Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 9.djvu/427

Rh the glazing of the window, and the necessary fittings of the presbytery were accomplished during the course of the same year. The work of restoration, like the original work of erection, has been very slowly carried on, chiefly owing to the very small amount of funds at our disposal; for as subscriptions continued to drop in, though slowly, it was thought better, on many grounds, to keep something going on, than to stop and recommence. But I am sorry to say that for more than two years nothing has been done at all; the small amount raised has been quite exhausted by the restoration of the sedilia and windows, and the erection of the portion of roof rendered necessary by the opening the head of the east window. About twenty feet of the eastern part has been raised to its original pitch, and this, on account of the great size of the timbers required, has been the most costly portion of the undertaking. Yet the roof is a very simple one, a mere pointed cradle-roof, and, from want of funds, we were most reluctantly compelled to have it plastered between the rafters, and to employ slates — Stonesfield slates however — instead of lead as the external covering. This roof, however, plain as it is, is one capable of admitting any amount of future enrichment in the way of panelling.

I shall not be surprised if I am asked why, while we were able to accomplish only such a small part of the necessary repairs of the building, a large sum was spent on the luxury of modern stained glass for the head of the east window. I believe I may safely say that no part of the general restoration fund would ever have been devoted to such an ὕστερον πρότερον kind of proceeding. The little we had at our disposal was all expended on substantial restoration. But as this glass was an individual gift, we could not too narrowly investigate whether the discretion of the donors had been equal to their liberality.

Five years ago I certainly expected more to have been done for Dorchester church than has been done up to this time. The exertions made on the spot are beyond all praise; but the interest taken in the subject by the University and county at large has been far less than might have been reasonably looked for, when we consider the architectural splendour of the building, its historical associations, its