The history and antiquities of Boston, and the villages of Skirbeck, Fishtoft, Freiston, Butterwick, Benington, Leverton, Leake, and Wrangle; comprising the hundred of Skirbeck, in the county of Lincoln. Including also a history of the East, West, and Wildmore fens, and copious notices of the Holland or Haut-Huntre fen ... sketches of the geology, natural history, botany, and agriculture of the district; a very extensive collection of archaisms and provincial words, local dialect, phrases, proverbs, omens, superstitions, etc. By Pishey Thompson. Illustrated with one hundred engravings.

THE CHURCH. 517
its design, and the excellency of the workmanship. The font is octagonal, and raised
three steps above the pavement. On its upper
edge are the remains of the fastenings by
which it was formerly locked down, to prevent sorcery.1
Three semi- circular and three pointed
arches separate the aisles from the nave.
A screen formerly ran across the aisles and
nave in a line with the division between the
latter and the chancel. The centre screen
was a very elaborate one: it was unfortunately thrown down, and almost entirely
destroyed, a few years ago, during some
repairs in the church; at which time the
pulpit was removed from the north - east
corner of the nave to its present position. I
Over this central screen the rood-loft was
formerly placed. The stairs to the roodloft yet remain on the northern side at the
junction of the nave and chancel. The
screens across the aisles retain their places.
The east end of the south aisle was for-:
merly the Chapel of St. Thomas or Farceux Chapel.2 and the same end of the north
aisle was the Chapel of the Holy Trinity.
as described in the account of the priory.
There is a stone basin for holy water in the
south wall of the chancel.
By the removal of the gallery, and all the i o
other unsightly obstructions which now stretch I
across the nave of the church, almost immedi-.
ately west of the font, a very great improvement would be effected. The communicatingr
arch between the tower and the nave being _
thrown open, the very handsome western
window of the tower would be brought into
view, and the coup d'ooil —looking west from
the communion-table -would be exceeded by
very few churches in the level of the Fens.
When we see how much has been done at
Fishtoft, we cannot help entertaining a rather
confident hope that a similar good work will
be undertaken in the wealthy parish of f
Freiston. __ -_-_ —.1 The constitution of Edward (1236) enjoins i trie, in Freston, in the countie of Lincoln, and his
"fontes baptismales sub serra clausi teneantur predecessours, chauntrie prestes there, have heretopropter sortilegia." fore had and enjoyed one annuitie or annualpension
2 The following document relates to this chapel:- of vi. vws. vinId. yerly, payable and going oute of
"For as muche as yt ys duely proved before the certain lands in Freston aforesaid, parcell of the
chancellour and counsaill of the courte of augmen- possessions of the late monastery of Croylande in
tations of the revenues of our sovereigne lorde the the countie of Lincolne, now dissolved." "'Tys
King's crowne, that the chauntrie preste of the therefore ordered and decreed by the saide chanchauntrie, sometyme called Seynte Thomas' chaun- cellour and counsaill in the terme ofSeynte Michaell,