By J. U. Powell. 209 



there are other examples. Hunting-scenes often occur on early- 

 fonts (Cox, English Church Furniture, p. 193), as at Lostwithiel. 

 Perhaps here indeed at Little Langford we may find a not inap- 

 propriate local touch, for there were wild boars in Grovely even at 

 a later date ( W.A.M., xxxv., p. 297); and we may compare the 

 Wishford legend (W.A.M., xxxv., p. 310), which was attached to 

 the monument of Sir Kichard Grobham in Wishford Church, how 

 " he slew in Grovely "Woods a wild boar which was a terror of all 

 the neighbourhood." 



Again, the subject of a tree is common ; twenty -seven examples 

 are given, and this is generally thought to represent the Tree of 

 Spiritual Knowledge (see Keyser, xxxiv.) ; indeed, we need not go 

 far to look for an illustration, for the Tympanum on the Norman 

 south door of Knook, a few miles off, has a lion (probably) and a 

 dragon feeding on a tiee. This would appear to be an elaboration 

 of the simple tree-design (Keyser, Introd. xxxv.), e.g., at Lullington, 

 Somerset. 



Birds in trees are found at Lower Swell (Glos.) (Eomilly Allen 

 Christian Symbolism, 387), and at Stoke-sub-Hamdon (Som.) is a 

 carving which is rather like ours, a tree in the centre, with three 

 large birds, probably doves, feeding among the branches ; below 

 is an archer aiming an arrow at a lion. Fanciful interpretations 

 are given of the subject of the birds in these trees, see Romilly 

 Allen Christian Symbolism, 248, 255. Lastly, the figure of an 

 ecclesiastic holding a pastoral staff occurs five times (E. Allen, 

 284). 



Dr. A. Guest speaks of the Tympanum thus (Journal of the 

 Brit. Arch. Assoc, Vol. vi. (1851), p. 83) 1 :— 



After describing the " rude lattice-work with three pellets in 

 each part of the quarry," and " above the Bishop's head the 

 remains of what no doubt was a canopy," he proceeds : — 



" The other stone has carved on it a figure, something like an anchor, 

 and upon the shaft, as well as on the flukes, three birds are perched. 

 It is evidently allegorical, and may represent the Trinity, as the anchor 

 of Christian Faith." 



1 The cut is inaccurate, as the pastoral staff is turned the wrong way. 



