Savile's
wardenship, in 1598. It was then opened, and the body of the bishop, who
had been buried in his robes, with his pastoral staff and chalice,
disclosed. The staff on being touched fell to pieces but the chalice was
removed to the college to be treasured there. The original enamelled
work seems to have been injured beyond repair, so was replaced by the
alabaster effigy now in the next bay. This effigy is remarkable for the
anachronisms it shows. The bishop wears the rochet, the episcopal dress
of the Reformed church instead of his proper robes, and the plain crook
beside him bears no resemblance to the rich crosiers of the thirteenth
century. The ruff round his neck and his broad-toed shoes are also
plainly out-of-date. The mantle of estate refers of course to his rank
as Chancellor, as did also the bag or purse that used to hang on the
wall above. The inscriptions were on the front of the tomb, whence came
also the death's head panels to be seen with the effigy now.

Fresh injuries, suffered during the Civil War period, were made good by
the college in 1662, and a tablet recording this, and balanced by the
bishop's arms, was placed at the back of the tomb where the windows had
been blocked up. There were fresh renovations in 1701, and in 1770, when
all the whitewash was cleaned off. The College also made an annual
payment for care of the tomb.

The monument received its present form in 1849, when the Elizabethan
effigy and details, and the old railing, were removed to the next bay,
where they are still to be seen. The skeleton was then once more
uncovered showing the bishop to have been a fine tall man, and a trace
of the former opening of the tomb was found in a misplacement of the
bones of the right arm, which had probably been disturbed when the
chalice was removed. Fragments of wood and cloth, presumably remains of
his staff and robes, were still to be seen. The two windows under the
canopy were reopened and filled with stained glass, and on the tomb was
placed a stone slab, "engraved according to the style of the thirteenth
century," with an ornamented cross having foliations on each side. "A
new ornamental railing," coloured and gilt, and of a tawdry character
was placed in front of all. The canopy, with its crockets and pinnacles,
and the quatrefoils of carved foliage in its gables are worthy of
attention.

The tomb in the easternmost bay of the transept end is reputed to be
that of St. William of Perth