chapter-house itself has structurally vanished, all that is, or till recently was, left of it being the entrance doorway of its vestibule, now however represented only by the hood-mould which has been left to support the wall above. (See Plate III.)

II.

OF THE LATER RECASTING GENERALLY.

But whatever the precise dimensions of the primitive buildings may have been, one thing at any rate is quite clear, viz. that they retained them for a very brief period. Such certainly was the case with respect to the church, which, in marked contrast to that at

Easby, formed by far the most important feature of them all. Speaking generally, the whole of the domestic buildings-even when not levelled, as for the most part they have now been, to the very ground-were so mutilated and broken up at, and after, the Dissolution, that any changes or improvements they may from time to time. have previously undergone are, at present, wholly obliterated. Indeed, with the single exception of the extreme north end of the eastern range, and (till lately, when they have all disappeared) a few scattered fragments of the claustral arcades, absolutely nothing has survived.'

1 The cloister arcades were evidently rebuilt at the same time as the choir, and, like it, in a much more ornate and costly manner than before. The proofs of this assertion however are not now, unhappily, apparent, owing to the recent wholesale deportation and destruction of the many existing portions which showed the design perfectly. It was one as beautiful as rare, and whose like I cannot recall in any other English example, though others somewhat similar, but on a larger and more massive scale, and with simple semicircular arcading, once existed at Bridlington, and may still be seen at Fontfroide and S. Trophime at Arles, in France, and S. Giovanni Laterano and S. Paolo fuori le mura, in Rome. It consisted of a presumably low stone basement, over which extended an unbroken range of beautifully moulded little arches of semicircular trefoil form, supported on coupled, but attached shafts, only 2 inches in diameter, and with bell-shaped caps and simple bases. The caps with their abaci, and bases with their plinths, or sub-bases, were, of course, cut out of single stones; whilst the arch stones, but two in number, had vertical joints at the sides and top only, thus combining perfect stability with the most fairylike lightness and beauty. For these trefoiled openings were elaborately carved with three orders of alternate

hollow, and roll and fillet mouldings, and when seen in perspective must have produced a charmingly rich and beautiful appearance. Several years ago I collected all the parts that I could find of this exquisitely lovely arcade, and arranged them in due order, with their supporting abaci, on the choir floor, so that anyone visiting the place might be able to judge of their effect at a glance. And here I may mention a singularly interesting bit of thirteenth century humour exhibited on the under surface of one of the twin capitals. Whether the shaft, in that particular instance, was intended to be left out and the jest thereby made permanent, or designed for some mere passing bit of fun only, I cannot say; but, beautifully cut in low relief, there appeared the circular, beaming, moon-faced countenance of some "jack-pudding" workman or other, probably, since it was too ludicrously full-fed and farcical for that of any monastic. All has now vanished however, jest included. Another point in this connection may also, perhaps, be noted, and that is, that on the under side of a stone in one of the nave buttresses, exposed through the destruction of the parts below, may still be seen one of the bases of this arcade, "a waster probably, which many years afterwards was thus turned to useful purpose.

With the church, however, it is different. Here happily we could, up to a few years back, still trace step by step, and well nigh without a gap, every development of plan and detail from beginning to end without difficulty. Each separate stage of the progress was so sharply and accurately defined as to enable us to mark the several stages of the general advance, as they succeeded each other, with a lively and sustained interest. For such a small, and in some sense simple, structure, they afforded, as in fact they do still, perhaps, as striking and instructive an object lesson in the gradual progress of thirteenth century architecture as could be desired. And all the more so, possibly, on account of the severe restrictions as to cost which so evidently dominated the designs. Throughout, there will be perceived to reign a modest, dignified simplicity, as much opposed to poverty-stricken meanness on the one hand, as to meretricious display or ostentation on the other-a quiet, subdued stateliness and solemnity of effect, attributable as well to general harmony of proportion, excellence of construction, and rich, though unobtrusive, detail, as to that thorough fitness and adaptation to the end in view which so habitually distinguishes monastic, from secular, architecture. Though of very moderate dimensions, the church, for all that, bears no sort of resemblance to the parish church, quâ parish church, whatever. The types, as may readily be observed, are distinctly and radically different. Of modest height, cruciform, aisleless, save with respect to the eastern chapels of the transept, and with (originally) a low central tower rising barely above the apices of its high-pitched roofs, the recluse and austere spirit of the Order to whose uses it was devoted, and for which it was specially designed, was stamped distinctly on every feature, and "writ large" over its whole surface. It stands forth clearly as a monastic church, pure and simple. More than that, it exhibits in a very striking measure some of those peculiarities which characterise so remarkably divers churches of the Praemonstratensian Order-length, narrowness, and aislelessness. This will be sufficiently observable upon the ground plan, where all three qualities can still be readily discerned. That of height, though abundantly sufficient, was naturally determined to a large extent by the general absence of aisles, and consequently of clerestories, which in a general way aid so materially in that respect. Yet "the vast valley of the high-pitched roofs" would, in the first instance, and during the greater part of its existence, amply compensate for whatever gain might have accrued from the possession of such features. But the whole was very bare and spare; and the fact would seem to have impressed itself so strongly upon the brethren,

patrons, and perhaps other benefactors, that, after the lapse of some forty or fifty years, an entire recasting of the fabric of the church, as well as of other parts of the buildings, was forthwith determined on and commenced.

III.

OF THE REBUILDING OF THE CHOIR.

As usual, the work commenced with the choir, which may safely be dated inter 1240-50. Whether it exceeded the original one in length or not, cannot now be said from any evidence appearing in itself. But from such as exist elsewhere, it is clear that its breadth was increased to the extent of exactly six feet. And the development of style, as well as richness of detail, was very marked indeed -so strongly, in fact, as to have rendered the continuance of the older and remaining parts quite impossible. True, the walling was merely of rubble; but then it was of the best material and construction, and so largely intermixed with the finest ashlar work--the strings, bases, windows, buttresses, and parapets being all of that character-that the contrast served rather to enhance, than detract from, the general effect. And then, however restricted the monetary supplies may have been-and we have sufficient evidence of this limitation on the northern and less visible side-those of brain-power and thoughtfulness were altogether unstinted; and thus in a work from which everything approaching sumptuous display was rigidly excluded, we find an amount of originality and freshness altogether exhilarating, and to to which we return, again and again, with undiminished, and never-failing delight.

Of the sacristy, which appears to have adjoined it on the north side westwards, the only remaining indications discoverable are seen in the toothings which connected its east wall with the north one of the choir, both of which were of the same height. A single corbel serves to show that the roof was a lean-to one, corresponding with that of the eastern chapels of the transept, of which it must have been a sort of rectangular continuation, running eastwards. The only other evidence connected with it occurs in the bottom stone of the eastern jamb of the doorway, which gave access to it from the choir. In what way the aisles or chapels of the north and south transepts opened to the choir, or whether they did so at all or not, it is now impossible to say, as on both sides the walls have been destroyed to below the surface. Eastwards, however, the choir remains well nigh perfect. Towards the north are two distinct bays, separated by a beautifully proportioned buttress of three stages, expanded laterally in the lowest one, and capped with a steeply

sloping head. Westwards, and occupying the space between it and the sacristy, is a very interesting Early English window of three lights, moulded, and with solid tympana set beneath a simply chamfered segmental pointed arch carried on banded shafts, and finished with a hood mould. Eastwards is another of precisely similar character, but of two lights only, and then the more massive north buttress belonging to the eastern gable. In point of design and execution these two pairs of eastern buttresses constitute one of the best features of the church. Admirable in construction, varied in outline, massive yet graceful, and though perfectly simple, rich in effect, they display all the subtle handling of a master of his craft. Unlike the rest, the edges of their upper halves are very effectively moulded-all but those of the northern one, which, like the two windows on that side, shows the strict economy practised, by being left quite plain. Another point to be observed is that, while the heads of the two eastern ones run up at a very acute angle into the gable, those of the two lateral ones are hipped, so as to bring their upper lines just below the corbel-tabling of the roof. Robbed miserably as they have been below, both of their facing stones and even cores, their upper halves still stand out, firm and solid as the living rock. Both north and south, the adjacent buttresses, through sordid greed of gain, have been plundered down to the very surface of the side walls, the upper half of the former-all that now remains of it-hanging simply in the air.

But the special feature of the choir, and of the whole church indeed, for that matter, perhaps, is to be seen in the great east window. This, I think, without fear of contradiction, may safely be described as unique, for surely, in respect of size, dignity, and richness of detail it has no competitor or follower of its class whatever. Doubtless, as Mr. Prior rightly says (History of Gothic Art in England, pp. 312-13), the development we here see "is due to the search after breadth of design in connection with the square endings of the English quire. . . . . . . North of Lincoln, though the doublet of two lights is of course common, yet its reduplication to form a four-light window is comparatively rare: instead, the triplet and its combinations are predominant. And particularly may be seen there, from its first conception to its magnificent achievement, the five and seven lighted compositions, which so rapidly developed the genius of English tracery. The rough, vigorous expressions of experiment are often more indicative of the spirit of a movement than its final and polished outcome, and Eggleston and Easby may indicate how largely the motif of window expansion grew from the