rresponding
spire to the north. The triangular section of the pinnacles at the base
of the spire, the crockets with which they are enriched, and the open
canopies around, combine to produce a most graceful feature. To the
latter years of this century may be assigned the central porch, with
room above, inserted between the two middle piers of the west front.
Some regard this as a blemish; others as a distinct improvement. One
party maintains[13] that it is "an unsightly encumbrance, in its present
position, seeing that it violates the uniformity of design displayed in
the west front"; the other party contends[14] that it is "an extremely
judicious insertion, and that it really does, just as if it was intended
for that purpose only, restore its proper dignity to the central arch of
the facade." It was most likely built as a matter of structural
necessity, to secure the stability of the front. From a settlement of
the foundations, or from a failure of the two central piers, or from the
great weight of masonry above, for there are no western buttresses, the
whole must have been in danger of falling. Mr Paley points out that the
"construction of this elegant little edifice is extremely scientific,
especially in the manner in which the thrust is distributed through the
medium of the side turrets so as to fall upon the buttresses in front.
These turrets being erected against one side of the triangular columns,
on the right and the left hand, support them in two directions at once,
viz., from collapsing towards each other, and from falling forward. The
latter pressure is thrown wholly upon the buttresses in front, which
project seven feet beyond the base of the great pillars." The room above
is called by Browne Willis the Consistory Court. It is now used for the
Minster Library.

[Illustration: Map, 1610.]

The alterations and additions during the Perpendicular period can be
detected at a glance. All the Norman windows which had remained
unaltered were now filled with tracery, not of particularly good design;
the great west window and the others in the west wall were similarly
treated; the conical tops to the transeptal corner turrets were altered
into battlements; the screens in the transepts were made, and, probably,
the groined wooden ceiling in the choir. The most important addition was
the New Building at the east end of the choir. This is often erroneously
called the Lady Chapel; but when this edifice was erected the Lad