ebellion; and Monmouth's troops, as an interlude in their inglorious
campaign, found uproarious diversion by stabling their horses in the
canons' stalls, and holding a wild carousal in the sanctuary. The
peculiar interest of Wells lies not only in the cathedral itself, but
in its _entourage_. Secular chapters were communities for the purposes
of worship only. They had no "common life." Their only common room was
the chapter-house, where they met for the transaction of business. The
canons had their own separate establishments, and their residences
remain for the most part intact to-day. This secular character was
stamped upon the cathedral from the first. King Ina founded it as a
secular church, and though Bishop Giso, the last of the Saxon bishops,
made an attempt to reconstitute the chapter on "regular" lines, and is
said to have actually built a refectory and dormitory, the foundation
soon reverted to its original ideals, and the monastic offices were
removed as unnecessary. Like most cathedrals, Wells has been the
composition of many hands, and is carried out in many different styles.
Roughly, the work may be classified as follows: _Norm._ perhaps even
_Pre-Norm._ font; _Trans. Norm._ N. porch, nave and transepts: _E.E._
W. front; _Dec._ lady chapel and chapter-house, central tower and
choir; _Perp._ W. towers, cloisters, gate-houses, chain gateway, and
remains of destroyed cloister chapel. A casual glance will show that
the cathedral occupies the centre of a gated close, with deanery and
canons' houses to N., and bishop's palace to S. The attention is first
arrested, as was no doubt intended, by the view from the spacious
green. Here the spectator not only has before him the finest W. front
in England, but finds spread out for his study a mediaeval historical
picture-book. The statuary is not only designed to enhance the general
architectural effect of the building, but is a genuine attempt to teach
the unlearned the rudiments of ecclesiastical and secular history. The
idea, however, is so artistically carried out that the didactic purpose
of the sculpture is completely disguised. Quite in keeping with the
usual mediaeval notion, Church and State are regarded as two separate
kingdoms, and the events of sacred and profane history are kept
distinct. The S. half is assigned to the ecclesiastics, and the N.
occupied by the royalties. The figures and medallions have suffered
considerably from time and fanaticism, and are