2p4 Mr. Wilkins's Defcnptlon of which at this time we' can only conjecture; for the ancient churches had various other apartments ; the Diaconlcum, the Gazo- phylacium, or Treafury, &c. &c. as well as lodgings for fuch as took fan&uary in the church []. The porticos of this church furnifli me with an opportunity of commenting upon the explanation of the term Portico, as mifcon- ceived and given by Mr. Beritham in his learned and ingenious re- marks on the Hiftory of Saxon Churches [/] ; and as it is a work to which future Antiquaries will frequently refer, and on whofe authority they may with good confidence rely, and more particu- larly affording affiftance in the investigation of Gothick remains, I hope it will not betray too much prefumption to controvert fome opinions in the courfe of the work, or too much vanity to attempt a cenfure, where fo little opportunity is offered, to the feverity of criticifm. The remarks are more immediately confined to the idea which Mr. Bentham entertains with refped: to the fituation of the porticos of ancient churches. " To inftance (fays Mr. Bentham) the church of St. Peter and " St. Paul : When Auguft'm died, that church not being finifhed, " he was buried abroad ; but as foon as it was conferated, Bede tells " us that his body was brought into the church, and decently in- " terred in porttcu iU'ms aquilonarif, in the north portico of the " fame. He further fpeaks of another portico in the lame church, " in which queen Bertha, king Etheibert, and other kings of Kent, " were buried j this he calls Porticus Sti. Martini^], to diftinguilh " it from the former, and was probably the oppofite or fouth [k] Antiq. of X n . Ch*. p. 314. [/] Bentham's Ely, p. 18. Mr. Bentham appears to be the firft author who pro- fefledly treats of the origin and progrefs of church architecture. ['] Bedae Hift. Eccl. Lib. ii. cap. 3. I 1 ] Ibid, c, 5.
- ' portico.
