about 21 inches long; the letters, almoft an inch in height, being cut out in old church-characters, not very eafy to be imitated now, especially in the abbreviations: Diate paials Rogen legch et Elizabeth vs lue qui quidm Rogemus obyt ny die Nouembus Adi af dem Elzabeth vezo obyt 6’die Octobus Kom y tree lefrix quoz sabz piretur de? In English thus: Pray for the fouls of Roger Legh and Elizabeth his wife: which Roger indeed died the 4th day of November, in the year of our Lord 1506; but Elizabeth died the 5th day of October, in the year of our Lord 1489 to whofe fouls may God be propitious. On another plate, juft above this infcription, and clofe joining to the right fide of it, is the figure of a woman, kneeling, with her hands held up together before her breaft, and fix children (probably her daughters) standing behind her. On another, near her mouth, is a label, with these words, in the fame character as before: a dompnaçõe petua liba nos due from perpetual damnation deliver use lord. It It is probable, by the large vacant space over the other end of the former infcription, that there was originally a plate, representing the gentleman and his fons, facing the lady and her daughters because the inscription itself, in a very common form, calls upon every spectator to pray for his and her foul. But this was all in Latin. And it was probable, that the greatest number of spectators would be fuch as understood only the English tongue. Το engage therefore both learned and unlearned to pray for the fouls of Roger and Elizabeth Legh, the most obvious part of the monument was contrived to be an English infcription; raised a confiderable height above the Latin one; ftanding between the space where the lady kneels, and that where the figure of the gentleman probably was; reaching from their elbows up a little above their heads; and confequently fo placed, that both their faces in kneeling must look towards it. The words of this inscription, in the fame character as before, are as follows; in fix lines, fo contrived as to make up the form of an oblong fquare: The * This conjecture is confirmed by the old inhabitants of Macclesfield: who, as the author of this effay is affured by very credi- ble accounts, affirm they have heard that this space had formerly the figure of Roger Legh in it; but that it was broken off, together with other things belonging to the monument, during the civil wars, when the oratory was defaced. For further fatisfaction herein, the plaster of the wall where the monument is fixed was knock'd off, in December or January 1735: and the stone appeared to be cut and hollowed in, as far as the end of the Latin infcription, in the fame form as the plate for the lady and her children. There was likewise a place cut in the stone for a label, answering to that on the other fide: and holes in the stone, with lead in them, for fastening the plates. Theydon fin say is xxb thousand Directly over this infcription, on a plate fomething narrower, but taller, and a little arched at the top, is the figure of a pope, with a triple crown on his head, and a glory round it; kneeling befide a long table, and looking upwards, with his hands together before his breaft. On the table is placed, behind him an open book, and before him either an hour-glafs or a chalice, 'tis doubtful which. The place feems defigned to reprefent a chapel. Under him is a pavement. of chequered marble, or other ftone, black and white. And above him is a representation of our Saviour, looking down upon him, with a large glory round his head, wounds through both his hands, which are held up as high as his fhoulders, and a great wound in his right fide, with feveral drops of blood coming from it. This figure Date p aabz Rogenlegh et Elzabeth bris lue qm qudu kogemus obyt my die Nouembus Adma 6 by Elzabeth! obyt b'de Dctobus Adm cccclxxx quoy mabzmartin Copy of a Monument, in an Oratory at Maccleffield in Cheshire inches high, and broad; first taken, in that size, from Original, in the Year MDCCXXXV, and now reduced to a a fifth facing page 154. |