Page:The Saxon Cathedral at Canterbury and The Saxon Saints Buried Therein.djvu/62

 CHAPTER IV

A.D. 942-961

ROM the time of Cuthbert (741) to the advent of St. Odo (942) the Cathedral appears to have remained much in the same condition as when finished by St. Austin or his immediate successor, except that during the intervening 200 years much decay had set in, so that when St. Odo arrived at his Metropolitical City, he found the roof of his Cathedral absolutely rotten from age and resting on half-shattered timbers. We learn all this from Edmer, and also that this Archbishop was desirous of raising the walls of the church to a greater height, and took advantage of the extensive reparations required to do so. He therefore had the roof wholly removed and the walls raised. Edmer does not say to what height, he merely states the fact; but as the work occupied three years to effect completion, it is likely that they were raised to a considerable height, and possibly other improvements and enlargements were effected at the same time. The prolonged work gave occasion for the performance of a miracle, for during the whole time of the re-building no rain fell in the City of Canterbury, though the surrounding fields and orchards were rained upon as usual, the Archbishop having prayed to Heaven that the work should not be delayed nor the clergy and people prevented from attending the services of the Church, by reason of any inclemency of the weather.

The possible enlargement above mentioned is suggested by the late Sir Wm. St. John Hope to have been the formation of an eastern transept to St. Austin's Church by an extension of the easternmost 32