very gate; to repair y^e walls, and
other secular uses as they thought fit."

The #Fratry# still remains. It was built about the middle of the
fourteenth century, and rebuilt by Prior Gondibour (1484-1511) towards
the close of the fifteenth century. It contains the canons' dining-hall,
a fine hall, 79 feet by 27. At the upper end is a beautiful little
reader's pulpit, and in the north wall there are two handsome canopied
niches. The Perpendicular windows on the south side are very fine
specimens; the tracery, however, is modern, but that of the west windows
is very old. The late Mr. Street very carefully restored the fratry in
1880, and it is now used as a chapter-house, library, and choir-school.
Beneath the fratry is a very fine Decorated crypt, with a groined roof.
The boss of one of the pillars bears the initials of Prior Gondibour.

Near the fratry, to the south-west, is the prior's lodging, which,
having been enlarged, is now the #Deanery#. It has an embattled tower,
and was a refuge for the abbey inmates when danger was near; in fact, to
all intents and purposes it was a "peel tower." Formerly there was a
covered passage leading from the first floor, over the cloisters, into
the cathedral. There is a remarkable room in the deanery, the priors'
dining-hall, with a very fine ceiling, put up by Prior Senhouse
(1507-1520). It is of oak, richly carved and painted; and covered
profusely with verses, armorial bearings, and devices. In every third
compartment are two birds holding a scroll between them, on which, and
on the cross beams, the following rude verses are written in old English
characters:--

Remember man ye gret pre-emynence,
Geven unto ye by God omnipotente;
Between ye and angels is lytill difference,
And all thinge erthly to the obediente.
By the byrde and beist under ye fyrmament,
Say what excuse mayste thou lay or finde;
Thus you are made by God so excellente
But that you aughteste again to hy' be kinde,
Simon Sonus sette yis Roofe and Scalope here,
To the intent wythin thys place they shall have prayers every day
in the yere.
Lofe God and thy prynce and you neydis not dreid thy enimys.

The abbey gateway is to the north-west of the nave. It is a plain,
round-headed archway, built by Prior Christopher Slee, and bears the
following inscription:--"Ora te p^r anima Christofori Slee Prioris qui
primus hoc opus fieri inc