Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 7.djvu/122

84 persons mentioned in such inscriptions. This is the case with the Lismore crosier, and as there is no question that its entire ornamented metal covering is of one date, and that the inscriptions on it are also coeval, there seems no reason for doubting that its real date is the early part of the twelfth century, assigned to it by Dr. Todd and by Mr. O'Donovan. The "yellow cross of Cong," in the collection of the Royal Irish Academy, is also of the same date; a drawing of this was exhibited by Mr. Westwood, as well as figures of the pastoral staves of the abbots of Clon Macnoise, in the same collection, and the head and pomel of a crosier in the British Museum. The very similar ornamentation on the tomb of Mac Cormac, in the cathedral of Cashel, also affords additional means of judging of the date of the eleventh and twelfth century work in Ireland. The very short form of the Lismore crosier was alluded to and illustrated by a drawing of a small bronze figure of an ecclesiastic, in the same collection, found at Aghaboe, as well as by the figures of ecclesiastics on the ornamental cover, or cumdach, of the Irish missal formerly in the Duke of Buckingham's collection, now in that of Lord Ashburnham. The Lismore and Clon Macnoise staves were very remarkable for the row of dog-like animals on the outside of the crooked part. The former was, however, ornamented with small tessellated and enamelled ornaments, which do not appear on the Clon Macnoise crosier, but very similar details are found on a beautiful relic of unknown use in the collection of Mr. Hawkins, of Bignor Park, Sussex, a metal bason, found in the bed of the Witham, near Washingborough, and exhibited in the museum formed at Lincoln, as also, on this occasion, to the members of the Institute.

Mr. Westwood moreover thought, that the opinion which had been held, that the crosier contained within it the original simple wooden pastoral staff of the first bishop of Lismore, was correct, it being the constant habit of the Irish ecclesiastics to cover these relics with fresh ornamented metal work from time to time. Such is the case with the singular arm-like reliquary engraved in the Vetusta Monumenta; such are the various cumdachs; and such are the different portable hand-bells of the Irish Church, described by Mr. Westwood in the Archaeologia Cambrensis. Of two of the most highyhighly [sic] ornamented of those relics full-sized coloured drawings were exhibited by him on the present occasion.

communicated transcripts from several interesting letters connected with the eventful history of the latter part of the fifteenth century in England. They were recently found by her in a collection preserved at the Bibliothèque Nationale, in Paris. These curious memorials will be given hereafter.

, in presenting to the Institute a copy of the curious "Rapport au Conseil Municipal de Bayeux," by M. Pezet, on behalf of the Commission charged with the Conservation of the "Tapisserie de la Reine Mathilde," in 1838, called attention to the singular fact, that in 1792 the tapestry had actually been taken to serve the unworthy purpose of a covering for a baggage-waggon. It was happily rescued, after the vehicle was on the route, by the spirited exertions of one of the citizens of Bayeux, who obtained some coarse cloth, which he succeeded in substituting for the venerable relic. The tapestry at a later time was removed to Paris, and exhibited in Notre Dame, to stimulate popular feeling in favour of the project of a second conquest of Albion.

The, in reference to the frequent notices recently