or a fiction, and a "canter," which is a short form for a "canterbury
gallop," an allusion to the easy pace at which these pilgrimages were
performed. The shrine with its vast collected wealth was destroyed, and
every reminiscence connected with it as far as possible effaced, by King
Henry VIII.'s commissioners in 1538. But some of the beautiful old
windows of stained glass, illustrating the miracles wrought in connexion
with the saint, are preserved. The north-west transept was the actual
scene of Becket's murder; the spot where he fell is shown on the floor,
but this part of the building is of later date than the tragedy.

Close to the site of the shrine is the fine tomb of Edward the Black
Prince, with a remarkable portrait effigy, and above it his helmet,
shield and other equipment. There is also in this chapel the tomb of
King Henry IV. The Corona, at the extreme cast of the church, contains
the so-called St Augustine's chair in which the archbishops are
enthroned. It is of marble, but its name is not deserved, as it dates
probably from c. 1200. The western part of the crypt, beneath the choir,
is the work of Ernulf, and perhaps incorporates some of Lanfranc's work.
The chapel of St John or St Gabriel, beneath Anselm's tower, is still
used for service, in which the French language is used; it was devoted
to this purpose in 1561, on behalf of French Protestant refugees, who
were also permitted to carry on their trade as weavers in the crypt. The
eastern and loftier part of the crypt, with its apsidal termination, is
the work of William the Englishman. Here for some time lay the body of
Becket, and here the celebrated penance of Henry II. was performed.

Monastic buildings.

The chief entrance to the precincts is through an ornate gateway at the
south-west, called Christchurch gateway, and built by Prior Goldstone in
1517. Among the remains of the monastic buildings there may be mentioned
the Norman ruins of the infirmary, the fine two-storeyed treasury and
the lavatory tower, Norman in the lower part and Perpendicular in the
upper. The cloisters are of various dates, containing a little rich
Norman work, but were very largely rebuilt by Prior Chillenden. The
upper part of the chapter-house is also his work, but the lower is by
Prior de Estria. The library is modern. The site of the New Hall of the
monastery is covered by modern buildings of King's school, but the
Norman entry-stair is preserved--a magnificent e