134 A CITY OF MANY WATERS 



The shabby transparency of the stratagem was a rude 

 shock to the reverence of Winchester towards royalty, nor 

 had she in later years much opportunity of reviving it. 



In 1632 Bishop Curie resolved to put a stop to the 

 custom which had established a thoroughfare through 

 the cathedral between the northern and southern parts 

 of the town. But he did so in a dignified and scholarly 

 fashion, not without some antique pedantry. Instead of 

 putting up a rude notice, 'No thoroughfare: trespassers 

 will be prosecuted,' he caused the huge buttress on the 

 south side of the church to be perforated by a footway 

 giving access through the close from one part of the town 

 to the other, and two curious Latin inscriptions to be carved 

 near its entrance. And, as if Latin should not be puzzling 

 enough to the townspeople, he cast the inscriptions in the 

 form of anagrams, thus : 



'^^ ILL PREC 



\ \ 



AC ATOR 



/ / 



H VI 



AMBULA KF 3 



that is, ' Worshipper, walk this way ; traveller, that ' : 

 and again 



CESSIT COMMUNI PROPRIUM : JAM PERGITE QUA FAS 



ACR S ILL CH 



/ \ \ \ \ 



S A H A ORO 



\ / / / / 



ERV F 1ST F 



that is, ' Public right ceases : now go the proper way : 



