turned to so good use were purposely adapted to it: but in some instances this has certainly been the case. The tower of DUNDRY church, near Bristol, altogether disproportioned to its little church, occupies the summit of a high hill, and is visible far down the channel. It was erected by the merchants adventurer of Bristol.1 The beacon intensified the value of a tower as a landmark, and also rendered it important in days in which intelligence was not otherwise so rapidly conveyed, as a means of communication between distant places, and of making signals, important to the peace and security of the realm. Of such beacons none is more remarkable than the lantern of ALL SAINTS PAVEMENT, YORK, which is an octagon erected upon the tower, like those of Lowick and Fotheringay, but much lighter; a large lamp used to hang in it, which served as a beacon to nocturnal travellers over the extensive forest of Galtres. A hook and pulley still remain,2 by which the light is supposed to have been suspended. But the more usual beacon was a fire lighted in an iron framework, on the top of an angle turret. The turret is frequent enough, but I believe one example only of the fire pot remains, and this is at Hadleigh in Essex.3 examples of this use. Cromer church is a notable instance: so Boston 'Stump:' so Patrington, in Yorkshire, a noble building, commands the entrance of the Humber, and is a famous beacon: so Westbourne, in Sussex: so S. Buryan, in Cornwall: so Paul, or S. Paulinus, as it should be called (in the same county, and near the lastnamed church,) where there seems a beacon-tower for kindling a light, should it be needed." 1 See Hierologus, p. 305. It is one of those in which the character of Gloucester tower is followed. A stone in it is dated 1482. Hierologus relates an amusing tradition concerning it : : "One architect is said to have built the towers of Chew Magna, and Chewton Mendip, and after these of Dundry; and this may be true. Tradition further reports him to have given the last village its name, by exclaiming, on completing the tower, Now I have done dree!" 21813, Cave's Picturesque Buildings in York. 3 The Cathedral of York also afforded till a comparatively recent period, a beacon of late erection on an interesting occasion. A little turret appeared which at an angle of the central tower was a beacon erected in 1666, by order of the Duke of Buckingham, to place lights in to alarm the country in case of an invasion from the Dutch and the French, with whom this country was then at war. In December 1803 this beacon was taken down, to make room for another kind of beacon, which was not however erected, to give notice of the expected invasion by the French.-See Browne's York. We have still to mention the application of church towers to the purposes of warfare, defensive at the least, and these occur as might be expected, in greatest numbers in the unquiet districts, and among the numerous castellated edifices of the border country. At MELSONBY, near Gilling, in Yorkshire, where there was an important fortress, the tower, which is very large and massive, is divided in the centre by a strong but rough partition of stone work, so that assailants who had even entered the tower from the church, had yet another and much stronger fortification to pass, before they could reach those who had taken refuge within and in the west wall is a peculiar little loop-hole, adapted for covert communication with the exterior. At MIDDLEHAM, the tower of the church has been fitted up apparently as a guard-room; there is a fire-place in one corner, and a lookout towards the castle of the Nevilles immediately adjoining. At the neighbouring church of SPENNITHORNE, several figures, which at a distance look like men on the watch, are placed on the battlements, so as to give to the tower an appearance of being garrisoned.1 At HARLESTONE, in Northamptonshire, one stage immediately below the belfry is only approachable by a narrow gallery, which runs along the west end of the nave, and has singular and substantial fastenings on the inside, which could only be used for purposes of defence. At BEDALE, again, the tower is fitted up as a temporary residence. This need not however always have reference to defence. At IRTHLINGBOROUGH the octagon was divided by a floor into two stories, and each had its fire-place and other conveniences for habitation : it was probably part of the domestic offices of the college, erected at the same date. The very graceful octagon of STANWICK, which is open at all sides, and the approach to which is finished with more delicacy than is usual in portions of buildings out of sight, was possibly the solarium, or summer-house, which Robert de Lyndesey, Abbot of Peterborough, (1214 to 1222,) is recorded to have built in that parish.2 I shall perhaps be excused if I conclude this account of the singular or accidental uses of steeples, by transcribing an expla 1 The same is the case on the bars of Micklegate and Bootham, and on Monk bar, York, (see Cave's Pictu resque Buildings of York,) buildings altogether military. 2 See Gunton's Peterborough. nation of a Kentish proverb from a book now something out of date, though once well known, and in which one would hardly look for so odd an ecclesiological morsel. Ray, in his "Proverbs," has the following. "Tenterden steeple's the cause of Goodwin's Sands. "This proverb is used when an absurd and ridiculous reason is given of anything in question; an account of the original whereof I find in one of Bishop Latimer's Sermons, in these words: Mr. Moore was once sent with commission into Kent, to try out, if it might be, what was the cause of Goodwin's Sands, and the shelf which stopped up Sandwich Haven. Thither cometh Mr. Moore, and calleth all the country before him, such as were thought to be men of experience, and men that could of likelihood best satisfy him of the matter concerning the stopping of Sandwich Haven. Among the rest came in before him an old man, with a white head, and one that was thought to be little less than an hundred years old. When Mr. Moore saw this aged man, he thought it expedient to hear him say his mind in this matter; for being so old a man, it was likely that he knew most in that presence, or company. So Mr. Moore called this old aged man unto him, and said, Father, tell me, if you can, what is the cause of the great arising of the sands and shelves here about this haven, which stop it up, so that no ships can arrive here. You are the oldest man I can espy in all the company, so that if any man can tell the cause of it, you of all likelihood can say most to it, or at leastwise more than any man here assembled. "Yea, forsooth, good Mr. Moore, (quoth this old man,) for I am well nigh an hundred years old, and no man here in this company anything near my age. "Well then, (quoth Mr. Moore,) how say you to this matter? What think you to be the cause of these shelves and sands, which stop up Sandwich Haven? "Forsooth, Sir, (quoth he,) I am an old man: I think that Tenterton steeple is the cause of Goodwin's Sands. For I am an old man, Sir, (quoth he,) I may remember the building of Tenterton steeple, and I may remember when there was no steeple at all there. And before that Tenterton steeple was in building, there was no manner of talking of any flats or sands that stopped up the haven.' "Thus far the Bishop. Fuller, however, remarks,That one story is good till another is told; and though this be all whereupon this proverb is generally grounded, I met since,' says he, with a supplement thereunto: it is this. Time out of mind money was constantly collected out of this county, to fence the east banks thereof against the irruptions of the sea, 1 Bishop Latimer's Sermons are singularly full of touches interesting to the ecclesiologist. and such sums were deposited in the hands of the Bishop of Rochester; but because the sea had been quiet for many years, without encroaching, the Bishop commuted this money to the building of a steeple, and endowing a church, at Tenterden. By this diversion of the collection for the maintenance of the banks, the sea afterwards brake in upon Goodwin's Sands. And now the old man had told a rational tale, had he found but the due favour to finish it: and thus sometimes that is causelessly accounted ignorance of the speaker, which is nothing but impatience in the auditors, unwilling to attend to the end of the discourse.'" I am quite as much aware as the reader can be, of the desultory nature of the last few pages, but hope it may be excused in a work whose object it is to combine ecclesiological notes on several subjects, with the more continuous course of direct history. With this apology I proceed to a few of the principal church builders of these times. APPENDIX. Extracts from the accounts for building Louth Broach. £. s. d. Page 2. Paid for stone and expenses at the quarrel to the broach. Item, paid to John Chapman, merchant, William John- 0 6 8 Item, paid to William Johnson for his labour 12d. and 0 2 1 0 40 0 0 1 4 Item, paid to the quarryn for stone at that time Page 17. Memorandum, There is coming home stone to the Page 26. Item, paid to William Nettleton, riding to the quarrell for to buy stone to the broach, and for to get a master mason, for to take charge of the said broach, by four days, 2s., and to John Miller for his horsehire and his own cost, 20d. sum 0 3 8 Page 27. For to make a Loch tolay stone in. Paid to Robert Beverley for 6 bunch sewing rope sum Also paid to William Thomas and William Palmer, levy- Page 28. Item, paid to the bailiff of Consby for toll, for stone Page 31. Item, also that Thomas Taylor paid to Robert Item, winding up stone to the broach Item, paid to William Plumer by three days rolling up Item, paid Good-Fryday to Maister Mason's man, mak ing mortar by 9 days Paid for the making. Memorandum, that the Abbot of Louth Park gave one Item, paid to the said Abbot for one tree Item, paid for felling of them 4d.,and to William John- John Harrison, smith, for one pully shife of brass, 16d., £. 8. d. 0 0 5 0 4 4 0 28 050 0 12 0 06 0 0 12 0 0 3 8 . 0 3 4 Page 38. Memorandum, that the said accomptants has bor- And the said accomptants by the assent of the com'onty, Page 64. That the said accomptants has borrowed of the 6 13 4 4 4 1/ |