ST. PIRAN .S OLD CHURCH, 137 



heads), if one may judge from the remains of its arcli Ijnngnear 

 it ; and which may he assumed to be that intended for the priest 

 himself, leading into the chancel. 



The chancel is exactly 9^ feet long, and shows in its north 

 and soutli walls the precise spots where the railing separating it 

 from the nave was fixed. Attached to the eastern wall of the 

 chancel is an altar nearly equidistant between the north and 

 south walls, feet 3 inches long, by 2 feet 3 inches wide, and 4 

 feet high, built of stone and neatly plastered with lime : 8 inches 

 above this altar is a recess or niche about 12 inches high, by 8 

 inches wide, in which, undoubtedly, was once Saint Piran's 

 shrine, so much frequented for many ages by thousands of devout, 

 but mistaken, pilgrims who flocked from every cj[uarter to present 

 their offerings to the departed Saint. 



As there is only one small aperture or window 12 inches 

 high by iO inches wide, about 10 feet above the floor in the 

 south wall of the chancel, we may almost take it for granted that 

 the service must have been carried on chiefly, if not altogether, 

 by the liglit of tajDers. 



A stone seat raised 14 inches above the level of the floor, 

 and 12 inches wide, covered with lime plast[erin]g runs all round 

 the walls except the east and south walls of the chancel. 



The nave is exactly 1 5 J feet long, its floor, together with the 

 floor of the chancel, being composed of lime and sand apjjarently 

 as perfect as when first laid down. Each door has two low steps 

 to descend into the church, and the church itself is plastered with 

 beautifully white lime. The masonry of the entire building is of 

 the rudest kind, and is evidently of very remote ages; there is 

 not the slightest attempt at regular courses, but the stones, 

 consisting of granite, quartz, sand stone and porphyry, &c,, 

 appear to have been thrown together almost at random horizon- 

 tally, perpendicidarly, and at every angle of inclination just as the 

 hand, not the eye of the workman happened to direct him. To 

 render the church as perfect as when it was originally erected, 

 nothing seemed wanting but its doors and roof, and not an atom 

 of wood, except a piece of about 8 inches long by 2 inches wide, 

 and 1 incli thick, was found within or without the walls. That 

 there were many bodies interred, both in the chancel and the 



