Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/321

 ENGLISH MEDIEVAL EMBROIDERY. 297 and from the chapel of the former place a cross and a chalice each of pure gold, a Icttcni of silver and gold, his mitre, staff, sandals, and other episcopal decorations. Nino chesables, of which the first was of red samit nobly embroidered with plates of gold and bezants, and many great pearls and precions stones. Also another red chesable, and a third black, with griffins and golden stars and precious stones : other six of samit of divers colours. Three stoles and three maniples, of which one stole and maniple were red, embroidered with kings and towers. Five copes, of which one was red; another white, embroidered with griffins and stars ; a third black, and a fourth green with only the margin Avrought in gold. Ten albs embroidered, the first of which was red, with golden eagles with two heads, standing in small wheels : the second red, with griffins and flowers in large wheels : the thud a large green alb with griffins : the fourth of pvn-ple, with griffins and flowers, in small wheels : the fifth and sixth of green, one with lilies and flowers and another with apostles : two of samit, one red and the other black, with large gold borders : two black ones embroidered, which are called san- dalls. Four veils skilfully sewn for the altar, two without, and a third with a frontal, embroidered with the representation of the holy Trinity and twelve apostles in gold, around whose heads were sewn pearls, and the fom'th with a frontal of silk. The eagle displayed is a pattern of very common occm*- rence on tlie ecclesiastical vestments of the middle ages, and from the mention of it in this will seems also to have been of considerable antiquity. It was probably intended to be allusive to the eagle mentioned in Ezekiel. Another conventional pattern of common occurrence on ecclesiastical vestments, is the figure of a four-winged cheru- bim, standing on a wheel. This appears under a great variety of modified forms, in the sculptm'e at Chartres of the thirteenth century, in illuminations of the same period, and in stained glass in St. Alban's abbey a century later. The annexed engraving taken from the pulpit cloth of Forest Hill, shews with the closest fidelity its character at a time when em- broidery was becoming less extensively practised. It has been slunvu that this and all the common forms were susceptible of being multiplied simultaneously, Avhich may explain why they were so frequently repeated. This mode of sewing the several patterns on the velvet after they were embroidered is alluded