ternal stanchions and saddle-bars were corroded through, and, unfortunately, had to be renewed. The glazing is modern, with the exception of the ancient fragments re-leaded in the centre of the eastern window. Probably the windows had been re-glazed, to a great extent, in the "restoration" of fifty years ago; but the lead frets were again in a very bad condition and much of the glass broken. The church being extremely damp, the external ground was excavated, and a channel formed round the north, east, and south walls. The earth had accumulated-in the way usual in churchyards-against the external walls. The unsightly modern western gallery, no longer required, was removed. The open wooden floors under the seats had been attacked by dry-rot. The space below the floors was therefore filled in, and solid floors constructed. The pews and wooden fittings were retained, but they, together with the roof-timbers, were stained green. The walls were re-pointed outside. A large extent of the internal wall plastering was in a very decayed state, and had to be removed and renewed. In carrying out this work the ancient plastering was brought to light. The surface, however, had been terribly hacked, and was in an advanced state of decay. It was found impossible to preserve it. A sufficient extent of ancient surface was exposed to show that all walls had apparently originally been decorated. The scheme was that of black-lettered wording within decorated borders. On the east wall, to the north of the window, could be traced 66 pray ye.. ther which art in" "After This evidently is taken from Matt., vi, 9. this manner, therefore, pray ye Our Father which art in," etc. The lettering consisted of black letters on a white ground, contained in an orange-coloured border, decorated with red streaks at right angles to, and between, two black lines. At a lower level, and on other portions of walls, there were signs of a yellow decoration. Specimens of the letters are given in Fig. 12. The church contains three sepulchral slabs, all more ancient than the structure. The lower portion of the slab, Fig. 13, has disappeared. The remains of the stem of a cross can be traced in incised lines down the centre of the stone. The head of the cross is contained within a sunk circle, and consists of four raised incomplete circles, set diagonally, and touching each other. The stone is too far worn to ascertain whether the circles were in any further way worked. The cross-stem has a knop immediately below the head. There is a small circular sinking to the left of the stem. The slab had been used in the floor of the porch; but it has now been taken into the church and erected against the west wall. The sepulchral slab, Fig. 14, was lying loose on the floor of the church. It has now been set erect, against the west wall, behind the font. The slab contains a cross, with a three-stepped calvary, a stem widening towards the top, and a foliated head, contained within a circle. A Maltese cross, with a four-lobed flower in the centre, occupies the middle of the cross-head. Between the arms of the Maltese cross are narrow leaves set diagonally, and beyond the arms are leaves arranged as in the fleur-de-lys. On the left of the stem is a running band of foliage. An inscription is carried down the other side the stem, near the edge of the stone. It runs: "HIC: IACET: GWIALIMA: UXOR: GRONW: VO[. .]."1 The top of the stone is missing. The lower left corner is broken off. The slab in character resembles the "Ellena" slab at Newborough, illustrated in Archaologia Cambrensis, 1895. The latter differs in that the head is contained within a square, the two sides of the stem are parallel, and the running band of foliage is missing. The slab is of fourteenth-century character. The carving is shallow, and the execution of no very high order. Fig. 15 is the lower portion of a sepulchral slab, now set against the west wall. An inscription runs down the centre, returns along the bottom and partially up the left edge of the stone. It reads: "[HI]C IACET: HOWEL : AP : H [. . .] AP : MAREDUD.” The T in IACET is reversed. A sword occupies the right division of the stone, and three four-lobed flowers, near the base, are doubtless inserted to give balance to the general composition. A running band of foliage, 1 Professor J. E. Lloyd, to whom I have submitted a drawing of this slab, writes:-"I am inclined to think GwIALIMA is the graver's way of spelling what was given as Gwenliana, i.e., GWENLLIAN. It certainly cannot be brought into closer relation to any other ordinary Welsh female name. 2 Arch. Camb., Ser. 5, vol. xii, p. 120. |