Having won the crown of Mercia, in 716 he fulfilled his vow; ordering oak and alders to be driven as piles, and hard earth to be brought in boats from the uplands, on which the foundations of the minster were laid. Ethelbald endowed it with a tract of land. Wiglaf, another Mercian king, 825-838, having also found shelter here, annually visited St. Guthlac's shrine. In 868 the Danes pursued even to the altar the routed remnants of Earl Algar's army, and burned the abbey. On its restoration the abbot, Turkytel, having paid subsidy to the Danes, King Ethelred threatened to treat him as a traitor; but he boldly chose Norman, a great chief, as his retainer, and so escaped destruction. Ulfspytel, the last Anglo-Danish abbat, 1052—1075, commenced building a new church. His great patron in this undertaking was Earl Waltheof, son of the stout Earl Siward, immortalized in Shakspeare's Macbeth. Waltheof was otherwise a liberal benefactor to Croyland, and his corse was brought there after his cruel execution by the Normans at Winchester. Ulfspytel was succeeded by Ingulphus, prior of Fontenelles, the famous, but not over scrupulous, chronicler. In 1091 the church was again burned. In 1117 an earthquake injured the new building, which was commenced by Abbat Geoffrey in 1113.

Of his work there remain the two western piers and arch of the great central tower, forming the east end of the nave: the masonry is admirable. The two western Norman buttresses are built over with Perpendicular work. There is a Norman window remaining in the west wall of the south aisle. The north aisle, which has a Transitional Norman doorway, became the parish or lower church, and was built, after a fire, in 1171-91. Abbats Edward, Redinges, and Longchamp made restorations which are patent from the ground to the springing of the arch of the west window. The elegant and delicate stone-work was inserted c. 1230 in the west front, which mainly dates from 1160; the portion which is Decorated Geometrical was added in 1270, by Abbat Ralph Maske. In 1380 the west window was enlarged, and all the wall above the spring-course over the western arch was rebuilt, a violent storm having blown down the ancient wall.

There are seven tiers of statuary on this front. 1. The Saviour; SS. Mary and John; 2. Apostles; 3. Kings and saints; 4. Kings and abbats; 5. Bishops and benefactors; 6. Saints; 7. Evangelists. The belfry was built beyond the east end of the choir, 1260; the choir was rebuilt by Richard, c. 1280. Between 1392-1430 the transepts, nave, and St. Mary's Chapel were rebuilt by Abbat Thomas Overton, 1405; Richard Upton (d. 1427) began the present tower, which was completed 1464, by John Litlington. There are five galleries in the tower.

Henry VI. was here for three days in 1460, and admitted a member of the fraternity; and Edward IV. in 1469.

Arms.-Quarterly, gules and azure; in the first and fourth three flaying knives; in the second and third three scourges. The triangular bridge (which had a cross in the centre), of three pointed arches meeting in one, like the legs in the arms of the Isle of Man, was built 1360-90. The figure upon it was brought from the west gable of the church.

Doncaster.

THE ancient Decorated church was burned down 28th February, 1853, and the reconstruction commenced in September, 1857, under the direction of Mr. G. G. Scott. The new building was reconsecrated October 14th, 1857: it cost £52,000. The magnesian lime-stone employed for the walls was brought from near Streatley, that for the tracery of the windows from Ancaster.

The nave is of nine bays; the transept, which is aisleless, of two bays: there is a south porch: the central tower is of two stories. The bells were cast by Warner. One portion of the old church remains-a crypt, Early English, c. 1192, measuring 18 ft. by 10 ft., and 9 ft. high, under a lateral chapel. The style is Early Decorated. The windows in the nave aisles are three-light; the west window is seven-light; the transept window six-light; while the grand east window, 47 ft. 6 in.

by 22 ft. 6 in., is eight-light, with a great circle 15 ft. in diameter, and twelve smaller circles in the head. The reredos has shafts of red Spanish marble. In the south side of the choir are three sedilia, and a three-light window, opening into the south chapel, built by W. H. Forman, in which, as in the choir, the floor is laid with Minton's tiles. The font of Cornish serpentine, in Forman's chapel, was the gift of Professor Selwyn of Cambridge. The south chapel is rich Decorated, the northern chapel simply grand. The interior of the church is very magnificent: superb vaulting and rich arcading, with shafts of Cornish serpentine, exquisitely stained windows, a rich continuous clerestory, the massive oak roof, imposing dimensions, and elaborate sculpture render the building a noble monument of the piety and munificence of Yorkshire. The builder was Ireson of Northampton; the sculptor, Philip of London; the wood-carver, Ruddle of Peterborough. The organ is by H. Schultze of Paulingelle. In the north chapel the glazing is by Holland of Warwick, and Capronniere of Brussels; that in Forman's chapel by Wailes.

The transept is 92 ft. long and 64 ft. 6 in. broad; the tower is 170 ft. high; the total length is 168 ft. 9 in.; the breadth, 65 ft.; height, 75 ft.

Sir M. Frobisher, and Bingley the naturalist, were natives of Doncaster.

Dorchester.

DORCHESTER, a small town, eight miles from Oxford, derives its name from "dour," water, and "ceaster," it having been a Roman station. On the south side of the town remains a double entrenchment, called the Dykes, with banks 29 ft. high and 60 ft. asunder, three-quarters of a mile in length. In this valley the Thame and Isis unite; and at Prince's Castle Chaucer wrote some of his poems. Dorchester was the see of Birinus, first bishop of the West Saxons, in the reign of Cynegeld, 634. In 1140 Alexander, Bishop of

Lincoln, founded there a priory church of Austin Canons, which King John visited, December 18, 1205. The church, which is dedicated to SS. Peter, Paul, and Birinus, consists of a west tower, a south porch, nave of four bays, with a south aisle, and a choir of four bays with aisles, and a presbytery. It was bought by R. Beauforest for £140, at the Reformation, and given to the parish. Large, lofty, and spacious, it bears some analogy to Llandaff Cathedral in not being of cruciform shape. The ground plan and general character is most singular: there is neither triforium nor clerestory, and yet the impression which it conveys is solemn and strange, an idea of vastness and unity. A low massive tower terminates one unbroken range, on the south side, of windows and buttresses, long and lofty; and the east end is striking, varied, beautiful, forming an expanse of tracery; while the south chancel aisle, with the full dimensions of a second lateral choir, produces a wonderful spaciousness within.

The Norman portion, probably the work of Bishop Alexander, embraces the nave, and included the eastern part of the building, with the north aisle of the choir, up to the north door, and a portion of wall on the north-west angle of the presbytery, and south-west side of the nave. The eastern part of the south aisle and the south-west angle of the nave are of the same date. The Pointed chancel-arch is Transitional Norman, of the close of the 12th century.

The two plain arches to the east of the chancel arch are of the time of Charles II. Three beautiful Decorated windows, of the time of Edward I., 30 ft. high, and of graceful span, succeed eastward. There is a good double piscina, with a pedimented canopy and credence shelf, which marks the termination of the original choir. The east window, Late Decorated, the Jesse windows in the north-east and south-east walls, with richly canopied and pinnacled triple sedilia, and double piscina, are of the time of Edward III. The great east window was much mutilated; a buttress divides it into two portions. It is filled with beautiful tracery of remarkable form almost throughout its length, and retains some ancient glazing. The large circle, intricately foliated, was restored 1840-1847, and the Pointed cradle roof raised to its original

pitch. The stall-work is Perpendicular. The north aisle, with its open roof, was admirably restored by G. G. Scott, who discovered a shrine built up in the north wall. The rude sculptures represent the story of Holy Week. The north window is of four lights, and at the junction of the mullions with its transom, is represented a procession of ten figures : it contains many armorial bearings. The sedilia are of exquisite workmanship, with foliage and animals introduced: they are divided by shafts. Under the canopies are four spherical triangular openings, containing circles of 12th century stained glass, probably brought from the Norman east window. The first piece represents the celebration of the Holy Eucharist; the second, a Pope giving the benediction; the third, St. Birinus receiving his mission; the fourth, a prelate blessing. The glass which fills up the sides is of the 14th century. The south window is of four lights, and retains some old glass preserved by Colonel Kennett. The central mullion springs from a sleeping Jesse, and from it issue foliaged limbs, winding over the other two mullions, and reaching the jambs. At every intersection is a worthy or saint, some winged, some crowned. King David and St. Mary, at the top of the central mullion, are prominent: the upper figure of the Saviour, as the Branch, is gone. At the west end of the north aisle is a doorway which led to the cloister, but is now walled up. The capitals are richly sculptured, and the space between the segmental arch of the entrance and a round arch above is filled with lozengy mouldings. In the north wall of the nave, at the east end, is a Decorated doorway, and two square-headed Decorated windows. Three Decorated windows light the south aisle.

In the north choir aisle, very Early Decorated, by the door, is the niche for a cresset: the south choir aisle is of later date, and double the width. In the south-east angle is a door to the staircase turret, with a piscina close by. A good Decorated parclose is on the north side: there is also the leaden bowl of the original Norman font, with eleven figures set upon a panelled Perpendicular base, and altogether 2 ft. 10 in. in height. The stone vaulting remains at the east end. The south nave aisle, Decorated, has an altar-platform, with an