o that its
inner face nearly ranges with the inner faces of the pillars; but eastward
of the transepts it is built between the pillars. The north doorway
remains perfect. The present south doorway, which is in a much later
style, is manifestly a subsequent insertion. This enclosure consists of a
solid wall, seven feet nine inches in height from the pavement of the
side-aisles. It has a stone-bench towards the side-aisles, and above that
a base, of the age of William of Sens; so that it is clear that the work
of De Estria belongs to the upper part only of the enclosure, which
consists of delicate and elaborately worked tracery, surmounted by an
embattled crest.... The entire work is particularly valuable on account
of its well-established date, combined with its great beauty and
singularity."

A portion of the choir-pavement, lying between the two transepts, is
interesting as being undoubtedly part of the original flooring of Conrad's
choir, and probably the only fragment of it that was left undisturbed
after the great fire which destroyed "that glorious choir which had been
so magnificently completed by the care and industry of Prior Conrad." This
part of the pavement consists of large slabs of a peculiar "stone, or
veined marble of a delicate brown colour. When parts of this are taken up
for repair or alteration, it is usual to find lead which has run between
the joints of the slabs and spread on each side below, and which is with
great reason supposed to be the effect of the fire of 1174, which melted
the lead of the roof, and caused it to run down between the paving stones
in this manner." It is said that when the choir was filled with pews in
1706, and it was necessary to remove part of the pavement, the men engaged
on the work picked up enough of this lead to make two large gluepots.

[Illustration: A MISERERE IN THE CHOIR.]

The original wooden #stalls of the choir# were described by the writer of a
book published in 1640. He relates that there were two rows on each side,
an upper and a lower, and that above the stalls on the south side stood
the archbishop's wooden chair, "sometime richly guilt, and otherwise
richly set forth, but now nothing specious through age and late neglect."
Perhaps the battered and shabby condition of this part of the cathedral
furniture accounts for its having survived the Puritan period; it is at
least certain that it remained untouched until 1704, when the refurnishing
of the choir w