of the great arches have the king's arms within quatrefoils; and those of the two sides his badges: a row of pinnacled and foliaged arches, divided by one bay, extend north and south across the entrances the frieze is adorned with roses; and the whole is completed by a battlement. The roof is composed of quatrefoils, filled by badges; between are beautifully enriched pannels: on the platform of the stairs are two doors leading to the north and south aisles. The basements of the two rows have rows of quatrefoils; over them arches, and vast blank windows of three mullions, crossed by one embattled, which finish in beautiful intersections; one of those divisions, on each side is glazed; besides those, the other lights are only reflected. Three steps higher is the pavement of the chapel, of black and white marble lozenges, in which is a square, something different in the shape of the pieces, containing a small plate of perforated brass: this is the only memorial the present royal family have to distinguish the place for their interment; and the only monument to the remains of King George and Queen Caroline, the late Dukes of Cumberland, &c. &c.

The Tomb of Henry the Seventh.-Its grand brazen inclosure would, with a very trifling alteration, form an outside plan for a magnificent palace in the Gothic style: the double range of windows, terminating by a projecting arched cornice, the frieze of quatrefoils, and the battlements, are all suited to such a building; and the portal would be an exquisite window for the hall, a little shortened.

Although brass is not easily broken, and the ornaments are firmly fastened, yet we may find strong traces of devastation and theft in the vacant niches and injured decorations; the little slender pillars, the badges of a greyhound, dragon, portcullis, &c. &c. are introduced with great taste throughout the design, which must be admitted to be worthy of the monarch's splendid chapel. The form of the altar-tomb admits of so little variety, that we are nearly confined to saying the effigies are very well executed; not so the angels at the corners, they favour too much

of the Dutch cherub. The bas-reliefs on the sides are finely drawn; but the circles of leaves are too thick, and the pilasters too excessively crowded with ornaments and emblems.

Let us now attempt a more detailed description of this wonderful piece of architecture, where some new perfections may be discovered after the fiftieth examination; and, first, the gates of brass: the great gate is divided into 60 perfect squares; and five imperfect ones; those contain pierced crowns and portcullises, the king's initials, fleurs-de-lis, an eagle, three thistles springing through a coronet, their stalks terminating in seven feathers; three lions, a crown, supported by sprigs of roses; on each division of that gate is a rose; and between them dragons. Some of which are broken The smaller gates contain

off, as are also one or two of the roses. twenty-eight squares each, with the above emblems: the two pillars between the gates are twice filletted, and the capitals are foliage: the animals, badges of the king, hold fanciful shields on them, but have lost their heads, and are otherwise mutilated: the angles of the three arches are all filled with lozenges, circles, and quatrefoils, with a rose in the centre of the quatrefoil: 14 busts of angels, habited as bishops and priests, crowned, extend across the nave; the two corner ones are hidden by the canopies over the respective stalls of Prince Frederick, and the King's stall bearing the flag of England and France; this canopy has no crest; between them are 7 portcullises, 3 roses, and 3 fleurs-de-lis, all under crowns, more or less broken; from hence to the roof is filled by a great window of many compartments, so much intersected and arched, that a description would not be comprehended. The lower part is blank: the upper part contains figures in painted glass, crosses, or crowns, and fleurs-de-lis, single feathers of the Prince of Wales's crest, red and blue maniles, crowns and portcullises, crowns and garters, crowns and red rose, and 2 roses, or wheels full of red, blue, and yellow glass, but little light passes through this window, it is so near the end of the Abbey, and covered with dust. Several fragments of pinnacles in glass remain in the arches of the lower divisions, which were parts of the canopies over saints. The side aisles have four arches hid by the stalls; the clustered

E 4

tered pillars, 5 in number, between them support great arches on the roof, each of which have twenty-three pendant small semiquatrefoil arches on their surface, and two sich pendants or drops; there are five small drops in the centre.

Four windows, very like the western, fill the spaces next the roof; in all of them are more or less of painted glass, of three lions, fleur-de-lis, and red, yellow, and blue panes : five of the windows are now (September 1815) restored, having quatrefoil arches, with embattlements. Under the windows the architect and his sculptor have exerted their utmost abilities; and exquisite indeed are the canopies, niches, and their statues, which they have left for our admiration there are five between each pillar; trios of two-part pinnacled buttresses form the divisions: the canopies are semisexagons; their decorations and open-work are beautifully delicate; over them is a cornice, and a row of quatrefoils; and the battlement is a rich ornament of leaves: the statues all stand on. blank labels; and, although the outline of the pedestals are alike, the tracery and foliage differ in each: beneath those is the continuation of half-length angels, before described on the west wail.

As many of my readers are most probably unacquainted with the legends of Roman Catholic saints, I shall describe the sta tues as they stand, without appropriating them, those who are conversant in legends will name them from their emblems; the first five to the north-west are cardinals and divines; the next a figure with St. Peter's keys on his hat; the second holding a mitre; the third a prelate, whose hand is licked by an imperfect animal; the fourth a fine studious old man, St. Anthony, read. ing; a pig at his feet; the next a prelate blessing a female figure kneeling before him; the next compartment a bishop reading, with a spindle in one hand, a king, and a bishop wresting the dart from death; who lies prostrate under his feet; under the fourth window, a priest uncovering the oil for extreme unction; St. Lawrence, with the gridiron, reading; a venerable old man, with flowing hair, bearing something (decayed) on a cushion; a priest; and the fifth a female, probably a prioress.

On the south side, commencing at the great arch which sepa

rates

tates the nave from the chancel, a king reading, an old man reading, one playing on a flute, St. Sebastian naked bound to a tree, and a figure with a bow. Further on, a bishop with his crosier in the left hand, with his right he holds a crowned head placed on the corner of his robe; a queen, a bishop with a crosier and wallet, a king with a sceptre; and a head in his left hand, St. Dennys; the fifth a bishop. Under the third window, the first statue is removed, a bishop reading; St. George and the Dragon; a mitred statue supporting a child with a ten. der and compassionate air; the fifth a priest in a devout attitude. The last division; a female holding a label; a cardinal reading, one with a label; another cardinal; also another reading.

There are eight statues belonging to the great arch before men tioned, four on each side; two of those are a continuation of the niches, and the others over them; the statues consist of a prelate before a desk, with a lion fawning on him; another reading. Above, two religious, about the same employment; those are on the south: on the opposite side, one of the figures is gone, the other is a bishop giving the benediction, the upper ones, reading statues of old men.

The chancel is semi-circular, and consists of five sides; the windows are like the others, the eastern has a painting of an old man in fine colours; the angels, niches, and enrichments are continued round; the statues are a female saint kneeling, a coronated female, a monk with a boy singing by his side; one mutilated; a figure bearing a cross in his right hand, and reading, another with a spear and book; St. Thomas; a fiue animated statue consecrating the contents of a chalice; a pilgrim; one reading.

It is with difficulty the eastern figures can be seen, from the cross lights; but the first is St. Peter.

The south-east side has a statue reading, another in meditation; a third giving the benediction, and two bearing what cannot be discerned, the next a female, an old man; a pilgriın, a female holding a tower on her left hand, and reading, and a saint with his book, supported by a cross.

These seventy-three statues are all so varied in their attitudes,

features

features, and drapery, that it is impossible to say any two are alike, the disposition of their limbs is shewn through the clothing; and the folds of their robes fall in those bold, marked lines, which is the characteristic of superior sculpture and painting. Why cannot some of our artists follow this art, instead of dividing their drapery like rolls of parchment tied together at one end?

The arch which forms the division between the nave and the chancel is bounded by clustered pillars, its intercolumniation is another proof of the consummate skill of the great architect, the variety and beauty of the divisions I shall attempt to describe, from the base upwards. Two niches are the first ornaments, but the statues are gone. Their pedestals are octagon; the shafts adorned with arched pannels, and the freize with foliage, fighting dragons, grape vines, and shields with roses, the niches are surmounted by painted arches foliaged and embattled. On the pillar between them, angels hold a rose on the north side, and a portcullis on the south; the portcullis broken; and the figures broken by the wooden canopies; these last are supported on the sides by greyhounds and dragons. Two crowns in alto relievo over them have been nearly beaten to pieces. Each niche has two slender pillars on their backs, with delicate groins, roses, &c. but they differ; other decorations consist of oak branches and acorns. Above the great arch over the niches are pannels and quatrefoils, and a freize of branches and roses, with a cornice and battlements. The next compartment has the arms of Henry VII. under an arch, with the dragon and greyhound as supporters, two angels issue from the side pillars, and suspend the Crown over the arms; but they have been under the fangs of the destroyer on both sides. Another freize of branches, with a foliaged battlement crosses the intercolumniation higher are two lozenges within squares, each containing four circles, and in them quatrefoils; the next are the angels, and niches over them, which have been noticed before; the arch across the roof is filled with pannels in two ranges, divided at intervals by ovals and quatrefoils, containing badges; the extreme lines of the arches are indented with small arches.

The east ends of the side aisles are formed into beautiful lit