[Illustration: FIG. 860.--St. Michael’s Parish Church. View from South.] [Illustration: FIG. 861.--St. Michael’s Parish Church. East End.] [Illustration: FIG. 862.--St. Michael’s Parish Church. North Transept or Chapel.] and the small and paltry character of the finials of the north transept (see Fig. 862), indicate a late date. The canopies of the niches are [Illustration: FIG. 863.--St. Michael’s Parish Church. South Porch.] [Illustration: FIG. 864.--St. Michael’s Parish Church. South Side of Choir.] ornamented in a somewhat elaborate style (Fig. 865), some of the ornaments having a strong resemblance to the style of many of the enrichments at Rosslyn. The buttress of the south-west angle of the nave, crowned with the sculptured figure of St. Michael (Fig. 866), forms a striking feature on approaching the church. To the left, under the west window of the south aisle of the nave, may be observed three corbels in the aisle wall, which have apparently carried a pent roof, under which there is an oblong aperture in the wall of the church. It is said that pensioners here received their dole, but the use of the opening is not clear. [Illustration: FIG. 865.--St. Michael’s Parish Church. Canopies of Choir.] The western tower (see Fig. 860) once formed an important feature of St. Michael’s. It was originally terminated with a crown of open stonework, similar to that of St. Giles’ in Edinburgh. But, about 1821, this crown was found to be in a dangerous state, and had to be taken down. The tower would appear to have been an addition to the original structure. The Plan shows that a part of the original west wall has been cut out, and the thicker wall of the tower inserted. This is seen both externally and internally, and the awkward junction of the tower with the nave is also apparent. The tower itself is of good design, but late--probably of the same period as the apse. It contains a remarkable entrance doorway (Fig. 867), quite Continental in style, which may possibly be the work of Thomas French, the king’s master mason. Above this doorway there is a large perpendicular window. The upper part of the tower is plain and solid, and would contrast well with the airy crown on top. In the interior the tower is designed so as to produce a good effect. It opens into the nave with a wide and lofty arch (Fig. 868) carried up to the clerestory level; and the groined vault of the tower, with the large window below, as seen through the arch, produce a good effect. In [Illustration: FIG. 866.--St. Michael’s Parish Church. South-West Buttress of Nave.] each side wall of the tower there is a richly canopied recess, evidently intended to receive monuments or sculpture, but now empty. [Illustration: FIG. 867.--St. Michael’s Parish Church. West Doorway.] [Illustration: FIG. 868.--St. Michael’s Parish Church. Interior of Tower.]