rom such or worse
profanations.

Communion rails carved in the nondescript style, almost peculiar to the
reign of Charles the First, are preserved in St. Giles's Church, Oxford;
in the Lady Chapel, Winchester Cathedral; in the Church of St. Cross, near
Winchester; in the choir of Worcester Cathedral; and in Andover Church,
Hants: in which last instance the rails are composed of open semicircular
arches, supported on baluster columns, with pendants similar to hip knobs
hanging from the arches; but specimens of altar rails of a period
antecedent to the Restoration are not often to be met with, the reason for
which will be adduced.

By the canons of 1603 the churchwardens or questmen were to provide in
every church a comely and decent pulpit, to be set in a convenient place
within the same, and there to be seemly kept for the preaching of God's
word. Carved pulpits set up between the years 1603 and 1640 are numerous,
and the sides are more or less embellished with circular-arched panels,
flat and shallow scroll-work, and other decorative detail in fashion at
that period; and not a few bear the precise date of their construction.

In the nave of Bristol Cathedral is a stone pulpit, ascended to by means
of a circular flight of steps; the sides are panelled and ornamented with
escutcheons surrounded by scroll-work, and it bears the date of 1624.

In Ashington Church, Somersetshire, is a pulpit with the date 1627.

In Bradford Abbas Church, Dorsetshire, is a fine carved wooden pulpit and
sounding-board, and on it appears the date 1632.

The date of 1625 appears on a fine carved wooden pulpit, the sides of
which are covered with semicircular-headed panels, in Huish Episcopi
Church, Somersetshire.

In one of the churches at Wells is a fine wooden pulpit, of the date 1636;
at the angles are columns of semi-classic design, fantastically carved;
the panels are curiously ornamented with figures in relief, and it is
supported on a stand composed of a square and four detached columns, above
which are represented a number of birds with large beaks; the
sounding-board over corresponds in design with the pulpit.

A very fine carved wooden pulpit, the sides of which are embellished with
circular-arched panel and scroll-work, with the date 1640, and a
sounding-board over, is contained in Cerne Abbas Church, Dorsetshire.

Many carved pulpits of this era have, however, no assigned date; they are
commonly placed at the north or south