d Gothic ribs which are seen
springing in each corner clearly show that some kind of Gothic vault was
meant, and not a dome; and that the Portuguese could build wonderful
vaults had been already shown by the chapter-house here and was soon to
be shown by the transept at Belem. So in all probability the roof would
have been a great Gothic vault of which the centre would rise very
considerably above the sides; for there is no sign of stilting the ribs
over the windows. The whole would have been covered with stone slabs,
and would have been surrounded by eight groups of pinnacles, most of
which would no doubt have been twisted.

Deeply though one must regret that this great chapel has been left
unfinished and open to the sky, yet even in its incomplete state it is a
treasure-house of beautiful ornament, and it is wonderful how well the
more commonplace Gothic of Huguet's work agrees with and even enhances
the richness of the detail which Fernandes drew from so many sources,
late Gothic, early renaissance, and naturalistic, and which he knew so
well how to combine into a beautiful whole.

The great Claustro Real, built by Dom Joao I., was peculiar among
Portuguese cloisters in having, or at least being prepared for, large
traceried windows. Probably these had remained blank, and for about a
hundred years awaited the tracery which more than any part of the
convent shows the skill of Matheus Fernandes.

There seems to be no exact record of when the work was done, but it must
have been while additions were being made to the Imperfect chapels,
though more fortunate than they, the work here was successfully
finished.

The cloister has seven bays on each side, of which the five in the
middle are nearly equal, having either five or six lights. In the
eastern corners the openings have only three lights, in the
south-western they have four, and in the north-western there stands the
square two-bayed lavatory. (Fig. 60.)

In all the openings the shafts are alike. They have tall eight-sided and
round bases, similar capitals and a moulded ring half-way up, while the
whole shaft from ring to base and from ring to capital is carved with
the utmost delicacy, with spirals, with diaper patterns, or with
leaflike scales. Above the capitals the pointed openings are filled in
with veils of tracery of three different patterns. In the central bay,
and in the two next but one on either side of it, and so filling nine
openings, is what at fir