Beautiful Windows

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22402, 24 April 1936, Page 8 (Supplement)

Beautiful Windows

By A.L.R.

AT ANY of you may have read of the beautiful crystal clear plate glass window over the altar of the little church of St. James in South Westland, through which may be seen the whole of the glory of the landscape beyond. The idea of" the architect was, that the worshippers of the great God who made the wonder of tho view before them, might be inspired to fill their lives, and tho lives of others with beauly and happiness. For this window was given as a memorial to tho soldiers who gave their lives that tho order and beauty of the world should be saved. This window is tho most interesting window in any Church in New Zealand, but I am sure you would like to know also about some of the beautiful coloured glass windows in England. The main windows of York Cathedral are named "The Five Sisters of York." They are made of tho most exquisite pale green glass, something like the colour of the sea, and something like moonlight. These windows are very old, dating back to the thirteenth century. When they were taken down to be releaded, some of the panes were found to be worn as thin as paper by the wear and tear of the weather of the centuries 1 These windows have played at hide and seek, because during the war, between the Roundheads and the Royalists in England, in tho seventeenth century, they were taken down and buried in a sacred place, for the Roundheads were bent on destroying everything beautiful in the churches. They behaved like naughty little boys smashing their sisters' toys in a bad temper! After the war the beautiful "Five Sisters of York" were put up again for tho world to smile at their loveliness. _ The windows of Kings College, Cambridge, are of vividly coloured glass, depicting scenes from the Jiible. They were made in the early 16th century by tho "King's Glazier," who was helped by two Dutchmen, and two Englishmen, and the Dutchmen put the

CATHEDRALS OF ENGLAND

people in the windows into Dutch doublets anil hozen, instead of F-astern dress, which, of course, tho people in tho Bible really woro. There is an exciting story connected with these windows whicb you will like to hear. Like those of York Minster they were also tiaken down and cleverly buried for safety's sake. However, one of the little choir boys who knew where they were, was captured by the Roundhead soldiers, who roughly told him he must tell where the windows were hidden. He, being a bravo little Royalist, stoutly refused to speak. Then the cruel soldiers carried him into tho Church and sat him on the Altar, and said, "Now, you young scoundrel, if you don't say where those windows are, we will shoot you!" For a long time they bullied the little boy, but he still refused to reveal tho hiding place of the beautiful windows; so the Roundhead soldiers shot him. Someday, perhaps, you may have the joy of going to England, and among other lovely and interestinag sights see tiiese windows in King's College, Cambridge. Then you will remember the heroism of the child who gave his life that those beautiful windows might be saved 1 Don't you think that boy was a little like the brave soldiers we are remembering with honour this Anzac Day ? , , In Ely Cathedral, there were hundreds of exquisitely carved figures, and all about them the daintiest of stone (lowers copied from the sweet wild flowers found in tho hedges and fields around Cambridge. The Roundhead soldiers knocked the heads off the figures, and ruined the lovely carving of the flowers. It was said that when a great architect, named Pugin, saw the ruin which they had majle, he wept, and as we all know great Englishmen do not weep except for the greatest of reasons! Don't you think that these little stories of* England's treasures of Art, teach us to love and to cherish all that is beautiful?