NOTES AND QUERIES. 439 



it is found that the earlier work is in freestone, and the later 

 in granite. The south aisle, erected about 1380, is built in the 

 easily-worked local stone of Pengelly; the north aisle, and 

 tower, erected by Sir Henry Trecarrel early in the 16th century, 

 are of granite, chiefly in large blocks. 



A weird interest attaches to Trecarrel' s Church work, in 

 which alone he found consolation on the break up of his family 

 and home ; but even more attractive is the 14th century work in 

 the south aisle, not only because in regard to time (as in other 

 respects) "distance lends enchantment," but because the earlier 

 work includes a fuller history. In peeling off the layers of 

 white lime from the south wall, portions of texts, in old black 

 letters, surrounded by scrolls, were noticed, and below these 

 again indications of coloured figures; and on a careful and 

 complete removal of these outer surfaces a life-size figure of our 

 Lord was disclosed, with groups of smaller figures at each side 

 and beneath his feet, representing the seven acts of mercy — to 

 give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothing to the 

 naked, harbour to the homeless, to visit the sick, to minister to 

 prisoners, to "berry (the) ded." The groups with the words on 

 labels above are imperfect, and have not yet been fully 

 identified. The act of clothing and that of visiting prisoners 

 seem to be included in one picture. The legends appear to be 

 all in English. The dispenser of mercy in every act (excepting 

 the last, in which a priest with a tonsure appears), is a woman 

 in the dress of an abbess, with a peculiar bag at her waist, 

 sometimes called a " gipsy bag." 



The figure of Our Lord, under a canopy or tent, against a 

 diapered background, is finely outlined. He is represented with 

 a nimbus (enclosing a cross) surrounding His head, and with 

 wounded side, hands, and feet. His bleeding hands are uplifted 

 as if in blessing (" Te have done it unto me "), and the symbol- 

 ical treatment of the subject throughout is of much interest. 



The fresco (for such, no doubt, it is, although executed on 

 only a thin coat of plaster, and in a manner very different to 

 Italian frescoes), is probably only one of a series which occupied 

 the spaces between the door and window openings of the south 

 aisle, indeed further west is a portion of another painting, the 



