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"Doubt not but God, who sits on high, Thy secret prayers can hear, When a dead wall thus cunningly Conveys soft whispers to the ear." |
Lord Bacon seems to have thought over the subject of the gallery, and his remarks are here quoted: "I suppose there is some vault, or hollow, or isle behind the wall, and some passage to it, towards the farther end of that wall against which you speak, so as the voice of him that speaketh slideth along the wall, and then entereth at some passage, and communicateth with the air of the hollow, for it is preserved somewhat by the plain wall: but that is too weak to give a sound audible till it has communicated with the back air."
The gallery is a passage of Norman work, very much altered and re-used. It is 74 feet long, 3 feet wide, 6-1/8 feet high, and is carried on segmental arches from the east end of the south triforium to the west wall of the Lady Chapel, and from thence in the same way to the north triforium. On page 75 will be seen the appearance of the little bridge thus made.
In passing through the gallery access is obtained to a chapel on the right, which is immediately over the entrance vestibule to the Lady Chapel. From this chapel a very good general view of the Lady Chapel can be obtained. The bosses in the roof show to greater advantage, and it is possible to see more of the colour that remains on the walls.
This chapel is smaller than the others in the triforium, and was reduced in size when the west end of the Lady Chapel was built. The altar slab is original Norman work, and has three or four † inscribed in it.
The pieces of old glass formerly in this chapel have disappeared, and modern ornamental quarries and medallions, by Hardman, have taken their place.
The fourth chapel has nothing of note in it beyond the window tracery.
The fifth chapel, or the one nearest to the north transept, contains a double piscina, in very good preservation.