of three foliated
arched lights, with a quatrefoil beneath each light.

We sometimes meet with one or more brackets, with plain mouldings or
sculptured, projecting from the east wall of a chancel aisle or chantry
chapel; and on these, lamps or lights were formerly set, and kept
continually burning in honour of the Virgin or of some other saint; and we
also meet with rich projecting canopies or recessed niches, with brackets
beneath, on which images of saints were formerly placed.

The use of the low side window, common in some districts, near the
south-west angle of the chancel, and sometimes, but not so frequently,
near the north-west angle, and occasionally even in the aisle, has not
been correctly ascertained; it has, however, been conjectured to have
served for the purpose of a confessional; and on minute examination
indications of its formerly having had a wooden shutter, which opened on
the inside, are sometimes visible; and on the south side of Kenilworth
Church, Warwickshire, is an iron-barred window of this description, on
which the wooden shutter is still retained.[209-*]

The sedilia or stone seats, so frequently found in the south wall of the
chancel, are occasionally, though not often, to be met with in the south
walls of side aisles or chantry chapels: when this is the case it is
presumed the endowment was for more priests than one.

Such, not to digress into more minute particulars, may suffice to convey
a general idea of the manner in which our churches were internally
decorated, and how they were fitted up, with reference to the ceremonial
rites of the church of Rome, in and before the year 1535. The walls were
covered with fresco paintings, the windows were glazed with stained glass;
the rood-loft and the pulpit, where the latter existed, were richly
carved, painted, and gilt; and the altars were garnished with plate and
sumptuous hangings. Altar-tombs with cumbent effigies were painted so as
to correspond in tone with the colours displayed on the walls; the
pavement of encaustic tiles, of different devices, was interspersed with
sepulchral slabs and inlaid brasses; and screen-work, niches for statuary,
mouldings, and sculpture of different degrees of excellence, abounded.
Suspended from aloft hung the funeral achievement; at a later period, even
more common, the banner, helme, crest, gauntlets, spurs, sword, targe, and
cote armour.[210-*] In addition to these were, in some churches, shrines
and rel