bays, with aisles; a CHOIR TRANSEPT forming an additional bay, with two APSIDAL CHAPELS in each wing, those on the south dedicated to SS. Stephen and Martin; a PRESBYTERY of two bays with aisles; an EASTERN AMBULATORY with aisles; ST. THOMAS' CHAPEL of four bays, apsidal, with a magnificent procession-path and aisles; and to the east the circular À BECKET'S CROWN; on the north of the Chapel of St. Thomas is KING HENRY IVTH'S CHANTRY; on the south of the PRESBYTERY is the apsidal ST. ANSELM'S CHAPEL, on the north is a similar CHAPEL OF ST. ANDREW, opening into the treasury, and the external auditory; to the east of the north wing of the great transept is the LADY CHAPEL, to the east of the south wing ST. MICHAEL'S CHAPEL. From the CHOIR TRANSEPT is a passage to the BAPTISTERY, north of which is the LIBRARY. Parallel with the north side of the north-west transept and Lady Chapel is the CHAPTER-HOUSE, and on the north side of the nave is the CLOISTER; the space southward of the choir formed the Cemetery, or God's acre, sown with the seed of the resurrection; 66 the Oaks" was the convent garden, the Norman doorway is in the precinct gate eastward of the choir. The ancient stone house on the left side turning round the Becket's Crown formed the Honours, the Guest Hall (a nave and aisles 150 ft, by 40 ft.), for the reception of visitors. Considerable remains of the Infirmary are observable; the Chapel and Common Hall, of flint, with three tall pointed windows, built in 1342. Near it was St. Thomas's well. At this point occurs "the Dark Entry," a Norman cloister built by Prior Wibert about 1167, with a curious bell-shaped tower, which served as the monks' conduit; above it is now the Baptistery. On one side is the gate of the great cloisters. The arch and ruins towards the Green Court are those of La Gloriette, the Prior's rooms built by Prior Hathbrand, 1379. Passing the chapter, once the Prior's chapel library, the Prior's, or Court Gate, leads into the Green Court; on the east side is the Deanery, built by Dean Godwin, 1570, after a fire on the site of the Prior's lodgings. In it Hooper welcomed Queen Mary. At the north-east corner a large gateway

D

opens into the follings, or foreigns, the space beyond the conventual jurisdiction. On the north side, were the ancient Dean's great hall, waterhouse, granary, refectory, frater-house, brew-house, bake-house, and domestic buildings, among which great part of the dormitory remains, with a gateway and steps. At the north-west angle is the Norman precinct gate of the priory, which stood on the south side of the court; the back entrance to it, or Larder Gate, still remains. At the south-west angle is the arched door which led to the palace. The Stranger's Hall was on the west side. In the north-west angle is likewise the Norman staircase, with an open arcade which led into the north hall, 150 ft. by 40 ft., allotted to the stewards of the priory court; the arches on which it was supported alone remain; above them the King's School has been built by Mr. Austen, 1855. They form a passage into the Mint yard. It is the only staircase of the period known to be in existence. In the King's School were educated Harvey, the physician, Lord Thurlow, and Lord Tenterden, who often said, he envied as a boy the lay-clerk's gown, the summit of his ambition! Within the ancient Almonry, on the north-west of the Green Court, stood the chantry of St. Thomas à Becket, which Henry VIII. converted into a mint, and Cardinal Pole made the King's school. In the high wall, probably a portion of Lanfranc's building, leading to the north-west entrance of the Cathedral, are the remains of the covered way to the cloisters, by which the primates entered, but their ordinary approach was through a large gateway with a square tower of flint and

ashlar.

No Cathedral presents a more solemn and imposing exterior: the two western towers, full of grandeur and beauty, and the central steeple, one of the most graceful examples of pointed architecture, give dignity to the vast and picturesque pile, grander even now than when it burst upon the view of the motley train of pilgrims to à Becket's shrine, who halted on the neighbouring hill to kneel in devotion, and then to rise and shout for joy at the sight of its beauty.

A dim and mighty minster of old time,

A temple shadowy with remembrances
Of the majestic past.

Within reigns a chastened but sovereign magnificence, every way worthy of the metropolis of the Church of England, and the flights of stairs required, owing to the height of the crypt beneath, add an air of vastness and sublimity to the whole effect. Complete and impressive, the lofty arches, the many-coloured clerestory, the noble simplicity, and grand proportions render it a magnificent spectacle to the eye, darkling in the soft calm twilight till it grows accustomed to gaze. Gostling says he has seen the eyes of the negroes, whom American colonists brought with them, sparkle with admiration at the view. No church in England has gathered about it greater historical recollections, or possesses more numerous accessories of ancient state. The church, first built on this site by St. Augustine, suffered great injury from the Danes in 938, and still more by a fire in 1067. Lanfranc, archbishop 1070-86, completed a new building, on the same plan and with the same dimensions as the church at Caen where he had been prior, of which Anselm, archbishop 10931109, with Ernulph and Conrad the priors, enlarged the choir and built the CHOIR TRANSEPT, western portion of the CRYPT or undercroft, the largest, finest, and most interesting in England, measuring 163 by 83 ft. 6 in., and chapels of SS. Anselm, Andrew, and the Holy Trinity. William Corboyl, 1123-36, restored the church after a fire in 1130; once more a fire destroyed the choir, September 5, 1174, which was rebuilt by William of Sens 1175-8, who, owing to a fall from a scaffold, was compelled to return to France; the TRINITY CHAPEL, eastern part of the CRYPT and BECKET'S CROWN were rebuilt by William the Englishman, 1179-84. The latter was possibly erected on the site of the ancient circular Baptistery and Tomb-house of the Saxon primates, and occasionally used as a Chapterroom. It bears some similarity to the east end of the Marien Kirche, at Lubeck. The stone enclosure of the CHOIR, 14 ft. high, was built by Henry de Estria, prior

1304-5; and in 1363, the Chantry of the Black Prince in the crypt. Simon Sudbury, 1376-82, commenced the rebuilding of the NAVE and MAIN TRANSEPT, with St. Michael's Chapel, (the architect was Chillinden, prior 1376-1410,) and built the west gate. The NAVE was continued by William Courtenay, 1382-97; Thomas Arundel, 13971414, gave a peal of five bells to the north-west BELL TOWER or Arundel steeple, which was rebuilt in 1840; the NAVE was completed in 1400; the CLOISTERS and CHAPTER-HOUSE were in progress, and the chantry of Henry IV. erected in 1412. The vaulting of the CHAPTERHOUSE was set up between 1391 and 1411. Prior Goldstone, 1449-68, built the LADY CHAPEL, and completed the south-west Chichele or Oxford, formerly St. Dunstan's, tower. Selling, prior in 1472, completed the central Angel or BELL HARRY TOWER, as it has been variously called, from the bell or a gilded angel standing on one of the pinnacles now lost. It is the glory of all towers, of two stages with two two-light windows, transomed in each face, the lower tier being canopied, combined in one superb and harmonious structure, surrounded by octagonal turrets at each angle. Prior Goldstone П., about 1495, added the two buttressing arches, and ornamental braces beneath it. The great Dunstan bell, recast by Mears, weighs three tons ten hundredweight.

The WESTERN FRONT is flanked by two towers: in that upon the south, the Chichele steeple, over the porch is a central niche, in which was represented St. Thomas à Becket's martyrdom, on a panel of the 15th century; it is now the Bell Tower: from the northern or Arundel steeple (which was rebuilt in 1840 by Mr. G. Austin at a cost of 25,0007.), a leaden spire, 100 feet in height, was removed in August 1705. The WESTERN WINDOW is of seven lights, with three transoms; the WEST TOWERS are each of six stages, with two two-light canopied windows in each of the two upper tiers on the front, but three on the sides, and a large four-light window below ranging with those of the aisle; the base tier like the buttresses has rich panelling. The parapet is battlemented. There are four large double

pinnacles at the angles. In the gable is a peculiarly-shaped window filled with intricate tracery, over a deeply recessed and niched porch. Above the aisle windows are quatrefoiled squares, the clerestory consists of three-light windows. The MAIN TRANSEPT has a Perpendicular 8-light window with panelling in the gable, and a pinnacled octagonal west turret; the front of the choir transept is Norman, with arcades, a large round window, and three lights in the gable. The west turret is arcaded and crowned with a short spire. The clerestory, as in the choir and à Becket's Crown, consists of lancets. The south side of the Cathedral is by far the most picturesque and perfect, as seen from the Green Court. The NAVE of eight bays has no triforium. Each bay consists of a huge arch resting on filleted pillars, this is subdivided into the pier arch with the clerestory, and panelling reaching to the string-course above. It is paved with Portland stone. The roof under the lantern was painted in fresco by Mrs. Austin. The vaulting and vaulting shafts are the prominent features of the nave, and the pier arches are quite subordinate; these shafts are banded, as at Bath, like Early English. The MAIN TRANSEPT has no aisles. The north wing bears the name of the Martyrdom, the site of the murder of St. Thomas à Becket, near St. Benedict's apsidal chapel, (now built over by the Dean's chapel,) Dec. 29, 1177, while vespers were being sung. The west door at the cloisters by which he entered, and the Caen pavement by the wall on which he fell, remain. The Primate was mounting the stairs to the north aisle, now removed, to seat himself in his patriarchal chair, when the knights seized him; he then clung to the pillar awhile, but fell on the spot, now noted by a square stone, under the blows of their swords. The handkerchief stained with his blood is in the church of St. Maria Maggiore at Rome. In 1299 at its altar Edward I. was married to Queen Margaret. The soft and silvery glazing of the north window was given by Edward IV. : to the eastward is the LADY CHAPEL, parted off by a beautiful canopied screen. The stone roof is exquisitely carved. The south window of the MAIN TRANSEPT is filled