two centuries before, and of much smaller dimensions. Mackerell seemed much puzzled to determine to what Nicholas this sacred building had been dedicated, whether the proselyte of Antioch, mentioned in the book of Acts, or the bishop of Myra of the same name, who so stoutly opposed the Arians at the Council of Nice. After all, it seems not very likely that it was either of them, but a namesake of theirs, of a much more modern date. This, however, is a question in which few of the readers of this work will feel themselves much interested.

From the period in which he flourished, the date of his cannization, and the great regard then paid to the memory of new saints, (compared with the date of the original erection of this chapel,} it appears more than probable that the personage in question was St. Nicholas called Peregrinus, who became famous in Apulia, and of whom Jortin says"He was a Greek, born in. Attica. His parents were poor, and he had not learnt to read, or been bred to any trade. When he was eight years of age, his mother sent him out to take care of the sheep. From that time he began to sing aloud, Kyrie eleison, which he did night and day; and this act of devotion he performed all his life long. His mother not being able to make him leave it off, thought that he was possessed of the devil, and carried him to a neighbouring monastery, where the monks shut him up and chastised him, but could not hinder him from singing his song. He suffered punishment patiently, and immediately began again. Returning to his mother, he took a hatchet and a knife, and clambering up a mountain, he cut branches of cedar, and made crosses of them, which he stuck up in the highways, and in places inaccessible, praising God continually. Upon this mountain he built himself a little hut, and dwelt there sometime all alone, working perpetually. Then he went to Lepanto, where a monk joined himself to him and never forsook him. They passed into Italy, where Nicholas was taken sometimes for an holy man, and sometimes for a mad man. He fasted every day until evening; his food was a little bread and water. and yet he did not grow lean. The nights he usually passed in prayer, standing upright. He wore only a short vest, reaching to his knees, his head, legs and feet being naked. In his hand he carried a light wooden cross, and a scrip at his side, to receive the alms that were given him, which he usually laid out iu fruit, to distribute to

This elegant edifice is supposed to be the largest pas rochial chapel in the kingdom. "It measures (says Mr. Edwards) 194 feet in length from East to West, within the walls, and about 74 feet in breadth; having no transept or distinct choir. The interior consists of a lofty nave, with two lateral ailes. The latter are divided from the former by eleven arches on the north side, and ten on the south :-the space of one arch at the S. W. angle being occupied by the base of the tower. The place of another arch, at the east end, is taken up by a vestry on the south side, and a similar apartment, over the vault of Sir Benjamin Keene, towards the north, leaving a kind of recess between, of the whole width of the nave, for the communion table. The distinguishing characters of this structure, as seen within, are lightness, simplicity, and perfect uniformity of style; the tower alone being of an earlier date than the rest of the fabric. The pillars are slender, having the horizontal section of the shaft nearly in the form of a truncated lozenge, relieved by shallow flutings, and raised about four feet from the ground upon corresponding bases. They have no capitals, but small brackets which sup

the boys who went about with him, singing along with him Kyric eleison. His oddities caused him to be ill used sometimes, even by the orders of the bishops. He performed, [as was said] various miracles, and exhorted the people to repentance. At last falling sick, and being visited by multitudes who came to beg his blessing, he died, and was buried in a Cathedral, with great solemnity: and according to custom (our author adds) a great number of miracles was wrought at his tomb.". This is related under 1094, which we take to be the year of his death, or canonization.- -See Jortin Rem. Eccl. Hist. 5. 66. Such was our St. Nicholas: a more harmless and far better saint, without doubt, than Dominic and many others that might be mentioned; so that his memory, compuratively speaking, ought to be held in very high estimation.

port the inner ribs of the arches. Opposite the arches, in the side ailes, are an equal number of windows: be tween the windows are niches and canopies. The east and west windows are very large, with a pleasing mixture of curved and rectilinear tracery, and embattled or naments upon the transoms. The former is divided in to nine days, or lights, by eight vertical mullions, and the latter has eleven days, or vertical compartments of glass. More ornament has been bestowed upon the doors than on any other part of the building. The western door-way in particular, is divided by a mullion which supports an elegant niche, and is adorned with other sculpture in stone. The small south door-way is in the same style, as is also the larger door-way to wards the north. The front of the South Porch is still more elaborate, being covered with a variety of minute decorations. The roof of it is handsomely groined with stone. At the intersection of the ribs are some heads and figures in bold relief, but much obscured with whitening in the centre is a figure of the Almighty Father with a globe in one hand, and the other lifted up as in the act of blessing those who approach his temple. In the circle surrounding this compartment appear to be angels in the act of adoration; and at a little distance towards the windows, are two crowned heads 6 s

*Had the wielders of the whitening brush totally effaced this impious representation, or had the reformers of the time of Edward the sixth, or of Charles the first completely obliterated it, they had done a good thing, and deserved our commendation; and so would our present rulers were they to do the same; for what can be a more absurd and impious object in a place of worship, or any other place, than s picture or image of the Almighty'

of a male and female, which might be intended for Edward III and his queen Philippa. The inner roof of the chapel is of oak, in a plain and simple style, yet with a sufficiency of ornament to harmonize with the rest of the building. The beams and cornices are relieved with carvings of the strawberry leaf, which was so great a favourite with our ancestors; and over all the upper windows there were originally figures of angels with outspread wings, represented as playing on various musical instruments.”—The original chapel, built by bishop Turbus, or de Turbe, about the time of king Stephen, (the middle or latter part of the 12th century,) having proved too small for the accommodation of the inhabitants, it is understood to have been taken down and rebuilt upon its present scale, in the latter part of Edward the 3rd's reign, and of the 14th century: "For the pope's bull to that effect is stated by Parkin (p. 595) to have been granted in the mayoralty of Jeffrey Tall, or Talbooth, who served that office in 1371 and 1379. And it is recorded that in the latter year, pope Urban VI sent his bull hither, which was received with great veneration, to authorize and allow the baptizing of infants and others in this chapel." This is supported by the authority of Parkin and Mackerell, and corroborated by the gravestone and history of William de Bittering. Moreover "the figures of a lin and an eagle upon the summit of the South porch, are thought to be the armorial supporters of Edward III: and there was very lately in the centre of the west window, a figure greatly resembling the usual portraits of that monarch, with three crowns upon his sceptre.