S. MYXOE, AJSTD MABE CHURCHES. 411 



The whole of the furniture of the church is of the very 

 plainest description ; the benches are of pine, the open roof is of 

 pine, and the floor is laid with common kitchen tiles. Seeing 

 how little of beauty and interest has been left in the building, 

 we cannot too much deplore the fantastic piety which has led to 

 the burial of the former font beneath the chancel, and the 

 substitution for it of a plain piece of octagonal granite. Our 

 regret at finding so little left of the old ornaments and furniture 

 is increased by the great beauty and interest of that little. In 

 the vicarage are preserved a most interesting collection of twenty- 

 two small fragments of alabaster which are probably portions of 

 the reredos. They were discovered built into the aumbrie, and 

 are now carefully preserved until opportunity shall occur of 

 properly mounting them.'^' These fragments when pieced together 

 represent : — 



1. A Bishop being put to death. The cauldron in which 

 the Bishop stands is red on the outside and black within, the 

 ladle is filled \\'ith a black fluid (probably representing pitch) a 

 stream of which falls on the victim's body where it has left 

 several patches, making his skin resemble the ermine cloak of 

 the King, the spots on which are also black. The Bishop's 

 mitre is of white and gold with a green lining, his hair is gold ; 

 the King's hair is black as is also that of the (?) notary, while 

 that of the torturers is red. The King's sword-hilt still retains 

 its gilt, and his cloak, as also the notary's gown, show that they 

 were once edged with gold and lined with red. The costumes of 

 the executioners have gold edgings and pale blue linings. In 

 no case is any trace left of colour on the outer surface of any of 

 the garments except the gilt edging already referred to. On the 

 (spectator's) left a torturer is holding the Bishop down with a 

 sort of shovel (coloured red). The back ground of this piece is 

 gilt. This probably represents the tormenting of St. Erasmus 

 under Diocletian by whose orders he " was beten with staves and 

 with plummettes of lede, and after rosyne, brymstone, pytch, 

 lede, waxe, and oyle were all boyled togyder and cast upon his 

 body, and than was he put to many varyaunt and horrible 

 torments, whiche all in Chryst he vanquysshed " (The Martiloge 



* This affords an admirable opportunity for some munificent person. 



