82 



is worn on the wrist, instead of being held in the hand, as was the more ancient 

 custom, thus allowing that this painting is not much earlier than 1100, as the 

 change seems to have taken place in the latter jjart of the eleventh century. 



The mitre is not white, as one might expect, but pale red ; it is of the 

 earliest form, and appears either to be worn over a coif, or to have a sort of veil 

 hanging down behind. The crozier is a simple crook, like that found on a bishop's 

 tomb at Durham. At the feet of the bishop, on his right side, is a sort of vase or 

 pitcher, possibly intended for a cruet or chalice. On the left is a yellow circle, 

 enclosing a blue cross ; this looks very like a dedication cross, and perhaps is one, 

 but it is not impossible that it may be a paten. 



The coloured decoration is continued over the chancel arch, which is in two 

 plain square orders. The outer order is ornamented with a sort of Mosaic pattern, 

 arranged in zig-zags. The inner order has 10 yellow roundels bordered with red. 



Considerable damage has been done to the north and south walls of the 

 chancel by two priests' doors which have been broken through the wall, and by 

 the insertion of a rude arch-headed recess, which was either an aumbry or an 

 Easter sepulchre. 



NAVE. 



The only painting in the nave which appears to be contemporaneous with 

 the Norman building is the large one over the chancel arch, representing Christ 

 in majesty and the last judgment ; it is much damaged, and part of it is still 

 concealed by the modern ceiling. The figure of Christ, however, and archangels 

 blowing trumpets, are still distinguishable. The other paintings are probably 

 not earlier than the 15th and 16th centuries. On the jamb of the small Norman 

 window in the north wall there are figures of St. Michael and a female saint. 

 Between it and the next window there is a curious wheel, of 10 circles, the 

 meaning of which is not easy to make out. On one of the jambs of the southern 

 Perpendicular window there is the figure of an archbishop, and the wall west of it 

 has a number of paintings, which seem to be of a still later date. 



Paintings like these latter are far from rare in English churches ; but I 

 believe we might search in vain for another instance of paintings like those in the 

 chancel and over the chancel arch, of a date so early as the beginning of the 12th 

 century, and with the unity of motive and completeness of design. The nearest 

 to these in date are, I believe, the paintings in the chancel walls of Chaldron 

 church, Sussex, representing the "Scala humanae salvationis,"but they are at least 

 half a century later than the examples before us. 



It will be worth our while t(p compare a very interesting passage in the 

 " Ratio Divinorum OfEciorum " of Durandus, I., III., 7, 12, which, omitting the 

 24 elders, might almost be a description of these paintings. The great work of 

 Durandus was perhaps better known and more vndely spread than that of any 

 other author of the early Middle Ages, and there can be little doubt that whoever 

 executed these paintings was well acquainted with the following passage :— 



