By the Rev. Bryan King, 



231 



standing upright on a flat surface or of its being taken between the 

 fingers and presented to be kissed as a " pax : 33 in size it is about 

 three inches by two, and its date appears to be as late as the 

 end of the sixteenth century: 1 its material perhaps fortunately 

 for its preservation, seems to be of bronze ; for I presume that 

 when Henry VIII and his courtiers committed their godless act 

 of sacrilege by despoiling our churches of almost all articles of 

 precious metals, this poor " pax 33 of bronze was cast aside as being 

 not worth carrying away by the commissioners of the royal burglar. 



On this subject, the provision by the members of the church in 

 this parish or the gift of some one to the church of a substantial silver 

 paten and chalice in the year 1606 has always struck me as an act 

 of considerable faith and piety, when the wholesale confiscation of 

 church plate had been so comparatively recent. This paten and 

 chalice, being of very objectionable form, is now being remodelled for 

 me by Keith, of London, but the original date will be retained by 

 an inscription. 



Then again u William Dunche, Esq 16 ." made a " guift " of a silver 

 paten, or — as it is 7 J inches in diameter — an almsdish, in the year 

 1636. This has in its centre, in place of any sacred symbol, a large 

 and somewhat ostentatious coat of arms engraved, with an inscription 

 of its donation subjoined; and from its very secular appearance I 

 should have taken it for a salver which had been transferred from 

 his sideboard to the credence table of the church, were it not that I 

 find from the " Hall-mark 33 that it was only manufactured in the 

 year 1636, and therefore, it may be presumed, expressly for its 

 present destination ; so doubtless Squire Dunche and his silversmith 

 acted up to their " lights 33 in the adornment of this " guift.'" 



1 It is thus described in the Journal of the Archaeological Institute, having 

 been exhibited at one of the monthly meetings of the Institute, in the spring 

 of 1873 :— 



" A metal plaque, with handle at back, probably a pax of very rude work- 

 manship, of the sixteenth century [?] Upon a small plate, apparently of latteu, 

 about four inches by three, a somewhat smaller plate of cast work is rivetted in 

 four places. In a recess, formed by twisted columns of a renaissance character, 

 with an ogee-headed canopy, the Virgin and Child enveloped in rays. At the 

 back is fastened a small plate at right angles, to bo used as a handle, and 

 against which it would stand upright." Vol. xxx., p. 285. [Ed.] 



