WESTMINSTER ABBEY AND ITS MONUMENTS. 29 
century houses of no interest whatever, which everyone agrees 
ought to be removed at once. By this means, if the ground 
were left unoccupied, a fine view of the chapter house and of 
Henry VII.’s chapel would be opened out, for which reason I 
should be very sorry to see any new buildings placed there. But 
taking for granted that some extension must be made, it is felt 
by many that this would be the best place for it. It has been 
objected by some that the ground we are now speaking of is 
not and never has been a part of the Abbey precincts. But 
Mr. Micklethwaite, the well-known antiquary, has, I think, con- 
clusively shown that it was the ancient monastic burial ground. 
As far, therefore, as I can judge, there is, from an archzological 
point of view, less objection to one of these schemes than to any 
other that has been made for the enlargement of the Abbey. 
Three of the Royal Commissioners, Sir Austin Layard, Sir 
Frederick Leighton, and the Dean of Westminster, advise that 
preference should be given to this scheme, but the other three, 
Mr. Plunket, Mr. Jennings, and Mr. Waterhouse, prefer the 
erection of a monumental chapel on a piece of ground practically 
vacant, the site of the old refectory, south of the great cloister, 
and parallel to the nave of the Abbey. This was much favoured 
by the late Dean Stanley, and has the great recommendation 
that, its site being surrounded by other buildings, it could 
scarcely be seen from the outside, and so could not disfigure 
the Abbey. But the wall between the south walk of the cloisters 
and this refectory site is said to date back to the eleventh cen- 
tury, traces of the ancient arcading still remaining, and I need 
not say that archzologists strongly object to these remains being 
interfered with, or to fragments of an old building being worked 
up into a new one. Still weightier is the objection that the new 
chapel would be absolutely separated from the present church by 
the whole width of the cloisters. 
Amongst all these various schemes I confess that I am puzzled, 
and I do not feel ashamed to say so, seeing how many wise and 
learned men seem to be in the same puzzle. Possibly the only 
solution will be to fall back on the first suggestion I considered, 
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