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 A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE and known as ' Almayne rivet.' The armour generally is now of a lifeless and uninteresting character, though no doubt that under notice accurately represents a real suit. Chauncy's rufF and heavy gold chains, the articulated tuiles, and the method of suspending the sword are very characteristic of the time, as is also the dress of the lady — French hood, large rufF, pleated stomacher, gold chains and pomander. On the north side and west end of the tomb are coats of arms of Chauncy and Bustard, and round the verge of the tomb an inscription to the effect that William Chauncy, who deceased April 6th, 1585, and Joan Bustard his wife, who died May 7th, 1571, are here intombed. The alabaster tomb and effigy of their son Sir Toby Chauncy, and his two wives, born respectively Shelley and Risley are counterparts of those of the father and mother. Sir Toby died in 1607. At Rockingham are the greatly abraded and mutilated effigies of Sir Edward Wat- son died 16 1 6, and Ann his wife, born Digby. It is clear that these were again counterparts of those at Edgccott, and that none of them have any pretension to be portrait statues. Sir John Spencer, died 1586, and Dame Katherine his wife. Brington. In nearing the end of the sixteenth century, the armour shown by the military effigies and the costume of the ladies gradually tend to deteriorate in artistic quality ; and in the place of the simpler memorials of knights of Gothic times, with their highly interesting harness, in which every detail tells its story, and the graceful or picturesque statues of their dames — we have the ornate and often garish monuments of the Renaissance, conceived indeed in the same pious spirit as the stony records of earlier times, but naturally of less antiquarian import and value. On the other hand many of the memorials in the well- favoured and historic county, now to be briefly considered, have the wider and more human interest as presenting portrait effigies of per- sonages who took considerable positions during the spacious days of Elizabeth, and whose history forms part of that of the country, while Northamptonshire has the honour of holding their monuments in its keeping. The tomb and effigies of Sir John Spencer and his wife is a conspicuous and typical example of the memorials just alluded to. He wears a double ruff, and a tabard over trunk hose, the arms and legs being clad in armour decorated throughout with an Italian feeling. It may be a question whether the singular ridged and engrailed cuissarts represent portions of an actual suit. The head rests upon a naked helm, with neither mantling or feathers, and the heels upon gauntlets with well-defined details. On the left arm is worn an oval targe — the parma of the Roman soldier, which at this period, in accordance with the Renaissance feeling of the time, again took its place among military equip- ments in England. This example is charged with Spencer quarterings. The lofty altar- tomb is surmounted by a semicircular canopy, entablature and pediment, the whole being replete with manifold coats of Spencer, and quarterings ; the entire monument is of clunch, richly painted. Dame Katherine, daughter of Sir Thomas Kitson of Hengrave, wears a large ruff in nebule folds, a tight bodice, with full puckered sleeves, pleated stomacher, and scarf. A large hood k caleche, reaching below the waist, partly shades the face, and over the lower half of the figure a coverlid is disposed in broad folds, draping the feet. The head rests upon delicately embroidered cushions. Both effigies have the appearance of being faithful portraits. The will directs that the executors should make a tomb such as they think fit. The effigy of his son Sir John Spencer, died 1599, and of his wife Mary, only daughter and heir of Sir Robert Catelin, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, lie upon a very stately wide and low altar - tomb, under a lofty canopy, embellished with many coats of arms, and supported by square arab- esque pillars and Corinthian columns — perhaps the design of John Thorpe. The entire monument is in clunch. The knight wears the heraldic tabard, and the armour differs in very slight respect from that of his father, the tabard — the latest example in the county, perhaps the latest in England — being worn over trunk hose and Almayne rivet ; the cuissarts are horizontally articulated, and the genouill^res decorated with arabesques. The head rests upon a finely-proportioned and well-plumed helm and the feet upon gaunt- lets. The costume of Dame Mary is more ornamental, but much the same as that of her predecessor, a fluted hood h caliche of moderate size being worn over the head. Both effigies must be accurate portraits. William Cecil Lord Burghley, died 1599. Stamford Baron. William Cecil, Lord Burghley, is exhibited in his alabaster effigy lying on a noble cano- pied Renaissance tomb of alabaster, ' touch ' and other marbles, and further decorated with the armorial bearings of Cheke, Coke and Cecil. He holds in his right hand the staff 4it