NOTES ON HOPE CHURCH. 89 
should think the roof might have safely remained untouched for 
another quarter of a century at the least, and with careful restoration 
_ would have lasted just as long, nay, probably longer, than a new one. 
The masonry o- the chancel is of peculiar interest, and in this 
respect quite differs from the aisles, which were entirely re-cased 
with new work in the fifteenth century. At that time the chancel 
was strengthened with large buttresses, and windows of Perpen- 
dicular tracery inserted, but the older masonry and the Decorated 
base plinth remained. At least five different changes could be 
readily traced in the chancel walls, of five distinct periods—Early 
English, Decorated, Perpendicular, restoration of 17th century, 
restoration circa 1800. ‘The walls of this chancel would, in my 
opinion, have remained for many a generation as a saonument of 
_an historic church, even if quite untouched ; and if they had only 
been under-pinned, and perhaps one single bay rebuilt (but of the 
old stone), would have told just the same tale to posterity for four 
or five centuries. There seems no sort of an excuse for the new 
windows ; the tracery of the large east window and of the four side 
windows is in the main good, sound, and fresh. It is far preferable 
to the copy of the old work now, alas, lying in the churchyard, 
ready for immediate erection. Great care has undoubtedly been 
taken with the new tracery, but it quite fails to reproduce the 
boldness and crispness of the Perpendicular cusps of the old east 
window. The parapet stones, one side of which were already 
flung down, are, with an occasional exception, in most excellent 
condition, and even more durable from their hardening with 
exposure than their successors. 
he time this letter reaches you I fear the walls will be 
levelled. But in view of possible proposals of like character 
regard to other old work in Derbyshire, I should wish 
9 add this remark, viz., that if partially decayed roofs and 
alls that slightly deflect from the perpendicular are to be 
the reasons for complete demolition, there is not an old 
hurch in the county which should not come down, and the 
