On proceeding further into the church. the next object which probably strikes our eye is the chancel, and at its extremity the altar, with its appendages, but as this has been described in its proper place, we shall not stop to re-consider it here; and besides this, in fixing our attention on the more striking portion of the edifice, we have overlooked the pulpit. Few pulpits are to be met with of an earlier date than the fifteenth century, the oldest which remain are of stone. built up with the fabri•. from which circumstance we may infer that they are coeval with the entire structure; there is a beautiful spe cimen at Beaulieu, 1 ]ants, which is attached to the wall, and entered by a staircase partly cut out of its thickness; ;mother specimen is to he found in the church of the ! holy Trinity. Coventry, which is attached to one of the piers of the build ing. The later pulpits are of oak, usually of an letag4 mat form, having the sides panelled and enriched with carving, and the whole sometimes surmounted with a campy projecting over the head of the preacher. The posi tion of the pulpit was probably alway s at the north-east or south-east end of the nave, near the arch which separates the nave and chancel.
We have now to consider the form and arrangement of the pews. There are few churches which have not suffered severely by the removal of' their ancient seats, and the sub stitution boxes, with high backs; the old seats were low' backs, so as not to destroy or shut out a full view of the church. The backs and seats of such low benches were fitted at either end into a standard, which served at the same time as a support and finish, being fre quently carved in panels, and sometimes finished at the top w ith a poppy-head, or knop of foliage ; at other times they w ere quite plain, with only a simple moulding. or even chamfer at the top; between every two benches was an open space left for ingress and egress to and from the seats, which were never closed w ith doors. These north and south. so that the congregation might thee the cast. avenue between them in the centre of the nave, another leading into it from the entrance. which, in three aisled churches, must have been carried right across the church. to give access to another avenue leading to the seats in either aisle. These formed the only seats in the church for the laity ; it is scarcely necessary to add. that galleries never formed a part of the on arrangement.
Of the ioicrood deroroion.—There is one method of deco ration so universally applied in our ancient churches, that we cannot pass it over unnoticed ; it consists in the application of colour; the roof. the floor, the walls, the furniture and ornaments. and, not to omit the principal feature, the win dows, nays even the very books, were all enriched w ith gilding and odour. hi pay ing. the use of encaustic tiles of various
((doors and patterns was mo-t common. but besides these, the floors were not unireqnently covered will) work, as iostan•ed at the Prior's 'Impel, Ely, where in the chancel iminedintely in front ;atar was represented "the temitt in this method, the other parts of the floor being w ith ordinary patterns. Frequent specimens Of paint ing I In ohe roof have been hrouht 0, light, a very usual method of decorating which is by a powdering of gilt stars on an azure p.round. Few restorations take place without some additional testimony to the employment of fresco paintings, hick have been previously concealed by successive coatings of plaster and whitewash. 11r. Poole. speaking of the internal decoration of churches, says—" Besides the immense variety of Scriptural and other subjects which are found sculptured on the walls and roofs of our Gothic churches, we have also sometimes fresco paintings, covering great portions of the walls. These paintings have, for the most part, Leen covered with the successive coats of whitewash mud with which the elmrchwardens have literally daubed the interior as well as the exterior of churches; as if. to their eyes, whiteness and Yellowness were the only two elements of beauty. Accident has discovered several of them, and more are being discovered every day. The most remarkable with w hich I am acquainted is in the church of the Ilids Coventry ; the subject is one which cannot be un profitably suggested to Uhristians,—the last judgment ; and it is treated in a manner by no means deficient in expression. At Preston, in Sussex, is another fresco, discovered also acci dentally; one of the subjects is the murder of Thomas Becket ; the story is minutely and well told. Another subject is the archangel Nichael weighing the soul of a Chris thin, which appears in one side of a pair of scales, against the devil, in the form of a boar's head, in the opposite scale. By the intervention of a female saint, most probably the blessed Virgin. who stands by, the soul is manifestly the weightier.
"In the late remains of IZotherain church, several frescos were discovered. especially a large one over the nave arch, of our blessed Lord and the twelve apostles, with other saints and angels in act of adoration. The figures were much destroyed in the process of laying them bare ; and they are now covered over again. N Hit they not have been restored ?" This question we shall leave for future consideration ; mean while, we may remark, that many specimens of fresco have been discovered since the above was mitten, and no doubt fresh discoveries will be made as the process of restoration goes on its our ancient churches.