304 Account of an Jncieni Monument 



Here, De Vefcy was probably buried, and I 

 conceive the monument before us to have form- 

 ed the covering of his ftone coffin. 



It appears, from an infpeftion of many ancient 

 monuments, that the crofs was a common orna- 

 ment for the covers of ftone coffins, both before 

 and after the conqueft. Several fpecimens of 

 this kind are brought together, in Gough's fe- 

 pulchral monuments : in fome, the crofs is 

 accompanied with the armorial bearings of the 

 perfon interred. Our artift, with more tafte, 

 has introduced the arms and infignia of Vefcy, 

 ifi a kind of trophy, with very elegant fillets. I 

 am not quite fatisfied about the meaning of the 

 wheel contained in the creft. Moft of the crof^is 

 I have mentioned have a circular ornament on 

 the top, fometimes enclofing a quatrefoil. The 

 wheel, in this inftance may allude to Vefcy's tra- 

 vels. Or more probably it is that bearing known 

 in books of heraldry, by the name of the Cathe- 

 rine-Wheel ; a bearing, according to the Acci- 

 dence of armory, proper to the moft honourable 

 perfons only. It would be inaccurate not to ob- 

 ferve, that the form of this wheel is different 

 from that given to the Catherine-Wheel by the 

 heralds -, for in this before us, there are two con- 

 centric circles, in the outer of which, radii, like 

 fpokes, are drawn to the circumference ; but 

 whether this be a piece of ingenious flattery, by 

 which the honour of the wheel is doubled, or 



whether 



