ON MILTON ABBEY CSURCH. S9 



any other constructional expedient. The wonder is, that the 

 whole tower had not come down with a run long before. Scores 

 and scores of stones had to be removed from the eastermost piers, 

 which are from the Tisbury quarries, as may readily be observed 

 by the greater whiteness of those that were inserted in their 

 place. The whole floor all throughout the building had to be 

 removed, and the present one of tiles is laid at a lower level. 

 This brought to light a still older floor, covered with tombstones, 

 and in the sacrarium was found the matrix of a very fine brass 

 with a highly ornamented canopy. The inscription shows it was 

 one of three Walters, who at difPerent times were Abbots of 

 MHton— W. de Corfe, 1273, A.D., W. de Sydelinge, 1292, A.D., 

 and Walter Archer, 1392, A.D. (Professor Willis gave it as his 

 opinion that the brass was not Archer's but older.) Many of 

 the ribs in the vaulted roof of the choir had got out of their 

 proper place, and were replaced, and much of the chalk vaulting 

 also had to be renewed, and the materials were found on the 

 abbey estate. Mr. Scott introduced one feature, which was quite 

 a novelty — viz., the miniature arcading under five of the arches. 

 He justified this introduction, however, by the traces he found 

 in situ of similar work previously. He removed all the plaster 

 upon the walls, even when those walls were composed entirely 

 of flint. For this he has been much blamed, but unjustly, I 

 think. The flints, anyhow, were real, while plaster is always a 

 sham, except when used for fresco painting, of which there was 

 a considerable amount in this building, especially under the two 

 great windows in the transept, the Seven Deadly Sins, and the 

 several Acts of Mercy being represented on the wall, in that 

 position in the south transept. I must not forget to mention, 

 as my very last word, that the arms of Milton Abbey are three 

 bread baskets Sa. replenished with loaves. Or. There is every 

 reason to believe that the abbots of old did not restrict their 

 hospitality to a dole of dry bread, but, according to the good 

 custom of religious houses, entertained strangers, as an act of 

 Christian duty. We have, however, the most positive proof, 

 which would convince even an Agnostic, that the present worthy 



