32 



The Parish Church of S. Michael, Merc. 



the inside wall of the previous aisle was in a line with the face of 

 the north jamb of the arch communicating with the chapel, and 

 the rough facing between this and the present wall indicates the 

 point from which the wall was removed, whilst the drip-course over 

 the arch marks the line of its roof. 



The work of the aisle very closely resembles that of the north 

 chapel, and the same plinth-course is continued through both, but 

 there is sufficient difference to indicate some progress in the change 

 of taste which was so rapid at this period : thus, although the two 

 north windows of the aisle correspond with those of the chapel in 

 form, in number of lights, and in the reticulation of the tracery, it 

 will be seen that the arches to the lights are of ogee form, instead 

 of two-centred, and have trefoil cusping; the inner arch has a 

 cavetto instead of the wave-mould, and the labels of all three 

 windows in this aisle have circular terminals instead of the square 

 returns into the wall. The west window of the aisle is peculiar — 

 it is of three lights with square heads on the outside, but the pierced 

 part assumes a pointed form, so that on the inside it has the ap- 

 pearance of a pointed arched window, and the inside arch is also 

 pointed, the spandrels between the arch and the square head on the 

 outside being filled with blind tracery : the label is worked on the 

 solid with the head and jambs, as in the south aisle. The roof of 

 the aisle was, doubtless, like that of the chapel (although with a 

 somewhat later-looking cornice), but, as in the nave, the ribs have 

 been cut away and the whole plastered. 



The north porch, with its staircase and room over, was apparently 

 built with the north aisle. It is much richer than the one on the 

 south and was always — as now — the principal entrance to the 

 Church. It has diagonal buttresses carried up and terminating in 

 crocketted pinnacles above the parapet. The outer doorway is a 

 good one, with two orders of wave mould with a hollow between, 

 and a bold label over, having terminals carved to represent animals. 

 Over it is a niche having flanking pinnacles and groined canopy, 

 which is occupied by a figure representing S. Michael slaying the 

 dragon. Sir R. C. Hoare assumes this figure to be older than the 

 surrounding work, but this is probably due to its weather-worn 



