or debased work, which are generally richly adorned with painting.* These late covers are often flat at the top instead of tapering to a point, which gives a heavy and clumsy appearance. At Burgh, Lincolnshire, is a perfect specimen of the Elizabethan period, which is locked down on one side of the Font. The larger covers are usually fixed and have a compartment opening like a door to give access to the interior of the Font. More generally however they are drawn up by pulleys from the roof, or from under an arch. Sometimes, as at Thaxted and Littlebury, Essex, the entire Font is encased in wood, to which the cover is made to fit. Some Fonts bear Inscriptions. Very ancient examples occur at Lullington, Somerset, Bridekirk, Cumberland (engraved in the Archæologia, vol. ii. p. 131). Stanton Fitz Warren, Wilts, and Little Billing, Northamptonshire. An Early English inseription, in Norman French, is given in our engraving of Keysoc Font, Bedfordshire. Decorated initial letters occur at Shelfanger and Fakenham, Norfolk Stanton Harcourt, Oxon; and at St. Nicholas, Rochester, the word CRISTIAN is engraved in plain early characters on an octagonal Font, each side containing a letter. Perpendicular Fonts more frequently than other exhibit this peculiarity. The example at Bourn, Lincolnshire, is given in our series. At Threckingham, in the same county, a black-letter inscription, which we believe • Lanreath.-Plymstock. Archeologia, vol. ix. p. 134. b 26
