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than one hundred and thirty feet. The statues, of the size of life and larger, which are upon this front, amount to one hundred and fifty-three in number, and of smaller figures there are more than double that number. In the centre is a double doorway opening upon the nave, with small lateral doorways to the aisles; above the course, at the springing of the arch of the central doorway, is a continued series of arches, not without ornament, but less highly enriched than the upper compartments of the front. Three central lancet-arch windows are separated by piers of nearly equal width to the openings, a peculiar feature in the earlier stage of the pointed architecture, satisfying the antiquary as to the precise date of the foundation of the structure. The most remarkable part of the western front is the enrichment of the projecting buttresses, and the large space over the great western window, which excites almost universal admiration, independently of its great antiquity.

Few of the earliest specimens of sculpture which adorned the structures of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries are now remaining, but they were almost invariably placed in niches of the pointed style of architecture, whence it became a matter of necessity to introduce but one figure, and that in an upright position; yet under all these disadvantages a competent judge may discover in the majority of the works of our ancient sculptors a freedom and correctness of design that did, with due encouragement, produce works equal to those of the Italian school. "If," says an able critic on sculpture, "we examine the countenances of the kings and saints scattered over cathedrals and some churches, it will be evident that the artists who made them were capable of expressing dignity and piety; their drapery is generally in large graceful folds, correspondent to the position of the limbs.”

8 The term lancet has been happily applied to the tall narrow windows which enlighten the structures of the thirteenth century. Salisbury Cathedral is the most complete specimen of that style; these lights have each a pointed arch at top, and the arch is frequently raised on strait lines above the mouldings of the impost, where such mouldings occur. This is indeed the lancet form, comparing the arch to the head of a lance or dart. A mixture of semicircular and lancet arches is not uncommonly found in buildings of the twelfth century, when the pointed arch began to prevail. Pointed architecture is so termed in allusion not only to its characteristic arch, but to its pinnacles, spires, &c., and seems most appropriate and most expressive of its character.-Pugin's Specimens of Gothic Architecture, vol. i. p. 2.

9 The admirer of sculpture cannot fail of being highly gratified by tracing the progress of English statuary in that vast field for observation, Westminster Abbey

"The Cathedral Church of Wells," continues the same author, "is decorated with a profusion of sculpture decidedly of a more elevated character than that at Salisbury, the church of which was erected about the same time. Here may be seen a number of alti relievi of two or three figures, representing some of the choicest subjects selected from the Old and New Testaments, in the arrangement of which many of the groups display very considerable taste and judgment. In more elevated situations are ranges of niches containing statues of the principal personages connected with the church, such as saints, kings, queens, nobility, and clergy. The principal subject in the west front is evidently Christ attended by angels and his twelve apostles; many of the designs occupying the upper arches round the church are emblematical of the Creation, the Deluge, the life of Christ, and particularly of the Resurrection and the Day of Judgment.' 10 The artist, who was employed at Wells, a perfect master of his profession, has left ocular evidence of his superior abilities, and, although these works exhibit great deficiencies in what is now termed classicality or principles of art, they yet possess many fine original sentiments and occasional excellencies which overbalance minor defects, and are consequently fairly deserving of esteem, especially as they were produced long before the revival of arts and learning in Italy.""

The porch on the northern side of the church is an elegant specimen of the early period of pointed architecture; the buttresses are plain, and the pinnacles without ornament, but its great merit is its simplicity of design. The chief enrichment of the highly pointed arch of entrance is an abundance of beautiful recessed mouldings peculiar to the style in which it is erected; the insulated and banded shafts of the pillars on the sides have boldly sculptured capitals, very curiously ornamented, amongst the foliage of which is represented the remarkable events in the life and martyrdom of

Church, where he will find almost an annual succession of architectural and monumental figures from its foundation to the present day.

10 Many other productions of the same date are impressive and rich in imagination; some are remarkable for the novel and poetical ideas which they display; as, at the Cathedral of Peterborough there are a number of well executed clever designs representing infernal spirits tormenting sinners.

11 Summary of early Sculpture in England; a very interesting paper on the subject, published in the Library of the Fine Arts.

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St. Edmund the King, who was shot with arrows, and afterwards beheaded in the year of our Lord 870. These subjects possess great merit from the elegance of the sculpture and intricacy of the design.

An uniform parapet, with corbel table and cornice, is continued all round the walls of the church over the clerestory and the aisles. Attached to an angle of the western buttress of the northern transept is a curious ancient clock, with figures in complete armour, which strike the hours on a bell. The whole of the cathedral from the western front, excepting the upper parts of the towers on that part of the edifice, to about the middle of the choir, from its similarity of style and general uniform character of the architecture, is reputed to have been erected by Bishop Joceline. Before the year 1264, the whole of the more eastern part of the building, together with the Lady Chapel, was nearly completed. This is satisfactorily proved from the style of the workmanship, as well as from the fact of Bishop Bitton, who died in 1264, having been buried in the new chapel of the Virgin Mary; the windows, filled with beautiful tracery, are larger than those of the choir and aisles. The chapter house was built in the time of Bishop William de la March. In the year 1325, it appears that an indulgence of forty days was granted to those who contributed towards the new work of this Cathedral. The central tower is of this period; and it is known that the upper part of the south-western tower was built in the reign of Richard II., before the year 1386, at the expence of Bishop Harewell and the contribution of the dean and chapter of Wells. same prelate also liberally gave one hundred marks towards the glazing of the compartments of the western window. The northwestern tower, above the third row of statues, is also known to have been built by Bishop Bubwith, from the circumstance of his arms being sculptured on the western front of the tower.

The

The total length of the nave is one hundred and ninety-one feet, its whole breadth, including the aisles, is sixty-seven feet, and in height this part of the church is sixty-seven feet. The choir is about one hundred and eight feet in length, and the transept is one hundred and thirty-five feet in length. The height of the nave is not so great as that of Salisbury, and there is a considerable difference in the length; but the effect produced on entering it is

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