Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 29.djvu/251

 TUt: SllKINE OF ST. ALBAX. 203 ill the north ai.^lo was next oj)eiieil, but none of the slirino, except a few small splinters, was found in it. Tliat in the south aisle was left for a time, in order that a photograph might be taken of the painted inscription and the little wooden imngc before they were removed. But a week later there were found in it the whole of the south side, from the springing of the arches upwards to the cornice, one figure only being missing, and also the corresponding portions of the east and west ends, and of one ba}-" of the north side. This was the richest find of all, and also the last of any importance ; for we now possessed the whole shrine, excej)t the detached buttresses to be mentioned pre- sently, and the upper part of three out of the four bays on the north side. The fragments of one of the missing gables were afterwards found under the pavement in the south aisle, but they arc very much decayed. The fragments were found in such regular order that there was no difficulty in assigning the proper place to each as it came to light; and as the lowest step still remained in position to mark the site of the shrine, the Avoi-k of rebuild- ing was commenced as soon as the requisite authority and funds for the purpose could be obtained. And now, in spite of its having been smashed to hundreds of fragments, scattered in various places, and used as common walling stone, the shrine of St. Alban rivals in completeness, and far surpasses in beauty and genuineness as an ancient monument, the clumsily rebuilt and much jiatched-up shrine of St. Edward in Westminster Abbey. The form of the shrine of St. Alban is shown by the illus- trations. Two low steps carry a sort of tomb-shaped base- ment, eight feet six inches long, three feet two inches broad, and two feet six inches high, each side of which is divided by vertical lines into four square 2)anels, and each panel ornamented with a richly moulded and sub-cusped quatrefoil. The ends have each one panel filled with a curiously elongated quatrefoil, divided in the middle by a vertical rib. The main divisions of the basement are carried up into the next stage, which consists of ten large niches, four on each side and one at each end. These niches arc separated from one another by thin slabs of marble, orna- mented on both sides with sunk panels, and the end niches are divided into two by slender nmllions. The niches are