Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/309

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE. 185 the second stroke of the A forming the first stroke of the V. Mr. West- wood suggested that the first four letters might possibly be intended for one word, and indicate the cave or tomb of Seniarch. He also exhibited magnified sketches of some of the minute elaborate patterns of the early Anglo-Saxon and Irish Manuscripts, showing that they were entirely formed upon geometrical jirinciples. Mes. Boulton, of Sampford Peverel, Devon, obligingly communicated the following observations on the Church at that place, accompanied by several intei'esting sketches, illustrative of its Architectural features. " This church, which the writer believes to be one of the oldest village churches in the county of Devon, though much injured by the bad taste which has prevailed for many years, unfortunately for all that is beautiful in our ecclesiastical architecture, still possesses very interesting details The character of the building, as regards the remains of the old struc- ture, is Early English, with lancet-headed windows, adorned with light and elegant shafts, and headed with quatrefoils. The exterior is generally very plain, and certainly would attract little notice, on account of its great simplicity ; but the interior, from the width of the window openings and their deep splaying, is light and handsome. The chancel east window, however, is both externally and internally good, and of fine propoilions. The church must originally have consisted of only nave and chancel, which are both Early English. But there is a south aisle added of Perpendicular character, and said to have been built by Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Heniy VII. Only one window of this aisle remains in its original state, that at the east end, for the aisle was rebuilt some few years since, within the present century, and all the finer parts of the stone-work, cusps, foils, &c., cut away, and only the mullions left to remind us of what had been. The stone-work of the west gable is still extant, with its quatre- foils, roses, and Tudor flowers. The piscina is on the south side of the chancel, and the credence on the north ; both are in good preservation. One half of a window on the north side of the nave has been blocked up, either to make way for the present site of the pulpit, a very modern, rude construction, or filled in, to admit of a projection of stone-work, which appears to have contained a staircase to a screen, taken down about twenty- five years since, and which the writer imagines to have been erected when the aisle was added, about the end of the fifteenth century (this projec- tion being evidently of much later date than the adjoining wall), when probably the Early English door was stopped up. Under this partially blocked-up window, and when the present pulpit was erected, an effigy of a knight was brought to light. (See cut.) This is supposed to be of the Peverel family, by whom the church was erected. In all probability this figure occupied the space under the window, for on the external wall of the church there is an arch, as if built over a tomb. All trace of ai'morial bearings on the shield is lost; the head rests on a helmet; the right hand is evidently protected by a gauntlet, and the sword is very perfect. About the shoulders appear remains of drapery, from under which project small human feet. Probably there were angels sculptured on either side of the head. This figure is now erect against the angle between the chancel and aisle. The oldest monument is one placed against the east chancel window, to the memory of Margaretta Powlet, dated 1602.