344 THE TOMB OF THE SUFPEAGAN BISHOP OF CORISTWALL. 



His head rests on a pillow, and there are abont him four small 

 figures of angels, each kneeling on one knee, near the corners, 

 on the top of the tomb. These have one hand laid upon his 

 vestments, and the other hand holding an armorial shield of 

 single bearing. They display^'' alternately the priory arms, and 

 Thomas Vivian's personal arms. The angel supporting the 

 right side of the bishop's mitred head, holds the shield of Bodmin 

 Priory. The angel at the left, the shield of Yivian, The alter- 

 nation is continued on the remaining shields, held by the angels 

 near the feet of the e&igj. 



The charges are distinctly given in relief, but no tinctures are 

 shewn. These may be seen in the stained glass windows of some 

 neighbouring churches, and in the glass at Eialton (in St. 

 Columb), a residence of the prior, which he adorned with rich 

 sciilpture, &c. The heads and upper portions of the images of 

 the guardian angels on the tomb have been ruthlessly broken 

 away. The nose of the chief effigy has been in like manner 

 mutilated. 



The upper edge of the tomb is chamfered and ornamented 

 with mouldings. On it the inscription is incised in Lombardic 

 capitals, filled with metal which is now much corroded. 



Commencing at the right side of the prior's head, and con- 

 tinuing along the whole extent of the 4 bevelled edges, ending 

 by the dexter corner at the head, where it commenced, are the 

 wordsf : — 



"HIC. TVMILATV[E] iVENERABILIS : PATER. TOM AS ■.• VIVIAN ; 

 MEGARENSIS. EPVS HVIVSQ.E DOMVS PRIOR QVI OBIIT 

 ANNO DNI: M.D. XXXIII. PRIMO DIE IVNII 

 CVIVS [ANIME PKOPI] CIETVR DEVS AMEN." 



*Very incorrect accounts of these arms have been published. Hals (whose 

 statements are nearly always erroneous and inaccurate) describes them as " 3 

 thigh bones in saltire, for Megara."(!) See Davies Gilbert's Cornwall, &c. No 

 siich arms could ever have been sculptured on the tomb. Those clearly cut upon 

 the original stone, are the following : — 



Bodmin Priory — " Azure, 3 fish (salmon ?) naiant, in pale." 



Vivian — " Or on a chevron azure 3 annulets of the field between 3 lion's heads. 

 On a chief gules, 3 martlets argent." 



On a stone shield now built into the wall over the east window of the chancel 

 of Bodmin Church (exterior) are " the Priory Arms impaling the Arms of 

 Vivian," but on the tomb they are displayed separately. 



fincorrectly given in Oliver's " Monasticon Dicecesis Exoniensis," p. 17. 



JBishop Vivian held ordinations in Exeter Cathedral, Bodmin, &c. Consecra- 

 tions at Launceston, &c. 



