210 



Lacock Abbey. 



Immediately to tlie east of these doors would "be one or more 

 steps across the church, known as gradus presbyterit, and at this point 

 usually hung the veil in front of the altar during Lent. As this 

 arrangement leaves only twenty feet for the presbytery proper, which 

 is very short, the high altar must have stood against the east wall. 



In the centre of the quire would stand the monument of the 

 Foundress, who was " in choro decentissime tumulata," and around 

 it twenty-five candles were lighted daily throughout the year. 1 Part 

 of this monument is now placed in the floor of the south alley of the 

 cloisters where it suffered severely at one time by being walked 

 upon. It consists of a hard blue stone slab, with the housing 

 for a figure and canopy of brass, in the centre ; and round the 

 margin was the following inscription in Lombardic characters cut 

 in the stone, but now much obliterated : — 



INFRA.SVNT.DEFOSSA.E^LiE VENERABIL]lS.OSSA.QV^.DEDIT.HA£.SEDES 



SACBAS . [MONIALIBVS . JEDES . ABBAT]lSSA . 

 QVIDEM . QV^E . SANCTE . VIX1T . IBIDEM . ET . COMITISSA . SARVM . 

 VIRTVTVM . PLENA . BONARVM. 2 



There is a space at the end of the last line that may have con- 

 tained a date. From the style of the canopy it would appear to 

 be no older than the 14th century, so must have superseded some 

 earlier memorial, from which apparently the inscription was exactly 

 copied. 



All evidence of internal fittings immediately west of the quire 

 screen has been obliterated, but, judging from other cases of oblong 

 churches, there would be a second transverse screen westward of 

 the processional door, with two small altars against its west side 

 and a door in the centre. 



Resting on the top of this and the quire screen and occupying 

 the full width between them, would be the loft or gallery called 



1 " Et saint annuatim pro xliiij libris cere emptis pro manutencione xxv 

 cerearum quolibet die per totum annum ardencium circa sepulturam domine 

 Elie Longespe fundatricis monasterii de Lacok valoris cujuslibet ponderis 

 cornmunibus annis, vij d ., Summa xxv s . viij d . Valor Ecclesiasticus, ii., 117. 



2 The parts within brackets are now quite obliterated ; but are given on the 

 authority of Bowles and Nichols, History of Lacock, p. 5. 



