THE ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE 217 



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 1 



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 ninety-nine years. 

 Why I should suppose that Knights-Templars were occa- 

 sionally 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 aile 

 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 



1 See Dugdale Monasticon Anglicanum, vol. ii., where there is a fine engraving 

 of a Knight-Templar, by Hollar. [G. W.] 



VOL. II. 2 E 



