hostile to the prelacy, and they showed their hostility in a way little to their honour. They not only tore the lead from the roof of the magnificent cathedral to make bullets, an act for which they might fairly plead the necessities of war, but wantonly defaced the ornaments of the building. Grey (Lord Grey of Wark) with difficulty preserved the altar from the insults of some ruffians who wished to carouse around it, by taking his stand before it with his sword drawn.""

V. We are now fairly before the great west front, and, with due precaution against the blasts which disport themselves round Kill-canon Corner, as the northwest angle is appropriately called, the statues and general arrangements may be inspected at leisure. "The west front of Wells," says old Fuller, "is a masterpiece of art indeed, made of imagery in just proportion, so that we may call them 'vera et spirantia signa.' England affordeth not the like. For although the west end of Exeter, beginneth accordingly, it doth not, like Wells, persevere to the end thereof."" "The

sculptures of its western façade," says a modern critic,

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are quite unrivalled; and with the architectural accompaniments make up a whole such as can only be found at Rheims or Chartres." As in those cathedrals, the west front of Wells was in fact an ever open book, recording in characters which all could once read, the history of the Christian Church and of its benefactors. The varied outlines, the numberless sculptures, and the Worthies, Somersetshire. Fergusson's Handbook, p. 867.

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Macaulay, Hist. Eng., i. 602.

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slender detached shafts which stretch upward, tier above tier, still make the façade of this cathedral highly interesting and impressive; although its "vera et spirantia signa" now tell their tale but imperfectly.

VI. The breadth of the western front of Wells (147 feet) is considerably greater than that of the fronts of either Notre Dame (136 feet) or of Amiens (116 feet), both of them contemporary buildings. This unusual breadth may have been designed with reference to the arrangement of the statues, which differs altogether from that on the west fronts of the French cathedrals, although the subjects are of the same character. The excellent stone which the neighbourhood of Wells affords-easily worked, and hardening on exposure to the air-will account to some extent for the profusion and fine style of the sculptures throughout the cathedral.

Notwithstanding the marked difference in architectural character between the west front and the interior of the nave, it is sufficiently clear that both were included in the original design. The whole of the foundations were laid at the same time; and the lower courses of stone, including the basement mouldings, are continuous, without any break, to the height of about ten feet from the ground. Above that height there is a change, and it is doubtful whether the west front was proceeded with before the aisle walls, or otherwise. The appearance of the work and of the mouldings, however, seems to indicate that the west front was first completed.

In both style of work, and (possibly) in actual date,

West Front-Date.

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the west front of Wells is intermediate between the west fronts of Lincoln (the work of Bishop Hugh of Wells, brother of Bishop Jocelin of Wells, 1209— 1235), and of Salisbury (completed in 1258). It is throughout of decidedly Early English character; and differs in the most marked manner from the nave. (See § XII.) Hence Professor Willis has suggested that it was not commenced until after the death of Bishop Jocelin. The evidence of the lower courses of stone, however (an observation for which we are indebted to Mr. J. H. Parker), proves that all the foundations were laid at once, although the west front itself may have been erected by a different body of workmen from those -in all probability belonging to a local school-who built the nave and aisles. (See, for farther remarks on the date of the west front, APPENDIX, Note II.)

The front consists of a centre [Plate III.], in which are the three lancets of the western window, and above them a gable receding in stages, with small pinnacles at the angles; and of two wings or western towers, projecting beyond the nave. The upper part of these towers is of Perpendicular character. That to the north-west was completed by the executors of Bishop BUBWITH (1407-1424), whose statue remains in one of the niches: that to the south-west was the work of Bishop HAREWELL (1366-1386). Both these towers, fine as are their details, have a truncated appearance which is far from pleasing; and it is possible that the

See the report of his lecture in the Bristol volume of the Archæological Institute.