blessing or curse from the lips of their Divine Judge. On the transept walls seem to be represented the punishments of the condemned, though not very distinct, and there are the remains of later paintings, the subjects of which are also uncertain. On the interior of the tympanum of the Norman south doorway is a scroll and foliage pattern in grey with some lettering of the fifteenth century.

The beautiful church of Bishops Cleeve, near Cheltenham, in this same county, has recently been undergoing restoration, and on the occasion of a visit to it last October, to renew my acquaintance with the magnificent late Norman work with which it abounds, several paintings were noted as having been recently brought to light. In the south transept is a blocked Norman south window, with considerable remains of decoration, a bold scroll in red, starting from a head in the centre of a pale grey colour, and alternate squares of red and grey round the head, and a masonry pattern of double red lines enclosing cinquefoils on the splays. On some steps in the sill of the window is a lozenge pattern in grey. All the colouring seems to be of thirteenth century date. In the east wall of the north transept is a semi-circular headed monumental recess, and at the back a rather indistinct painting of the Crucifixion. In the centre is our crucified Saviour, with the Blessed Virgin and St. John the Evangelist on either side. On the south is a figure of St. John the Baptist holding a medallion on which is represented the Agnus Dei, while on the north side is a royal personage crowned but not nimbed. Behind the figure of the Virgin, which is on the north side, is a small kneeling portraiture of the donor. The only colours now visible are deep red and vermilion, and the date seems to be of the latter part of the reign of Edward III. or the second half of the fourteenth century. On the north wall of the north aisle is part of an early text with red and yellow border, and the lower portion of a richly coloured representation of St. Christopher of fifteenth century date. There is some earlier colouring mixed up with this painting, and traces of texts, etc. on other parts of the north wall, which have not yet been explored.

In a beautiful chapel on the south side of the south aisle is the effigy of a lady with considerable remains of the original decoration. On the walls of the parvise over the south porch are several large subjects said to have been executed by a schoolmaster. who formerly officiated there. There is a battle scene with elephants, etc. a lion, tiger, skeleton, and portrait of the schoolmaster, all exhibiting considerable merit. They are stated to have been painted in 1817.

At the interesting abbey of Hailes, visited on the same day as Bishops Cleeve, I found most of the objects which had been discovered during the recent excavations had been locked up, but a series of six very large and most beautiful bosses from the Chapter House roof were still on view. These were of the thirteenth century. All have bold foliage sculptured on them, and bear strong traces of gilding and red, green, and blue colouring. On one is a representation of Samson slaying the lion. A figure with long garment and hair is standing over the lion and wrenching open its jaws with his hands. Both figures are painted red, and the sculpture is admirably rendered.

At Fairford, in the same county, on the piers of the tower arches of the well-known church are some paintings which do not seem to have been satisfactorily explained. On the north-east pier is a large figure of an ecclesiastic, with a hermit's cell above him, holding a crozier, and another can be discerned on the north-west pier. On the south-east pier is a representation of the Crucifixion with the Virgin and St. John, and in a hollow moulding on either side are the implements of the Passion, viz. a ladder, lance and reed, cup, the dice, etc. These date from the early part of the sixteenth century.

At Kelmscott Church, Oxfordshire, there are considerable remains of mural paintings, though more. might, I think, still be uncovered. The arches of the north nave arcade of transitional Norman character have been decorated with red colouring. There is a bold scroll on the faces and soffits of the arches and a trellis pattern on the eastern respond. In the north transept have been a series of subjects under rounded trefoiled

arches with heads painted between the arches, which are coloured in red and yellow. The subjects on the west and north walls are not clear, but on the east is the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, two of the scenes depicting the daughter of Herodias dancing, turning a somersault, before Herod, and the executioner with the head of the saint on a charger. The date seems to be late in the thirteenth century.

I have received information from the Rev. E. H. Goddard of the finding of some paintings at South Newington, in Oxfordshire, which I have not yet had an opportunity of inspecting. The following subjects are stated to be still visible. On the jamb of the east window of the north aisle is a portraiture of St. Margaret. On jambs of window in the north wall are the Virgin and Child and two kneeling donors, and probably the Annunciation with kneeling figure of donor and armorial shield below. Farther west is a large and somewhat confused subject, alleged to represent the martyrdom of St. Thomas of Canterbury.

At Maids Moreton Church in Buckinghamshire, during the recent restoration, two paintings were brought to light in the chancel. One on the south side on the back of the sedilia represents the Last Supper. It is somewhat fragmentary, but the table can be made out, and part of the figure of our Lord and His hand pushing the sop across to Judas, who has a bag in his hand. Traces of the other Apostles are also discernible. The colours used are grey, red, and brown. On the corresponding space on the north side of chancel is the Crucifixion, but the whitewash has been only partially removed, so that the lower part alone of the subject is visible. The paintings seem to be of the same date as the church, or about the year 1480. At Great Missenden Church, in the same county, visited in February of the present year, while still undergoing restoration, are considerable remains of decoration. Several niches have been very richly coloured, one large one in the north transept or chapel having a very beautiful pattern of pomegranates on the back, with the outline of the statue which once stood there clearly defined. It is doubtless very late and probably about the year 1500.

At Drayton Church, Berkshire, some portions of a very highly decorated reredos, formerly stowed away in the church chest, have again been brought to light, and are now placed in the sill of a window on the east side of the south transept. There are six subjects arranged from north to south in the following order: (i) The Assumption of the Virgin; (ii) the Annunciation; (iii) the Adoration of the Magi; (iv) the Betrayal; (v) the Scourging; and (vi) the Entombment, with the Marys at the Sepulchre. The date is probably early fifteenth century. At Kingston Lisle, in the same county, visited in 1896, are several paintings which have been described in the Reliquary, VI. new series, 143. The subjects are in the chancel, and all are on a deep red ground. In the splays of the east window are fullsized figures of St. Peter and St. Paul of fifteenth century date. On either side of the east window is a painted niche with a figure depicted on the wall above it. On the north wall are two scenes in the history of St. John the Baptist, viz. Herodias's daughter dancing in the usual conventional fashion before Herod, and presenting her mother with the head of St. John on a charger. These seem to be of the fourteenth century. On the upper splay of the north window is the head of our Lord with cruciform nimbus. On the east wall are painted the folds of a curtain, and there are zigzag borderings and other traces on various portions of the chancel walls, red being the predominant colour. At the desecrated Norman church at Hatford, in the same county, are remains of decoration, which have been brought to light by the falling away of the whitewash. On the south wall of the nave are two figures under a canopy, perhaps the Annunciation, and masonry and other ornamental patterns are everywhere visible. In the splays of the Norman windows in the chancel are red roses, and there are other remains in this part of the church. In the Reliquary, VI. new series, 147, is an illustration of the subject of the Crucifixion, stated to be still visible in 1892 on the walls of this church.

The very ancient church of Ford, near Arundel, in Sussex, has recently been undergoing restoration, and a

visit was paid to it last November.' On the north wall of the nave is part of what is said to be a Saxon consecration cross, and varied decoration, partly, perhaps, of the Norman period. On the south wall is a figure of our Lord with a group of other personages, and on the east splay of the east window probably the Agony in the Garden. Over the chancel arch is a large representation of the Doom, of the fifteenth century. On the north side are one or two groups of small heads with yellow hair. On the south near the middle are two groups of heads, and above the lower a large shield with the thumb of the angel holding it, probably as a protection against a demon, to the south of it. The group below no doubt represents the saved passing to the north. In the south corner are several demons, more heads, and probably the jaws of Hell. The figures are about two feet high, and the treatment of the subject is similar to that at Ashmansworth. In the south transept at Boxgrove, visited on the following day, is some decorative colouring not previously noted. Within a blocked Norman window in the east wall is a painted niche, and on the same wall a masonry pattern of double lines and foliage, and perhaps a portion of a large subject. In the south-west corner is a small figure and an indistinct object below it.

At Breamore Church, Hampshire, visited in May, 1898, is the interesting sculpture of the Rood, now within the south porch over the south doorway, and described in Vol. LV. p. 86, of our Society's journal. The figures of our Lord on the Cross with the Virgin and St. John have been sculptured in stone, while the intervening wall spaces have been painted with a church, etc. and the sacred monogram and other decorations appear on the east and west walls. The treatment is less elaborate, but carried out on the same principle as the well known representation of the Doom at Wenhaston Church, Suffolk.

At the little church of Ashmansworth, also in Hampshire, some early painting had been previously discovered on the north side of the chancel, which was referred to

1 A full description of the church and its paintings has been communicated to the Sussex Archæological Collections,

xliii. 105, by Mr. P. M. Johnston, the architect for the restoration of the church.