The Ecclesiological Society.

and Mr . Hayter Lewis and Mr . Slater are about to begin the actual works of restoration in St . Bartnolomew ' s , Smithfield . Elaborative decorative works are in progress in the ancient crypt of St . Stephen's Chapel , which Ave hope AA ill be used as a chapel for the Houses of Parliament . At

Oxford , Mr . Burges has in hand the interestingtask of transforming and decorating the interior of the chapel of Worcester College . All Saints ' , Brixworth , Northamptonshire , is about to fee undertaken by Mr . Slater , ivith all the caution that is necessary in touching so curious and

venerable a building . . The interesting church of Cobliam , Kent , has been restored by Mr . Scott ; that of Minster , in Thanet , in the same county , has fallen into non-professional hands , but has not suffered so much as might have been expected . The need of some reparation in the round chapel at

LudloAv , has been urged in the pages of the lEeclesiologist . " Of works not strictly ecclesiastical may be mentioned the restoration of the curious Decanal

liouse at Glouceste , and the contemplated improve-• ments in the Guildhall , London . Here it is intended to reproduce the ancient open timber roof , and to restore the' original windows , which happily -remain . It is understood that the Corporation of London are contemplating farther works of great

magnitude , including a complete range of buildings , on a general scheme , for the law courts , the 'City library , and other municipal offices . It is ¦ greatly to be hoped that the result may be such a toAATi-hall as may be worthy to be compared Avith rfchose of the great commercial cities of the Low

Countries . The remains at Mayfield , Sussex , have been purchased by a Roman Catholic com--munity , ancl the ancient hall is to be converted into a chapel . "Abroad , the opening of the completed and roofed nave of Cologne Cathedral must be ^ chronicled . The restoration of French cathedrals

seems to be continued with the same recklessness vfchat has excited alarm among English antiquaries . At home also we have still to conxplain of the careless scraping of ancient sculpture in works of socalled restoration . It may be doubted , also , ¦ whether monumental stoneswhich are seldom

, without value as documents , are not too often needlessly sacrificed in modern alterations . At Amsterdam , M . Cnypers has Avon the competition for the new picture gallery . Here the competition Avas limited to that picturesque form of the

Renaissance , Avhich is natural to that city . He has subsequently succeeded in another competition for the National Monument of 1814 , in the same city , when his Pointed design Avas chosen in preference to one in the Classical style . " Turning now to the subsidiary artsAve are

, not able to say that the progress of religious sculpture is very promising . The committee look Avith some apprehension to the sculpture which is promised for the Albert Memorial at Kensington . Mr .

Phihp has hmshed a hig-h-tomb for Lady Canning ; and Mr Redfern has in hand a good recumbent effigy of a lady for a chmch in Hampshire . Mr . Earp has also executed some good architectural sculpture . " Polychromatic decoration is in a more hopeful

state . Mr . Herbert's mural paintaing in the House of Lords must be noticed . Mr . Gambler Parry is carrying on , with -vigour and increasing ability , the roof paintings in the nave of Ely Cathedral , begun by Mr . Le Strange . A promising experiment of an effective but inexpensive method of

Avail-painting is being tried , by Messrs . Clayton and Bell , in Mr . Pearson's church of St . Peter , Vauxhall , A \ -hich has been already noticed . At St . Alban ' s , Rochdale , Mr . Clark is colouring the whole chancel ; and a skilled amateur is desirous to paint the church of Bosham , in emulation of Mr . Gambler

Parry's admirable work in his own church at Highnam . At Lyadhurst church , Hants , a reredos has been painted by Mr . Leighton . " The Archdeacon of Bristol briefly moved the adoption of the report , which , he observed , bore most gratifying testimony to what had been done and what was doing all over the country for the development of correct principles of taste in the erection of new and the restoration of old

churches . He kneAv of no association which appeared to do so much Avork with so little show and so little talk . Nr . St . Aubyn called attention to the contemplated destruction of St . Mary ' s Church , CheltenhamAvhichhe saidAA'as about to be demolished ,

, , , Avith the exception of the tower . He had ventured to remonstrate with Mr . Cooke , the architect , on the subject , but to no purpose ; and perhaps it might be well for the Association to write a few lines before it was too late . The Chairman : Is the new church to be a

tolerably decent one ? Mr . St . Aubyn said from an examination of the plans , it appeared to him to be an immense church , ivhich woidd quite bury the old toiver that was to be left standing . Mr . Gambler Parry said he lived in the

neighbourhood , and that St . Mary's Church , Cheltenham , Avas the only decent bit of architecture in the Avhole neighbobrhood . He quite agreed with Mr . St . Aubyn as to the inadvisability of sacrificing the old chinch ; it contained an admirable rose Avindow , ivhich was very rarely found in a parish church .

It Avould , he thought , be abominable to destroy it . The Chairman thought the subject was one ivhich the Association Avould do Avell to take up , and he suggested that they should communicate with the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristoland

, transmit a formal remonstrance against the proposed destruction . They might all bring any local influence they might possess to bear on the same subject . As he saAV the Rev . Dr . Jebb present , he Avould be glad to know ivhether he had anything