also counting from the
west, are those of England, France, Mercia, England, Edward the
Confessor, and England. The hood mouldings of the triforium and
clerestory also terminate in heads, some of them grotesque. The
Decorated piers were found by Lord Grimthorpe in a very unsound
condition, not on account of any defect in the foundation, but on
account of the bad mortar in which their rubble cores had been set. This
had become dust, and tended to burst out the ashlar casing: this shell
was indeed doing all the work of supporting the weight resting on the
piers. Lord Grimthorpe shored up the arches, and in large measure
rebuilt the piers of larger stones. He says: "It took no small trouble
and scolding to get these worked as roughly as the old ones, so as to
make the work homogeneous and bewilder antiquaries." This sentence shows
the false principles on which Lord Grimthorpe sometimes worked;
necessary repairs should never be executed with a view to make the work
appear as old as that the place of which it takes.

[6] This was the original Benedictine arrangement, which is said to
remain in this church and Westminster Abbey only.

The pulpit against the fourth pier on the north side, counting from the
rood screen, is new, decorated with pentagonal diaper work--pentagons
being apparently particularly attractive to Lord Grimthorpe.

#The Organ.#--The present organ when first built in 1862 was placed in
the north arm of the transept, where the previously used organ had
stood; in 1877 it was moved to the north-east corner of the nave; and
was again moved in 1882, being then placed where it now is. In 1885 it
was enlarged by Lord Grimthorpe, and the key-board was placed at the
south end, so that the organist might command a view of the choristers,
whether they were singing in the nave or in the choir. It is considered
a fine and powerful instrument, and no better position in the church
could be found for it.

[Illustration: SOUTH AISLE OF NAVE FROM EAST.]

#The South Aisle.#--At the western end of the south wall of this aisle
may be seen the remains of an arch which was intended to lead into the
south-west tower. Above it, high up, is a single-light window. The next
three windows, of two lights each, with Decorated tracery, were inserted
by Lord Grimthorpe in the blank wall; the next window probably dates
from the seventeenth century. The windows in the next five bays come
down on the inside to a much lower level than thos