TH CENTURY.]

=The Stalls=--thirteen on either side and eight returned against the Rood
Screen--are exquisite specimens of fifteenth century woodwork. They are
surmounted by lofty canopies of elaborate tabernacle-work supported on
slender shafts and rising into a forest of crocketed spirelets and
pinnacles. There are ribbed vaults under the canopies, and upon the
pendants in front are hovering angels. The canopies on the south side
were wrecked by the fall of the spire in 1660, and those over the eight
easternmost stalls were then reconstructed in the 'Jacobean' style with
a gallery above, while of the canopies now over the other nine, eight
are said to have been brought across from the eastern end of the north
range, where more Jacobean canopies were erected in their place. Sir
Gilbert Scott removed all this seventeenth century work and set up
reproductions of the fifteenth century design. Thus the eight
easternmost canopies on either side are modern. The misereres and arms
of the stalls are exquisitely carved.

[Illustration: Jonah emerging from the whale.
Pelican feeding her young.
MISERERES, FIFTEENTH CENTURY.]

The subjects upon the former are as follows, beginning from the
archway in the screen:--

_North side_:--(1) (CANON IN RESIDENCE) lion attacked by dogs; (2)
dragon attacked by dogs; (3) angel with shield; (4) dragon and
birds; (5) hart's-tongue ferns; (6) conventional flowers; (7) ape
attacked by lion; (8) vine; (9) birds pecking fruit; (10)
antelopes; (11) fox preaching to goose and cock; (12) fox running
off with geese; (13) fox caught by dogs; (14) dragons fighting;
(15) fruit and flowers issuing from inverted head; (16) man holding
club with oak leaves and acorns; (17) (MAYOR'S STALL) griffin
catching rabbit.

_South side_:--(1) (DEAN) angel with book; (2) angel with shield
bearing date 1489; (3) lion _versus_ griffin; (4) griffin devouring
human leg; (5) owl; (6) mermaid with mirror and hair-brush; (7) two
pigs dancing to bagpipe played by a third; (8) Jonah thrown to the
whale; (9) man wheeling another who holds a reed and a bag; (10)
fox caught carrying off goose by dog and by woman with distaff;
(11) winged animal; (12) hart, gorged and chained; (13) pelican
feeding young; (14) Jonah emerging from the whale; (15) Samson
carrying the gates; (16) head (modern)[100]; (17) (BISHOP'S THRONE)