From the ?, Monday 2nd November 1896, page ? (press cutting in a notebook of the window’s donor, Cornwall Record Office ref. P68/2/182).
Although not a part of the work of the restoration of the ancient church of St. Germans at Port Eliot the substitution of an exquisitely-coloured window for the plain glass which previously filled the huge eastern light was a really very important matter. It differed from the other work mainly in that it was a gift, while the £7,000 odd that were devoted to the renovations were publicly subscribed and largely augmented by purely local effort. Quite recently an extraordinary bazaar was held in the lovely grounds of Port Eliot, but the work had by this time been largely completed and paid for, the ostensible object of the bazaar being to relieve the Restoration Committee of a debt on the work of £280. This was done, and £100 or more realised in excess, so that a nucleus for a fresh fund was easily formed. Marble paving to the church is much needed, and probably the question of reseating will be considered at a comparatively early date. The work so far has been most expeditiously carried out, for the huge new window was only decided on about nine months since; and yet in that time the design has been realised, the glass prepared, and placed in ornamental stonework, while the latter has been necessarily restored. Although it was finished early in the past week the window has been kept screened, and was not publicly revealed until the Bishop of Truro read the usual prayers at an unveiling yesterday morning. That portion of the service was completed in a very few minutes, but the fully choral service which followed occupied some time.
The Bishop selected as his text Malachi ⅲ., 10. “The windows of heaven.” When Christ shone on them He made them useful where they were useless before, or perhaps worse than useless. His light also showed them dangerous places; where they could walk with safety, and avoid the ambushes of the enemy, the pitfalls and traps which surrounded them. Not only that, but the light shone on the narrow way, and showed the provisions, the refuges, the comforts, the strengths, and the means of grace which God had prepared for those seeking Him. And they seemed in that light to hear His voice saying “Arise, shine, for thy light is come.” What was that light? It was the light of the fairest life that ever was lived, a life of love; that life of beautiful love which seemed to shed new light into human nature, and make it more lovable. It was a beautiful light, not that of white glass, but that of coloured glass, illuminated with pictures worth looking at, pictures which admitted the light of Heaven, and revealed the thoughts in the painter’s mind. It was a light so unselfish it turned away from nobody who sought it. It was indeed the light of Heaven that came down upon that dark world, revealing an unselfishness which the world had not dreamed of before, which the world had perpetuated in many a thousand hearts ever since. And so pure that it purified the world; so true that it made men true; so contagious in all its beauties of love and self-sacrifice. The world had ever since seen Christ’s life re-acted. Did He speak too strongly? He thought not, for if there was anything in Christianity Christ’s life was reflected in them. And so the window was Christ, and through that window they saw Heaven, and enough of it to make them long to be there. They saw THE ATTRACTIVE BEAUTY OF GOD, the beauty which drew them to it as a magnet drew steel. If they wanted to desire Heaven they must look at it through Christ; if they desired to be there it was easy to reach it; but they could not reach it unless they desired it. Christ was indeed the window, but they who were Christians were the panes. In that new window there were many panes of different sizes, different colours, for different purposes; and they, as Christians, were similarly panes, with different purposes to serve. If they looked at the window they would see halos around the heads of the saints; that was the fancy of painters, but it was a true fancy, for the glory of God was reflected in men, circled like a crown of glory on every true Christian. They became illuminated and transfigured with the light of Christ. They received that light to spread and diffuse. Just as each pane of that window received the light from the sky and transmitted it to the church, transfigured light, so the light of Christ coming unto them, passed out of them marked and shaped and noted with the colours of their own lives and character, shining upon their home life, and making it brighter and purer than it would have been, and kinder even as Christ was kinder. They saw how each pane of that window gave to the others a meaning, helped complete a whole, and how the removal of one would spoil the whole. So they found many things in their character, conduct, and personal life which fitted into one another and became a whole, without one part of which the rest would lose their beauty. As a single pane was of little use except as a part of a whole, each pane giving its shape, colour, and beauty to the beauty of the window, so they each—by contributing what they had received from God—made the world a lighter and better one.
The Rev. W. Westmacott (vicar) read the lessons and intoned the service. There was a very large congregation, among them being a party from Port Eliot, which included the Earl and Countess of St. Germans, Lord and Lady Robartes, Colonel the Hon. C.G.C., Mrs., and Miss Eliot, and Mr. and Mrs. A.R. Boucher. This was the first time since his recent illness that the hon. and gallant colonel has attended church service, while the guests arrived on Saturday evening on purpose to attend the service. Offertories were taken in aid of the East Window Fund. Mr. R.R. Glendinning, A.R.C.O., the newly-appointed organist, was at the organ.
The Bishop of Southwark was to have preached in the evening, but was unable to reach Port Eliot.