ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE. 205 



Upon these rest blunt Gothic arches, such as prevailed in the reign 

 above-mentioned, and by which, as a criterion, we would prove the date 

 of the building. 



At the bottom of the south aisle, between the west and south doors, 

 stands the font, which is deep and capacious, and consists of three 

 massy round stones, piled one on another, without the least ornament 

 or sculpture : the cavity at the top is lined with lead, and has a 

 pipe at the bottom to convey off the water after the sacred ceremony is 

 performed. 



The east end of the south aisle is called the South Chancel, and, till 

 within these thirty years, was divided off by old carved Gothic frame- 

 work of timber, having been a private chantry. In this opinion we are 

 more confirmed by observing two Gothic niches within the space, the 

 one in the east wall and the other in the south, near which there 

 probably stood images and altars. 



In the middle aisle there is nothing remarkable ; but I remember 

 when its beams were hung with garlands in honour of young women of 

 the parish, reputed to have died virgins ; and recollect to have seen the 

 clerk's wife cutting, in white paper, the resemblances of gloves, and 

 ribbons to be twisted in knots and roses, to decorate these memorials of 

 chastity. In the church of Faringdon, which is the next parish, many 

 garlands of this sort still remain. 



The north aisle is narrow and low, with a sloping ceiling, reaching 

 within eight or nine feet of the floor. It had originally a flat roof, 

 covered with lead, till, within a century past, a churchwarden stripping 

 off the lead, in order, as he said, to have it mended, sold it to a 

 plumber, and ran away with the money. This aisle has no door, for 

 an obvious reason ; because the north side of the churchyard, being 

 surrounded by the vicarage-garden, affords no path to that side of the 

 church. Nothing can be more irregular than the pews of this church, 

 which are of all dimensions and heights, being patched up according 

 to the fancy of the owners ; but whoever nicely examines them will 

 find that the middle aisle had, on each side, a regular row of benches 

 of solid oak, all alike, with a low back-board to each. These we 

 should not hesitate to say are coeval with the present church ; and 

 especially as it is to be observed that, at their ends, they are orna- 

 mented with carved blunt Gothic niches, exactly correspondent to the 

 arches of the church, and to a niche in the south wall. The fourth 

 aisle also has a row of these benches ; but some are decayed through 

 age, and the rest much disguised by modern alterations. 



At the upper end of this aisle, and running out to the north, stands 

 a transept, known by the name of the North Chancel, measuring 

 twenty -one feet from south to north, and nineteen feet from east to 

 west : this was intended, no doubt, as a private chantry ; and was also, 

 till of late, divided off by a Gothic frame-work of timber. In its north 

 wall, under a very blunt Gothic arch, lies perhaps the founder of this 

 edifice, which, from the shape of its arch, may be deemed no older 

 than the latter end of the reign of Henry VII. The tomb was 

 examined some years ago, but contained nothing except the skull and 

 thigh-bones of a large tall man, and the bones of a youth or woman, 



