474 Malmesbury Abbey. 



But, however, this Inscription did not protect either this or any other 

 of the Bells from Sacrilege. For there are now none left belonging to 

 the Abbey-Church. ' 



When the nave was made into the parish church the west arch 

 of the crossing was walled up, and a buttress was built in the 

 middle to strengthen the work. 



The nave was of nine bays, 122 ft. in length, and had aisles; the 

 total width is 69 ft. The first six bays remain complete, together 

 with the remaining bay of the south aisle. 



Each bay consists of three stages: the main arcade, the tri- 

 forium, and the clearstory. The main arcade has short cylindrical 

 columns 5 ft. in diameter, with moulded bases and scalloped 

 capitals, surmounted by slightly pointed arches of three orders 

 with a billeted label ormamented with dragon-headed terminals, 

 and a most unusual feature, a grotesque head at the top biting the 

 apex of the label. From the capitals start the vaulting shafts, 

 consisting of three half-rolls with fillets between (figs. 12, 18, 19.) 



Above the arcade is a deep splayed string-course, which was 

 ornamented with a Greek key pattern on the splay and continued 

 round the vaulting shafts. 2 



The triforium has in each bay a single round arch, slightly de- 

 pressed, containing four small arches, except in the easternmost 

 bay, 3 where there are only three (figs. 18, 19). The main arch is 

 of three members, of which the middle is ornamented with the 

 chevrons set square, and is supported on moulded jambs having a 

 detached column in each and continuous scalloped capitals, The 

 smaller arches are semicircular and moulded, and are supported 

 on monolithic columns having square cushion capitals. The 

 jambs of the triforium are in many cases set crookedly by care- I 

 lessness, not intentionally. The vaulting shaft continues through 



1 An History of the Mitred Parliamentary Abbies, Brown Willis (London, I 

 1718), i. 136. 



2 Beyond the rood-screen westward this string has had the ornament cut 

 off in monastic times and formed into a plain chamfered course. 



3 This bay was built up solid apparently in the fourteenth century to give I 

 extra abutment to the tower, and is so shown on an old drawing. The 

 blocking was removed in 1836 at the time when both triforiums were built j 

 up for warmth. 



