We are indebted to Hollar for having left us a memorial of the exterior of this church, before the rude and indiscriminating hand of Modern Improvement had obliterated those appropriate and venerable features, so peculiarly characteristic of buildings. The original is of a set etched by that laborious artist to illustrate Dugdale's Monasticon.

From comparing the print (though but indifferently executed) with the south side of the church, as it now appears, we shall see how great a sacrifice has been made in late attempts to this edifice, as it is erroneously styled, and how rarely such attempts conduce to the real improvement of a building, or accord with the original design of the architect.

Exclusive of the inappropriate coating of brick, which the whole of this side of the nave has received, we observe the mere outline of the windows only remaining, a want of liberality, or taste, having removed all those distinguishing ornaments which filled up their insides, and without which they appear mere blanks.

The window at the end of the south transept exhibits still stronger marks of this spoliation. It contained smaller arches, or lights, within the great arch, which reached about the height of the spring of the latter. The space above contained a beautiful circular light, resembling a St. Catharine's wheel, and smaller ones of the same form, with ornaments; the whole of the remainder being filled up with and beautiful tracery. The pediment above was adorned with a window, of smaller dimensions, apparently pointed, divided into lights, and decorated likewise with tracery. Nothing can be more flat and tasteless than the appearance of this part of the building at present.

The beauty of the whole exterior of this side of the church, and particularly the elegant south porch, have suffered much from the raising of the church-yard.