The Proposed Restoration Of The West Front Of The Cathedral Church Of St. Alban's,

found at Lincoln , Ely , Salisbury , and Wells Cathedrals , the Western , or Galilee , Porch of Ely Cathedral bearing a special resemblance to the central porch at St . Alban ' s . " It is this central western porch which the Committee propose first to undertake , and their proposal has been most strongly approved by the Executive Committee for the Restoration of the Cathedral , who are specially anxious to see this portion of the work taken in hand , as this will form the completion of the main structural repairs , which have been going on for several years . The Architect ' s estimate for the restoration of the central porch is £ 2 , 500 , ancl for each of the side porches £ 2 , 000 , or for tho entire west front , £ 9 , 000 . These sums appear at first sight very large , but very much will

have to be done on account of the decayed and mutilated condition of the stone work , and the cost of reproducing and repairing the elaborate details of tho design will necessarily be considerable . Of those portions which have at some time been wilfully destroyed , sufficient fragments , have been discovered to enable tho Architect to restore the porches in accordance with tho original plan of

Abbot John de Cella . " There can be no question as to the improvement which will be effected by the careful restoration of the west front . At some period , probably in the sixteenth or seventeenth century , some economical repairs were carried out . The outer portions of the north and south porches were cut away , and a plain and unsightly wall built up , which has entirely concealed the said north and south porches , and the early English arcade on each side of them . Part of this wall has now been removed and numerous fragments of great architectural interest have been discovered , which will , as previously statedenable the Architect to reprodnce almost with certainty the oriinal desi

, g gn . " It must he acknowledged that the Cathedral ( till recently the Abbey ) Church of St Alban ' s has special claim to the consideration of English Freemasons . The history of the Abbey and its Church is most closely connected with St . Alban , who is reputed'to be both the first Freemason in England , and the founder of the first lodge in this country , iu the year A . D . 287 . . During the present era of Church restoration much has been done by the Freemasons of the various provinces , and In many of the Cathedrals the Brethren have recently provided tho necessary funds for the repairing of special portions of the buildings . It is therefore earnestly hoped that the present scheme will commend

itself not only , to the brethren residing in the province of Hertfordshire , or within the diocese of St . Alban ' s , but , from tho national character of the object , that it will be generally received with favour by the Freemasons throughout England , and that they will assist in renewing the work which their brethren of the 13 th century actually executed . "To carry out this object it is proposed to invite subscriptions , from Is . up to & 5 , from all ' individual brethren who may be disposed to contribute , and for this purpose an account has been opened at the London and County Bank , Lombard Street , E . G ., and St . Alban ' s . Such subscriptions may be sent direct to the Bankor to the Hon . Secretaryand as soon as a sufficient sum has been

, , received , the approval of the Provincial Grand Lodge will be obtained , and the necessary instructions given to commence the work . It is therefore to be hoped that the Freemasons of England will willingly come forward ancl embrace the present opportunity of doing , honour to the memory of St . Alban , the first member in England of that Brotherhood which now holds so brilliant a position in the society of our country , ancl the founder of that first Lodge which has been the ori ° -in of so numerous and glorious an offspring . "

Gothic Architecture.*

GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE . *

CHAPTER III . OX T 1 IE STl'HG Ol * UUILDIlfli IN ffiMOIAHT WHICH PltEVAILEU 1 'ItOM THE EIGHTH TO TUB IPIETEEiraH CEHTUBT . ON comparing the ancient churches of Germany with each other , we discover in their stle ol building two leading differencesall others being mere gradations or

comy , binations of them . The MUST , ancl earliest , is foreign , and came from the south ; it is by no means rude , having been originally a highly finished style of building , but it latterly degenerated . The buildings of this kind are distinguished by forms and decorations either Roman or imitated from the Roman , but especially by flat , or at least not very high roofs , by semicircular arches and vaults , and by the great solidity of their