was we cannot tell. It was probably surmounted by a pyramid. A later
bishop, Northwold (1229-1254), removed the original capping and built
the existing Early English stage; so we conclude from the words: "Ipse
construxit de novo turrim ligneam versus galileam ab opere cementario
usque ad summitatem."

The first three bishops ruled for a period of eighty years. This seems
too long a time to assign for the building of the nave, because there is
so little difference in detail as we examine the work from east to west;
and even when later work in a large building is purposely made to
assimilate to what had been built some years before, the experienced eye
can usually discover slight variations in mouldings or ornamentation
which indicate something of a new fashion in architecture. Here we
detect nothing of the sort. We can well understand how much reason there
was at Ely why building work should have been in the twelfth century
intermittent. The troublous times of Henry I. and Stephen were specially
unfavourable to this place. Bishop Hervey, moreover, would have had but
little time to devote to building. The complete constitution of the
bishopric, the regaining possession of property that had been alienated
in the time of Rufus, and the thorough establishment of his temporal
jurisdiction over the isle took up all his time and energies. He was
also constantly abroad in attendance on the king. In the next bishop's
time the disaffected barons assembled in the Isle of Ely, and the bishop
was of their party. The whole district was alternately in the hands of
the king and of the barons. The property of the monastery suffered
greatly by fines and exactions. The bishop himself was constantly moving
about from place to place, and was many times compelled to make a
hurried escape in fear of being apprehended by the king's party. When at
last his peace was made with the king, his submission cost him three
hundred marks. Neither his own resources nor those of the monastery were
sufficient to raise this sum. Some of the treasures of the church had
already been sold. Now the monks were persuaded to part with silver from
S. Etheldreda's shrine and other valuable ornaments, in order to lend
the bishop the sum he required. After the death of King Stephen there
occurred a time of tranquillity. The bishop was advanced in dignity and
became a Baron of the Exchequer. These various considerations make it at
least very probable that no additions to