351 



gens auri et argenti et res pretiosje;"* the pious donations of Turlough 

 have been already alluded to,-f he is said to have presented to the 

 churches of Clonmacnois alone, in A, D. 1140, " a number of crosses, 

 goblets, and chalices of solid silver, richly ornamented with gold. "J 

 The golden offerings at the consecration of Mellifont, and on other 

 occasions, have been also already detailed. § In 1186 it has been 

 stated that the chalices were ordered to be of gold or silver, and in 

 the poorer churches of pewter. Cambrensis asserts after all the ra- 

 vages of the Danes, that even in his day Ireland abounded with gold,|} 

 while it is in proof that a present of Irish pearl was made to Anselm, 

 Archbishop of Canterbury, by Gillebert, Bishop of Limerick, about 

 the year 1094,** and it is also of record that " a silver seal of one of 

 the kings of Connaught, and a bit of a bridle of solid gold of ten 

 ounces, which were found in digging in some grounds, were sent as a 

 present to King Charles the First, by the Earl of StafFord."-t-f 



Respecting painting and drawing, we can only at present refer to 

 our former notice of the allegorical sketch that accompanied Gille- 

 bert's tract on clerical ranks. :^J 



Of sculpture, the Church of Dungiven is a testimony, said to 

 have been founded in 1100 by the O'Cahanes, and " exhibiting many 

 tombs of that family, ornamented in no mean style of carving. "§§ 

 There are also many curious ancient Irish crosses referrible to this 

 period, beautifully carved. There was one particularly at Kells, 



• y4n/e, p. 301. f ^nte, pp. 328-9. 



i O'Halloran's Introduction. § Ante, pp. 328-9. 



11 See Pref. to Top. Hib. 

 *• " Munuscnlum paupertatis mese et devotionis transmitto xxv margaritulas inter optimos 

 etviliores'" — Sylloge, p. 61. 



ft Warner, vol. i. p. 49. It An(e, p. 323. 



§§ Sampson's Londonderry, p. 225. 



