Melbourne Churchy Derbyfhire. 303

i as the art of manufacturing glafs became more known; fo we muft account for the fubfequent introduction of. the Gothic windows in the north and fouth ailes of this church. The form of the upper windows is ftill original, as iliewn in the Section PL XXI. the tops being circular and not pointed. The end of the chancel, or fanc- tuary, though now fquared off, was originally circular, like thofe of the primitive Britilh churches, which may be feen on the plan ; and what is ftill more extraordinary, the fame form may be traced at the eaft end of both the fide-ailes, which terminated in the fame circular manner, precifely like that defcribed by Jacobus Goar, as inferted in Bingham's Antiquities of the Chriftian Churches [/]. Thefe were probably Oratories or Chantries [z], dedicated perhaps to -various faints, like thofe divifions of the Portico's. The north and fouth windows of the chancel {till retain their original /orm, though the eaft windows of both the chantries are in the Gothic ftyle [a], evidently introduced in the new wall built when the circular parts were taken down. The plan PL XX. will explain this better than words. Thefe compartments at the end of the ailes are placed like thofe of the ancient Saxon church at Ely, differing only in the circular [j] B. viii. ch. iii. p. 287. [2] Sir Ralph Shirley, who died in the year 1516, bequeathed lands in Melbourne and Worthington to the Chantry of St. Catherine in St. Michael's church in Mel- bourne for ever, to pray for his foul. Pilkington's Derbyfh. Vol. I. p. 8r. I learn fmce, by Mr. Dawfon, who has examined the Evidence Chamber at Doning- ton Park, there wer^e two Chauntries, one dedicated to St. Katherine, the other to St. Michael, the patron faint of the church, [# ] Perhaps it is unneceffary to comment upon the word Gothic, as here applied. Almoft every writer on thefe kind of buildings has endeavoured to explain it, as proper or improper. Its general acceptation is pretty well underftood, as denominating the kind of buildings which fucceeded the Norman ftyle ; I think it is as applicable as any term, and indeed more fo than Saracenic, Morefque, &c. termination