ising above the surrounding houses. This church has been said
to be the Mother Church of the diocese of Winchester, an idea that may
have owed its origin to the fact that before proceeding to the Cathedral
to be enthroned the bishops designate enter this ancient church to robe
and "ring themselves in". Only the other day, May 6, 1911, Dr. Talbot
followed this old custom, and the people listened eagerly for the number
of rings, as these are supposed to denote the number of years the bishop
will be at the head of the diocese. It may be of interest to chronicle
that Dr. Talbot rang nine times.

Near the church at one time was an open space called the Square, where
were situated the Pillory and Whipping Post. The palace of William I is
said to have occupied this site, and St. Lawrence's Church may possibly
have been the private chapel of the royal residence. A fragment of
Norman masonry gives a certain amount of probability to the
supposition, while at the beginning of last century some workmen
excavating in Market Street came across the foundations of an ancient
tower, of great thickness and strength. The present arched and narrow
entrance from High Street leads to the fine avenue of limes that forms
the principal approach to the west front of the Cathedral, begun by
Edington _circa_ 1360, the severe simplicity of which has been much
criticized, Ruskin assailing it furiously in the _Stones of Venice_. On
the apex of the gable is a canopied niche containing a statue of
Wykeham.

The present edifice is thought to stand approximately on the site of the
earlier Saxon church restored by Ethelwold in 980, in which Queen Emma
underwent the "fiery ordeal" by walking blindfold and barefooted over
nine red-hot plough-shares, thus proving her innocence of the charges
brought against her, and furnishing her accusers with an example of what
female chastity is able to accomplish. The main portion of the structure
as seen to-day was begun by Bishop Walkelin about 1079, and completed
some fourteen years later. It is the longest of English churches,
measuring externally 566 feet, and internally 562-1/2 feet, being a few
feet longer than St. Alban's, which has the same plan; although we must
remember that when the nave of Winchester terminated at the west in two
large towers the whole mass was 40 feet longer than at present.

The vista of the whole block of masonry, with its stumpy tower and
heavily buttressed walls, conveys the idea of i