A

the labour by the abbot, Eliot.* The respective dimensions of this cathedral are as follow: Length, from east to west, 175 feet, whereof the choir includes 100; the body and side aisles are 73 feet in breadth; the chapter-house, 46 in length, and 26 in breadth; and the tower 127 feet high. The cloisters were originally 103 feet square; but they are partly destroyed. The total dimensions are 175-128. This church displays two distinct species of architecture, both beautiful; and furnishes altogether a very favourable specimen of that species of architecture which distinguishes the early part of the fourteenth century, both as applied to roofs and arcades. The Elder Lady's Chapel and Chapter House are semi, or mixed Norman, while the nave and choir are pure Gothic.

The general appearance of this cathedral is somewhat heavy: the tower low, resembling that of Winchester; the windows are of painted glass; and the inside adorned with a few monuments. On the north side of the gateway, already mentioned, are four statues: a king, a knight, and two religious; there are also statues of Henry the Second, and the two abbots, Newland and Eliot: underneath is the inscription, with their arms. On the south side are two other statues of ecclesiastics, but of whom nothing is known with certainty. Above are the Virgin and Child, and a statue, probably of St. Augustine. The inside is richly ornamented with Saxon interlaced arches, though the ornaments are now so confused that it is difficult to distinguish them.‡

The cathedral, as it now stands, consists of the cross of the old church, the tower, crowned with battlements and four pinnacles, and all the rest of the old church eastward. The abutments are of amazing strength, and project

• Willis's Survey of Cathedrals, Vol. II. p. 761.

many

+ Dallaway's Observations on English Architecture, p. 24. + Bishop Lyttleton, in a MS. in the library of the Society of Antiquaries, as cited by Barrett, p. 293, gives it as his opinion, that the abbey gateway, with the Chapter House walls, and its door-way, were of true Şaxon architecture. Gough Add. Cam. I. p. 125.

many feet from the walls. From the door to the church pave ment is a descent by eight steps, which have been placed there in consequence of the ground outside having been so much raised. The beautifully arched roof of the church is remarkable for having the two side aisles of equal height with the nave and choir. The roof of these two aisles is uncommonly curious, having arches supporting arches. In the body of the church stands a stone pulpit, decorated with the arms of his majesty, the Prince of Wales, the arms of the bishopric, those of the ⚫ city, also those of the Berkeley family, and Bishop Wright's, by whom it was given to the church. In pannelled niches of the screen, before the choir, are paintings of the twelve minor prophets. This screen has, also, a fine Gothic gateway, with the royal arins of Henry the Eighth and Prince Edward over it.

The altar has an emblematic painting of the triune Deity;* being a triangle in a circle, surrounded by cherubs, done by Vansomeren, The windows at each end of the side aisles are said to have been presented to that church by the celebrated courtezan, Eleanor, or, as she is vulgarly called, Nell, Gwynn. The great east window is of ancient stained glass, and the sideaisle windows of enamelled glass, representing various subjects in scripture history.

On the western side is an elegant monument, in the form of a Gothic arch, of Sienna marble, to Mrs. Draper, Sterne's fair correspondent, Eliza. On the arched back-ground are two female figures of white marble, in alto-relievo, standing on each side of a semi-tubical pedestal, supporting an urn, with flowers, in the form of a wreath, hanging down the side. On the right, is a figure, representing Genius, with her left hand on her breast; her right, holding a trump of Fame leaning against her shoulder, and having a flame issuing from it. On the left is another figure, representing Benevolence, looking at a nest in her left hand, in which is a pelican, feeding her young with her blood, which falls in large drops: her right hand points to the following inscription :

"Sacred to the memory of Mrs. Elizabeth Draper, in whom Genius and Benevolence were united. She died August third, 1778, aged thirty-five."

In the north aisle is a monument to Mrs. Mason, wife of the late Rev. William Mason, long celebrated as a poet and suffering patriot; but whose memory, in the judgment of many, receives some taint from that political apostacy which the mad revolutionists of France tempted him to fall into towards the close of his life. This monument is no way remarkable except for the inscription, which was composed by Mr Mason himself :

"Take, holy earth, all that my soul holds dear:
Take that best gift which Heaven so lately gave :
To Bristol's fount I bore with trembling care
Her faded form; she bow'd to taste the wave,
And died. Does youth, does beauty read the line?
Does sympathetic fear their breasts alarm?,
Speak, dear Maria: breathe a strain divine:
Ev'n from the grave thou shalt have power to charm.
Bid them be chaste, be innocent, like thee;
Bid them in duty's sphere as meekly move;
And, if so fair, from vanity so free;
As firm in friendship and as fond in love,
Tell them, though 'tis an awful thing to die,
('Twas ev'n to thee!) yet, the dread path once trod,
Heaven lifts its everlasting portals high,

And bids the pure in heart behold their God."

No

No apology is requisite for the insertion of any thing which may have come from the pen of the author of Elfrida, Caractacus, and the English Garden. At no great distance from this is the tomb of Mr. William Powell, the comedian. On a pyramidal table is a basso-relievo figure of the deceased, with the following epitaph, written by Mr. G. Colman :

"Bristol! to worth and genius ever just,
To thee our Powell's dear remains we trust;
Soft as the stream thy sacred springs impart,
The milk of human kindness warm'd his heart,
That heart which every tender feeling knew,
The soil where pity, love, and friendship grew.
Oh! let a faithful friend, with grief sincere,
Inscribe his tomb, and drop the heartfelt tear,
Here rest his praise, here sound his noblest fame!
-All else a bubble, or an empty name."

Mr. Powell was an actor of considerable merit, and died at Bristol, after severe sufferings, in July, 1769,* aged thirtythree years.

In the chancel is a monument to the memory of Dr. Nathaniel Forster, a divine of great and profound learning, and author of many works of merit; particularly Biblia Hebraica, sine Punctis, in quarto.

In the chapel, to the west end of the southern aisle, are several monuments belonging to the Newton family; and on one of the pillars in the Elder Lady's Chapel is a device of a a ram, playing on a violin with a very long bow, and a shepherd sleeping while a wolf is devouring the sheep. As this device is supposed to have been executed as early as the middle of the twelfth century, it may throw some light on the controversy respecting the use of that instrument, which some have asserted was not invented till some time in the fourteenth century.

In the north aisle wall is a knight under a singular arch, of

* Thespian Dictionary, apud Powell.