Losinga, who (_O tempora! O mores!_) had, among other acts of simony, purchased the see of the sacrilegious Rufus for £1900!--a sum equal in our money to nearly £40,000. His apologist excuses this on the ground that it is lawful for the clergy to purchase the rights of the church if they cannot obtain them otherwise, adding the apostolic words, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” The Pope, however, did not take this view, and sentenced him, for his simoniacal practices, to build a number of churches at his own cost, of which this stupendous edifice would appear to have been one, for it is distinctly stated that he built it at his own charges,--a most amazing fact, though he held the see for twenty-eight years; and our surprise is increased when we recollect that the stone of which it is constructed was transported from Northamptonshire. The plan of the church (Fig. 264) differs from that of St. Alban’s mainly in there being only one apsidal chapel to each transept, the aisle being continuous round the great apse, and in the projection therefrom of three chapels; also in the absence of western towers. Two of the chapels last named remain, and are of remarkable plan, a circle, from the eastern part of which projects an apse. The nave attains the vast number of fourteen bays; each transept has four; and the eastern arm a like number to the commencement of the apse. The length is 420 ft. without the eastern chapel, now lost; that of the transept is 195 ft. Like St. Alban’s, we have here the original central tower rising to its full height of 135 ft. It is richly decorated, both without and within, with ranges of arcading and other ornamental features. Within it rises a lofty lantern, round which are triforium passages on two levels. The angle buttresses without consist of a group of numerous shafts forming an octagon, and ending in turrets now terminated in another style. The upper part of the walls is curiously filled up with two ranges of large circles. The tower is a very noble work, though somewhat eccentric in its design. We find here the aisle and its gallery, or triforium, of about equal height, and occupying about three-fourths of the height of the wall; the remainder being given to the clerestory. The triforium arches are undivided, and very much resemble those of the main arcade; differing chiefly in being generally uniform, with a slight alternate variety, while those below are subjected to frequent changes. [Illustration: Fig. 265.--Part of Nave, Norwich Cathedral.] The usual pier on the triforium level has three shafts in a row in its reveal, carrying a wide and plain soffite, while the angles have alternately one and two recessed shafts, and the piers have alternately single and couple shafts running up their front.