20 PAPEKS, ETC. 



the aisles along a slngle bay of the chancel is one not calcu- 

 lated to give any great dignity to that portion of the church, 

 which often remains somewliat disjointed and inharmonious, 

 being prevented from assuming the form either of the 

 distinct chapel-like chancel, or of the regulär choir with 

 aisles. The most interesting chancels are therefore those 

 which contain portions of earlier work. At Ditcheat is a 

 beautiftü Geometrical chancel, which the Perpendicular 

 architects have endeavoured to bring into harmony with the 

 rest of the church by the infelicitous expedient of an upper 

 ränge of windows in the sarae wall. Bleadon also retains 

 some pleasingwork of the same fera. Martock hasa grand 

 high-roofed chancel, almost entirely remodelled in Perpen- 

 dicular, but retaining, externally at least, a süperb quintu- 

 plet of lancets. Within it is barbarously blocked by an 

 incongruous reredos, a disfigurement which I observed in 

 several other churches, as Burnham and Yeovil. 



Ofchancels essentially Perpendicular, the best specimens 

 occur in the south. North Curry may be practically 

 classed under that head, though a great proportion of its 

 walling is of Decorated date ; North Petherton and 

 Langport are also above the average, but for a tinily noble 

 example of a chancel in the ti'ue Perpendicular style, we 

 must go to Dminster. I know no parish chui'ch which 

 externally approaches nearer to the cathedral type, although 

 neither choir nor transept is fiu-nished with aisles. This 

 appearance must be mainly owing to its glorious central 

 lantern, but the choir forms no unimportant feature in the 

 view fi'om the north-east. It is of three bays, well buttressed 

 and windowed, but ofFering nothing for especial comment ; 

 its beauty lies in general harmony of design and execution. 

 We mayhowever remark the vestryprojectingbelowthe east 

 window, which is certainly a Somersetshire localism, as it 



