Three new stained windows have been recently inserted. One.the gift of the Theological College,in the south choir aisle, is without any exception the worst glass I have ever seen. Messrs. Ward and Nixon surely can have but little regard for their reputation in allowing it to remain as an advertisement of their artistical incompetency.

The other two are in the clerestory, one immediately over each choir gate. That on the south is the Brymer Memorial window, and, like all Mr. Willement's glass, is archaic in treatment, rich in colouring, and as a whole, by no means unsatisfactory. Its opposite neighbour, the production of a local artist, Mr. Bell, is far from being an ordinary work of art. The drawing is very commendable, and the tinctures are both brilliant and luminous. The faces, however, are sadly inferior to the rest of the glass, and both windows suffer materially from their juxtaposition with the old ones still remaining in this part of the Cathedral. A modern brass, to the memory of Dr. Goodenough, the late Dean, deservedly attracts much attention. It was executed by Waller, or Hardman, (I forget which,) and is for the present placed at the entrance to the Lady Chapel.

Reviewing the restoration, then, as an architectural whole, it must be deemed a failure; practically it is something worse. I am certainly not undervaluing the capabilities of the new seats in saying that 150 persons cannot be accommodated in them. How many will be seated eastward of the choir remains to be seen: but of one thing I am very certain that the present Sunday congregation, and the choir as arranged by Mr. Salvin, are totally and entirely unfitted for one another. But what will be said when I add that the large district of East Wells is entirely dependent on the Cathedral for any church provision, except what a small school-room can afford; and that the Dean and Chapter, knowing and feeling this, are proposing to build and endow a new church, not a stone's-throw from their own Chapter-house? and all this, when for five years a daily congregation has worshipped without any the slightest inconvenience in the spacious nave of the Cathedral, which is now to be deprived of its legitimate and original purpose!

Surely this gives a peculiar sting to the sneers of the House of Commons, and the abuse aimed at the Cathedral system by the daily press, and causes one to look anxiously forward for a time when these noble buildings shall be made instrumental in turning the many to righteous

ness.

I am, Sir,

Very faithfully yours,

WILLIAM GEORGE TOZER.

The Close, Wells,

December 30th, 1852.

[There are some inaccuracies in this letter: the window on the south side of the Presbytery was given by Mr. Dickinson, that on the north by some friends of Archdeacon Brymer during his lifetime. The brass to Dean Goodenough is by Waller. The district of East Wells is almost entirely in the parish of S. Cuthbert, and not in the

precinct or liberty attached to the Cathedral. Some time back a subscription was set on foot among the students of the Theological College to provide a church for this part of the town; the plan failed through a difficulty about the patronage. We are not sorry to hear that it has been revived.]

TRANSACTIONS OF THE EXETER DIOCESAN ARCHITECTURAL SOCIETY.

THE Second Part of the Fourth Volume of the Transactions of this Society has been lately issued, and is in no way inferior to its predecessors. Besides several Quarterly and Annual Reports of the Society, and a Report of the Plymouth Local Committee, this part contains a paper by Lieut.-Col. Harding on Some of the Ancient Ecclesiastical Edifices of Exeter," marked by much antiquarian knowledge. A thoughtful paper "On the historical character and progress of Symbolism in Ecclesiastical Art," by the Rev. G. W. Cox. A notice of the ancient mansion at Fardell, in the parish of Cornwood, Devon, by Mr. C. Spence. A notice of a Norman font discovered in the church of S. Bartholomew, Sithney, by the Rev. Canon Rogers. A paper "On certain architectural antiquities of the forest of Dartmoor and its border churches," by Mr. E. Ashworth. Another on some of the principles of design in churches by Mr. W. White; one on the Church Towers of the Lizard district, by Mr. J. S. Rogers; and some account of the Tomb of Bishop Bronescombe in Exeter Cathedral by Mr. W. Crabbe.

The last paper, which is illustrated by four very beautiful coloured plates, is of especial interest, as perpetuating for us the remaining traces of one of the finest polychromatized high-tombs in England. Bishop Bronescombe died in 1280, and Mr. Crabbe shows that the effigy of the prelate, the detail of which both in carving and in colour is most exquisite, is of that date; but the tomb itself on which it rests, as well as the canopy above it, are clearly of Third-Pointed date and style. The four plates illustrate the whole polychrome both of the tomb and canopy and the effigy; but it is the latter alone which is of great importance. The Third-Pointed polychrome is remarkable for colouring the mass of the stonework a dark green. Recesses, or inner planes, are usually red or blue; while pateræ and some of the leading architectural rolls of the tracery are gilt. The effigy in all its details is exquisitely coloured. In itself it is one of the finest existing episcopal figures, vested in full pontificals. The chasuble is white lined with red, with apparel, orphrey, and borders of the most delicate embroidery in geometrical patterns. The mitre, its infulæ, the maniple, and two cushions on which the head rests, are covered with embroidery. The dalmatic is blue powdered with a pattern of a fleur-de-lys between two birds all of gold: the tunic is of green, the alb of white, all with embroidered borders. The stem of the pastoral staff is painted spirally:

the canopy over the head and its shafts are coloured with great boldness and simplicity by way of contrast to the delicate and minute patterns of the vestments, and the bevelled edges of the stone on which the effigy lies have a very beautiful pattern. Besides the general view of this effigy, all the details are given, in colour, on a larger scale, one third of the actual size, from the drawings of Mr. Ashworth. Mr. Crabbe states that, after a lengthened and careful investigation, he has come to the conclusion that all this colouring is distemper; and thus generally characterizes this fine effigy. "The whole effect of this figure is that of quiet and repose, and the care with which it has been produced and carried out in all its details, shows us that we have in this nineteenth century much to learn from the works of the thirteenth. The material is freestone, a substance easily worked, and the taste of that early period applied to its surface the colours and ornaments which rendered it a picture of the individual commemorated. We on the contrary at this time employ marble, which is most expensive to procure and difficult to work, and leave it white and ghost-like." He then compares the effigy of Bishop Bronescombe with Chantrey's effigy of Northcote, which is its neighbour in the cathedral, and concludes-"I do venture to think that a comparison drawn between the two will not be in favour of the production of the nineteenth century."

PROCEEDINGS OF THE LIVERPOOL ARCHITECTURAL AND ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

UNDER this title there has appeared a quarto volume (published at Liverpool by Messrs. Deighton and Laughton, and in London by Mr. Weale) which contains full accounts of the meetings held by the members of the Liverpool Architectural and Archæological Society, in its two first Sessions from 1848 to 1850. Most of the papers read at these meetings are printed at length, and some of them are copiously illustrated. We are exceedingly glad to welcome this evidence of the activity and ability of the architectural profession in so important a town as Liverpool. The Society appears to be chiefly composed of persons actually engaged in the practical study and application of art; though it has other non-professional members, and especially, we are glad to see, a class of student-members who are admitted at a lower rate of subscription.

Many of the papers appear to us to be of great interest and ability, and we should be glad if our space would allow us to give our readers some adequate idea of the contents of this first volume of the Liverpool proceedings. But our notice must be of necessity a very short one. The first paper, by Mr. Charles Reed, describes the church of Bebbington, in Cheshire. This church, it appears, was visited in an excursion by the whole Society in company; and each of the professional members devoted himself to the delineation of some one or other feature of

66

the building. The result is a very agreeable paper, and a profuse number of scientific illustrations. It is a complete monograph of a very interesting and indeed typal Cheshire church. Mr. Frank Howard contributes several thoughtful papers of a speculative and theoretical character; for example, on "The use of the fine arts in decoration, as distinguished from decorative art"; "On sculpture as connected with architecture"; "On ornament"; on The Seven Lamps of Architecture," (which he reviews in very severe terms); and “On stained glass as a means of decoration." A scientific paper on "The construction of fire-proof buildings," bears the name of Mr. A. H. Holme. The only paper by Mr. J. A. Picton, F.S.A., which is published in the volume before us is a most interesting archæological subject-The architectural history of Liverpool." Mr. T. D. Barry's papers are on "Gothic mouldings," in which he follows Mr. Paley very closely, and which is illustrated by several plates of the profiles of mouldings; and on " Monumental Brasses," treated in a very good spirit. To Mr. C. Barber the Society was indebted for a paper on Painting and its poetical character," and for a closing address on the progress of the Society at the end of its second session. Mr. J. A. Forest, himself (we believe) an artist in glass, read a paper on "Stained glass," in which he follows Rickman's division of architectural styles. A paper on "Fitness as a principle of design in architecture," bears the name of Mr. Joseph Boult, whose other contributions are an account of the second annual excursion of the Liverpool Society, together with the Chester Architectural Society, to Gresford church, (which is not, we regret, illustrated like the former excursion to Bebbington); and also a paper "On the value of precedent in architecture."

It is very gratifying to observe so much evidence of real work as this volume affords; and nothing can be more fitting or useful than for artists in different departments thus to combine in order to contribute each his share to the general study and furtherance of the whole question of art. A sculptor, Mr. J. A. P. Macbride, brings here to the common stock a paper on "The early history of sculpture," in which he briefly collects notices and criticisms of the sculpture of the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Mr. H. P. Horner, besides a paper "On the legitimate use of rustication," does battle, as Mr. Ruskin's champion, against the attack made on the "Seven lamps" by Mr. Frank Howard. The volume contains four other papers-on "The architecture of the day," by Mr. S. Huggins; on "Rubble walling," by Mr. T. Duncan; "On the analogies and sympathies of the fine arts," by Mr. E. H. Strype; and "On the influence of coloured glass in horticulture," by Mr. T. C. Archer.

We heartily wish that the Liverpool Society may have a long career of energy and usefulness. Nothing can be better than the promise given by this vigorous volume of proceedings.

ENGLISH SERVICE-BOOKS AT CAMBRIDGE.

To the Editor of the Ecclesiologist.

Cambridge, December 13, 1852. DEAR SIR,-A careful inspection of the MSS. of the Fitzwilliam Library enables me to furnish you with the following additions to Mr. Dickinson's valuable list of English Service-Books: they are classed with the MSS., as are about a dozen Hora of the uses of Rome, Paris, Sens, and Bourges.

Hore sec. us. Sarum. 8vo. Paris. Simon Vostre. 1507 (is the probable date, as its table of contents agrees verbatim et literatim with that published by Mr. Maskell. Mon. Rit. vol. i. Dissertation on Service-books, p. clv-vii., as belonging to a Hora of this year and press).

Orarium sec. us. Sarum. 8vo. Paris. Germain Hardouyn. (No date; but the Calendar is drawn up beginning with the year 1534, which we may therefore assume as the date.)

Yours faithfully,

B. A.

MESSRS. BOWMAN AND CROWTHER'S

THE MIDDLE AGES."

"" CHURCHES OF

We are very glad to observe the publication of Parts XVIII. and XIX. of this beautiful series, which we have so often recommended to the patronage of our readers. The authors present us with twelve plates in these two parts, taken from four churches. According to our usual custom we will mention the subjects in order. Of SS. Mary and Nicholas, Nantwich, Cheshire, we have a perspective view from the south-west, an east elevation, a section through the chancel with the plan of one of its groined bays, detailed drawings of an almost Third-Pointed fourlight window at the west end of the aisles, and of a two-light earlier, but transomed, window in the west bay of the north aisle, and a plate of mouldings full size. Of S. John, Cley, Norfolk, we have an elevation of the south transept, and a plate of details of much beauty from the same part of the church. A double plate of S. Andrew, Heckington, Lincolnshire, is devoted to a longitudinal section of this well known and very fine church. And three plates are filled with a south-west perspective view, a west elevation, and details of the spire of S. Mary, Frampton, Lincolnshire.

Cley church is a fine Flowing Middle-Pointed specimen, built of flint with stone dressings, and its north transept window is a composition of four lights with two quatrefoiled cinqfoliated circles, and a quadrilateral figure filled with four quatrefoils in the head. And, by a very curious arrangement, the head of the window is of a horseshoe shape,