Uses of the Round Towers of Ireland, fyc. 



235 



six inches in width at its capitals, and one foot nine inches at its bases, and 

 four feet four inches, in height, from the floor to the vertex of the arch. The 

 jambs are three feet seven inches in height, and one foot three inches in breadth. 

 At the base of the jamb on the west side there is a fourth step, nine inches in 

 height and five in breadth, and running parallel with the wall ; but its use 

 it would now be difficult to conjecture. 



The outer division of this inner archway, as in the first compound archway 

 already described, presents a semi-column at each of its angles, with a human 

 head as a capital. The head at the west side exhibits the 

 hair arranged in massive curls over the forehead, while the 

 space at the back of the head and under the cheek is filled 

 with a flowery interlaced ornament, which springs from an 

 angular moulding at each side of the semi-circular shaft, as 

 shown above. The head, forming the capital at the east 

 side, exhibits the hair divided over the forehead, a plain 

 moustache, and the hair arranged in straight plaits under the 

 chin, from ear to ear, as shown in the annexed wood -cut : 



2 H 2 



