Old St. Paul's Cathedral

Wenceslaus Hollar--to whose engravings of Old St. Paul's we are indebted for our exceptional knowledge of the aspect of a building that has perished--was born in Prague in 1607, and was brought to England by the Earl of Arundel, who had seen some of his work at Cologne. He soon obtained profitable employment, producing engravings both of figures and views in rapid succession, and about 1639 he was appointed drawing-master to the Prince of Wales, afterwards Charles II. On the outbreak of the Civil War he served as a soldier in the Royalist ranks, and was taken prisoner at Basing House, but escaped to Antwerp. Obtaining very poor employment there, he returned to England in 1652, and was engaged upon the plates for Dugdale's History of St. Paul's and other works, for which, however, he is said by Vertue to have received very small pay, about fourpence an hour, "at his usual method by the hour-glass."

Some years later the Plague and the Fire again threw him out of employment, and he seems to have sunk deeper and deeper into poverty, dying in 1677, with an execution in his house, "of which he was sensible enough to desire only to die in his bed, and not to be removed till he was buried." He lies in the churchyard of St. Margaret's, Westminster, but there is no stone to his memory.

In the course of his industrious life he is said to have produced more than 2000 engravings and etchings. "He worked," says Redgrave, "with extraordinary minuteness of finish, yet with an almost playful freedom." His engravings of Old St. Paul's, though not entirely accurate, undoubtedly give a true general view of the Cathedral as it was in its last years, after the alterations and additions by Inigo Jones, and nearly a century after the fall of the spire.

OLD ST. PAUL'S FROM THE SOUTH. After W. Hollar.

OLD ST. PAUL'S FROM THE NORTH. After W. Hollar.

OLD ST. PAUL'S FROM THE EAST. After W. Hollar.

OLD ST. PAUL'S FROM THE WEST. After W. Hollar.

THE CHAPTER HOUSE AND CLOISTER. After W. Hollar.

THE NAVE, OR PAUL'S WALK. After W. Hollar.

THE CHOIR. After W. Hollar.

THE LADY CHAPEL. After W. Hollar.

THE ROSE WINDOW. From a Drawing by E.B. Ferrey.

GROUND PLAN OF OLD ST. PAUL'S. After W. Hollar.

THE SHRINE OF ST. ERKENWALD. After W. Hollar.

THE TOMBS OF SEBBA AND ETHELRED. After W. Hollar.

THE MONUMENT OF JOHN OF GAUNT AND BLANCHE OF LANCASTER. After W. Hollar.

THE MONUMENT OF BISHOP ROGER NIGER. After W. Hollar.

THE MONUMENT OF SIR JOHN BEAUCHAMP, POPULARLY KNOWN AS DUKE HUMPHREY'S. After W. Hollar.

BRASSES OF BISHOP BRAYBROOKE, JOHN MOLINS, AND RALPH DE HENGHAM. After W. Hollar.

ST. FAITH'S CHURCH IN THE CRYPT OF ST. PAUL'S. After W. Hollar.

PORTRAIT OF BISHOP FISHER. From the Drawing by Holbein. British Museum.

ST. MATTHEW: VIEW OF A MEDIAEVAL SCRIPTORIUM. From a MS. of a Book of Prayers. British Museum, Slo. 2468.

A REQUIEM MASS. From a MS. of a Book of Prayers. British Museum, Slo. 2468.

SINGING THE PLACEBO. From a MS. of the Hours of the Virgin. British Museum, Harl. 2971

SEALS OF THE DEAN AND CHAPTER. From Casts in the Library of St. Paul's Cathedral.

ORGAN AND TRUMPETS. From a Collection of Miniatures from Choral Service Books. Fourteenth Century. British Museum, 29902.

MONUMENT OF DR. DONNE. After W. Hollar.

PREACHING AT PAUL'S CROSS BEFORE JAMES I. From a Picture by H. Farley in the Collection of the Society of Antiquaries.

OLD ST. PAUL'S FROM THE THAMES. From Hollar's Long View of London.

WEST FRONT AFTER THE FIRE. From a Drawing in the Library of St. Paul's Cathedral.

OLD ST. PAUL'S IN FLAMES. After W. Hollar.

OLD ST. PAUL'S

CHAPTER I.

THE BUILDING.