466 [Proc. B.N.F.C., 



nation has now taken charge of them to preserve them. 

 Having completed the investigations, the secretary's whistle 

 called all together again, and a start was made for Mellifont, 

 driving through the grounds of Townley Hall, whose " living 

 gallery of aged trees " formed still another of a numerous series 

 of pictures, whose number in this excursion seemed to be 

 without end. A halt of over an hour was made at Mellifont 

 for lunch, and the inspection of the remains of the grand 

 Cistercian Monastery, the premier one of Ireland. It is hardly 

 necessary to attempt a description here of this well-known 

 establishment, which the party closely inspected, and which 

 various members explained in detail. Here some of the 

 younger members, the architects of the future, at once set to 

 work to sketch and measure details with commendable industry 

 that gained for them some well merited praise. Once again on 

 the march the party pushed on for Monasterboice, where much 

 time was spent, and where much more could have profitably 

 been spent, in the study of the fine old crosses, the gems of 

 Irish art, some of the richest treasures left to us by the early 

 Christian Church in Ireland. Here was seen the exquisite 

 perfection of the Celtic ornament, the peculiar character of its 

 graceful lines, the gentle swelling to high relief, and the soft 

 receding wave-like forms that go to create the delicate spiral 

 beauties known, as Sir Frederick Leighton said, " by the blaring 

 name of the trumpet pattern." The iconography caused many 

 conjectures, and were as satisfactory as usual. The base of the 

 highest of these crosses was never finished, and the shaft 

 suffered severely from " The Bigots of the Iron Time," as Sir 

 W. Scott styles Cromwell's iconoclastic zealots, and the equally 

 reprehensible action of modern zealots has caused the Board of 

 Works to attempt a means of preservation by railing them in. 

 Most of the party ascended the round Tower, which now 

 reaches the height of 90 feet, and which has been refloored and 

 laddered by the Board of Works. Time was now pressing, and 

 a quick run was made to Drogheda, which was reached at 

 5-30 p.m. Alighting at the White Horse Hotel, the party was 



