100 NOTES ON HOPE CHURCH. 
built, [though with, as it might be expected, scant attention to the 
old details]. However, if under-pinning, as above described, had 
taken place, and good solid bonds, three in number, to each 
crack had been inserted in cement the joint being cleared out and 
run full of ditto, and carefully pointed up, they would have been 
perfectly safe. Or better still as regards the architectural appearance, 
these two buttresses might have been carefully taken down and 
rebuilt with the new solid bonders, as above mentioned, but 
otherwise retaining and re-using the old stone, with the only other 
change of correcting the mouldings. 
3rd—Damage to window tracery—This in east window 
followed from the above settlements, but merely presented the 
crushing of a very small stone or two in top of tracery and in the 
top stone of the arch over. Otherwise damage was limited to 
some little hacking of the sides of the mullions during some 
repair of the glass. The window may be said, beside these, to be 
in excellent condition, even to the crispness and projection of the 
cusps. The tracery has certain singular peculiarities, almost 
suggesting a tampering with the design at some period ; but, if 
we are to believe the jointing, either the necessary insertion of a 
stone or two was effected in an astonishingly careful manner or 
the singularities existed from the very first. Repair then is, it will 
be seen, a very small item, though not actually necessary ; yet, if 
the mullions are thought not good enough, they might be new. 
Otherwise but some five small stones of tracery and arch 
(together) are required. Of the side windows some small repairs 
of a similar description are desirable ; but anything like re-working 
the whole, or even any considerable part, is perfectly unnecessary. 
It should here be noted as being by no means unlikely that 
similar windows to those existing in the east and west bays did 
exist formerly in the centre one. Of these traces may possibly 
turn up when the wall-plaster is removed. The most reasonable 
innovation (if innovation is required) would be to re-introduce 
them here, especially as otherwise parts of the outer face of both 
walls of this centre bay require rebuilding, as also a patch to west 
of that window on south side of east bay. 
