82 GUSSAGE s. MICHAEL'S AND GUSSAGE ALL SAINTS' CHURCHES. 



which serves also to support the Font. The font is circular both in 

 bowl and base, and undoubtedly is coeval with the nave of the 

 church. Mr. Pouting thinks, from the unusual height of these 

 base moulds, that they served as a bench base, or seat for the 

 congregation. I do not recollect to have seen such an arrangement 

 for sitting, in the many scores of churches I have visited in most 

 parts of England. The round and massive columns have each only 

 a slightly-cut abacus (or cap mould), save the one close to the font. 

 This has a shallow elongated lozenge-shaped moulding in addition, 

 which scarcely, I suppose, can be called a dog-tooth ornament. 

 The original roof was supported on corbels, which still exist, and 

 on the east face of the tower you will see a bit of its dripmould ; 

 but the Perpendicular people raised the roof considerably and 

 built the clerestory, yet only inserted one window on either side. 

 To give more light they placed two windows on the eastern gable. 

 In Mr. Ponting's opinion, however, the whole of the E. wall is of 

 modern construction. Yet Hutchins, in his first edition dated 

 1774, speaks of there then existing "Two windows on the E. end 

 of the body of the church, over the chancel." The Perpendicular 

 people added the upper storey of the tower, with the well-propor- 

 tioned windows, and to this period belong also the windows of the 

 N. and S. aisles, and, as I said, the skeleton of the porch. On the 

 E. end of the 1ST. aisle are mouldings of an arch resembling the 

 nave arches, which prove that at one time the aisle opened into a 

 Chantry chapel. At the restoration, under Mr. Street's direction, 

 this chapel roof must have been lowered ; but I presume that so 

 careful an architect followed, in other respects, the original lines of 

 the chancel, with its window and arch tracery. Indeed, the entire 

 double arch, opening into the organ chamber, which occupies the 

 place of this Chantry chapel, looks to me to have belonged to the 

 old church. The jambs of these two arches are without imposts, 

 and their mouldings are carried up continuously from base to apex. 

 You should look at the large coffin-shaped slab of Purbeck 

 marble, with a hollow chamfer round the edge. The traces of a 

 cross may be seen on the top. 



