te of the bishop or abbot." The great
wealth of the monastery accounts for the original magnificence of the
church; and even when the resources both of the see and the cathedral
body were reduced, they were still amply sufficient to maintain the
fabric without the loss of any material portion of it. We have no
knowledge of the occasion of the ruin of the northern part of the west
transept, but there is no suggestion that it was allowed to fall through
want of means to keep it up.

#The West Front.#--The visitor will naturally commence his
investigation of the cathedral with studying the view of the tower from
the west; and here he should endeavour to picture to himself the
appearance of the west front as it originally stood. It has, indeed,
been questioned whether the northern limb of the western transept had
ever been really completed. The prevailing opinion is that it was
completed, and the weather-mould against the north wall of the tower is
held by many to be almost conclusive evidence of the fact. From what we
see remaining, it is clear that it was (if ever built) similar to the
southern limb; and it was doubtless terminated in the same way by two
massive octangular towers. Imagine, therefore, a west front, having to
the left of the tower (as we look at it from the west) a limb
corresponding to that on the right; imagine also a line of roof,
extending over both western transepts, situated in a line with the foot
of the three lancet windows just below the clock; imagine also, further,
a roof of similar pitch over the galilee porch,[6] and, instead of the
present Decorated stage at the summit, a pyramidal spire of timber,
leaded. "The front, with its tower thus terminated, with leaded spires
also on the four terminal towers of the transept, and with the high
roofs of the transept and western porch, must have presented a _tout
ensemble_ of the most imposing and majestic character."[7]

When we examine the details of the architecture we can express nothing
but the greatest admiration. The whole of the south wing of the front
belongs to the last quarter of the twelfth century. The lowest stage of
all (for there are six stages, divided by horizontal strings) is blank;
the next three are late Norman. These have in the lowest stage in each
of the two divisions an arcade of seven tall lancets; in the next above
are four broader arches, each containing two small lancets beneath; in
the upper one is a large window, under a r