[Illustration: PEDESTAL OF THE SHRINE OF BISHOP CANTILUPE.
The shafts at the angles of all the windows are ringed, and the triangular arches, throughout the transept, are slightly stilted. Such arches are by no means common. They occur, however, in the clerestory on the south side of the nave in Worcester Cathedral, but of later date than this transept, which was possibly imitated by the Worcester architect.
This transept has been carefully and truly “restored,” under the direction of Mr. G. G. Scott. The stone-work has been freed from whitewash and cleaned; and the plain quadripartite vaulting has been touched with colour, and the bosses gilt, with excellent effect. The vaulting springs from clustered shafts, the corbels supporting which, on the east side, are beautiful and singular, and resemble bunches of reeds, terminating in a small open flower. The small heads below these corbels, at the intersection of the main arches, should also be noticed.
The transept has been laid with red and green tiles in panels, the divisions being marked in grey sandstone.
XII. The eastern aisle is lighted by three very beautiful windows, each of three lights, with three quatrefoils in the tracery. They are set back within wider arches, as is the case with the windows in the main transept. In this aisle, in a line with the central pier, is the pedestal of the _Cantilupe Shrine_. [Plate IV.] (For a sketch of the life of St. Thomas Cantilupe, the last Englishman canonized before the Reformation, see Pt. II.) Bishop Cantilupe died on his way to Rome, at Civita Vecchia, Aug. 25, 1282. His remains were divided. A portion was interred near Orvieto; the heart was brought to Ashridge in Buckinghamshire; and the bones were brought to his own cathedral at Hereford, where they were deposited in the Lady-chapel. The reputation of Bishop Cantilupe had been great during his life. Numerous miracles were recorded as having taken place at his tomb, which soon became one of the most frequented places of pilgrimage in the west of England; and in 1286 (April 6) his remains were translated to a more stately resting-place in this transept, which had probably been rebuilt in his honour. The King, Edward II., was present at the translation. Bishop Cantilupe was not canonized until 1320[36]; but the pedestal of his shrine, which alone now exists, is (with the exception of the western end, which seems to be at least thirty years later) of the date of his translation.