t in the moulding.
The finial is very heavy, though beautifully wrought to represent
birds and foliage. At the spring of the arch is the very curious
figure of a devil. Two pinnacles[28] at the sides have most grotesque
faces at the corners instead of the conventional foliage. This idea
has been adopted in the decoration of the tomb-recesses in the nave in
Bristol Cathedral.

On the western side of the vestry door is a beautiful Early English
tomb. The lid of the Purbeck marble coffin is inscribed "Alanus,
Dominus Abbas" along the moulded edge, and a similar inscription is to
be read at the right-hand end, "HIC IACET DOMINUS ALANUS ABBAS." This
is the tomb of Alan, who was made Abbot here in 1187, after having
previously been Prior at Canterbury. He was one of the most
distinguished of the Abbots of Tewkesbury: he had known Thomas a
Becket, and indeed wrote his biography. This tomb is no doubt the
oldest monument in the church. The arch over it is a moulded trefoil
arch, surmounted by a plain canopy of very simple and formal design.
The top of the coffin bears a very beautiful cross.

Further westward, near to the south transept is a thirteenth century
recessed arch, with pinnacles at either side and a decorated arch. The
tomb has been removed. The floor has been laid with fragments of old
encaustic tiles removed from other parts of the building.

=Organs.=--The church has two organs, both of which are noteworthy,
viz., the old organ in the choir, of which the interest is
historical, and the Grove organ in the north transept, the chief
interest in which, apart from its tone, is the perfection of its many
modern mechanical contrivances.

The organ in the choir was brought to Tewkesbury in 1737 from Magdalen
College, Oxford, and was placed on the then existing screen, where it
remained till 1875. It was built by John Harris, the grandfather of
Rene or Renatus Harris, for Magdalen College, Oxford. By Cromwell's
orders it was removed to Hampton Court, and is said to have been
played upon there by Milton, who was Cromwell's Secretary. In 1660 the
organ went back to Oxford, and was repaired in 1672. In 1690 Renatus
Harris contracted, for L150, to put it into thorough repair, and make
it "an extraordinary instrument and the best old organ in England." In
1736-37 the Magdalen College organ was sold to the then organ
committee of Tewkesbury.

Sixty years later (1796) a sum of L186 18_s._ 2_d._ was spent in
painting the ca