The History and Antiquities of Rochester and Its Environs

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: The CATHEDRAL. ABisHOPRicK, with a monaftery for fecular priefts, was founded at Rochefter, in the reign of Ethelbert, king of Kent, foon after Augustine the monk had landed in the Ifle of Thanet, and preached at Canterbury. This part of England was well difpofed for the reception of chriftiahity by the 2eal and exemplary piety of Bertha, daughter bfCARl- B E R T king of Paris, and wife of E T H E L B E R T . She was a chrif- tian, and by the articles of her marriage enjoyed the free ex- ercife of her religion; in confequence of which fhc was attended to Kent byLuiDHARD, a prelate of great learning and unfpotted life. He officiated in the church of St. Martin's in Canterbury; and, by his frequent difcourfes with the nobility, had brought over feveral perfons, in the king's palace to the profef- fion of chriftianity: fo that when Augustine arrived with his fellow miffionaries from Rome, he found Kent well prepared to Men to his important meflage. This propitious event happened A. D. 596. Thefe miffionaries rud fuch fuccefs, that in the third year after their landing, no lefs than ten thoufand converts were bapti2ed. Chriftianity fpreadihg with fo rapid a progrefs, great numbers of edifices were fhortly erefted for the performance of religious worfhip. The firft church at Ro- chefter was begun about the year of our Lord 600, finifhed four years afterwards, and dedicated to the honor of GOD A temple originally built near the walls of that city, by the Romaas, for the worfhip of idols. nd theipoftle St. Andrew. This building fuffered confider-. ably by thne and the ravages of foreign enemies; and appears, to have had but few repairs until about 1080, when bifhop Gundulph rebuilt the cathedral, which is iituated about fifty-four yards fouth of the high ftreet; it confifts o...