MONUMENTAL EFFIGIES hood has the flapped opening over the left ear found in connection with the con- tinuous hauberk, and is confined round the temples by a wide outer fillet as well as with a narrow band interlaced with the mail. The surcote is long and full, the knees encased in poleyns, and the mail sleeves of the hauberk tightened at the wrist with a strap. The feet shod with prick spurs rest against a lion, and the head upon a single pillow supported at the ends in an uncommon manner by branches with ivy and conven- tional leaves. The gigue and sword-belt are barred or checked as in the De L'Isle effigy, after an early method of ornamenting the tongue-holes of the buckles. It is difficult to say whether this remarkable figure is a mere effigy from a sculptor's stock. It is just possi- ble that it is the result of a special order and an attempted portrait.' A De Ros, about 1300. Braunston. The cross-legged effigy of a De Ros in hard red sandstone exhibits the military equipment of a knight in the last quarter of the thirteenth century, and varying but slightly from the examples already noticed. Thus the hood is bound round the brow by a studded fillet, the knees cased in poleyns of plate or cuir-houilli and the lengthysurcote more freely treated. The attachment of the ends of the sword-belt to the scabbard is an early but not complete instance of a picturesque method which prevailed with many varieties until far into the following century, being finally superseded by the long series of locketted scabbards. The rowelled spurs are early examples, and similarly indicate the ad- vance in the details of military harness. The head, sheltered by a canopy — which has pre- vented the sculptor from representing the mail beyond the convenient reach of his tools — rests upon two pillows, flanked by censing angels, and the feet upon two beasts trampling upon a hooded ecclesiastic. Below the right elbow is shown an animal curled up, some- thing like a squirrel. Between the feet is sculptured a large rosette consisting of a centre and three concentric sets of leaves, and below the right foot is another rosette formed of a centre and twelve single leaves. These are evidently allusive to the name of Ros. It
- With regard to portraiture in the recumbent
effigies, which give so human an interest to cathe- drals and churches throughout the country, the conditions under which they were executed during the Middle Ages were generally quite unfavourable to likenesses being effected ; indeed, it was only under very exceptional circumstances that this end was sought for or attained. In Northamptonshire, for example, absolute and early evidence is fur- nished on this point by the Purbeck marble effigy of Sir David de Esseby at Castle Ashby, who died before 1268. This figure bears so striking a re- semblance to the figure of William Longspee the younger in Salisbury Cathedral, that the one might almost be mistaken for the other. Both must be the work of the same school, perhaps of the same sculptor at Purbeck, but both cannot be portraits. They represent, as closely as the intractable ma- terial would admit, knights of the period, quel- conques, and must have formed part of a certain number of effigies kept in stock. Again, taking other early examples, and from a famous series, the effigies in the Temple church, one would like to think that those dignified figures, which suffered such disastrous treatment fifty years ago, are accurate presentments of the Marshals and others ; but almost a counterpart of one of them, also lying on his sword, and with the rare attribute of closed eyes, is to be found in the effigy of Sir Gerard de L'Isle (died about 1287) at Stowe-nine-Churches. It may be here recalled that portraiture was sometimes carried out in early times, in exceptional cases, with great success. The four royal effigies, which after many vicissitudes are still preserved at Fontevrault, should be mentioned as highly im- portant examples, although neither sculptured in England nor in the English fashion. Of these the figures of Henry II. (died 1189) and Richard I. (died 1 199) lie upon draped biers after the French fashion, with closed eyes as if laid out in death. They are shown habited in regal vestments, and were originally carefully painted and decorated, the shaven faces of the two kings being stippled to the life. The countenances much resemble each other, and to the extent that might be expected between father and son. On the other hand, and arguing from the kings to the queens, there seems no reason why the effigies of Eleanor of Guienne, queen of Henry II. (died I 204), and Isabella of Angouleme, second wife of John (died 1 246), should not be sufficiently faithful likenesses also ; indeed, the countenances of the effigies of these exalted ladies are so unlike that no other con- clusion could be rightly arrived at. And similarly of Berengeria of Navarre, queen of Richard I. (died about 1230), whose interesting effigy at Mans fully bears out the accounts of her beauty which history has transmitted. On the other hand, again, the coarse figure which lay over the Lion Heart of Richard I. in Rouen Cathedral is little more than a conventional effigy. The Pur- beck marble statue of King John at Worcester (died 1216), ignorantly gilded from head to foot in modern times by a governmental ' department,' is a further example, and highly valuable as the earliest portrait effigy of a king in England, for the figures of Henrj- I. and his queen on either side of the western doorway of Rochester Cathe- dral have nearly perished. A noteworthy example of portraiture is shown by the latten effigy of Henry III. in the Abbey 397
