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by perpendicular curved bars of various thicknesses, some much wider than the others: the wider ones, 2 in. broad by in. thick, form the principal divisions, which are again subdivided by other and thinner bars-all, however, following the same curve; and, lastly, the spaces thus obtained are filled with foliage of the most varied and beautiful description. This foliage is formed of iron bars, ornamented on their front surface with various mouldings, and bent into the required curves; and on to them are welded sundry leaves, stamped when hot by means of an iron mould. Now when a stalk springs from the main divisions, or whenever a leaf is welded on to a stalk, the point of junction is concealed by an ornament. In the former case it is a six-leaved rose, of which there are two varieties, one large and the other small. In the latter case, however, the expedients are more various: sometimes it is effected by means of another leaf, with a small stalk welded on to the point of junction, and then turned back so as effectually to hide the said welding point; sometimes several small leaves are thus employed, but not unfrequently an ornamental band goes three parts round the point of junction at right angles to the curve. As to the leaves themselves, I counted about six varieties, but looking at the work as a whole, nobody would suspect the designs to be so few, so well are they arranged. The curved bars connecting the top and bottom rails, and forming the divisions of the compartments, are likewise stamped on their faces with mouldings, of which there are about four varieties; and the same thing may be said of the stalks. I should mention that a very curious ornament occurs in the larger curved bars, viz., sundry little studs or nails inserted at regular intervals and riveted on the back. The same thing occurs in some of the roses, but in this case it was formed by drilling a hole in the iron stamp.

From the accounts of the executors of Queen Eleanor, published by the Roxburghe Club, we find that Thomas de Leghton was paid 127. for making this grille, besides 20s. extra for the carriage of the work and for his own and assistants' expenses in London during the fixing. Mr. Digby Wyatt, in his “Metalwork," has conjectured that by Leghton is meant LeightonBuzzard, in Bedfordshire; and he supports his theory by the publication of part of the iron-work on the door of the church at that place, which certainly looks like the work of the same

hand. Another door, with furniture of a similar kind, occurs at Eaton Bray, also in Bedfordshire d.

The railing which separates Archbishop Langham's tomb from the ambulatory may simply be described as a top and bottom rail, with connecting upright bars, 1 in. by 1 in., which end in spikes. The top rail is 2 in. by 1 in., and to it is attached a moulded cornice, 3 in. deep, by means of iron straps which go round it at intervals. The angle uprights, however, are much stouter than the others, being 2 in. by 2 in.; they also rise higher, and end in a moulded and embattled top, which doubtless supported some figure or badge. Again, the angle-pieces do not go through the top rail, which is widened at these points; and notches being made in it, the angleuprights are fixed in the notches, and further secured by tenons and pins.

The iron railings round the tombs of Edward the Black Prince and Henry IV., at Canterbury, are constructed in this manner.

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The next grille in order of time is that which forms the entrance to the under part of the chantry of Henry V. As a

d See Brandon's Analysis.

composition it looks exceedingly elaborate, but when carefully examined it almost resolves itself into the repetition of a single pattern. In fact, if we compare it with the grille of Queen Eleanor's tomb, we find that we have left art and arrived at mere architecture.

The railings which defended the other three sides abutting on to the ambulatory were very plain and solid, and little more than the usual upright and horizontal bars. It will be observed that the other tombs were not defended on the inside, (i. e. the chapel side,) but an exception was made in the present instance, inasmuch as parts (tradition rather varies as to which) of the effigy of Henry V. were covered with plates of silver, and the grille was therefore made very strong and very close. The construction resolves itself into a series of upright and horizontal bars halved into one another and riveted together, the main bars, as usual, being much larger and wider than the rest. In front of the smaller ones is riveted a small circular bowtell, which with the bars themselves is bent at the heads of the compartments into semicircular arches. On the sides of all the bars, both large and small, is a wide and very shallow groove, which serves as a rebate for a series of very small bars, each cusped in the middle, thus forming a sort of tracery resembling a series of squares set one upon another, but with a line drawn from each angle. Behind these, again, we find thin sheet iron pierced with pointed trefoils following the lines of the tracery before mentioned. We learn from Neale, that in his time some of the principal bars were decorated with three gilded fleurs-de-lys on a blue ground and three gilded lions on a red ground, alternating with each other, and the rest had swans and antelopes".

Before leaving the Confessor's Chapel, it may be observed that we have lost the railing of Edward the First's tomb, the angle irons of which were finished by heads; and also that which protected the beautiful work of Queen Philippa's tomb: its history was very curious, it having been bought by her executors and set up here after doing duty round the tomb of a bishop in St. Paul's Cathedral.

We must now proceed to the gates of Henry the Seventh's Chapel, (see Plate I.) These are in brass, that king having evidently thought iron too mean a material for his sumptuous

The smith was Roger Johnson of London.

building. Their construction is of the simplest, being merely skeleton-framed wooden doors covered with cast-brass plates, which, like nearly all the bronzes of the Middle Ages, have been richly gilt. Indeed, the artists of those times appear to have had but little admiration for metal in its oxidised state; and I am by no means certain whether sundry passages in Pliny do not give us very good grounds for supposing that their taste in this matter was shared by the ancient Greeks, who would appear to have possessed the secret of some varnish which preserved the metal from the effects of the weather.

The brass castings covering the wood-work of the gates at present under consideration are seldom in greater lengths than 2 feet 6 inches; and as they are applied in halves at either side of the wood, they are secured to the wood and to each other by means of iron rivets, which pass through sundry small roses occurring at certain intervals on either side. The junctions where the rails and stiles meet, and where consequently the metal is mitred, are covered by large flat roses; but how they are secured from falling out is more than I could discover, although I had the advantage of the experience of my friend Mr. Skidmore, who together with two of his workmen was kind enough to devote some considerable time to the question. Further ornament was obtained by inserting thin bronze castings between the edge-moulds of the back and front pieces, thus filling the panels with pierced ornament from one-eighth to threesixteenths of an inch thick; and as the bronze covering of the rails and stiles finishes with a head, the junction of all the pieces is so well managed that it is difficult at first sight not to believe that the whole was cast in one piece. The buttresses at the edges of the folding doors are also most beautifully worked, and the same may also be said of the single lock-plate, which has escaped the cupidity of those people whom Stowe calls "lewd fellows," one of whom, he tells us, stole away in the year 1569 divers parcels of brass and copper that adorned the tomb, but was afterwards punished. This lock-plate has been published in Wyatt's "Metal-work," but unfortunately, by some mistake, has been coloured to represent iron instead of bronze. Although at first it looks as if made of several plates superposed, as in iron-work, yet it will be found that the artist very properly took advantage of the fusible character of the material he had to work on, and confined himself to two thicknesses

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