The New Guide to Peterborough Cathedral | Page 8

in person, and treated with great indignity by
the cardinals, and expelled the court. The abbot was so much grieved,
by this cruel and ungenerous treatment that he never recovered, but
died in the same year [1245], after having ruled twelve years with the
greatest mildness, prudence, and benevolence. This story of the Pope's
arbitrary conduct calls forth a very pithy couplet from Gunton--
"Rome gnaweth hands as dainty cates, And when it cannot gnaw--it
hates."
Walter was a learned man, and increased the books of the library.
Gunton says "he was pious and merciful to all, exacted nothing unduly
of his tenants, whether rich or poor; but if any poor man or woman
made their necessities known to him, he would burst into tears, and
take compassion upon them."
The next abbot of whom we read is William de Hotot, who was elected
on the 6th of February, 1246. His rule was not favourable to the
monastery. He lavished the possessions of the church upon his friends
and kinsmen. His conduct was reprehended by the monks, and finally
represented to the Bishop of Lincoln, when William, fearing he should
be deposed, resigned his office, and retired upon an allowance from the
monastery in 1249, after governing three years.
Mr. Owen Davys, in his Guide to the Cathedral, remarks that "it is a
matter of great surprise that we have no record handed down to us of
the exact date when that magnificent appendage to the Cathedral, the

western front, was erected, though it must have been about this time.
The name of the architect under whose directions this original and
strikingly beautiful design was carried out is also buried in obscurity.
This noble front is almost entirely built in the style usually known by
the name of early English Gothic, of which it is, perhaps, the finest
example we have now left us.
"It would seem that scarcely any time elapsed between the building of
the western transepts of this monastic church and the commencement
of the west front, as the style of the western transepts is Late Transition
Norman, and in some places almost Early English, and that of the west
front pure Early English. Now, as the Transition Norman gave place to
the Early English in this country, about the commencement of the
thirteenth century, it would seem probable that these western transepts
were built at that time, probably during the government of Acharius
[1200]; these works being carried on by Robert de Lindsay, his
successor, might have been completed by him: the mixture of Early
English work with that of the former style in them may thus be
satisfactorily accounted for. It would seem, therefore, that these
transepts were erected before the time of Walter St. Edmonds, and that
the building of the west front probably followed immediately after the
erection of them. Mr. Britton, in his 'History and Antiquities of
Peterborough Cathedral,' page 56, refers the building of this interesting
feature of the church to the times of Acharius and Robert de Lindsay. It
would seem, however, that though it was probably begun in the time of
the latter abbot, it was not finished till the time of John de Caleto, who
came to the government of this abbey A.D. 1249. The reason for this
opinion is the similarity of some of its details to those of the infirmary
church, which was erected by this abbot. Some beautiful portions of
this church are still to be seen. This abbot is said to have been a great
builder; and it is probable that the refectory and south cloister were
rebuilt by him; and that the door by which the Bishop usually enters the
Cathedral, was inserted at the same time. The Chapel of St. Lawrance,
which stood at the east end of the infirmary church, seems to have been
erected about this time. There was an entrance into this chapel, from
the infirmary church, through an arch, which is still standing, the
chapel having been converted into a prebendal house."

Richard de London was elected abbot in 1274. He had held several
offices in the monastery before his instalment, and being well
acquainted with the discipline of the church, he governed well and
wisely. He recovered the manor of Biggins, near Oundle, of the Earl of
Clare, and his success was mainly owing to the eloquence of one of his
monks, who pleaded the cause of the monastery in person, before the
judge of assize at Northampton.
It was during the government of Richard de London that Prior Parys
built and endowed the Lady Chapel.[11] This abbot ("when he was
sacrist") also built one of the largest steeples of the church, and gave
two bells to the monastery. He died in 1295, having ruled twenty years.
In his