26 The Twenty-third General Meeting. 
then passed into the vestry, where, laid out on a table, was a copy 
of Magna Charta, 1215, an old and faded vestment, and a “ general 
Charter of Liberties of King Stephen, 1136.” The former and the 
‘latter were enshrined in a small oak case with glass over it. Both 
were objects of great interest to the company. The copy of Magna 
Charta is supposed to be a contemporary transcript intrusted to 
the care of William Longspee, Earl of Salisbury, as one of the 
witnesses of the original deed. The Chapter House was then in- 
spected, the Archdeacon remarking that in the year 1854 it was 
more or less aruin. It had since then been restored to the memory 
of Bishop Denison. The centre column had been taken out, and 
rebuilt, and some unsightly iron bars, which used to go from the roof to 
it, done away with. The restoration had been effected by Mr. Clutton, 
the colouring by Mr. Hudson, who represented the colour originally 
there, and the carving by Mr. Phillips. The carving under the 
vestibule was much admired. The Archdeacon then conducted the 
party to the cloisters, after which he pointed out the beautiful view 
obtained from the south-west angle of the cloisters. He added that 
the cloisters had been in part restored at the expense of the late 
Bishop Denison.—Mr. Parxsr expressed his regret at the manner 
in which the painting on the walls of the chapter house was peeling 
off the stone. He suggested the employment of tea-lead as a sur- 
face for painting, in order to prevent the effects of the damp, though 
he acknowledged we had not yet found the right means of protection. 
He again thanked the Dean and Chapter for what they had done 
with regard to the colouring of the choir. It was a glorious ex- 
* ample, and he trusted it would in time be followed in most of the 
Churches in the land.—The party then passed from the cloisters, 
and conducted by the Bishop, visited the grounds of the Palace, 
whence the splendid view of the Cathedral elicited unanimous ad- 
miration ; and after an expression of cordial thanks to the Archdeacon 
for the admirable way in which he had acted as their guide, the 
~ company dispersed. 
THE DINNER 
Took place at the Hamilton Hall, and was well served by the White 
Hart Hotel Company. Above a hundred of the Members and 
