174 Swindon and its Neighbourhood — No. 2. 



connected with his family who had been steward to the Clarendon 

 estates. So thing's disappear. They had, I believe, a sword of 

 state, which used to be carried before the mayor on special occasions. 

 I do not know another instance of this in a provincial town. The 

 sword of state, called u Curtana," is borne before a Sovereign at the 

 coronation as one of those 



" attributes of majesty, 

 Wherein doth sit the fear and dread of kings." 



It signifies the power of life and death, the power exercised by 

 judges under commission from the Crown. This would seem rather 

 beyond the reach of the Mayor of Wootton Basset. The sword was, 

 however, not a Royal gift with the charter, but a present from one of 

 the Members of Parliament, who, I suppose, thought fit to please his 

 own fancy, without attaching any meaning to his gift, and not 

 knowing anything about " Curtana." 1 They have also other in- 

 signia : two small silver maces, of James the First's time. These 

 are loaded with lead at the top, and are very much battered. Ill- 

 natured wags say that this battered appearance is owing to their having 

 been sometimes very freely applied to the pates of Her Majesty's 

 liege — but sometimes very unruly — subjects, the pot-walloppers. 



You will see the Church at Wootton Basset, restored in 1871, at 

 the expense of Sir Henry Meux. I do not understand that there 

 was much that was interesting about the old one, except a curious 

 wall-painting. In the act of cleaning a wall, a piece of plaster had 

 fallen off, and discovered underneath the armed foot of a man with 

 a spur. Gradually removing the plaster all round, the workmen 

 found a painting in water-colours of the murder of Archbishop 

 Thomas a. Becket. The four knights were nearly perfect, the two 

 foremost pressing on him with their swords drawn, the others in 

 the act of drawing. The Archbishop was kneeling before the altar ; 

 between his hands, in a pious attitude, was the wafer — the cup and 

 book on the table before him — the crosier and mitre by his side— 

 the cardinal's red robe and golden band, distinct. His features 

 were a good deal obliterated, but there was sufficient left to dis- 

 tinguish that his head was turned round in surprise. This painting 



1 On the scabbard are the arms of Kibblewhite, Attersoll, and Hyde. 



