of Wells Cathedral.]

An illustration is given of the palace at Wells, which is one of the
finest examples of thirteenth-century houses existing in England. It
was begun by Jocelyn. The great hall, now in ruins, was built by
Bishop Burnell at the end of the thirteenth century, and was destroyed
by Bishop Barlow in 1552. The chapel is Decorated. The gatehouse, with
its drawbridge, moat, and fortifications, was constructed by Bishop
Ralph, of Shrewsbury, who ruled from 1329 to 1363. The deanery was
built by Dean Gunthorpe in 1475, who was chaplain to Edward IV. On the
north is the beautiful vicar's close, which has forty-two houses,
constructed mainly by Bishop Beckington (1443-64), with a common hall
erected by Bishop Ralph in 1340 and a chapel by Budwith (1407-64), but
altered a century later. You can see the old fireplace, the pulpit
from which one of the brethren read aloud during meals, and an ancient
painting representing Bishop Ralph making his grant to the kneeling
figures, and some additional figures painted in the time of Queen
Elizabeth.

[Illustration: The Gate House, Bishop's Palace, Wells]

When we study the cathedrals of England and try to trace the causes
which led to the destruction of so much that was beautiful, so much of
English art that has vanished, we find that there were three great
eras of iconoclasm. First there were the changes wrought at the time
of the Reformation, when a rapacious king and his greedy ministers set
themselves to wring from the treasures of the Church as much gain and
spoil as they were able. These men were guilty of the most daring acts
of shameless sacrilege, the grossest robbery. With them nothing was
sacred. Buildings consecrated to God, holy vessels used in His