most circumstantial enquiry, it was determined to be worth only £9. 4s. 54d. There being some misunderstanding concerning it, on the 26th April, in the same year, another inquisition was taken in the Common Hall, at Lowestoft, for a similar purpose, when the value was declared to be as before; but neither of these estimations being accepted by the baron of the Exchequer, a further enquiry made, and the value was finally fixed at £10. 1s. This living, however, has been many years consolidated with Kessingland.*

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The church is a noble building, situated nearly half a mile to the west of the town, and is thought to have been placed at that distance to protect it from being undermined by the sea, as it is probable that when this edifice was erected, the ocean approachcd much nearer to the cliff than at present. It is nearly 183 feet in length, 57 in breadth, and 43 in height, and consists of a square tower, nave, and two side aisles, which are separated from each other by two rows of handsome pillars. A stately porch, on the south side, forms the principal entrance, in a niche on the exterior of which was anciently placed the figure of St. Margaret,† to

* Kessingland, a neighbouring village, three miles to the south of Lowestoft, is a vicarge endowed with great tythes. In the reign of Edward the third, 20 June, 1362, it was given to the Nuns, minoresses of the order of Saint Clare in London.

+ St. Margaret, the daughter of a Heathen Priest, was born at Antioch. Olybius, president of the East, under the Romans, intended to have espoused her, but finding she was a Christian, deferred his marriage until he could persuade her to renounce her religion, but not being able to accomplish that, he put her to the most cruel torments, and at last executed her, in the year 278.

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whom the building was dedicated. On the ceiling of the porch is an ancient symbol of the Trinity, similar to the one formerly depicted on the rood loft of Norwich cathedral, drawn in a manner peculiar to the early churches. On the outside are two shields, emblematical of the crucifixion; on one of them appear the cross, reed, and spear in saltier, with the scourge and nails, and over it a label for the superscription; on the other shield is the cross only. Over the porch, which is very lofty, is an apartment, long since disused, named the Maid's Chamber.* The plan of this church is exactly similar to the ancient ecclesiastical buildings, divided into two principal parts, the nave or body, and the sacrarium or chancel, which are uniformly of the same height, and receive the light from 16 demi windows above the side aisles; the latter extend exactly half the length of the chancel. The end of the north aisle, beyond the nave, was intended for, and is still used as the vestry, and enclosed and fitted up for that purpose by the Rev. Mr. Arrow, vicar, in 1769. The end of the south aisle, which is of the same proportions, was named the prothesis, or side table, used as a repository for the plate and

*There is a tradition, that the apartment received this appet lation from two maiden sisters, whose names were Elizabeth and Katherine, who, at some period prior to the Reformation, resided in it, and entirely secluded themselves from the world. These two ladies are supposed to have caused the two wells, named the Basket Wells, between the church and the town, to have been made at their own expense, for the benefit of the inhabitants. Basket is supposed by some to have been derived from Bess and Kate, the names of the founders, but this is certainly rather a far-fetched etymology.

ornaments belonging to the altar. It formerly communicated with the chancel by a door, the arched space of which now remains, as did also the vestry at the termination of the north aisle. A screen formerly separated the nave and chancel, and in it were the holy gates or doors that led to the latter, which, in the early ages, were always kept shut against the laity, except at the celebration of the sacrament.

Over this screen was placed the cancellated or latticed gallery, named the rood loft, the stairs leading to which have been discovered on both sides of the building: some remains of the screen were visible in 1710, but they have now quite disappeared.

*By the rood, was anciently meant either a crucifix or the image of some saint placed in the churches. These images were set in shrines or tabernacles, and the place where they stood was named the rood loft, which was commonly over or near the passage, out of the body of the church into the chancel. In its primary signification, as Junius observes, the rood denoted any sort of image, but was afterwards peculiarly adapted to our Saviour as fixed on the cross, or, to the cross itself. In this church, Christ was represented on the cross, with the Virgin on one side, and Saint John on the other, placed immediately over the principal door, in the division of the paye and chancel. Thus separated, the former typified the church militant, the latter the church triumphant, and all who would enter the sacrarium must pass under the rood, figuratively, to carry the cross. In the year 1548, the first of Edward VI. according to Bishop Burnet, the images and shrines in the rood lofts of all English churches, were ordered to be taken down. Upon the accession of Queen Mary they were restored, but afterwards removed by her successor. In churches which had a rood loft, there was always hanging over it, a small bell, which was rung at particular parts of divine service, as at the consecration or elevation of the host, whence it obtained the name of the sacring or consecrating bell, to rouse the attention of that part of the audience who sat at the south-east and north-east corners of the church, and who could not well see what was transacting at the high altar.