angle beside the original one as high as the triforium arch and there
stops. The first triforium arch, which is pointed (all the others being
round), abuts against the wall in an awkward manner (see Fig. 961), the
original design being changed.
The cap of the west pier on the north side belongs to the first pointed
work, while the corresponding cap on the south side (see Fig. 962) and
all the other caps belong to the restoration of the fifteenth century.
The above cap and all the later caps in the nave have the upper
mouldings run in a straight line without any break, while the lower
mouldings break round the section of the piers (Fig. 964).[13] A moulded
shaft, considerably off the perpendicular, rises from the top of the
above cap to the string course at the junction of the old and the
restored wall.
The piers of the nave, except the west piers, are of a clustered form
not uncommon in late work in Scotland. The caps and main arches have
good mouldings, and might be about the date of the restoration of St.
Giles’, Edinburgh (which they resemble), in the early part of the
fifteenth century.
The design of the triforium is very remarkable (see Figs. 961 and 962),
consisting of large segmental arches the same width as the main arches,
springing from short clustered piers introduced between them. Each arch
is filled in with two pointed arches resting on a smaller central shaft.
These arches and the spandril between them are treated with bold
cusping.
The triforium of the nave of Dunkeld Cathedral somewhat resembles that
at Paisley Abbey. It contains a series of semicircular openings filled
with similar pointed arches and cusping, but the work at Paisley is
superior, and would appear to be the earlier of the two. In neither
church is there any vaulting shaft to divide the bays.
The clerestory is probably designed in imitation of that of Glasgow
Cathedral. It is divided into two pointed arches in each bay. These
spring from a series of clustered shafts with round moulded caps, which
have an early character, but are evidently late imitations of early
work. The exterior views (see Figs. 957 and 959) show that each
clerestory window contains a central shaft, with two cusped arches and
quatrefoil in the arch-head.
The parapets of the nave and nave aisles are evidently, from the style
of the mouldings and ornaments, of late date.
There seems to be no reason to doubt that, as above stated, the upper
portions of the nave were carried out about the time of Bishop Tervas,
in the middle of the fifteenth century. The earlier part of the
restoration, including the main piers and arches, and perhaps the
tracery of the two lower windows of the west front, were possibly
executed by Bishop
[Illustration: FIG. 964.--Paisley Abbey. Pier of Nave.]
Lithgow, who built the north porch, and the completion of the nave was
carried out by Bishop Tervas. A striking peculiarity of the interior of
the nave is a series of large corbels (see Figs. 961 and 962), which
project from the spandrils of the triforium arcade. The object of these
corbels appears to have been to enable a passage, which is formed in the
interior of the clerestory windows, but does not run through the wall in
a straight line from end to end as is usual, to be carried round the
solid piers introduced between the windows. These projections recall, by
the small corbels arranged in rows into which they are divided, the
corbels generally used for the support of the bartizans of castles. Each
of the large corbels springs at its lowest point from the sculptured
grotesque figure of a man or animal. Dr. Lees states (p. 209) that these
figures “were mostly the work of Thomas Hector, a sculptor who lived at
Crossflat, and whom the abbot retained for his skill in his art.” One of
the corbels on the south side (near the west end) represents a man
wearing the garb of Old Gaul. It may be mentioned that a somewhat
similar gallery exists in Rouen Cathedral. It is carried round the piers
of the nave on the side next the aisles, and is supported on shafts
springing from corbels. This gallery has a light stone parapet resting
on it. The design is of the thirteenth century, and is elegantly carried
out; but it has, notwithstanding, a rather heavy appearance. It must be
admitted that the projecting corbels at Paisley are clumsy, and
considerably mar the effect of the interior. There appears to have been
a parapet in front of the clerestory passage opposite the windows, and a
similar parapet may have been carried round the large corbels, otherwise
walking round them would have been dangerous. This would add still more
to the heaviness of their appearance. Vaulting shafts are carried up
between the windows of the clerestory, but the buttresses being very
light, a vaulted roof has apparently not been contemplated. The present
plaster vaulting is modern. The north wall of the nave aisle, except the
doorway of the north porch, which is of first pointed work, has been
rebuilt in the fifteenth century. The ingoing of the window jambs and
arches consists, both on the inside and outside of the wall, of a great
hollow, with the tracery set in the centre of the wall. The large north
porch (shown in Billings’ work) was taken down in 1863, in order to be
erected anew, in what was considered a finer style. The porch contains
the tomb of Bishop Lithgow, who selected this porch as his burial-place,
and was interred there in 1433. Some of the tracery in the aisle windows
is good for the period, like that in some of the windows of Dunkeld
Cathedral, which building (as above mentioned) has considerable affinity
with Paisley Abbey Church.
St. Mirin’s Aisle (Fig. 965), as already pointed out, occupies the south
end of the south transept, and was erected in 1499. It is a chapel 48
feet 3 inches long by 23 feet wide, having a vaulted roof about 32 feet
6 inches high. The main vault, like that of so many structures of the
latter part of the fifteenth century, consists of a pointed barrel
vault, the curve of which is drawn from a point lower than the springing
of the arch, and thus forms an angle at the junction with the side
walls. The surface of the vault is strengthened with a series of ribs,
most of which spring from corbels in the side walls. The ribs are
arranged so as to cross one another at the ridge, as if the roof were
[Illustration: FIG. 965.--Paisley Abbey. St. Mirin’s Chapel, looking
East.]
groined; but they are almost entirely ornamental. The mouldings of the
corbels are well designed, and show an imitation of first pointed work.
The corbels being at a lower level than the top of the wall, the ribs
project considerably in passing that point. The ridge has a bold rib
enriched with carved bosses, and one of the transverse ribs is divided
into two branches, so as to avoid descending on the top of the large
arch in the north wall. There is a large pointed window in the east end,
having jambs with single shafts (like the clerestory of the church). It
has mullions dividing it into four lights, and the arch-head is filled
with good simple tracery. Beneath this window runs a frieze 1 foot 8
inches broad, partly carved, with groups of figures showing, as
discovered by Dr. Lees,[14] events in the life of St. Mirin. The east
end of the chapel, where the altar stood, is raised four steps above the
western part. The west wall contains an outer doorway from the cloister
court, and there is a window with simple tracery above it; a curious
large ambry adjoins the door in the outer wall. The chapel was connected
with the south transept by two wide archways, now built up. There is a
piscina near the east end (Fig. 966), with three-sided head, like that
in the choir.
Above the vaulting of St. Mirin’s Chapel, and in the angle formed by the
sloping roof, there is introduced a chamber, with a pointed barrel
vault, about 12 feet wide and nearly 10 feet high, to the apex of its
sharply pointed vault. The three sides of this chamber thus nearly form
an equilateral triangle. Like the chapel below, it is 48 feet in length.
It is lighted by trefoil headed windows in the gables. Access to this
chamber, which may have been occupied by one or more priests, is
obtained from the adjoining buildings. It is to be regretted that the
south and south-east sides of St. Mirin’s Chapel are concealed from view
by buildings of a poor description. It will be observed that the
construction of the roof of St. Mirin’s bears considerable analogy with
that of Lincluden Abbey, although later in its features. There is a
similar double vault over both these buildings, with a small chamber
between them. At Lincluden the lower vault was (if it ever was
completed) of a genuine groined construction, while at St. Mirin’s the
ribs were only imitative. The roof of St. Mirin’s Chapel was clearly
intended to be formed of stone slabs, resting on the pointed arch, but
has never been carried out, the present roof being slated.
On the floor of this chapel there now stands an ornamental altar tomb
(see Fig. 965), which was found lying in fragments near the abbey by Dr.
Boog, one of the ministers of the parish, who, in 1817, had it brought
here and put together again. It supports a recumbent female figure,
believed to be the effigy of Margery, daughter of King Robert I., and
mother of Robert II. The head of the figure is surmounted by a large
cusped canopy, placed in n horizontal position, on the end of which is
carved a crucifixion. The pedestal is covered with a series of Gothic
compartments, in each of which there is carved a shield, enriched with
heraldic blazons and figures of ecclesiastics. The panels at the west
end (Fig. 967) contain--the first the fess chequé of the Stewarts
between three roses; the third the fess chequé, surmounted of a lion
rampant, and the central one, two keys saltierwise, between two crosiers
in pale.
Mr. Semple[15] is of opinion that the monument is made up of fragments
from various quarters. On each side there are nine full compartments of
[Illustration: FIG. 966.--Paisley Abbey.