SHREWSBURY. I19 



mfonned, coft about two hundred pounds. Its exe- 

 cution was infinitely fuperior to any thing that I had 

 before feen in glafs. A figure reprefenting Faith is 

 in the attitude of kneeling on a crofs. Her arms are 

 extended towards a crown, which appears from the 

 clouds ; and the countenance bears an interefling 

 expreflion of mingled adoration and wifdom. " Be 

 thou faithful unto death, and I will t-Ive thee a crown 

 of life," is the motto. The lights appeared to me 

 well difpofed, and the drapery good. The colours 

 are fo managed as to prevent any glaring effecl 

 from the paifage of light through a tranfparent 

 medium ; a fault too often obfervable in paintings 

 on glafs. 



This church is fald to have been founded by the 

 heroine Elfieda, the daughter of king Alfred. Ths 

 body of the building is modern, but the tower and 

 fpire appear of confiderable antiquity. 



In the year 1621, about four yards of the top of the 

 fpire were taken down, and rebuilt by a man of the 

 name of Archer, who came from St. Alban's. His 

 fool-hardy feats are yet in the mouths of the inhabit- 

 ants. On Saturday, the 2 2d of February, he climbed 

 up the outfide of the fpire to the top, and brought 

 down the weather-cock, notwithftandinp; its fize and 

 weight were fuch that he could v/ith difficultv hold 

 it. On the 3d of March he climb ed up again, and 

 put the WTaiher-cock in its former place, turning it 

 about feveral times, (landing upright on the mm. 

 crofs, and fliaking both his hands and legs. In the 



jollovv- 



