=The Organ.=--The present organ and case can hardly be [Illustration: THE ROOD-SCREEN AND ORGAN.] described as things of beauty, though in point of tone the instrument is undoubtedly strong, yet sweet. It was built by Messrs. Willis in 1883, and is almost entirely new. Like the organ at Winchester, it used to occupy the north lantern arch, and was re-erected there in 1843 by Lincoln of London, but the present instrument stands on the rood-screen, care being, however, taken that it should obstruct as little of the view as possible. The tubular pneumatic system has been here adopted, and there are three manuals. A few points concerning the previous organs may be of interest, as it is not unusual to neglect this branch of archæology. According to tradition the present position of the organ is the original one. Browne Willis[18] says: “The Organ, before the Rebellion Stood in the Rood-Loft, under the _West_ Arch, and fac’d the Altar; it is now removed to the _North_ Arch: It is a new one, and those that are Judges, say, a pretty good one.” This amusing criticism gives further evidence to the notion that Browne Willis did not visit the church before--or at any rate very recently before--he wrote his interesting but somewhat unreliable little survey, which has now become very rare in any form. The items--“Et Sol Willō Warryn organizanti 40ˢ” and “to yᵉ mʳ of yᵉ children for keeping of yᵉ organs and teaching of yᵉ quoristers, £10,” and others from the _Liber Communis_, imply the existence of an organ in 1490, 1492, 1557 and 1565. In the last year the magnificent sum of 6d. was spent on two stops “for yᵉ great organs,” from which we may infer that our organs of to-day are far larger than in 1565. At any rate some small organ might easily have stood under the western arch of the tower, although this arch was then built up as it “fac’d the altar.”[19] “Probably the tradition of the organ having stood there, led Browne Willis to suppose that the arch had been recently built up. However this may be, there are strong signs of its having occupied that position subsequently to the erection of the wall. The balustrade which surmounts the canopies of the stalls projects at this point, as if to give greater room for a small organ; and the door which pierces the wall, and is apparently coeval with it, is not set in the centre, where it would have interfered with the organ, but near the northern pier of the arch. This seems to have been the usual place of the organ in our churches, and to have been retained from the mere force of habit to the present time, when, from the greater size of our instruments, it is far less convenient.”[20]