The chancel, and Troutbeck chapel in the south aisle, also contain some tasteful and appropriate painted windows, ancient and modern; and on the south wall of the latter were discovered, a few years ago, some curious remains of ancient mural painting, representing the _Crucifixion_ and _Resurrection_ in curious juxtaposition with the figures of a _King_, a _Bishop_, and the _red and white roses_ of York and Lancaster. The many beautiful monuments once embellishing the Troutbeck aisle were destroyed by the falling in of the roof in 1660. In bidding adieu to the church of _St. Mary the Virgin_, we may confidently assert that “_ne vile fano_” is the motto of Mr. Massie, the present rector, {77} for a neater and better ordered church we have not yet met with in our tour through the city. Once more returning to Lower Bridge Street, we have before us the BRIDGEGATE, and two or three choice but eccentric-looking houses of the wood and plaster type, as depicted in our engraving. Passing under the BRIDGEGATE, by the DEE MILLS and OLD BRIDGE, we might, if we chose, wander forth into HANDBRIDGE, were there anything in that suburb deserving our especial notice. As it is, however, we will make good our return to THE CROSS, and pursue, in the next chapter, our peregrinations through the Streets of “rare old Chester!” [Picture: The Bridge Gate] The view here engraved affords a capital idea of the old timber houses still glorifying the city; while we gain, at the same time, such a prospect of the BRIDGE GATE as is not to be obtained from any other point. CHAPTER VIII. Northgate Street.—Commercial Buildings.—The Rows.—The Exchange.—Music Hall and Old Theatre.—Chester Cathedral.—St. Oswald’s Church.—The Cloisters and Chapter-House.—Promptuarium, Refectory, and King’s School. OUR tours of inspection have, so far, been all down hill; let us now, then, take higher ground, and move glibly onward up NORTHGATE STREET. Passing ST. PETER’S CHURCH, at the corner of the street, we come immediately to that classic pile of white freestone—the COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS AND NEWS ROOM, erected in 1808, from the designs of Mr. T. Harrison, the architect of the CASTLE and of the GROSVENOR BRIDGE. To this succeeds SHOEMAKER’S ROW, extending about a hundred yards along the left side of the street. The Row upon the right hand used formerly to be known as _Broken-shin Row_, from the rugged and uneven character of the thoroughfare, and the manifest dangers that threatened the _shins_ of those who ventured along it. Originally it is said to have been double its present length; but modern innovation—that wolf in sheep’s clothing—has here, as elsewhere, played terrible havoc with “ye good olde citie.”