Uses of the Round Towers of Ireland, fyc. 



233 



the annexed ground plan, to which I add a vertical section, to show the man- 

 ner in which the floor rises towards the interior by a succession of three steps. 



On its external face the outer arch rests on a sill projecting from the face 

 of the wall, and is ornamented on each side with two semicolumns and other 

 mouldings. The capitals of the shafts are decorated with human heads ; and the 

 bases, which are in better preservation than the capitals, present, at their alter- 

 nate eastern angles, a similar human head, and, at their alternate western angles, 

 a figure not unlike an hour-glass. The architrave, on its external face, is more 

 simply decorated, but on its soffit it presents an ornament, which may be de- 

 scribed as a pellet and bead moulding, as shown in the an- 

 nexed sketch. The measurement of the shafts of this external 

 arch, including the bases and capitals, is five feet eight inches. 

 The breadth, at the spring of the arch, is three feet nine 

 inches, and at the base, four feet ; and the entire height of 

 the arch is seven feet six inches. The jambs of this outer division splay by an 

 obtuse angle to the second or recessed arch, which is ornamented somewhat 

 similarly to the first, except that the soffit of the arch is more highly enriched, 

 presenting a diagonal panneling, which forms a chevron moulding at its corners. 

 The jambs of this second arch, which are one foot three inches in width, are 

 rounded into semi-columns at their angles ; and, though their bases present no 

 decorations, their imposts, or capitals, if such they may be called, which are 

 more of the nature of friezes, are ornamented in a very elegant style of design, 

 and are fortunately in a high state of preservation. These jambs, including the 



VOL. xx. 2 H 



