perished by fire, as so many Anglo-Saxon churches did, on July 7th,
1087. Some historical incidents connected with that early building
will be found on a subsequent page.

In the year before this calamity (April 5th, 1086), Maurice, chaplain
and chancellor to William the Conqueror, had been consecrated
Bishop of London by Lanfranc. Unlike most of William's nominees to
bishoprics, Maurice's moral character was disreputable; but he was a
man of energy, and he set to work at once to rebuild his cathedral,
and succeeded in getting from the king abundance of stone for the
purpose, some of it from the remains of the Palatine tower by the side
of the Fleet River, which was just being pulled down, having been
hopelessly damaged by the fire[1], and some direct from Caen. William
also at the same time gave him the manor and castle of Bishop
Stortford, thus making him a baronial noble. There was need for haste,
for the Conqueror died at Rouen on the 9th of September that same
year.

So began the great Cathedral of St. Paul, the finest in England in its
time, which, witnessing heavy calamities, brilliant successes,
scenes both glorious and sad, changes--some improvements and others
debasements--lasted on for nearly six centuries, and then was
destroyed in the Great Fire. We have first to note the main features
of the architectural history.

Bishop Maurice began in the Norman style, as did all the
cathedral-builders of that age, and splendid examples of their work
are still to be seen in our cities. Bishop Maurice's, as I have said,
was the finest of them all in its inception, but he really did little
more than design it and lay the foundations, though he lived until