WELLS CATHEDRAL. 7ı 
they known anything about the early English 
style. I give this opinion with the greater confi- 
dence, because I think it is held by Professor 
Willis. The earliest date which we can assign for 
the commencement of the early English style, is 
about 1180; and this agrees with ascertained dates 
of buildings of this period, (e. g. the Temple church 
consecrated by Heraclus, 1184). Now, bishop 
Robert, of Bath and Wells, died at latest 1160, a.n., 
and the see was vacant seven or eight years, after his 
death. It seems very unlikely that any visible por- 
tion of the buildings (as they now are) should be 
his work—the present edifice may stand on old 
foundations, and the ancient thickness of the wall 
may have been preserved; but that is all, (at least 
in my opinion) which can be. 
Now as to the north porch; Portions of this I be- 
lieve to be somewhat earlier than the rest of the 
work. In the first place Isay this, because the 
first “ string course ” that surrounds it, has not the 
same level with the string on the other old portions of 
the building ; and again the “coursing ofthe stones,” 
which is beautifully kept on the north side, and 
carried even round the buttresses, to the full height 
of the side wall, is broken in the north porch. I 
am not disposed to attach as much weight as Pro- 
fessor Willis did, in his able lecture on Salisbury 
cathedral, to the “coursing of the stones;” still 
it is plain, that the builder of the greater portion of 
Wells cathedral looked upon the keeping of the 
