Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 7.djvu/278

196 196 PROCEEDINGS AT MEETINGS OF crest, a demi-llon rampant); — a gold betrothal ring (seventeenth century), two hands holding a crowned heart ; — a serjeant-at-law's gold ring (as supposed), the hoop three-eighths of an inch in width, and of equal thickness — * LEX REGIS rRj:siDiUM ; it was found at Winihish, Essex, in 1847. By Mrs. Baker, of Stamford. Two rings, one of them of gold, stated to have been found, with the remains of an ecclesiastic, in a stone coffin, near Winchester ; it bears a representation of St. Christopher ; — the other of silver, found at Exton, Rutlandshire. It is a decade-ring, with 10 knobs, and a central projection engraved with a cross. By T. Lister Parker, Esq. — A rubbing from the singular cross-slab, recently discovered at Sawley Abbey, near Clitheroe, Yorkshire ; accom- panied by a careful reduced drawing, by the Rev. S. J. Allen, of Easingwold, from which the representation here given has been supplied. In the course of the past autumn, the Earl de Grey had directed excavations to be made and the accumulated rubbish to be removed from the site of the abbey- church, disclosing to view a very interesting pavement of decorative tiles in the nave and transepts. Two small chapels were found on the eastern side of each of the transepts, laid with a kind of mosaic flooring, the tiles not being enriched with ornament, like those in the nave, but of various forms, arranged in geometrical designs. In one of the transepts was found a slab, (here represented), bearing no inscription, and remarkable on account of the singular symbol, the intention of which has been much questioned. Many fine fragments of sculpture, coloured glass, alabaster effigies, ornaments of brass, <fcc., had also been found. It has been suggested that the symbol in question may represent a military flail, a staft'-sling, or a whirl-bat, as the sword, represented on the other side of the cross, seems to indicate clearly the warlike habits of the deceased. Mr. Lister Parker communicated a letter from Mr. Charles A. Buckler, expressing his opinion that this device is indicative of the occupation of the deceased, as the sword is a token of his gentle descent. He considers it to be the notary's penner and ink-horn, to be seen on Medieval brasses and effigies, appended to the girdle. Pie had noticed, likewise, the same device on scutcheons in the panels of a tomb at the end of the N. transept of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. Mr. Franks recently produced an example from a church near Caernarvon, represented in this Journal, vol. vi., p. 414. It occurs also on the memorial of William Curteys, notary. Holm Hall, Norfolk (Cotman). A beautiful example of the penner, supposed to have belonged to Henry VI., was pre- sented by Mr. Lister Parker to the Hon. Robert Curzon, jun., and is repre- sented by Mr. Shaw in his " Dresses and Decorations." The ground plan of Sawley church is remarkable, as Mr. Allen observes, on account of the shortness of the nave, — it is not half the length of the choir, and appears to have had no side aisles. In the chapels above- mentioned, those, namely, at the N. and S. extremities of the transepts, there were discovered two memorials of interest, — a slab with the matrix or indent for the sepulchral brass of a priest, and inscribed, — *i* Sire Robert de Clyderow Persone de Wygan gist ycy, dieu de sa alme eyt verray mercy, — in " Longobardic " character. The other is a slab marked with a cross-flory, the head within a circle, and the verge inscribed in black letter, — Hie jacet Magister Will's de Rymyngton sacre pagine professor et prior hujus domus, ac quondam cancollarius Oxonie. cuius anime propicietur deus. At the head of this, in the transept, is a slab with two crosscs-flory, bide by side. These persons, Mr. Allen further remarked, are of some