An English holiday with car and camera . p ofthe tower takes the form of a spread eagle ; possiblyfor some historic reason it may have been the crestof the founder of the church ; however, this is mereconjecture, for I have neither the time nor theinclination to hunt up authorities as to its purport—if purport it has. Within, the church distinctly disappointed us, forin such a historic spot we expected much. Theinterior had a look that was cold and bare: the airthere felt damp and chilly, unholily so, though theday was hot almost to sultriness. The great oakdoor, bleached with age, we entered
An English holiday with car and camera . p ofthe tower takes the form of a spread eagle ; possiblyfor some historic reason it may have been the crestof the founder of the church ; however, this is mereconjecture, for I have neither the time nor theinclination to hunt up authorities as to its purport—if purport it has. Within, the church distinctly disappointed us, forin such a historic spot we expected much. Theinterior had a look that was cold and bare: the airthere felt damp and chilly, unholily so, though theday was hot almost to sultriness. The great oakdoor, bleached with age, we entered by creakedloudly on its hinges, even our footsteps on thepavement, lightly as we trod, caused a hollow and amelancholy sound, the walls of the ancient faneseemed to enclose a stillness that was unnatural—uncanny. A century-gathered gloom also broodedaround, an intangible something that we felt, yetcould not reason about. Was there any ghostly,unseen, haunting presence there, we wondered, orwhy this sense of mysterious depression? We. FOTHERINGHAY CHURCH. XXI TWO HISTORIC TOMBS 393 longed to get out into the bright, cheerful, whole-some sunlight again, and almost concluded to takeone hurried glance at the interior and depart. Butour interest overcame our momentary desire to goaway. The open-timber roof of the north aisle appearedto be sadly requiring repair; indeed, when we werethere it was kept from falling down by uprightposts of wood rising from the floor; these poststold a pitiful tale of the want of pence for needfulrestoration. The best - preserved thing in thechurch, to the eye at least (for beyond where theeye can see it probably may be worm-eaten), isthe fine old carved oak pulpit with the plaintraces of colouring still upon it; in the centreof the panel at the back is a well-carved royalcoat-of-arms, with an open crown on the top;the shield below being quartered (I believe thatis the correct heraldic expression) with lions andfleurs-de-lis, which show its ancientne
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidcu3192, booksubjectlegends
