centuries, and by ruder violence, that new glass eyes had to be put into their sockets. These were made to look as nearly like the old as the connoisseurs of Birmingham could produce them. All the old figures and emblems were reproduced with almost photographic exactness, and it was thought and hoped that the modern colours would rival the ancient in fixity as well as brilliancy of tinting. But only forty years of exposure have disclosed the difference between modern and ancient art in this respect, and already some of the names and figures inscribed begin to soften off into that mellow and confused obscurity which distinguishes some of Turner's pictures. The Black Prince was one of the royal patrons of Coventry and its guilds, and one of the shields bears his crest and motto, Ich dien, above, and "Cressy," beneath, with the date of the battle, "1346." It is rather remarkable that this prince of blue Norman blood should have chosen two German words for his motto; and if he did, it is equally remarkable that Prince Albert should have adopted the same, unless he could trace back his descent to that redoubtable warrior. The elephant and castle are the arms of Coventry, and these have a conspicuous place in the heraldic symbols that line the interior walls and embellish the windows. It is rather interesting to conjecture the source or suggestion of this cognizance of the city. It was incorporated in 1346, several centuries
