Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 5.djvu/213

 ARCHAEOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE. 165 to whom wc are indebted for carefully reduced drawings, to offer to our readers the annexed representations of these very interesting memorials. They were first noticed by Pegge, and laid before the Society of Anti- quaries, when they attracted the notice of Dr. Milles, dean of Exeter, the President. Subsequently they were again brought before the Society by Mr. Strange, in his Memoir on the Roman and other Antiquities in Monmouthshire". On one of these slabs is sculptured a I^atin cross flory, at the side of which is a sword, and around the verge the following rhyming inscription. — ici git le coes v. de sent pere pkeez rvu Li en BONE MANEKE KE IH'V PVR SA PASIVN DE PHECEZ I.I DONT PARDVN AMEN p'b. This is supposed to have been the tomb of Urian de St. Pierre, knight, who lived in the reign of Ilenry III. and died in 1239, 23 Edw. I., leaving, by Margaret his wife, a son, Urian de St. Pierre, then aged 16. He was also a knight, and had issue John de St. Pien-e, who succeeded his father 8 Edw. III., and was the last heir male of his line. Isabella, his sister and heiress, married Sir Walter Coksey, knt. The second slab bears no inscription ; a human hand is sculptured upon it, in low relief, holding a cross-staff, around the lower part of which appear three birds, a dragon and a quadruped, possibly a lion. Towards the head is a square space, forming a slightly depressed cavity, of unusual occurrence : it is suiTounded by roundels, supposed by some to be heraldic. This cavity, Mr. Bayly suggested, might have been intended for the insertion of a sculptured head, somewhat in like manner as on the tomb at Gilling, figured in the Journal, or else for an inscribed block. Pegge conjectured that this slab had covered the remains of Margaret, wife of Sir- Urian". The contracted word p'r at the close of the inscription above mentioned was explained by Dr. Milles to signify Priez, and has generally been thus understood. May it not rather signify Pater, according to the frequent usage in sepulchral inscriptions to request from the faithful a pater-noster or an ave in behalf of the deceased. Mr. Bajdy sent also an impression from the seal of Nicolas, prior of Daventry, Northamptonshire, found in the churchyard to the east of the conventual buildings, as described by Rlr. Baker, in his history of the county. Prior Nicolas died A. D. 1264?. The seal is remarkable as exhibiting an altar, supported on columns, with a diapered antependium. The chalice covered by a corporal is placed upon the altar. Several ancient seals and impressions from matrices have been commu- nicated by various correspondents at the monthly meetings of the Institute. The following notices may interest some of our readers. Circular seal of the fourteenth century, in the possession of Mr. Whincopp, of Woodbridge, device, the pelican on her nest : legend, * s' margeeie ri lvthtebvrgh. Circular matrix, of the same date as the last. The device, a figure in ° Archaeologia, vol. v. p. 76; Gough's Monmouthshire, vol. i. p. o. Camdeu, vol. iii. pi. vi. See Pegge's p A representation is given by Mr. account of these tombs, Gent. Mag., vol. Baker, "by the favour of the dean of XXXV. p. 72. Christ Church," Hist, of Northants, vol. i. " These tombs are noticed in Coxe's p. 311. VOL. V, 7