Fig. 836.—St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. The Crossing, from the Nave.
was a grandson of Robert III., was Bishop of St. Andrews, and one of the most eminent men of the period. The shield on the north ([Fig. 834]) bears the arms of Nicholas de Otterburn, who was Vicar of Edinburgh in 1455, and who had been sent to France in 1448 in connection with the selection of Mary of Gueldres as the bride of James II. The south shield bears a castle, being the emblem of the city (see [Fig. 831]).
The north respond contains the arms (three cranes gorged) of Thomas Cranstoun, Chief Magistrate of Edinburgh in 1439 and also in 1454. As formerly, the good town which he represented would aid in the restoration.
The south respond bears the arms of Napier of Merchiston, Provost of Edinburgh, 1457—viz., a saltier engrailed, cantoned with four roses.
These new pillars and responds ([Fig. 835]) differ entirely from the older plain octagonal ones. They are of a form which became very common in Scotland after this time. The pillars are moulded, rather than clustered, and contain a variety of mouldings instead of shafts. These rise from a base which is moulded and ornamented with carvings, and is set on one or two high plinths. The pillar is crowned with a richly-moulded capital, the lower or bed mould being carved with cherubs’ heads, fitted into the re-entering angles of the pier, while the upper mouldings run in straight lines, and include several of the members of the piers in one stretch.
The mouldings of the main arches, which spring from these piers, are also richer than the plain splays of the older arches.
2. The heightening of the choir and the introduction of a new clerestory were also carried out shortly after the middle of the fifteenth century. The height of the former vault of the choir is shown by the vault of the crossing ([Fig. 836]), which it doubtless resembled, and which was not altered at this time. The former position of the vault of the choir is also indicated by portions of the groins, which have only been partly cut away, and which are still visible, springing directly from the caps of the choir piers at the previous low level (see [Fig. 830]). The ancient vault of the choir, springing, as it did, directly from the caps of the main piers, would only afford room under the wall rib for small clerestory windows. Traces of several similar small windows may still be observed over the main arcade on the south side of the nave, where they have been built up at some period—perhaps during the alterations in 1829; but the rybats and arches are still traceable. The outline of the old roof may also be observed against the east and west walls of the tower (see [Fig. 836]), the raglet and a stepped string course above it being yet preserved, and being specially apparent on the east side next the choir.
The condition of the walls where they have been heightened for the clerestory also indicates that some of the old vaulting has been cut off, and new masonry substituted. The clerestory is carried up so as to admit of good windows, each with arched head, and divided into two lights by a central mullion (see [Fig. 830]). The traceried heads have drop arches on the inside. The new vaulting is of simple, but elegant, design. The ribs of the vault are moulded, and are provided, besides the main cross ribs, with ridge ribs and intermediate ribs; and the junctions are all ornamented with large and finely-carved bosses, of which some examples are given ([Figs. 837] and [838]). The curved panels of the vaults are arranged so as to be either parallel or at right angles to the side walls, so that the joints of the stones composing the different vaulting surfaces are all set at right angles to one another, being the plan usually adopted in England, but not in France. The ribs of the vaults spring from the carved caps ([Fig. 839]) of short and light vaulting shafts, inserted in the side walls and resting on corbels, considerably above the caps of the main piers (see [Fig. 830]). The insertion of these shafts in the old masonry is plainly visible.
