SHREWSBURY. 223 



years then following, a quittance from their fee- 

 farm, and likewife from their arrears of taxes then 

 lately granted by the parliament to the king. The 

 fabric ereded from this indulgence is that of which 

 the ruins are ftill left. 



The New St. Chads is built near the ground 

 called the Ouarr)% It is highly ornamented. The 

 prmcipal entrance is through the weft door, into 

 a circular veftibule that contains the ftairs leading 

 to the galleries. The body of the church is cir- 

 cular, and in its appearance rather like a place of 

 amufement, than a temple of God. The blue and 

 white rails in front of the galleries, remind us too 

 much of theatrical decoration. The fupporting pil- 

 lars both above and below are out of all proportion. 

 The upper ones are in the Corinthian order, and 

 though the intention may have been to give an ap- 

 pearance of lightnefs to the building, they are in- 

 excufably too long for their diameter : one cannot 

 always fhut out an odd afibciation of ideas, and thefe 

 columns, the moment I entered the church, reminded 

 me of a range of long mould candles. The columns 

 that fupport the galleries are of a different order, 

 and, I prefume, by way of contraft, are as fliort and 

 thick as the others are long and fmall. In addition, 

 their bafes are made level with the tops of the pews, 

 giving an appearance of want of fegurityand firmnefs 

 to the galleries. Thefe pillars correfpond exceed- 

 ingly ill with the other parts of the building. All 

 circular churches muft alfo reft under one very 



material 



