SIX 



Chronicles of the Cornish Saints. (III. — St. Constantine). By 

 Eev. John Adams, M.A. 



John de Trevisa. — A Paper on "John de Trevisa," an eminent 

 Cornish ecclesiastic in the 14th century, was presented by Mr. 

 Rogers, and he gave a summary of its contents. — -With reference 

 to a statement by Fuller, that John de Trevisa translated the 

 Bible into English and that his translation was far superior to 

 WiclifFe's, Mr. Smirke stated that, about ten years ago, he made 

 inquiry of Sir Frederick Madden, a gentleman who was likely to 

 be the best informed on the subject, being the joint editor, with 

 Mr. Forshall, in 1850, of WiclifFe's Bible. Sir Frederick informed 

 him that they were satisfied that there had been no complete 

 translation of the Bible by John de Trevisa. That Trevisa was 

 intimately acquainted with the original text of the Bible there 

 could be no doubt ; but, at that time, the Roman Catholic Church, 

 which was not in the habit of altogether withholding the Bible from 

 ordinary readers, preferred the use of Lediones, i.e., "Lessons," as 

 we call them in our Church service. Volumes of such lessons 

 were called ledionaries, of which old copies are often found in 

 theological libraries. It was not at all improbable that John de 

 Trevisa had translated some of these lediones, or had circulated 

 texts from them ; and hence probably originated the error of sup- 

 posing that he translated the entire Bible. 



Rev. H. S. Slight exhibited a rubbing from an ancient 

 memorial-stone in the Church of Ruan Lanyhorne, and stated that, 

 in the opinion of competent judges, it belonged to the 13tli 

 century. The stone itself was originally of the shape of a coffin- 

 lid, but its lower half has been broken off, and lost. Enough 

 remains however to show the figure complete (in alto rilieho) as 

 far as the waist ; and it is very interesting. The features, ap- 

 parently those of a man in the prime of life, are particularly 

 pleasing. There is some appearance of the hair having been 

 cut away to the clerical tonsure, leaving only a circle of about two 

 inches in width around the head. The dress seems to be that of 

 the amice, or cope, fastened at the neck by a buckle, and leaving 

 the arms free, at least below the elbows. The hands hold, in front 

 of the breast, what the best judges consider to be a chalice. 

 The carved trefoil work around the head, and extending down as 

 far as the elbows, is quite perfect, very free, and ornamental, 

 and is said to be the surest guide to the date of the monument. 

 The measurement of the part of the stone still remaining is, three 

 feet in length by twenty-two inches in lireadth at the widest part ; 

 its thickness about six inches. It is believed to be Caen stone. 



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