Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 9.djvu/153

 THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE. 103 kneeling with her hands upraised in supplication : hofore her stands a lamb, symholieal pcrliaps of iicr innocence and purity : in tlic extreme distance appear the city walls, and above the gate are seen the heads of her royal parents in safety within, who look forth to watch the issue of the conflict. At a little distance from the walls is seen a gallows, with a criminal hanging ; a man near the walls, and another shooting with a bow. To the right are seen the towers of the city, a haven or mouth of a river, with shipping, <fc;c., representing either Berytus in Syria, according to one legend, or Silene in Lybia. The costume of the figure of St. George is worthy of examination. He wears a visored salade, the visor raised ; a single red feather surmounts the head-piece. The throat is protected by a goi-giere or standard of mail, the lower edge vandykod, resembling the specimen formerly at Leeds Castle, Kent, afterwards in the possession of Mr. Hughes, of Winchester. The red cross appears on the saint's body armour, as also on an escutcheon aflixed to the poitrail of his horse. The j)oitrail may be noticed as an example of the ise for which the small scutcheons, frequently em-iched with enamel, of which many have been shown at the meetings of the Institute, were intended. The armour is almost wholly of plate, a few rows of mail only appearing around the hips ; there are neither taces nor tuilles ; the solleret of many plates is pointed downwards ; the spur has a very large rowel. The saint wields his long arming sword in his right hand, holding in the left the lance with which he pierces the jaws of the dragon. This is a very curious design, and it is interesting to compare it with the representation of the same subject, a work of rather earlier date, elaborately sculptured on an oak chest in York Minster. This last forms the subject of a plate in Carter's Sculpture and Painting in England: the date of the design is about the reign of Henry V. The third subject, St. Christopher, of frequent occurrence on the walla of our churches, is drawn with considerable spirit. It presents no unusual features of design ; the saint strides across a river, leaning on his staff, seemingly burdened with the weight of the infant Saviour, who rests on his shoulder, the right hand upraised in benediction. The figure measures ten inches in height. On the opposite bank of the river is seen a fisher- man, and in the distance the anchorite companion of St. Christopher, standing with a lantern in one hand to direct his steps over the stream ; behind is a small chapel, or hermitage, the gable formed with " corbie-steps,'' and surmounted by a bell-cot. A windmill, a ship, and several buildings on the shore, may be noticed in the extreme distance. Beneath these paintings, and extending along both the north and south will of the nave, are escutcheons of arms, almost obliterated, with an inscription beneath, running round the whole. The bearings appear to be those of various branches of the Fytton family, long settled at Gawsworth, or their connexions. Mr. Massie is about to publish representations of the mural paintings, by aid of chromo-lithography, and with the object of assisting the funds for the restoration of the church. Mr. BuRTT communicated to the meeting the copy of a paper found among the proceedings of the Court of Requests, in the Chapter House, Westminster. It was perhaps an enclosure in a petition to that Court from the persons who felt aggrieved at the proceedings which it describes. It is an account of an attempt made by the Mayor of Salisbury, in the year 1611, to stop the gaieties with which the procession of the Company of Tailors there were accompanied to and from Church.