146 SOME DERBYSHIRE FONTS. 



for a server to hold a basin beneath the child's head. In 

 several churches of Brittany and Normandy, as well as in the 

 museums of Rouen and other towns in the north of France, 

 are early fonts with side projections for this purpose. But in 

 all these cases such projections have wide circidar basins at 

 the top and are continued down to the base of the font or 

 floor level, being provided with a drain communicating with 

 the soil or ground beneath. The curious circular projection 

 or small stone basin protruding from the Norman font of 

 Youlgreave, Derbyshire, has no drain, and doubtless served to 

 hold a movable basin. The Odiham bracket could have had 

 no connection with the chrysmatory for the holy oils used at 

 baptism, for the mediaeval chrysmatory was of very small 

 dimensions, and held in the hand of a server." From this it 

 will be seen that he has changed his views as to the original 

 use of this attachment. 



The remaining ornaments of the Youlgreave font consist of 

 two fleurs-de-lys and a very peculiar design. Those three 

 designs occupy what are now the east, north, and west sides 

 of the font, the south side being that from which the 

 salamander-supported bracket projects. The fleur on the west 

 side can be seen in figs. 1 and 2, and to all appearances is 

 intended to represent an ear of corn with leaves, the grains 

 being very clearly delineated on the upper part. The fleur on 

 the eastern side is a more elaborated example, as will be seen 

 in fig. 4, the treatment being a regular feature of the Early 

 English style, and the rounded ends and curved surface of the 

 two principal leaves are very typical of that period. Here we 

 have in direct contradistinction to the north face design, a figure 

 which is intended to appear as though it actually grew from 

 the font. These two fleurs are well cut and finished in a bold 

 fashion, the whole being nicely rounded off; but the figure on 

 the north, which we shall next notice, is but poorly cut in 

 comparison, and has a flattened surface. This difference may 

 be clearly seen by comparing figs. 4 and 5. 



