246 The Churches of Devizes. St. Mary's. 



as fording a river, bearing on his shoulder the Infant Saviour, and 

 steadying his steps with a huge staff. On his head (which was 

 turned as in the attitude of addressing the Hoty Child) was a cover- 

 ing of ermine resembling a turban. The Saviour was represented 

 in a dress of orange colour, the folds shaded with red and black, 

 with long flowing hair, and a mild placid countenance; the head 

 was encircled by a nimbus of a circular form, the right hand 

 upraised, and in the left an orb surmounted by a cross. 



Near the above, on the wall between the first and second windows 

 of the clerestory, was a third painting, the subject of which was 

 not easy to be recognized. It had evidently been the background 

 to a figure that was removed with the whitewash, and consisted of 

 a turreted castle, drawn in outline; and above the battlements two 

 crowned heads, apparently of a king and queen, gazing upon some 

 scene that had occupied the foreground. 



On the south wall of the nave above the arcade were some faint 

 traces of inscriptions, in black letter, on scrolls, but unfortunately 

 so little was visible that none of the words could be distinguished. 

 On the north and south walls, immediately under the cornice of the 

 roof, was an ornament somewhat resembling a series of Tudor 

 flowers inverted. Traces of colour were also found on some of the 

 corbel-heads supporting the roof, on the mouldings of the pier- 

 arches, and on the shafts, &c. of the canopies on either side of the 

 chancel arch. On the wall above the latter (the place usually 

 selected for the representation of the Great Doom) sufficient rem- 

 nants of colour were left to show that a large painting had once 

 been there also. 



Under these paintings (which were probably of Queen Mary's 

 time) were found traces of older frescoes of superior execution, and 

 richer colouring. These may have been of about a.d. 1436, soon 

 after the nave was rebuilt ; and destroyed at the Reformation. 



For the " whitewashings" under which old church frescoes have 

 disappeared, we are indebted partly to the destructive spirit of the 

 enemies of ornament, and partly to a conservative spirit in its 

 friends, who in many instances concealed them in order to prevent 

 their destruction. 



