hither in the year 1769. Nothing can be conceived more elegant than this part; the ornaments are rich, but majestically plain and simple; the strength and gracefulness of the whole being equally consulted. It was begun to be built in 1235, and finished before 1252.

The removal of the choir into that part of the church called the Presbytery, is allowed by the best judges to be one of the most useful and ornamental improvements that could have been effected. The Presbytery itself made full one third of the Cathedral, but of a far more laboured and finished style of building; and in respect of elegance, proportion, and decorations, may justly be accounted one of the choicest and most perfect remains of gothic architecture. This stately and sumptuous part of the fabrick was first built in order to extend the church to a more convenient length for the reception of the high altar, but particularly to make room for the magnificent shrine of St. Etheldreda, and for such like gainful and superstitious purposes, therefore of course fell into disuse at the Reformation. By the introduction of the choir into it, it is now become the most useful part of the church, and contributes in the highest degree to the beauty and magnificence of the whole. The spacious octagon formed in the centre of the transept, covered with an elegant dome and lantern, and carried up to the height of 142 feet within, is now seen, as it deserves, in its proper point of view, in the same manner as the dome of St. Paul's, London.

In the year 1321, that most curious structure, adjoining the north transept, formerly called St. Mary's Chapel, now used as a Parochial Church for Trinity Parish, was begun to be built. The architect was Alan de Walsingham, mentioned before, and it was finished in 1349. For quantity and variety, as well as delicacy of sculpture, perhaps few ingle chapels ever exceeded it; the vaulting is bold, but delicate, and requiring great care for its preservation. The

elegance of this building could not preserve it from being mangled by the ignorant rage of fanatics. In Mr. Bentham's time, the large remains of its sculpture were miser. ably clogged, daubed, and obscured by white-wash!! This sculpture, besides a great variety of flower-work, foliage, and ornaments about the niches, enriched with sta tues, appears to have represented, in high relief, many parts of Scripture History.

There are two other Chapels at the east end of the two side ailes of the church, which, though different in kind, are both of elegant construction and richly ornamented. That on the north is the chapel where Bishop Alcock was intombed, and was built about the year 1488. The other is on the south, and is the Chapel of Bishop West, built for the like purpose about 1530.*

The reader will find a long Catalogue of references to different authors who have mentioned any thing respecting the monastery of Ely in Nasmith's edition of Bishop Tanner's "Notitia Monastica," Cambridge, 1787, folio.

Mr. Gough (Brit. Topogr.) describes the following pieces as treat⚫ing of the Isle of Ely, either in the whole or in part.

1. The Site of the Isle of Ely, described by Thomas, a Monk of this Monastery, in the middle of the twelfth century, which may be considered as one of the oldest essays in British Topography.

[A very ancient copy of this manuscript is preserved in the Church Library at Ely; it consists of three parts, the first concerning the site of the Isle of Ely, with some acconnt of St. Etheldreda, and three succeeding Abbesses; the second of the times of the Abbots; and the third of the times of the two first Bishops, ending with the death of Nigel, who died in 1169.]

2. Browne Willis, in his account of this diocese, 1730, p. 391, says, "Dr. Knight, author of the Lives of Erasmus and Colet, designed to perpetuate the history of the church of Ely, in obliging the world with a folio volume of its Antiquities, which it is to be wished may soon be finished." Dr. Knight's intention was probably frustrated by death.

3. The State of the Diocese, written in Latin by Bishop Wren, is among the Harleian manuscripts, No. 6885.

The Appendix contains several Charters granted by dif ferent Kings of England to the Monastery of St. Etheldreda,

4. Mr. Bentham published "Queries offered to the consideration of the principal inhabitants of the City of Ely and Towns adjacent, and of all the Gentlemen elsewhere, who have any estates, or interest in, or regard for, the south part of the Isle of Ely. Cambridge, 1757,"

octavo.

5. A neat plan of the Turnpike-road between Ely and Cambridge was engraved on a half sheet, for Mr. Bentham, about 1762.

6. A Vindication of the Jurie, who upon the 12th day of May, 1653, gave their Verdict in the Upper Bench at Westminster against the Inbabitants at Haydenham in the Isle of Elye, concerning Common, which they pretended to have in a March called the Delffs and OseDelffs in Haydenham aforesaid, By Francis Taverner, Esq. owner of a portion of pasture ground in the said Ose-Delffs, 1653. London, 1653," 4to,

7. "An Abridgment of a Book ready to have been printed above one year since, the title whereof was, the Approvement of the Delff sometimes parcell of the wasts of the Manour of Lynden in Haydenham in the Isle of Ely, London, 1656," quarto,

8. The Pedestal of St. Ovin's Cross, formerly at Haddenham, is engraved in Stukeley's Itinerarium Curiosum. It has since been placed in the Church of Ely by Mr. Bentham. A short account of it is given by him in his history page 53.

9. Dr. Stukeley says that Carausius had a very exact Map of the Isle of Ely. Hist. of Caraus. II, 130, 142.

10. The Society of Antiquaries have two Drawings by Vertue, 1739, of Bishop Cox's Funeral, 1581, from paintings on board in the bishop's Palace at Ely.

11. A Section and Plan of the Choir, designed and drawn by Mr. Essex, and engraved by P. S. Lamborne, was published separately before the book; with printed Reasons for removing the choir to the east end, drawn up and published by the Dean and Chapter, in order to obtain Contributions, 1760.

12. An Extract from Mr. Bentham's Letter to the Dean of Exeter, concerning the Discovery of Bones in the Choir, and of Roman Antiquities at Littleport near Ely, is in Archæologia, II, p. 364.

Dr. Stukeley (Archæologia I, p. 43), says that St. Wilfrid, Archbishop of York, was the Architect of the Church built at Ely, by St. Etheldreda,

beginning with Edgar, and proceeding with Edward the Confessor, William the Conqueror, and Henry I.-Privi

In the Archæologia, vol. IX, p. 151, there are several Extracts from the Accompts of the Cathedral of Ely, made by Mr. Bentham, relating to painting in oil before the discovery of Van Eyck.-Vol. X, p. 151, a description of a Mosaic Pavement in the Prior's Chapel at Ely, with a plate of it, by Mr. Gough. In the same volume, p. 226, are some Observations by Mr. Astle on a Charter of King Edgar's in his possession relating to the Monastery of Ely. Mr. Bentham has printed this Charter in the Appendix to his History.-XII. p. 161, 166, Short notes on the style of Architecture of Ely Cathedral by Mr. W. Wilkins, of Norwich, with specimens of its capitals, and mouldings of the arches.XIV. p. 105, An account of Prior Camden's Chapel at Ely, by W. Wilkins, jun, illustrated with five plates, the fifth being a representation of the Mosaic Pavement, of which a description had been given before by Mr. Gough.

An account of the Diocese and Cathedral of Ely, will be found in Browne Willis's" Survey of Cathedrals," vol. ii, p. 3S1; in which voJume are these plates, viz. 1. West View of the Cathedral, the north side of which is in ruins; this is said by Mr. Millers to be a very indifferent plate. 2. South View, and 3. A North East View of the Cathedral, with St. Mary's Chapel; 4. Ground Plan of the Cathedral In this Plan is seen the Site of the old Choir, which Mr. Bentham does not sufficiently explain; it occupied the space under the present octagon, and was removed in the year 1770, into the east part of the Cathedral, before called the Presbytery, and now the Choir. There are also the places of the monuments as they stood before in the Presbytery. These four plates were drawn and engraved by J. Harris.

In Dugdale's Monasticon, vol. i, p. 87, there are two views of Ely Cathedral, engraved by Daniel King, one from the south, and the other from the North. The Charters, &c. relating to this Monastery are contained between pages 87 and 96.

In Buck's Antiquities there is a large South East View of the City of Ely drawn in 1743.

In 1807 the Rev. George Millers, M. A. one of the Minor Canons of Ely, published the second edition of a description of this Cathedral Church, with some account of the Conventual Buildings. An account of this volume will be found in p. 222 of this Number.

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leges granted by Pope Victor II.-Remarks on the Tabula Eliensis (see pl. 13,)-Various Letters to and from Pope Paschal II, relating to the erection of the Monastery of Ely into a Bishop's See.-Dissertation on the Charter of Henry I. and a defence of it against Mr. Selden's and Mr. Wharton's Objections-Charter of Bishop Hervey, whereby the possessions of the Church were divided between the Bishop and the Monks. A Translation of this Charter is given in p. 133 of the History.-An Historical Account of the Royal Franchise of Ely, by the Rev. Mr. Warren-Collection of Records referred to in this Historical Account-Arbitration between John, Bishop of Ely, and William, Prior of Ely, in 1417, relating to their respective rights;-Grant of an Annual Pension by Bishop Gray in 1478 to Dr. William Lempster a Physician-Installation of John Morton, Bishop of Ely-Service at the Installation of Bishop Morton-Mandate of Bishop Goodrick, in 1535 to all the Clergy of his Diocese, with orders to erase the name of the Pope out of all their books, and to publish in their Churches, that the Pope had no further authority in this kingdom-Injunctions from the same Bishop to his Clergy, dated at Ely, October 21st, 1541, to see that all Images, Relicks, Table Monuments of Miracles, Shrines, &c. be so totally demolished and obliterated, with all speed and diligence, that no remains or memory might be found of them for the future.-Petition of Matthew Parker, Archbishop Elect of Canterbury, Edmund Grindall, elect of London; Richard Cox, elect of Ely, William Barlow, elect of Chichester, and John Scory, elect of Hereford, to Queen Elizabeth, praying that she would forbear making the exchange of their Manors and Lands for Tenths and impropriate Rectories-Reasons for making a Bishop of Elie, from the Harleian Manuscripts, No. 6850. These reasons appear to have been drawn up by Sergeant Puckering, sometime