hey are truncated in an unusual way
where one would expect pinnacles. The exterior of the western aisle of
this transept is very curious in arrangement. There is an almost
complete absence of division into bays. There are two lancet windows to
each bay, and buttresses rise between them as well as between the bays.
Thus there is nothing to mark the interior division of the main arches,
clerestory, and triforium. All of these buttresses are cut short by caps
a little way below the tops of the windows. Between the groups of aisle
windows are blind arches narrower than the windows themselves. There is
a blind arch of the same width at the southern extremity, and a wider
one at the northern. The aisles, like the rest of the transept, are
almost perfectly plain.

[Illustration: The Exterior, from the North.]

The #Chapter-house# is connected with the eastern aisle of the transept
by a vestibule projecting three bays beyond the north front. This
vestibule then turns eastward for two bays, at which point it joins the
chapter-house. Both vestibule and chapter-house are magnificent examples
of Decorated work. Their date is doubtful, and is discussed in the
history of the building. They are certainly among the finest works of
Gothic architecture in Europe. The chapter-house is octagonal in shape,
and is crowned by a lofty pyramidal roof. Its chief, almost its only
decoration, is provided by the buttresses and the beautiful tracery of
the acutely-pointed windows. The buttresses are of very curious design.
They are joined to the wall of the chapter-house for nearly half their
height, and up to this point are quite plain. They are then narrowed
into lofty pinnacles, and these pinnacles are connected with the wall by
two small flying buttresses, the lower one plainly moulded and sloping
upwards to the wall, the upper one being horizontal and richly decorated
with arcading, two arcades to each side of every buttress. At the point
at which the buttress narrows into the pinnacle there are cusped gables
with gargoyles on the outer side of the buttresses. The pinnacles are
decorated with slender shafts and richly ornamented gables. The windows
of the chapter-house contain five lights. They will be further described
in the account of the interior of the building. Above them is a plain
battlement, with two rows of ornament below it, and three figures in
each bay above it. There is a very curious buttress at the point of
junction of the vest