most ancient remaining appears to be a brass plate, at the east end of the south aile, to the memory of John Orgene, and Ellyne his wife, dated 1584, on which are some curious lines. At the same end of the church is a fine monument to Dr. Turner, dated 1614, which was hidden for a long time by the south gallery: last year however, when the monuments were cleaned and repaired, a portion of the gallery was removed, so that it can now be seen. On the north side of the altar is an interesting monument to the brothers Paul and Andrew Bayning, the latter of whom died in 1610, and the former in 1616. It presents their effigies under alcoves, brilliantly painted, and is well sculptured, more especially the head of Paul. Under this last figure are some doggrel verses, the concluding two lines of which quaintly say, that The happy summe and end of their affaires, Above this is a monument in memory of a part of the Pepys family, and under the north gallery is a full 1 In Strype's Edition of Stow's "Survey," &c. it is erroneously dated 1591. B. II. p. 39. |