Page:The Ancestor Number 1.djvu/192

 142 THE ANCESTOR on the left shoulder with a magnificent fibula of metal gilt with gold, and com- posed of two joints pinned together by a moveable acus, and resembling a cross garnet hinge. This fibula is four inches in length, richly chased, and orna- mented with four pieces of red, and four of blue transparent paste, similar to those on the quatrefoils, and twenty-two beads or mock-pearls. Each of these pastes and mock-pearls is set in a raised and chased socket. The head of the acus is formed by a long piece of uncut transparent blue paste, shaped like an acorn, and fixed in a chased socket. The lower joint of this fibula appears to be connected with the stole, as well as with the chlamys ; so that the upper part of each of the lappets or straps of the stole, being thereby brought nearly into contact with the edge of the royal mantle, those straps form, in appearance, a guard or border thereto. The corpse, from the waist downward, is covered with a large piece of rich figured cloth of gold, which lies loose over the lower part of the tunic, thighs, legs, and feet, and is tucked down behind the soles of the latter. There did not remain any appearance of gloves : but on the back of each hand, and just below the knuckle of the middle finger, lies a quatrefoil, of the same metal as those on the stole, and like them ornamented with five pieces of transparent paste ; with this difference, however, that the centre-piece in each quatrefoil is larger, and seemingly of a more beautiful blue, than those on any of the quatrefoils on the stole. Between the two fore-fingers and the thumb of the right hand, the king holds a scepter with the cross made of copper gilt. This scepter is two feet six inches in length, and of most excellent workmanship. Its upper part extends unto, and rests on, the king's right shoulder. Between the two forefingers and the thumb of his left hand, he holds the rod or scepter with the dove, which, passing over his left shoulder, reaches up as high as his ear. This rod is five feet and half an inch in length. The stalk is divided into two equal parts, by a knob or fillet, and at its bottom is a flat ferule. The top of the stalk terminates in three bouquets, or tiers of oak leaves, of green enamel, in alto relievo, each bouquet diminishing in breadth as they approach towards the summit of the scepter, whereon stands a ball, or mound, sur- mounted by the figure of a dove, with its wings closed, and made of white enamel. On the head of the corpse ... is an open crown or fillet of tin, or latton, charged on its upper edge with trefoils ^ and gilt with gold, but evidently of inferior workmanship, in all respects, to that of the scepters and quatrefoils. The shape and form of the crown, scepters, and fibula, and the manner in which the latter is fixed to the mantle, or chlamys, exactly correspond with the representation of those on the broad-seal of this king (fig. 7). On a careful inspection of the fingers of both hands, no ring could be dis- covered. However, as it cannot be supposed that the corpse was deposited without that usual attendant ensign of royalty, we may with great probability conjecture, that, on the shrinking of the fingers ... the royal ring had slipped off from the finger, and buried itself in some part of the robes, none of which were disturbed in order to search for it. The feet, with their toes, soles, and heels, seemed to be perfectly entire ; but whether they have sandals on them or not is uncertain, as the cloth tucked over them was not removed. Cf. the crown in the effigy of Henry III., made in Edward's time.