THE PAGAN-CHRISTIAN OVERLAP OF HIE WiSE BIRD. 135 



at His right side, resting upon His right thigh, and uttering words 

 of Divine Wisdom. This attitude of the Dove to the Father may 

 be compared with that of the Eagle to St. John, in fig. 4. 



Tli3 next is a highly remarkable aud abnormal group from a 

 sculptured tympanum that looks inwards above the inner door of 

 the south porch of the church at Tarrant Rushton (fig. 7). The 

 stone is not architecturally in situ, for some of its lower part has 

 been cut away to adapt it to its present place. The Father 

 occupies not the central position, but the heraldic right. He is 

 enthroned on a faldistory, an ecclesiastical chair of dignity. The 

 faldstul or folding stool, a word that survives in the French 

 " fauteuil." was much used by the Saxons. It is represented on 

 a gem of the 9th century. Its wooden ends are turned in the 

 favourite Saxon fashion, as seen in the seat occupied by St. John 

 (fig. 2). In the Bayeux tapestry King Harold's chair of state is 

 similarly formed, whilst that of Duke William has zoomorphic 

 terminals, in true Xorman style. A faldstool was " used by a 

 bishop when officiating in other than his own cathedral church," 

 and one was " placed at the south side of the altar for the Kings 

 of England to kneel upon at their coronation." The Father sits 

 facing forwards with hands raised ; the right in the attitude 

 of the Latin Benediction and the left holding the open Book of 

 the Law. 



The Son, in the shape of a Lamb, occupies the centre of the 

 group and faces away from the Father towards the Third Person. 

 He is without a nimbus. He carries the cM-rho or Greek cross, as 

 a standard, on the right shoulder ; and the Tree of Life is issuing 

 from His lips. The single leaf that is left of it may be compared 

 with the foliage that surrounds Jesus on the Gotland example 

 (fig. 1). In the Byzantine Guide the artist is instructed how to 

 represent the Parable of the Vine : " Christ, carrying the Gospel 

 upon His breast, and raising both His hands in blessing, saith ' I 

 am the Vinestock, and ye are the branches.' The Apostles are 

 encircled by the branches of the Vine, which spring from His 

 Body" In Christian art things usually issue from the body by the 



