216 



Lacock Abbey. 



the lavatory was considerably altered owing to the original arch 

 being too high to be contained under the new vaulting. One of 

 the vault springers comes nearly in the centre of the old arch, and 

 divides it into two nearly equal compartments. It is carried 

 on a corbel, instead of a wall shaft like the rest, carved as 

 an angel holding a shield, charged with a lion rampant. The 

 old recess was built up to within 10 inches of the wall face, and a 

 projecting bason with richly panelled pedestal built in front. 1 The 

 bason and pedestal were destroyed after the suppression and the 

 material used to wall up the shallow recess. The eastern of these 

 compartments has been completely opened out and the other 

 partially. About 3 feet above the bason level along the back is a 

 cornice ornamented with paterae in the hollow of the moulding. 

 Some of these are shields bearing the sickle badge of the Hunger- 

 fords. Above the cornice are two moulded pedestals with shields 

 qn the face — the western one is the Fitzjohn coat of Hungerford 

 — sable hvo bars argent and in the chief three plates — the other 

 is gules a sickle or. On the plain wall above the cornice and 

 occupying the whole recess is a painting. In the centre is the 

 figure of a bishop, probably St. Augustine, holding up his hand in 

 benediction to a female figure kneeling to his right, apparently 

 intended for the abbess, as she holds a crosier. On the left hand 

 of the bishop is a conventional representation of a garden. The 

 lower part of the painting has a quatref oil band in black and white, 

 which is returned round the soffit of the arch. The background is 

 red, with a running pattern in gold and white. 



The other compartment has not been sufficiently opened out to 

 ascertain the subject. The central figure is apparently a female 

 saint who holds a crosier with a very beautiful crook. 



The Sacristy. 



On the east side of the cloister and adjoining the church is an 

 interesting apartment that has been for some time past designated 

 "the Sacristy." This was possibly the use of the western part, 



1 This took the place of the original bason, which was recessed and apparently 

 1\ inches higher. 



