28 On the Architecture of Malmesbury Abbey. 



unaltered till we get to the clerestory. We have plain cylindrical 

 pillars with scalloped caps and arches slightly pointed; above these, 

 the triforium with round arches, enriched with the chevron or zigzag 

 ornament, the actual opening to the triforium gallery being by an 

 arcade of four small arches, with a solid tympanum above. Under 

 the triforium runs a string-course, enriched with an ornament, which 

 to my mind, is suggestive of classical traditions. This has been defaced 

 effectually in the three western bays of the present church, on the 

 south side, and roughly, throughout, on the north side. The deface- 

 ment of this ornament is not the work of very recent hands as is 

 evident from its having been carried out in the ruined part of the 

 nave. I think it may have been done in the fifteenth century. 

 It is noticeable that the defacement begins, on the south side, at 

 that bay of the triforium to which is attached, without much regard 

 to appearances, a small erection of that date, supposed to have been 

 a watching chamber, and evidently the object has been to get rid of 

 an ornament which did not suit the taste of the later builders. The 

 two easternmost arches of the nave- arcade, on each side, have been 

 enriched by later Norman ornament cut out of one of the mouldings 

 of the arch, that is to say, however soon after the building of the 

 arcade it may have been done, there is no doubt but that the moulding 

 was originally plain as in the rest of the arcade. To my mind this 

 additional ornament does not add to but detracts from the grandeur 

 of the work. Another instance of progressive decoration is to be 

 seen in the wall-arcade of the north aisle. The greater part of this 

 arcade is o£ plain arches with a square edge. A roll moulding has 

 been cut on after in the east part o£ the aisle. Throughout the rest 

 of the church this moulding is found, but the arcade was probably 

 at first plain. Further instances of progressive decoration, in the 

 Norman period, are to be seen in the porch and the remains of the 

 west doorway. 



From the caps of the great pillars spring clustered shafts which 

 ran through to the roof, I presume, and have served as vaulting shafts 

 for the builders of the fourteenth century. The character of the 

 original clerestory can only be made out externally. The aisles retain 

 their Norman vaulting unaltered, with the exception of one bay on 



