s and after his time by his successors. The decaying
stone all round the nave and both transepts was in urgent need of
repair, if not actually in ruins, and, probably in order to save
trouble and expense, the small Early English pilasters supporting the
window tracery were remorselessly cut off, and an acorn was substituted
in every case. These pilasters have since been restored again under
Mr. Pearson's supervision. As we walk along the green to the north
front, we see the whole north side of the {15} nave, but before leaving
the west end we may note that repairs have recently been carried out,
as one or two of the crockets were showing signs of immediate ruin, and
even the eighteenth-century towers required new faces. The north
facade was completely restored and, in fact, practically rebuilt about
twenty years ago: the portico from designs left by Sir Gilbert Scott,
who was Surveyor of the fabric for some time, and the upper part by his
successor, Mr. Pearson, who carried out the whole work. Both north and
west fronts recall Wren, who remodelled the north and restored the
west. Whether he or Hawkesmore was guilty of finally sweeping away the
last vestiges of Richard the Second's northern entrance and such of the
figures which still remained intact at the west end, we do not know.
In any case, Crull, writing in 1713, says that a few of the statues of
the twelve apostles which adorned Richard's portico were still in a
fair state of preservation, as were many of the "benefactors" on the
west, "all undeniable witnesses of their former excellency." It is
impossible to enter into the history of the fabric fund and the many
restorations of the Abbey. Enough for our present purpose to call
attention to the fact that the soft stone is constantly corroding, and
{16} that frequent supervision is necessary. The saying that "the arch
never sleeps" is only too true, and the Clerk of the Works has to keep
a constant and vigilant eye over the church which he so dearly loves,
ever ready to report any sign of change in stone-work or actual fabric
to the Dean and to the architect.

* * * * * *

[Illustration: The Chapter House and East End of Henry VII.'s Chapel]

* * * *

THE CHAPTER HOUSE AND EAST END OF HENRY VII.'S CHAPEL

In our walk round the Abbey we now enjoy an uninterrupted view of these
fine buildings, which were formerly partly concealed by houses. Th