capitals, filling up each face of the octagon; the last stage has
round-headed lancets, without capitals, entirely surrounded by zigzags.

[Illustration: Plan of Central Portion of the West Front.]

The gables are richly ornamented. At the head of each is a massive cross
of very fine workmanship. Along the edges of the gables are two rows of
billets and the wavy ornament. Just below the crosses are three large
statues, in niches of which the gable mouldings form the heads. That in
the centre is S. Peter, with a mitre, the right hand uplifted in
blessing, and two keys in the left hand; the other two are S. John and
S. Andrew. Below plain, straight stringcourses, at the foot of these
statues, are three rose windows of exceptional grace and beauty. The
central one has eight spokes radiating from a flat medallion enriched
with conventional foliage; these support trefoil-headed arches which
have their outer mouldings thickly covered with dog-tooth; the whole is
bounded by two circular bands, the inner one ornamented. The two other
rose windows have six spokes instead of eight, the trefoiled arches have
foliage, and the inner moulding of the bounding circles is continuously
waving. The spokes in all three windows have the dog-tooth on each side.
On each side of the lower part of these windows is a trefoil-headed
niche containing a figure. Below these, and resting upon the long
stringcourse that runs above the great arches, are sets of seven
trefoil-headed niches, with a half-niche at each end. Four of these
niches are pierced for windows, which have trefoils with pointed heads,
though the trefoil heads of the niches themselves are round at the
top. The three intervening niches contain figures. All these nine
figures have a nimbus; and as these, with the three under the crosses,
make up twelve, it is assumed that they represent the Apostles. The six
smaller statues, just above, are said to be kings; the twelve below,