Westminster abbey, its architecture, history and monuments . ortantfeature of the exterior, both for the beautyof its design and because it was the largestand most important entrance to thechurch. The transept is stately and beau-tiful in its original aspect, within: without,its north face at least and the porch areentirely modern and exhibit very little ofthe original structure. The transept frontwas completed by the addition of a porch,the gift of Richard II. In the eighteenthcentury it was almost wholly swept awayand rebuilt in a design of Wrens: andthe fine old sculptures, little valued in
Westminster abbey, its architecture, history and monuments . ortantfeature of the exterior, both for the beautyof its design and because it was the largestand most important entrance to thechurch. The transept is stately and beau-tiful in its original aspect, within: without,its north face at least and the porch areentirely modern and exhibit very little ofthe original structure. The transept frontwas completed by the addition of a porch,the gift of Richard II. In the eighteenthcentury it was almost wholly swept awayand rebuilt in a design of Wrens: andthe fine old sculptures, little valued inthat day, were smoothed down. Thisporch in turn was almost entirely rebuiltin the nineteenth century, the lower por-tion from designs by Scott: the upper partfrom designs by Pearson, each attemptingto restore at least the spirit of the originalGothic design. The work was finished in1890. It is not admirable from any pointof view but appears to be well and thor-oughly built. The design suggests that of many west-ern facades of English cathedrals, a cen- 800. The North Transept The Exterior tral compartment with rose window andgable flanked by heavy, graduated, deeplyprojecting buttresses which are much tooprominent in the general effect: and twoside compartments, also flanktd by heavybuttresses in pairs at the angle. The greatarched doorways forming a triple porch,the central one much the loftiest, aredeeply recessed and are enriched withcarved ornament and statuary. Only thecentral and the westmost doors actuallyopen into the transept. The central door-way is double, and on the dividing shaftwithin a rich canopied niche, is a largestatue of the Virgin and Child, locatedlike the Bon Dieii of Amiens. In thehead of the arch appears our Lord En-throned, blessing the world: and below arecarved two tiers of figures, the first rep-resenting the Twelve Apostles: and below,a tier of figures representing a processionof faithful souls. Allegorical figures onthe east side of the arch, set
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