198 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 174. 



low chairs of a massive eeclesiastical character. 

 The right-hand figure (which is headless) holds 

 an open volume, and is apparelled in chasuble and 

 alb. The left-hand figure is seated on a more 

 highly-decorated seat, wears a crown, and is 

 bearded ; is vested in chasuble, alb, and dalmatic ; 

 and, though the hands are deficient, evidently did 

 not, like the other figure, bear an open volume. 

 Both figures face to the east. The upper part of 

 the back of the chair is filled in with a pointed 

 arch, cusped, and highly ornamented ; the arcs 

 being divided into smaller cusps, Avhich terminate 

 (as do the larger) with leaves and trefoils carved 

 with great richness. In the spandrels of the cusps 

 are birds with , outspread wings, bearing labels. 

 Those on the left appear to be eagles ; those on 

 the right have long bills, and may be intended for 

 pelicans. The large right-hand spandrel of the 

 arch contains a figure of the Virgin Mary, crowned 

 as " the Queen of Heaven," clad in long flowing 

 drapery, with her hands upiaised, apparently in 

 benediction, and her hair loose and streaming. 

 Near to her is her emblem, the pot of lilies ; the 

 pot being much decorated, the lilies five in num- 

 ber. It stands upon a label, whose folds fill up 

 the rest of the spandrel. The left-hand large 

 spandrel contains the figure of an angel feathered 

 to the elbow and knee, his wings outspread, and 

 a label proceeding from one hand. The arms 

 of the chair are divided into two parts. The first 

 part terminates in a graceful curve, supporting a 

 figure : the second part is continued with a curve, 

 carried on into the wings of a figure kneeling 

 upon one knee : the intervals are filled up with 

 open Gothic work. The four figures on the arms 

 are all angels, whose wings are made to rest upon, 

 or join into, the curved form of the chair-arm. 

 They all face to the east, and are clad in loose 

 drapery ; the folds of which (as in the cases of the 

 other figures) are carved with great minuteness, 

 and disposed with much knowledge of artistic 

 effect. The upper left-hand figure holds a trum- 

 pet ; that on the right a stringed instrument, 

 ■which neither resembles the Grecian, Roman, 

 Jewish, or Egyptian lyre, but has precisely the 

 same form as the modern " banjo" of the negroes. 

 Of the two angels on the lower divisions of the 

 arm, the one on the right bears a legend, and the 

 one on the left appears to have done the same, but 

 the arms have been broken off. These legends 

 may have been illuminated with texts of Scripture, 

 &c. The sides of the chair are recessed, and filled 

 in with a species of Gothic tracery that is appa- 

 rently of later date than the rest. The front of 

 the chair is panelled, and the foot is decorated 

 with quatrefoils in high relief. 



During the sleep of indifferentism which fell upon 

 the church towards the close of the past century, 

 all interest attaching to the chair seems to have 

 been forgotten ; and, after a lapse of years, it was 



discovered by the late Mr. Heathcote, of Coning- 

 ton Castle, in a room of the belfry of the church, 

 where it had been thrust aside with other things 

 as useless lumber, and daubed with the whitewash 

 and paint of the generations of workmen who had 

 cleansed their brushes on its broad surface. Mr. 

 Heathcote, with a praiseworthy regard for a relic 

 of so much interest, resolved to replace the chair 

 in the position it had formerly occupied in the 

 chancel of the church : but before this could be 

 done, it was necessary to repair the ill usage which 

 the chair had received, and to restore it, as much 

 as possible, to its original condition. It was 

 accordingly confided to trustworthy and skilful 

 hands ; the old ornamental portions were replaced, 

 and the chair was in every way restored strictly 

 in accordance with its original design. It is now 

 in a good state of repair, and will probably I'emain 

 for many ages a mute memorial of that tragic 

 scene in which it once played its part. 



And, could we imagine the Dryad that watched 

 over its forest-birth had filled its oaken frame 

 with speech and feeling : or that a greater Power 

 had put a voice into its shape, and caused the 

 beam out of its timber to cry out against that 

 cruel death- scene in the banquet-hall of Fother- 

 ingay, we might almost suppose it to have de- 

 nounced the English Queen in the words of the 

 Prophet Habakkuk (ii. 10, 11.) : 



" Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting 

 off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul. 

 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam 

 out of the timber shall answer it." 



And, so long as that chair remains in the church 

 of Conington, and the stones of the banquet-hall 

 of Fotheringay form a portion of its castle, so long 

 shall that cry go up to heaven, and tell the hapless 

 doom of Mary Stuart ! Cuthbeet Bede, B.A. 



INEDITED LETTER OF WAEREN HASTINGS. 



The subjoined letter, believed to be unpublished, 

 is so characteristic of the energy and decision of 

 the great governor-general of India, that I think it 

 worth recording in your publication. It appears 

 to be written and signed by him immediately after, 

 as when it came into my possession the bright sand 

 then in use was adherent more or less to the whole 

 document. Sir Philip Francis and the other 

 signature are in a different ink, and were so awk- 

 wardly in their place, that it would indicate that 

 those signatures were previously obtained. 



^ ^ H.W.D. 



" To Capt. Robinson, Commander of the Morning 

 Star. 



" Sir, 



(^Secret Department.) 



" You are hereby commanded to proceed down 

 the Eiver with this Tide, to seize all the French 



