in our cathedrals and minsters they
kept uppermost in their minds that they were working for the glory of
God. "They thought not of a perishable home Who thus could build."

Froude, in his _History of England_ (I. 51), says of our ancestors:
"They cannot come to us, and our imaginations can but feebly penetrate
to them. Only among the aisles of the cathedrals, only as we gaze upon
their silent figures sleeping on their tombs, some faint conceptions
float before us of what these men were when they were alive."

There are four _Sepulchral Brasses_ on the floor of the chantries. The
earliest one is that of Dr. William Towne, who is buried in the second
chantry from the east, to which I have already referred as being the
first roofed in. He is represented in academical costume; and on his
hands hangs a scroll with the following words: "Farewell to glory, to
reputation in learning, to praise, to the arts, to all the vanity of
this world. God is my only hope."[16] Under his feet is the inscription:
"Pray for the soul of Master William Towne, Doctor of Divinity, once a
Fellow of this College, who died on the eleventh day of March, 1494.
Whose soul God pardon. Amen." The words "Pray for the soul" and "Whose
soul God pardon. Amen," have been partially effaced.[17]

The most ancient brass after Dr. Towne's is that of Dr. Argentine, who
is buried in the vestry on the south side nearest to the east. His
figure is placed, according to his last desire, on the tombstone in his
doctoral robes, with his hands elevated towards the upper part of the
stone, where there was formerly placed a Crucifix. From his mouth
proceed these words: "O Christ, Son of God and the Virgin, crucified
Lord, Redeemer of mankind, remember me." Below his feet are the words:
"This stone buries the body of John Argentine, Master of Arts,
Physician, Preacher of the Gospel; Passenger, remember, thou art mortal;
pray in an humble posture, that my soul may live in Christ, in a state
of immortality." On a fillet round the tombstone the following words are
engraved: "Pray for the soul of John Argentine, Master of Arts, Doctor
of Physick and Divinity, and Provost of this College, who died February
2, 1507. May God have mercy on his soul. Amen."[18]

The next is that of Robert Hacumblen, in the second chantry from the
west on the same side. He is represented in ecclesiastical costume in
processional vestments. On a label proceeding from his mouth is
inscribed the foll