most serious question that before long must demand energetic action."

[Illustration: Finial of the Central Gable of the West Front.]

A very great preponderance of local opinion was in favour of the action
of the Dean and Chapter. When it came to moving the stones, after all
the rubbish was removed, it was found that the mortar had crumbled into
mere dust, and could be swept away; and that the stones themselves could
be lifted from their positions, without the use of any tool. What has
actually been done is this: the north gable has been taken down with the
outer orders of the archivolt for a depth of some feet, and rebuilt; the
innermost order has not been moved. Relieving arches have been put in at
the back. The gable is now believed to be perfectly secure. The cross on
the summit was replaced in its position on July 2nd, 1897. The south
gable was afterwards taken down and rebuilt, a very few new stones being
used to bond the masonry where a fracture had been found on the left
side of the great arch below. This is what has been called "the
destruction" of the west front.




CHAPTER II.

THE CATHEDRAL--EXTERIOR.

Nearly every cathedral and large abbey church has some one conspicuous
feature by which it is remembered, and with which it is specially
associated in the minds of most persons. Nearly every one also claims
for itself to have the best example of some one architectural feature,