The altar itself was raised upon three steps, The lowest, which is still in place, is 5 inches high and 18 inches wide, and crosses the chapel at a distance of 8 feet 7 inches from the east wall. It does not extend quite to the side walls, but abuts against a return of the second step which forms a bench on either side the chapel. This second step is 6 inches high, and was 13 inches wide. The third or uppermost step has been removed, with the exception of the portion beneath Stephen Langton's coffin, but its extent can be recovered from the traces of it on the wall and floor. From these we find it was 7 inches high, 13 feet long, and 6 feet wide. The size of the altar can also be obtained from the mark of it on the wall. It was 2 feet 10 inches high, and its slab was 6 feet 6 inches long, and 4 inches thick. The edge was vertical for 24 inches, but the lower part was chamfered so that the slab projected 1 inches over the block or supports of the altar. As Langton's coffin stands out from the wall 3 feet 4 inches it will be seen that if the end of it were flush with the front of the altar, the slab must have been 3 feet 6 inches wide. The extreme height of the coffin is 2 feet 4 inches, so that there was an interval of just 2 inches between the lid and the under surface of the altar slab; its length is about 6 feet 8 inches. The condition of the surface of the coffin shews that it was not intended to be seen, but the polished marble lid must have been always visible, slightly raised above the pavement. It is charged throughout with a staff surmounted by a large cross not unlike a cross pattée. Above the line of the altar slab the wall is quite plain for a height of 3 feet 7 inches. This space was originally 7 feet 1 inches wide, and flanked by two recesses or niches, each containing a corbel or bracket supported by a shaft. These are still intact, and in the southern one the bracket is hollowed out for a drain. The symmetry of the arrangement has unfortunately been destroyed by the insertion of a third niche, copied from the others, to hold a memorial tablet dated 1836. Above the wall and its flanking niches is a rich embattled cornice with a running scroll of vine-leaves and branches beautifully worked in relief. In the lower edge of this is fixed a series of small iron hooks from which were hung super altare the several hangings referred to in the inventory. The side walls of the chapel have the remains of a similar series of hooks. On each side of the altar, in the broad hollow of the window jamb, is a large niche for an image, and above them a series of angels holding shields. W. H. ST. J. H. IX. INVENTORY OF THE CHAPEL OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW IN THE CRYPTS. THE inventory of the chapel of St. Michael in William Ingram's memorandum book is followed after an interval of two blank leaves by an "inventory of the chapel of St. Bartholomew in the crypts." It is not dated, but is so similar in form to the preceding inventory that it is probably about the same date, circa 1511. Where the altar of St. Bartholomew was situated is not known, nor in fact is there any other record of its existence than the inventory under notice. Possibly a change, of which we have no note, was made in the dedication of one of the many altars in the crypt. As the church possessed a notable relic of St. Bartholomew in the arm given by Cnut or his queen Emma,1 an altar might in later times have been set up at which this relic was kept. The inventory enumerates but twelve items. Of these, two relate to suits of vestments, of red and purple respectively. Six relate to the altar furniture, and four to ornaments used at mass. The latter included two cruets, a massbook, and two corporals with their cases. A chalice and candlesticks must have been borrowed from another altar when wanted. The text of the inventory is as follows: Inventorium capelle sancti Bartholomei in criptis. Item unum vestimentum de panno aureo rubij coloris cum aurifrigerio blodij coloris de panno aureo cum alba ejusdem panni cum stola et manipulo cum armis brudatis et cum alba et amisia ejusdem panni. Item aliud vestimentum de panno aureo purpurei coloris cum arboribus et volucribus intexto cum aurifrigerio de panno albo de le dammask cum jħus in auro brudato 1 See ante, p. 8o, note. et per Henricum Holden cum alba et amisia ejusdem secte et stola et manipulo. Item unum pendile de opere textrino blodij coloris cum Item unum frons de opere textrino blodij coloris cum rosis Item alia tuella cum le seme in medio cum cruce in medio Item iiijor vestes cum crucibus pictis cum plumbo rubij coloris cum rosis et stellis. Item j curtena pro altare picta. Item duo urcioli cum uno cooperculo le rownd cowntyrfete. Item unum missale vetus 2o fo pro spe salutis et incolumitatis.1 Item unum corporale de panno line [sic] cum coopertorio cum sex armis ex una parte et sex ex altera cum auro et argento intexto. Item aliud de panno lineo cum coopertorio ex glauco cerico. W. H. ST. J. H. 1 The words pro spe salutis et incolumitatis which are said to begin the second leaf of the massbook are from the Canon of the Mass. In the older massbooks the Canon was written on the first leaves of the book, and the statement in this case that it was "missale vetus" is thus borne out by the note. X. INVENTORY OF A CHAPEL. BESIDES the registers and other bound volumes belonging to the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury there are preserved in the Chapter Library a number of scrapbooks containing miscellaneous documents. These were collected together from all kinds of sources by the diligence and care of the late Dr. J. Brigstocke Sheppard, and temporarily placed in these scrap-books until the opportunity should arise for identifying a document or restoring it to its place in a series. Among these miscellanea is a loose leaf of paper from some lost book, measuring 72 by 5 inches, on which is written, in an early sixteenth century hand, the following inventory : Item unum vestimentum viridis coloris. Item unum vestimentum blodij coloris. Item unum vestimentum viridis coloris de velveto. Item 2o corporalia cum tecis Item unum vestimentum vetus. Item j pendent peyntyd wt sent hew & op ij bishopes. Item a nopr corporas wt a case wt armes on both sydys. Item a vestement of grene velvet vetus wt a orfer of werk whit & gold. Item stole of wevyng werk. wevyng Item j aube of gren velvet & amys lackyng pe amet clop. Item aliud vestimentum de panno aureo blodij coloris cum aurifrigereo de panno aureo rubij coloris. Item una alba ejusdem panni cum manipulo. Item unum vestimentum de cerio1 viridis coloris cum aurifrigerio de panno aureo cum angelis intexto. Item una alba de cerio1 viridis coloris & in medio blodij cum stella brudat. una maniput |