predecessor.... [It] is placed on the south side of the
Infirmary cloister, between the Lavatory tower and
Infirmary. Its floor was on the level of the upper
gallery, and was sustained by an open vaulted ambulatory
below. This replaced the portion of the original south
alley [of the cloister] which occupied ... that
position.... But, as this new substructure was more than
twice as broad as the old one, the chapel was obtruded
into the small cloister-garth, so as to cover part of
the facade of the Infirmary Hall, diminish the already
limited area, and destroy the symmetry of its form[344].

Above this chapel Archbishop Chichele built the library which Prior
Sellyng fitted up. It stood east and west, and of course must have been of
the same size as the chapel beneath it, namely, according to Professor
Willis, 62 feet long on the north side, 59 feet long on the south side,
and 22 feet broad. The door was probably at the south-west corner, at the
head of a staircase which originally led only to the chapel beneath it.

From these measurements I have constructed a plan of the room (fig. 88),
and of the bookcases which I am about to describe. The windows are of
course imaginary, but, I submit, justified by the uniform practice of
medieval libraries.

[Illustration: Fig. 88. Conjectural plan of the Library over the Prior's
Chapel at Christ Church, Canterbury.]

I am able to reconstruct this library because I have had the good fortune
to come across a very curious document[345] which gives sufficient data
for the purpose. It is contained in a MS. volume, now the property of the
Dean and Chapter of Canterbury, composed of several quires of paper
stitched into a parchment cover. They once belonged to, and were probably
written by, Brother William Ingram, who was _custos martirii_ in 1503; and
in June 1511 was promoted to the office of Pitancer. The accounts and
memoranda in the book are of a very miscellaneous character. The part
which concerns the library consists of a note of the books which were
repaired in 1508. This is headed:

Repairs done to the books contained in the library over
the chapel of our lord the Prior, namely, in new byndyng
and bordyng with covers and claspyng and chenyng,
together with sundry books of the gift of the aforesaid
Prior, namely, in the year of our Lord 1508, and the
year of the reign of King Henry VII., 23[346].

The writ