Garstin— On some Sixteenth Century Inscriptions. 425 
on all are in Latin, and in black-letter characters in relief. But few 
capital letters are introduced, and those apparently without any fixed 
rule, save that they generally commence Christian names. They are 
of the form commonly styled ‘‘ Lombardic.” <A ‘Calvary ’’ cross 
‘“flory’’ occupies the centre of each stone, and round it the inscrip- 
tion in each case runs, facing inwards, and turning in a kind of square 
spiral (Plates xx. and xxt.). 
One of these stones is the common monument of two of the bishops 
of Leighlin. The two other stones commemorate each, respectively, 
an ‘‘O’Brin’’ who married a Cayenagh. First in time and in histo- 
rical importance is the 
Toms or BisHops SANDERS AND FILEY. 
Ryan describes this as in the chancel of the cathedral, part of it 
being ‘‘improperly covered by the wooden steps of the communion 
table.” Itis now on the floor, about ten or twelve feet from these 
steps. 
The inscription commences at the upper end of the tomb, near 
the top of the cross. The words are seldom separated, but such breaks 
in their sequence as occur are indicated in the following copy by upright 
lines (see fig. 1 in Plate xx.) :— 
hiciacet | matheus | sandersepusileghlinenqui | 
obiit rx | ii Dicdeeembriga°D | 
oreeeertircul rai je Deuspropt | tict® am | en. 
In the centre of the cross is the monogram :—1Ve, in an octagon, 
the final s being, as usual in similar and earlier examples, in the form 
of C. 
In the middle of the cross are the sunken spaces or ‘“‘ matrixes,”’ 
evidently once occupied by two brasses, also commemorating Bishop 
Sanders, and the marks of the rivets by which each brass was fastened 
still remain. From the form of the upper vacant space it may be 
safely inferred that it represented the bishop in mitre and crozier; and 
the lower one, oblong in shape, doubtless contained an inscription. 
The loss of these is to be deplored, as medizval monumental brasses 
are extremely rare in Ireland. A note on the few existing will be 
found in the Avlhenny Arch. Jour., vol. i1., p. 78. 
Weever, in his quaint preface, laments how in England epitaphs 
were ‘‘ broken down and almost all ruinated, their brazen inscriptions 
erazed, torne away, and pilfered, by which inhumane deformidable act 
the honourable memory ”’ of many persons is extinguished. 
At the foot of the space formerly occupied by the lower of the 
R. 1. A. PROC., SER. II., VOL. Il. —POL. LIT AND ANTIQ. DE 
