Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 8.djvu/523

 10 s. viii. NOV. so, 1907.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

433

of ' The London Chronicle,' " "To the Printer of ' The London Chronicle.' "

ROBERT PIERPOINT.

EFFIGIES OF HEROIC SIZE IN CHURCHES (10 S. viii. 250). The "scale" of Cologne Cathedral is, in a measure, virtually ruined by the large statues that stand against the piers carrying its nave arcades the eye unconsciously accepting them as being only a little over life-size. Hence it is hard to realize the immense height (150 ft.) between the floor line and the keystones of the vaulting above.

Thorvaldsen's wondrously beautiful figure of Christ, inscribed " Kommer til Mig," in the Vor Flue Kirke at Copenhagen, is carved out of a block of pale dove-coloured marble, and is over 10 ft. high. The marble statues, representing the twelve Apostles, resting upon massive square bases in front of the arcade piers, in the nave of the same church, are also of immense size.

The thirty-odd figures of saints that occupy niches beneath the exterior Corinthian colonnade surrounding the Madeleine at Paris, are all considerably larger than life.

The statues representing the four Evan- gelists that, not many years ago, were placed in the long- vacant niches, facing north and south, upon the exterior of the western tower of Holy Trinity Church, New York, are of gigantic proportions.

The sculptured representation of the outstretched crucified Christ which the late Lord Aldenham (of ever-honoured memory), in 1899, placed in the midst of the High Altar screen at St. Alban's Abbey (now Cathedral), measures 8 ft. 9 in. from the crown of the head to the feet.

Scores of other instances, at home and abroad, might be mentioned.

HARRY HEMS.

Fair Park, Exeter.

' Murray's Handbook of Berks ' states :

"Aldworth Church, Berks, contains nine very important and curious stone monumental effigies : 6 knights in armour (5 with legs crossed, and 6 or

7ft. in stature) and 2 females They represent

members of the family of De la Beche, lords of this manor, temp. Edw. II. and III. The common people call four of the statues John Everaf raid, John Long, John Strong, and John Neverafraid."

Lysons's ' Berks,' p. 209, says that one figure measures 7 ft. 2 in., and another 6 ft. 4 in. Pv. J. FYNMORE.

Sandgate.

It may be of interest to readers of 'N. & Q. ' to learn that there is, though not an effigy, a mediaeval statue of heroic size of St.

Christopher in the parish church of Braine- le-Comte, Belgium. The lower limbs are disproportionately thin to their extraordi- nary length. The figure of Our Lord i& as much the reverse, even proportionately, as St. Christopher's is gigantic, and the effect of the two figures is grotesque in the extreme. JOHN A. RANDOLPH.

TOMBSTONES AND INSCRIPTIONS : THEIR PRESERVATION (10 S. viii. 201, 275). Having been called upon by MR. HARRY HEMS to state what I know to have been done by those in authority at St. Margaret's^ Westminster, towards taking care of the tombstones there and the guarding of the inscriptions from complete obliteration, I gladly do so, for it seems to me that what was best where a right of way exists through a churchyard was done. I would refer readers of * N. & Q.' to an article of mine which appeared under the heading of 4 The Churchyard of St. Margaret's, West- minster, and its Improvement,' at the com- mencement of 1904, the references being 10 S. i. 23, 62, where these matters were gone into minutely ; but perhaps, to save time, it may not be contrary to order if I just say here what appears upon the minute- books of the committee appointed to carry out the needful improvements. It was pro- posed firstly " to sink the gravestones in situ sufficiently deep to admit of the ground over them being covered with turf, the sur- face being reduced to the level of the north entrance of the Abbey." This suggestion of the sub-committee met with ready accept- ance, and it was carried out. When the question came before the Chancellor of the Diocese of London for the issue of a faculty on 23 Aug., 1881. the late J. L. Pearson, R.A., the Abbey architect, who had charge of the work, stated " that it was proposed to place the tombstones with their face downwards, ancient inscriptions being best preserved in that way." The Chancellor granted the faculty without hesitation, and stated that after the evidence given he had no doubt that the inscriptions would be best preserved in that manner. The faculty was issued, a proviso being inserted that the earth should be removed if it became neces- sary to examine the actual inscription, as " a copy on the tablet might not be adduced in a court of law." Various meetings of the committee took place, the last being on 27 Feb., 1883, so that the work was all done between the issue of the faculty and that date.

So far as I know or have heard, every-