Editing Exeter Cathedral (section)

==Notable features==
Notable features of the interior include the misericords, the minstrels' gallery, the astronomical clock and the organ. Notable architectural features of the interior include the multiribbed ceiling and the compound piers in the nave arcade.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cothren|first=Marilyn Stokstad Michael W.|title=Art History Portable, Book 4 14th–17th Century Art.|year=2010|publisher=Prentice Hall|location=Upper Saddle River, NJ|isbn=978-0205790944|edition=4th ed., Portable}}</ref>

The {{convert|18|m|ft|adj=mid|-high}} [[cathedra|bishop's throne]] in the [[Choir (architecture)|choir]] was made from Devon oak between 1312 and 1316; the nearby choir stalls were made by [[George Gilbert Scott]] in the 1870s. The Great East Window contains much 14th-century glass, and there are over 400 ceiling bosses, one of which depicts the murder of [[Thomas Becket]]. The bosses can be seen at the peak of the vaulted ceiling, joining the ribs together.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cothren|first=Marilyn Stokstad Michael W.|title=Art History Portable, Book 4 14th–17th Century Art.|year=2010|publisher=Prentice Hall|location=Upper Saddle River, NJ|isbn=978-0205790944|pages=554|edition=4th ed., Portable}}</ref> Because there is no centre tower, Exeter Cathedral has the longest uninterrupted medieval vaulted ceiling in the world, at about {{convert|96|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name=LFLT>''The Cathedral Church of St Peter in Exeter''. Printed leaflet distributed at the Cathedral. (2010)</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="200px">
Exeter Cathedral Nave, Exeter, UK - Diliff.jpg|The nave looking east toward the organ
Exeter Cathedral Quire, Exeter, UK - Diliff.jpg|The choir looking east from the organ toward the Lady Chapel
Exeter Cathedral Great East Window.jpg|The Great East Window
Exeter Cathedral west window.jpg|The West Window
Myles_Coverdale_-_West_Window,_Exeter_Cathedral.jpg|[[Myles Coverdale]]
</gallery>

===Misericords===
[[File:Misericordtaborer.png|thumb|One of the misericords, depicting a pipe and tabor player]]
The fifty [[misericord]]s are the earliest complete set in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/history/theexetermisericords.ashx
 |title       = The Exeter Misericords
 |publisher   = Exeter Cathedral
 |access-date  = 23 August 2010
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20100815032806/http://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/history/theexetermisericords.ashx
 |archive-date = 15 August 2010
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref> They date from two periods: 1220–1230 and 1250–1260. Amongst other things, they depict the earliest known wooden representation of an elephant in the UK. They have supporters.
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===Minstrels' gallery===
[[File:Exeter Cathedral Minstrels' Gallery.jpg|thumb|The Minstrels' Gallery]]
The [[minstrels' gallery]] in the nave dates to around 1360 and is unique in English cathedrals. Its front is decorated with 12 carved and painted angels playing medieval musical instruments, including the [[cittern]], [[bagpipe]], [[hautboy]], [[crwth]], [[harp]], [[trumpet]], [[organ (music)|organ]], [[guitar]], [[tambourine]] and [[cymbal]]s, with two others which are uncertain.<ref>Addleshaw (1921) p. 36</ref> Since the above list was compiled in 1921, research among musicologists has revised how some of the instruments are called in modern times. Using revised names, the list should now read from left to right [[gittern]], bagpipe, [[shawm]], [[vielle]], harp, [[jew's harp]], trumpet, organ, [[citole]], [[recorder (instrument)|recorder]], tambourine, cymbals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://prydein.com/pipes/exeter/index.html |title=Bagpipe Paintings: The Bagpiper of Exeter |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=prydein.com |publisher=Prydein, American Celtic-Rock |access-date=17 December 2016 |quote=[photos of the Minstrels Gallery] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731025716/http://www.prydein.com/pipes/exeter/index.html |archive-date=31 July 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>
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===Astronomical clock===
[[File:Exeter Cathedral astronomical clock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.23|The astronomical clock; the upper minute dial is post-medieval.]]
The [[Exeter Cathedral Astronomical Clock]] is one of the group of famous 14th- to 16th-century [[astronomical clock]]s to be found in the west of England. Others are at [[Wells Cathedral clock|Wells]], [[Ottery St Mary#Church|Ottery St Mary]], and [[Wimborne Minster (church)|Wimborne Minster]].

The main, lower, dial is the oldest part of the clock, dating from 1484.<ref name=LFLT /> The [[fleur-de-lys]]-tipped hand indicates the hour (and the position of the sun in the sky) on a [[24-hour analogue dial]]. The numbering consists of two sets of [[Roman numerals]] I to XII. The silver ball and inner dial shows both the [[lunar phase|age of the moon and its phase]] (using a rotating black shield to indicate the moon's phase). The upper dial, added in 1760, shows the minutes.<ref name=LFLT />

The Latin phrase ''Pereunt et imputantur'', a favourite motto for clocks and [[sundials]], was written by the Latin poet [[Martial]]. It is usually translated as "they perish and are reckoned to our account", referring to the hours that we spend, wisely or not. The original clockwork mechanism, much modified, repaired, and neglected until it was replaced in the early 20th century, can be seen on the floor below. The door below the clock has a round hole near its base. This was cut in the early 17th century to allow entry for the bishop's cat to deter vermin that were attracted to the animal fat used to lubricate the clock mechanism.<ref name=LFLT />
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===Library===
[[File:Exeter Cathedral Lady Chapel, Exeter, UK - Diliff.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Lady Chapel, where the library was originally located]]
[[File:Exeter Cathedral Lady Chapel, east window.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The Lady Chapel east window, inserted post-war replacing Victorian glass which was destroyed during WWII]]
{{Quote box
 |quote  = Si quis illum inde abstulerit eterne subiaceat maledictioni. Fiat. Fiat.<br />(If any one removes this he shall be eternally cursed. So be it! So be it!)
 |source = Curse written by Leofric on some of the books in his library<ref>{{Cite journal
  | author = Edmonds
  | title = The Formation and Fortunes of Exeter Cathedral Library
  | journal = Report & Transactions of the Devonshire Association | url= http://hdl.handle.net/2027/coo.31924106523669?urlappend=%3Bseq=29
  | volume = 106
  | page = 36
  | year = 1899
  | hdl = 2027/coo.31924106523669?urlappend=%3Bseq=29
 }}</ref>
}}
The library began during the episcopate of [[Leofric (bishop)|Leofric]] (1050–1072) who presented the cathedral with 66 books, only one of which remains in the library: this is the [[Exeter Book]] (Exeter Cathedral Library MS 3501) of Anglo-Saxon poetry.<ref>{{Citation |location = Newport, Isle of Wight |author = Edward Edwards |title = Memoirs of Libraries, of Museums, and of Archives |edition = 2nd |date = 1901 |oclc = 3115657 |ol = 14022288M |author-link = Edward Edwards (librarian) }}</ref> 16 others have survived and are in the [[British Library]], the Bodleian Library or [[Cambridge University Library]]. A 10th-century manuscript of [[Hrabanus Maurus]]'s ''De Computo'' and [[Isidore of Seville]]'s ''De Natura Rerum'' may have belonged to Leofric also but the earliest record of it is in an inventory of 1327. The inventory was compiled by the Sub-Dean, William de Braileghe, and 230 titles were listed. Service books were not included and a note at the end mentions many other books in French, English and Latin which were then considered worthless.

In 1412–13 a new lectrinum was fitted out for the books by two carpenters working for 40 weeks. Those books in need of repair were repaired and some were fitted with chains. A catalogue of the cathedral's books made in 1506 shows that the library furnished some 90 years earlier had 11 desks for books and records over 530 titles, of which more than a third are service books.<ref name="Lloyd, L. J. 1967"/>

In 1566 the Dean and Chapter presented to [[Matthew Parker]], [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], a manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Gospels which had been given by Leofric;<ref>{{cite book|last=Sayle|first=Charles|author-link=Charles Edward Sayle|title=Annals of Cambridge University Library, 1278–1900|page=[https://archive.org/details/annalsofcambridg00saylrich/page/49 49] (footnote 3)|year=1916|url=https://archive.org/details/annalsofcambridg00saylrich|publisher=University Library|location=Cambridge|access-date=29 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306170541/https://archive.org/details/annalsofcambridg00saylrich|archive-date=6 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> in 1602, 81 manuscripts from the library were presented to Sir [[Thomas Bodley]] for the [[Bodleian Library]] at Oxford. In 1657 under the Commonwealth the cathedral was deprived of several of its ancillary buildings, including the reading room of 1412–13. Some books were lost but a large part of them were saved due to the efforts of Dr Robert Vilvaine, who had them transferred to St John's Hospital. At a later date he provided funds to convert the [[Lady chapel]] into a library, and the books were brought back.

By 1752 it is thought the collection had grown considerably to some 5,000 volumes, to a large extent by benefactions. In 1761 [[Charles Lyttelton (bishop)|Charles Lyttelton]], Dean of Exeter, describes it as having over 6,000 books and some good manuscripts. He describes the work which has been done to repair and list the contents of the manuscripts. At the same time the muniments and records had been cleaned and moved to a suitable muniment room.<ref name="Lloyd, L. J. 1967"/>

In 1820 the library was moved from the Lady Chapel to the chapter house. In the later 19th century two large collections were received by the cathedral, and it was necessary to construct a new building to accommodate the whole library. The collections of [[Edward Charles Harington]] and [[Frederic Charles Cook]] were together more than twice the size of the existing library, and [[John Loughborough Pearson]] was the architect of the new building on the site of the old cloister. During the 20th century the greater part of the library was transferred to rooms in the [[Bishop's Palace, Exeter|Bishop's Palace]], while the remainder was kept in Pearson's cloister library.<ref name="Lloyd, L. J. 1967" />

Today, there is a good collection of early medical books, part of which came in 1948 from the [[Exeter Medical Library]] (founded 1814), and part on permanent loan from the [[Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital]] (1,300 volumes, 1965). The most decorated manuscript in the library is a [[psalter]] (MS&nbsp;3508) probably written for the Church of St Helen at [[Worcester, England|Worcester]] in the early 13th century. The earliest printed book now in the library is represented by only a single leaf: this is [[Cicero]]'s ''[[De officiis]]'' ([[Mainz]]: [[Johann Fust|Fust]] and [[Peter Schöffer|Schoeffer]], 1465–66).<ref name="Lloyd, L. J. 1967">Lloyd, L. J. (1967) ''The Library of Exeter Cathedral''. Exeter: University of Exeter</ref>

===Bells===
[[File:South tower, Exeter Cathedral - geograph.org.uk - 299012.jpg|thumb|upright|The South Tower where the 12 bells hang]]
Both of the cathedral's towers contain bells. The North Tower contains an {{convert|80|-Lcwt|tonne|adj=on|lk=in|abbr=off}} [[Bourdon (bell)|bourdon]] bell, called Peter. Peter used to swing but it is now only chimed.

The South Tower contains the second heaviest peal of 12 bells hung for change ringing in the world, with a tenor weighing {{long ton||72|2|2}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://dove.cccbr.org.uk/detail.php?DoveID=EXETER|title = Doves Guide for Bellringers|access-date = 28 July 2014}}</ref> They are second only to [[Liverpool Cathedral]] in weight.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/dove.php?searchString=&numPerPage=10&searchCountry=&searchDiocese=&searchPracN=&searchRingable=&searchBells=&searchNote=&searchAmount==&searchWeight=&searchMetric=cwt&searchDetails=&searchGF=&searchSimulator=&searchToilet=&sortBy=Tenor&sortDir=Desc&Submit=Go|title=Dove's Guide Search|website=dove.cccbr.org.uk|access-date=2018-12-02}}</ref> There are also two [[semitone]] bells in addition to the peal of 12.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.inspirewebdesign.com/ringsof12/|title = Rings of 12|access-date = 28 July 2014|website = The Rings of 12|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150221093901/http://www.inspirewebdesign.com/ringsof12/|archive-date = 21 February 2015|url-status = live}}</ref>