ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE. 295 



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 t6 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 

 north transept a large triple window, shortened at the time of a 

 repair in 1721 : when over it was opened a round one of consider- 

 able size, which affords an agreeable light, and renders that chantry 

 the most cheerful part of the edifice. 



The church and chancels have all covered roofs, ceiled about 

 the year 1633 ; before which they were open to the tiles and 

 shingles, showing the naked rafters, and threatening the congrega- 

 tion with the fall of a spar, or a blow from a piece of loose mortar. 



On the north wall of the chancel is fixed a large oval white marble 

 monument, with the following inscription ; and at the foot of the 

 wall, over the deceased, and inscribed with his name, age, arms, 

 and time of death, lies a large slab of black marble : 



