Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 1.djvu/218

200 are precisely identical, or may be regarded as reproductions of the same design.

In the examination of sepulchral brasses, this feature of interest may suggest itself to the English antiquary, that it is a branch of research which has now become almost exclusively national. England alone now presents any series or large number of these curious works of the burin, produced before the discovery of calcographic impression. The large number of brasses which once existed in France, perished in great part during the sixteenth century, and were totally destroyed during the reign of terror, when all metal was appropriated for public purposes. Not only has no specimen been hitherto noticed as existing in France, but scarcely can the memory or tradition of the existence of such memorials be now traced; almost the only evidence of the numerous assemblage of sepulchral brasses, of large dimension and most elaborate execution, which were preserved, during the last century, in the cathedral and abbey churches in France, is supplied by the extensive collection of drawings of French monuments, taken about 1700, and bequeathed by Gough to the Bodleian Library. In Flanders a few remarkable brasses are still to be seen, and Denmark affords some examples, which have not hitherto been described by any one conversant with the subject. It is stated that in some instances in that country, the heads of the figures are executed in low relief, formed of silver hammered out, or chased, the rest of the memorial being flat, and wrought with the burin in the usual manner. It may be worthy of remark, that examples of incised slabs may be noticed in our own country, which present this variety, that the head and hands only are in relief, the remainder of the figure being flat, and pourtrayed by simple lines: a close analogy of workmanship may be remarked on the shrines, and other enamelled works of the artists of Limoges, during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, which are frequently ornamented with heads chased in relief, whilst all the rest of the design is perfectly flat. In Germany a great number of tombs formed of metal still exist, which are wrought in very low relief, and form the intermediate class between the sepulchral brass and the effigy. It is singular that no sepulchral brass has hitherto been noticed as existing in Scotland, and in Ireland two examples only are on record, which are memorials of late date, in St. Patrick's cathedral, Dublin. Very few are to be found in Wales; an