Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/277

 ARCHAEOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE. 257 have been a good deal used at this period as an architectural decoration ; as the tower piers, and the trefoil-headed lancet of the belfry appear to be of the time of Edw. I., it may fairly be presumed that this painting is coeval with the building of the tower, which is the earliest part of the church. The stems and branches are laid in with brown oxide of iron, very similar to, if not identical with, what we now call Indian red ; for the leaves and flowers red lead has been used, as is evident from the action of the atmosphere having in some parts turned them black. In the lower part are the letters iJ)C. " At a subsequent period, piobably in the fifteenth century, the whole of this painting was covered over, and another and much larger pattern worked over it. This consists of a •wa.xj stem and very large foliage, the outline of which is worked in the bro^vn red before mentioned, and filled up with yellow ochre. These two paintings are noiv much mutilated and appear confused together. " The next painting deserving notice, is on the tower pier in the south aisle. This is evidently fourteenth century work. It is executed in the same colours as that last mentioned. On the upper part is an inscription, now so much mutilated that only a few letters can be made out with cer-