els from the choir are extraordinarily beautiful, as are the
restored sedilia and piscina with their gables and pinnacles and
lovely diaper work. The windows, too, are very noble and fine, and rich
in their tracery, which might seem to be scarcely English.

[Illustration: WINCHELSEA CHURCH]

In the Chapel of St Nicholas, the Alard Chantry, on the south, are the
glorious canopied tombs of Gervase Alard (1300) and Stephen Alard. The
first is the finer; it is the tomb of the first Lord High Admiral of
England. The sepulchral effigy lies cross-legged with a heart in its
hands and a lion at its feet; and about its head two angels once
knelt. The whole was doubtless once glorious with colour, traces of
which still remain on the beautiful diaper work of the recess. The
tomb of Stephen Alard is later, but similar though less rich. Stephen
was Admiral of the Cinque Ports in the time of Edward II. Another of
the family, Reginald, lies beneath the floor where of old a brass
marked his tomb (1354).

In the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin, the Farncombe Chantry, are three
tombs all canopied with a Knight in chain armour, a Lady, and a young
Squire. We are ignorant whose they may be. It is certain that these
tombs are older than the church, and they are said to have been
brought here from old Winchelsea.

But Winchelsea has other ruins and other memories besides those to be
found in the parish church.

The Franciscans, the Grey Friars, were established in Winchelsea very
early, certainly before 1253; and when old Winchelsea was destroyed
and the new town built on the hill by the King it was agreed that no
monastery or friary should be built there save only a house for the
Friars Minor. This was erected where now the modern mansion called
'The Friars' stands, the old convent having been pulled down so lately
as 1819. A part of the ruined Chapel of the Blessed Virgin remains,
however, the choir and apse. Decorated work not much later than the
parish church, and of great beauty. Unhappily we know absolutely
nothing of the Friars in Winchelsea, except that when the house was
suppressed in 1538 it was exceedingly poor.

The Franciscans, however, were not the only Friars in Winchelsea in
spite of the agreement made at the foundation of the new town. In 1318
Edward II. granted the Black Friars, the Dominicans, twelve acres on
the southern side of the hill. This situation was found inconvenient,
and in 1357 the Dominicans obtained six ac