ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE 247 



carved blunt Gothic niches, exactly correspondent to the arches 

 of the church, and to a niche in the south wall. The fourth 

 aisle also has a row of these benches ; but some are decayed 

 through age, and the rest much disguised by modern altera- 

 tions. 



At the upper end of this aisle, and running out to the north, 

 stands a transept, known by the name of the North Chancel, 

 measuring twenty-one feet from south to north and nineteen 

 feet from east to west : this was intended, no doubt, as a private 

 chantry ; and was also, till of late, divided off by a Gothic frame- 

 work of timber. In its north wall, under a very blunt Gothic 

 arch, lies perhaps the founder of this edifice, which, from the 

 shape of its arch, may be deemed no older than the latter end 

 of the reign of Henry VII. The tomb was examined some 

 years ago, but contained nothing except the skull and thigh- 

 bones of a large tall man, and the bones of a youth or woman, 

 lying in a very irregular manner, without any escutcheon or 

 other token to ascertain the names or rank of the deceased. 

 The grave was very shallow, and lined with stone at the bottom 

 and on the sides. 



From the east wall project four stone brackets, which I con- 

 clude supported images and crucifixes. In the great thick 

 pilaster, jutting out between this transept and the chancel, 

 there is a very sharp Gothic niche, of older date than the 

 present chantry or church. But the chief pieces of antiquity 

 are two narrow stone coffin-lids, which compose part of the 

 floor, and lie from west to east, with the very narrow ends 

 eastward : these belong to remote times ; and, if originally 

 placed here, which I doubt, must have been part of the pave- 

 ment of an older transept. At present there are no coffins 

 under them, whence I conclude they have been removed to 

 this place from some part of a former church. One of these 

 lids is so eaten by time, that no sculpture can be discovered 

 upon it ; or, perhaps, it may be the wrong side uppermost; 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. 2 



This order was distinguished by a red cross on the left 



