Page:County Churches of Cornwall.djvu/60

38 THE CHURCHES OF CORNWALL Later heraldic bearings maybe noticed on the benches of Braddock, St. Gwincar, and Landulph. St. Teath has a large number of these bench-ends still pre- served, as well as the old benches themselves. Several of them bear the monogram I H C and a crowned M for the Blessed Virgin. These two designs are repeated in various churches, as well as different forms of the Latin and St. Andrew's cross. Occasionally there are special varieties, such as the Virgin and St. Joseph, with a bullock's head between them, at Davidstow, a satirical one at Padstow of a fox preaching to geese, a merman at Gwinear, and a mermaid at Zennor. But by far the commonest subject for treatment on these bench-ends are the many symbols of the Passion, arranged after various fashions, but, for the most part, having only one or two symbols on the same panel. Such are — the crown of thorns, the nails and hammer, the reed and spear, the vesture, the dice, the pillar and scourges, the ladder, the pierced hands and feet, and the cock of St. Peter's betrayal. These symbols are pre- dominant among the notable bench-ends of the church of Launcells. Various other examples of them may be noticed at the churches of St. Teath, Michaelstow, St. Breward, and Laneast, and further W. at St. Mullion and St. Keverne. Some forty or fifty years ago it was almost impossible to find a church anywhere in the county without a considerable