the east, were, no doubt, built at the same time as the piers and arches of the tower, to act as abutments, the arch on the south side being a few years earlier in style than that on the north. The next arch on east side is rather later again, but still pure Norman.

Soon after these arches were built it is evident that the tower had begun to settle, as the double arch with central shaft in the triforium was taken out, and one of the smaller arches rebuilt, within the large containing arch, with solid masonry between them.

Proceeding west, the next two bays on the north side have evidently had a part of the archstones prepared some time before they were fixed, for the outer order of arch-mouldings and the capital of central pier are Transitional, whilst the inner order of arch mouldings is Norman. The piers and arches on each side from this point, forming the west half of the nave, are late Transitional, merging, in the westernmost pair, almost into Early English, having the Early English or Attic base, and the beautiful capitals, with small abacus and delicate voluted foliage, like the work of William of Sens at Canterbury, and the coeval work at St. Cuthbert's, Darlington, about 1190-1200. The whole of the triforium on the north side is of similar character, whilst that on the south side is pure and very beautiful Early English, quite equal to the coeval work at York and Beverley, and has one beautiful feature which is, I believe, unique, viz., octagonal shafts springing from corbels at the level of the sill of triforium arches, opposite to the centre of each bay, but clear of the regular shafts, and carried up through the triforium and clerestory to carry the roof.

The clerestory on both sides is coeval with this south triforium, forming with it a continuous design on the south side, but forming a striking contrast to the triforium on the north side, where the work has evidently been at a standstill for twenty years. It is low and comparatively plain. The outer walls are evidently of the same date as the pillars opposite to them, the north wall having a very distinct break in a string-course at the junction of the late Norman and late Transitional work. Probably a temporary roof was erected over the nave and aisles before the triforium was built, as was done at

Peterborough and elsewhere. All the windows on the south side and all below are insertions in the Decorated period, with very good tracery. The doorway on south side to former dormitory still exists, and a plain window, walled up, was, no doubt, to light the staircase.

The west end is coeval with the westernmost bays on each side, its lower stage being Late Transitional, with some earlier Norman mouldings used in the inner order of the west door arch, and the porch door on the north side is similar. The upper tiers of the west end are very beautiful Early English, coeval with the south clerestory, but the wide central window is filled with Perpendicular tracery.

The groining of nave aisles is very interesting, that in the easternmost bay of south side being Norman, with bold mouldings, in character with the arcade of that bay. The rest of the groining on both sides is Early English, with carved bosses at some of the intersections. The nave roof is very good, being of Henry VI's time, and having fifty-nine bosses, with numerous symbolical devices of great beauty.

Proceeding now to the choir, the restoration of which has been completed since our visit. It may be confidently placed the first in beauty of its period (the Pure Decorated) of any choir, not cathedral, in the kingdom, and in beauty of detail not surpassed by any other church, large or small, in the kingdom. This work is very well illustrated and compared with other choirs now in ruins in Sharp's Parallels, where it is shown to be almost identical with the ruined choir of Guisbro Priory of Austin Canons. The work is also of the same character as the remains of the larger Abbey Church of St. Mary's, York. The piers are beautifully clustered in plan, with very ornate carved capitals, and in the spandrils are exquisite niches which no doubt contained statues. The triforium and clerestory are united in one arrangement, which was done, no doubt, to obtain dignity of height in the design, and still keep the roof at about the same level as that of the nave. The most beautiful feature in the choir is the east window of seven lights, surmounted by exquisite tracery, only surpassed by that of Carlisle Cathedral. This beautiful choir was evidently some years in building, as it contains the development of the Late or " Flowing" Decorated, from

the Early or "Geometrical" Decorated. Most of the aisle windows, as well as the main arcade before named, being magnificent examples of the earlier type, and the triforium and clerestory, east window arch, and tracery, being of the later style.

The windows at ends of choir aisles, and the easternmost two on south side, show the earliest form of development from the pure Geometrical into the Curvilinear or Flowing style, having the tracery in the double ogee form, which a few years later became so common.

The same transition is shown in a very interesting way in the east window, the jambs and seats for mullions being in the bolder type of the Early Decorated, but by the time the work was ready for the arch, mullions, and tracery, the later Flowing style had come in; so thinner mullions sit on the bolder seats, the arch has more intricate mouldings, which do not fit on the jamb moulds below, and the tracery is, as before named, a most beautiful example of the pure Flowing style.

The clerestory is all in the later style, but not so richly moulded as the aisles. The aisle buttresses, with their canopies and turrets, are very beautiful, being very fine examples of the pure Geometrical Decorated period.

The east window contains some of the most beautiful stained glass in the world. It is a "Jesse" window, and instead of being destroyed at the Reformation, was hidden in latter days by some loving hands in the triforium, whence it was disinterred by the present Vicar, who, through the liberality of W. Liversidge, Esq., has had it releaded and refixed. This beautiful glass alone is worth a pilgrimage to see.

The ceiling of the choir is groined in oak, though the internal stone springers and the external toothing for flying buttresses indicate that stone groining was intended. Although such a change of material is, of course, to be regretted, especially as the dark colour counteracts the heaven-aspiring effect of groining, it is a very beautiful example of late Decorated lierne vaulting, and the bosses, which were all photographed by the vicar when the scaffolding was up, are most curious and interesting, and have been copied, so far as alteration of style would allow, in the ancient Perpendicular ceiling of nave. The choir aisles