“Early in the Twelfth Century occurred the fall of the tower of this Cathedral, celebrated from the peculiar circumstances with which it was accompanied, which are thus described by William of Malmsbury, who was living at the time:--‘A few country men conveyed the body [of the King, William Rufus], placed on a cart, to the cathedral of Winchester, the blood dripping all the way. Here it was committed to the ground _within the tower_, attended by many of the nobility, but lamented by few. The next year (1097) the tower fell; though I forbear to mention the different opinions on this subject, lest I should seem to assent too readily to unsupported trifles; most especially that the building might have fallen _through imperfect construction_, even though he had never been buried there.’ That this was really the case, the building itself affords us abundant evidence, and proves that even the Normans at this period were still bad masons and very imperfectly acquainted with the principles of construction. The tower which was rebuilt soon after the fall is still standing, and the enormous masses of masonry which were piled together to support it, and prevent it from falling again, show such an amazing waste of labour and material as clearly to prove that it was the work of very unskilful builders.”--(J. H. P.) The tower was originally intended to serve as a lantern; but was ceiled over in the reign of Charles I. In the centre is a medallion of the Holy Family, the date 1634, and medallions of Charles I. and Henrietta Maria. The very narrow arches opening to the transepts should be noticed. The =Choir Stalls= are magnificent.