CHRONICLE. 



41 



finest specimens of gothic architec- 

 ture in Europe. The splendid 

 painted gothic window, at the west 

 end, is to be removed ; and, a new 

 one, after a design of Mr. West's, 

 is to be substituted. His majesty is 

 repairing and beautifying the small 

 chapel adjoining to that of St. 

 George, at Windsor, as a royal 

 mausoleum. It is also reported that 

 the castle is to be embellished with 

 beautiful gothic windows. Fif- 

 teen years is the period allowed for 

 the completion of the new large 

 window ; and the subject is to be 

 the Crucifixion. 



The alterations in the house of 

 commons, preparatory to the meet- 

 ing of the imperial parliament, be- 

 gan in August. The oaken wains- 

 coting at each side having been re- 

 moved, gave again to the view 

 • the venerable walls of what was 

 once St. Stephen's Chapel. The 

 gothic pillars, the finished scroll- 

 work, and the laboured carvings, 

 were, generally speaking, in 

 good preservation. But what is 

 more observeable is, that the paint- 

 ings which fill the interstices, having 

 been protected from the action of 

 the air for so many centuries, are, 

 in many parts, as fresh and vivid as 

 if they could only boast a twelve- 

 month's date. In the right hand 

 corner, behind the speaker's chair, 

 and about five feet from the ground, 

 there is a virgin and child, with 

 Joseph bending over them, well pre- 

 served, and tolerably executed in 

 colour; and Edward III. and his 

 queen and suite making their offer- 

 ing to the virgin. Under them, in 

 six niches, as many knights in ar- 

 mour, witli their tabards of arms, 

 and in each angle an acolyte hold- 

 ing a taper. Adjoining these, and 

 va. the same level, s^re two wholci 



length figures of angels, their heads 

 reclining on the shoulders, and 

 holding each, extended before 

 them, a piece of drapery, or man- 

 tle, charged with various devices, 

 or armorial bearings ; their wings 

 composed of peacock's feathers, 

 very highly finished, and in which 

 the green and gold are, in general, 

 as lively as if they had been newly 

 laid on. The same may be said of 

 the gilding of the cornices, which, 

 as far as they have been laid bare, 

 are very richly decorated. On each 

 side of the altar are pictures of the 

 Nativity, and Presentation in the 

 Temple, the Marriage inCana; and 

 a fourth, in which the devil is in- 

 troduced coming through the air, 

 perhaps representing the Tempta- 

 tion. On the south wall, near the 

 altar, are three beautiful stone stalls, 

 with rich flowered arches, and west 

 of them a narrower one, reaching 

 below them. Over the figures, on 

 each side, on an inverted frieze, 

 are the arms of the royal family and 

 nobility in 1 8 shields, and between 

 each shield grotesque figures of men 

 and animals. On the opposite side 

 of the chapel are figures of men in 

 complete armour, with inscriptions 

 under them, which are nearly ^illegi- 

 ble. Under two of them, how- 

 ever, Avere distinctly to be read 

 the names of " Eustace" and 

 " Mercure " in black-letter charac- 

 ters. The interior roof of the 

 building, which has at all times 

 been visible over the house of com- 

 mons, speaks sufficiently as to the 

 style of the architecture, and the 

 laboured minulia; of the ornaments; 

 but, not having been covered in the 

 same manner with the lower parts, 

 it otters but a very faint idea of the 

 superb finishing and expensive de- 

 coration bestowed by our aucestorj( 



