298 ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE. ' 



most ; but on the other, which seems to be of stone of a closer 

 and harder texture, is to be discerned a discus, with a cross on it, 

 at the end of a staff or rod, the well-known symbol of a Knight 

 Templar.* 



This order was distinguished by a red cross on the left shoulder 

 of their cloak, and by this attribute in their hand. Now, if these 

 stones belonged to Knights Templars, they must have lain here 

 many centuries ; for this order came into England early in the 

 reign of King Stephen in 1113 ; and was dissolved in the time of 

 Edward II. in 1312, having subsisted only one hundred and 

 thirty-nine years. Why I should suppose that Knights Templars 

 were occasionally buried at this church, will appear in some future 

 letter, when we come to treat more particularly concerning the 

 property they possessed here, and the intercourse that subsisted 

 between them and the priors of Selborne. 



We must now proceed to the chancel, properly so called, which 

 seems to be coeval with the church, and is in the same plain 

 unadorned style, though neatly kept. This room measures thirty- 

 one feet in length, and sixteen feet and a half in breadth, and is 

 wainscoted all round, as high as to the bottom of the windows. 

 The space for the communion-table is raised two steps above the 

 rest of the floor, and railed in with oaken balusters. Here I shall 

 say somewhat of the windows of the chancel in particular, and of 

 the whole fabric in general. They are mostly of that simple and 

 unadorned sort called Lancet, some single, some double* and 

 some in triplets. At the east end of the chancel are two of a 

 moderate size, near each other ; and in the north wall two very 

 distant small ones, unequal in length and height : and in the south 

 wall are two, one on each side of the chancel-door, that are broad 

 and squat, and of a different order. At the east end of the south 

 aisle of the church there is a large lancet-window in a triplet ; and 

 two very small, narrow, single ones in the south wall, and a broad 

 squat window beside, and a double lancet one in the west end ; 

 so that the appearance is very irregular. In the north aisle are 

 two windows, made shorter when the roof was sloped ; and in the 



* See DUGDALE, Monasticon Anglicanum, vol. ii., where there is a fine 

 engraving of a Knight -Templar, by Hollar. 



