Fig. 964.—Paisley Abbey. Pier of Nave.
Lithgow, who built the north porch, and the completion of the nave was carried out by Bishop Tervas. A striking peculiarity of the interior of the nave is a series of large corbels (see Figs. [961] and [962])), which project from the spandrils of the triforium arcade. The object of these corbels appears to have been to enable a passage, which is formed in the interior of the clerestory windows, but does not run through the wall in a straight line from end to end as is usual, to be carried round the solid piers introduced between the windows. These projections recall, by the small corbels arranged in rows into which they are divided, the corbels generally used for the support of the bartizans of castles. Each of the large corbels springs at its lowest point from the sculptured grotesque figure of a man or animal. Dr. Lees states (p. 209) that these figures “were mostly the work of Thomas Hector, a sculptor who lived at Crossflat, and whom the abbot retained for his skill in his art.” One of the corbels on the south side (near the west end) represents a man wearing the garb of Old Gaul. It may be mentioned that a somewhat similar gallery exists in Rouen Cathedral. It is carried round the piers of the nave on the side next the aisles, and is supported on shafts springing from corbels. This gallery has a light stone parapet resting on it. The design is of the thirteenth century, and is elegantly carried out; but it has, notwithstanding, a rather heavy appearance. It must be admitted that the projecting corbels at Paisley are clumsy, and considerably mar the effect of the interior. There appears to have been a parapet in front of the clerestory passage opposite the windows, and a similar parapet may have been carried round the large corbels, otherwise walking round them would have been dangerous. This would add still more to the heaviness of their appearance. Vaulting shafts are carried up between the windows of the clerestory, but the buttresses being very light, a vaulted roof has apparently not been contemplated. The present plaster vaulting is modern. The north wall of the nave aisle, except the doorway of the north porch, which is of first pointed work, has been rebuilt in the fifteenth century. The ingoing of the window jambs and arches consists, both on the inside and outside of the wall, of a great hollow, with the tracery set in the centre of the wall. The large north porch (shown in Billings’ work) was taken down in 1863, in order to be erected anew, in what was considered a finer style. The porch contains the tomb of Bishop Lithgow, who selected this porch as his burial-place, and was interred there in 1433. Some of the tracery in the aisle windows is good for the period, like that in some of the windows of Dunkeld Cathedral, which building (as above mentioned) has considerable affinity with Paisley Abbey Church.
St. Mirin’s Aisle (Fig. [965]), as already pointed out, occupies the south end of the south transept, and was erected in 1499. It is a chapel 48 feet 3 inches long by 23 feet wide, having a vaulted roof about 32 feet 6 inches high. The main vault, like that of so many structures of the latter part of the fifteenth century, consists of a pointed barrel vault, the curve of which is drawn from a point lower than the springing of the arch, and thus forms an angle at the junction with the side walls. The surface of the vault is strengthened with a series of ribs, most of which spring from corbels in the side walls. The ribs are arranged so as to cross one another at the ridge, as if the roof were
Fig. 965.—Paisley Abbey. St. Mirin’s Chapel, looking East.
groined; but they are almost entirely ornamental. The mouldings of the corbels are well designed, and show an imitation of first pointed work. The corbels being at a lower level than the top of the wall, the ribs project considerably in passing that point. The ridge has a bold rib enriched with carved bosses, and one of the transverse ribs is divided into two branches, so as to avoid descending on the top of the large arch in the north wall. There is a large pointed window in the east end, having jambs with single shafts (like the clerestory of the church). It has mullions dividing it into four lights, and the arch-head is filled with good simple tracery. Beneath this window runs a frieze 1 foot 8 inches broad, partly carved, with groups of figures showing, as discovered by Dr. Lees,[14] events in the life of St. Mirin. The east end of the chapel, where the altar stood, is raised four steps above the western part. The west wall contains an outer doorway from the cloister court, and there is a window with simple tracery above it; a curious large ambry adjoins the door in the outer wall. The chapel was connected with the south transept by two wide archways, now built up. There is a piscina near the east end (Fig. [966]), with three-sided head, like that in the choir.
Above the vaulting of St. Mirin’s Chapel, and in the angle formed by the sloping roof, there is introduced a chamber, with a pointed barrel vault, about 12 feet wide and nearly 10 feet high, to the apex of its sharply pointed vault. The three sides of this chamber thus nearly form an equilateral triangle. Like the chapel below, it is 48 feet in length. It is lighted by trefoil headed windows in the gables. Access to this chamber, which may have been occupied by one or more priests, is obtained from the adjoining buildings. It is to be regretted that the south and south-east sides of St. Mirin’s Chapel are concealed from view by buildings of a poor description. It will be observed that the construction of the roof of St. Mirin’s bears considerable analogy with that of Lincluden Abbey, although later in its features. There is a similar double vault over both these buildings, with a small chamber between them. At Lincluden the lower vault was (if it ever was completed) of a genuine groined construction, while at St. Mirin’s the ribs were only imitative. The roof of St. Mirin’s Chapel was clearly intended to be formed of stone slabs, resting on the pointed arch, but has never been carried out, the present roof being slated.
On the floor of this chapel there now stands an ornamental altar tomb (see Fig. [965]), which was found lying in fragments near the abbey by Dr. Boog, one of the ministers of the parish, who, in 1817, had it brought here and put together again. It supports a recumbent female figure, believed to be the effigy of Margery, daughter of King Robert I., and mother of Robert II. The head of the figure is surmounted by a large cusped canopy, placed in n horizontal position, on the end of which is carved a crucifixion. The pedestal is covered with a series of Gothic compartments, in each of which there is carved a shield, enriched with heraldic blazons and figures of ecclesiastics. The panels at the west end (Fig. [967]) contain—the first the fess chequé of the Stewarts between three roses; the third the fess chequé, surmounted of a lion rampant, and the central one, two keys saltierwise, between two crosiers in pale.
Mr. Semple[15] is of opinion that the monument is made up of fragments from various quarters. On each side there are nine full compartments of