Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/272

202 PROCEEDINGS AT MEETINGS OF girded bv the waist-belt and buckle. The figure sits in a chair or throne, and has the left foot raised on a stool, giving a pleasing and natural variety of line to the lower part of the composition. It has less energy but more solemn grandeur than its companion figure on the opposite pier. " With the exception of the apostles these two statues are larger than any others on the building. Tradition or modern conjecture suppose it to repre- sent Edward the Saxon, son of Alfred. That it represented a royal benefactor to the church there can be no doubt. The greatest interest was evinced, and every kind attention shuwn during the work by the Bishop, the Dean, Archdeacon Brymer, and other authorities. For the restoration of the statue we are indebted to Mr. Markland, who, when the restoration seemed hopeless, offered funds for the attempt, and was nobly supported by the Archdeacon, who kindly furnished labour and materials. It is much to be regretted that accurate drawings to scale have not been made from these fine statues ; every year adds to the risk of similar accidents to that above recorded, and many are the statues and subjects in relief which have already disappeared. In character and detail they are as fine and as carefully executed as any of our early monumental effigies." The Ri:v. Edward Cutis exhibited an interesting series of drawings, accompanied by the following letter : — " Through the kindness of the Rev. James Bell, of Doncaster, I have the pleasure of sending some drawings, which I think may be interesting to the Society : — " A few weeks ago a crypt was opened under one of the side chapels of Doncaster church, the interior of this crypt is represented in the drawing : the vault is about 18 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 9 feet high. On removing the paving-stones at the entrance to the church-door, a round well or shaft is disclosed, which must be descended by a ladder, and then a few steps lead to the door of the crypt, which is seen on the left side of the drawing. At the end of the vault is a trefoil headed window, which appears to have opened into the churchyard, before the ground was raised so as to conceal it. Beyond the second rib is an opening in the roof, which appears to have been constructed for the purpose of throwing down the bones which now lie in the vault. " The vaulting rests on moulded ribs ; and one very interesting feature of the discovery is, that several fragments of ancient grave stones are worked up in the vaulting. " The style of this crypt is clearly early in the Early English period ; the moulding of one of the vaulting ribs very much resembles in character a moulding at Clee church, Lincolnshire — a church which has a dedication stone, giving us its date, 1192, a.d. This then may probably be about the date of this crypt ; and therefore none of the monumental stones used in the vaulting can be of later date. It is not unusual to find monumental stones thus used up in the fabric of churches, for instance at Bakewell, in many of the churches of Jersey, <kc. The series here disclosed presents several very beautiful designs, but only one novel one, viz., a ship (see woodcuts). I should think that none of the slabs, two only excepted, which may be rather more ancient, are much earlier than our limiting date, 1192 ; indeed I should have been inclined to think some of them of even a later period. " On one, in addition to a very beautiful cross, we have the very commoD emblem of the shears, whose meaning appears yet undetermined.