6 INSCRIPTION ON THE FONT AT CHELMORTON. 



which plainly allude to the Angel Gabriel appearing to Zachariah 

 to foretell the birth of the Baptist ; * and at Mugginton the 

 third bell has : — 



"In multis annis resonat campana Johannis,"t 

 which carries us a little nearer ; but still we desiderate inscrip- 

 tions where each letter is the beginning of and represents a 

 word. There is no doubt that the Jews used such symbols. 

 Thus the awful AGLA, the most potent of all exorcisms, is 

 formed from the initials of the Hebrew words, Atha gebir 

 leilam Adonai — "Thou art mighty for ever, O Lord ! " X This 

 word was found written on a slip of parchment in a cavity in 

 the stem of a wooden crucifix, which formerly belonged to the 

 Priory of Gisborne, Yorkshire. § Around medals stamped with 

 " the Cross of St. Benedict," ran the legend VRSNSMVS 

 M Q L I V B, which are the initials of the quatrain : — 



" Vade retro, Satana, 

 Ne suade mihi vana. 

 Sunt mala, quse libas ; 

 Ipse venena bibas."** 



Christian inscriptions, in fact, were often formed from the 

 initials of words. 



The engraving here given very accurately represents the 

 eight sides of the Chelmorton font, with the engravings upon 

 them, and it is the largest size that the length of a page would 

 allow in order that the best representation of the engravings 

 might be shown. It was impossible to represent the octagon 

 and all its sides at one view, and it was the best course to 

 represent it as it is here, and to request the reader to bear in 

 mind that each compartment represents one of the sides of the 

 octagon, and that the last compartment, at one end adjoins the 

 first at the other end upon the font. The place for the 

 division was selected because one part of the inscription will 

 be shown to end there. It should be noticed that the inscrip- 

 tion on each side of the octagon does not occupy the whole 

 of it, but has a small space on each side of it free from any 



* Luke i. 1 1-19. t 3 Cox's Derbyshire Churches, 223. J XXVI. Arch. J., 229. 

 § XXIV. Arch. J., 68. ** XXVI. Arch. J., 230. 



