The vestry, I think, occupies that excrescential edifice
which I noticed yesterday as having grown out of the cathedral.
After looking at these things, we went down into the crypts, under the
choir. These were very interesting, as far as we could see them; being
more antique than anything above ground, but as dark as any cellar.
There is here, in the midst of these sepulchral crypts, a spring of
water, said to be very pure and delicious, owing to the limestone through
which the rain that feeds its source is filtered. Near it is a stone
trough, in which the monks used to wash their hands.
I do not remember anything more that we saw at the cathedral, and at noon
we returned to the Black Swan. The rain still continued, so that S-----
could not share in any more of my rambles, but J----- and I went out
again, and discovered the Guildhall. It is a very ancient edifice of
Richard II.'s time, and has a statue over the entrance which looks
time-gnawed enough to be of coeval antiquity, although in reality it is
only a representation of George II. in his royal robes. We went in, and
found ourselves in a large and lofty hall, with an oaken roof and a stone
pavement, and the farther end was partitioned off as a court of justice.
In that portion of the hall the Judge was on the bench, and a trial was
going forward; but in the hither portion a mob of people, with their hats
on, were lounging and talking, and enjoying the warmth of the stoves.
Pages:
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656