93 



ing stones having doubtless been used as head- stones on account of 

 their recognized antiquity. 



No. 31. Carving in sandstone; intricate interlaced pattern of pre- 

 Anglo-Norman age, possibly 10th or 11th century, from the wall at the 

 rere of l[r. Slacken' s house, Slane, said to have been found in the grave- 

 yard of Slane Abbey. 



No. 32. Ground plan of Slane Abbey. 



No. 33. Ground plan of Slane Abbey church. 



No. 34. West door and window. Tower of ditto. 



No. 35. Shield bearing the royal arms of England, from the ex- 

 terior of the south wall of the abbot's apartments, Slane Abbey. 



This carving tends to fix the date of the erection of Slane Abbey 

 as it now stands, and for the following reason : The shield is quartered 

 — 1st and 4th seme fleur-de-lis ; 2nd and 3rd three lions " passant" 

 "gardant.'' "We know from various sources, coins, &c, that Henry IV., 

 1399 to 1412, was the last of the English kings who quartered for his 

 arms the field " seme" of fleur-de-lis for Prance ; and this fact taken in 

 connexion with the occurrence of the chestnut flower ornament at the 

 base of the shield, is well nigh sufficient proof that the building dates 

 no further back than the end of the 14th century. If any additional 

 evidence for the probable accuracy of this statement was wanting, we 

 have it supplied to us in the form and mouldings of the windows and 

 doorway in the south wall of the abbey. 



No. 36. Window, from the south wall of the abbey. 



The broadly foliated termination to the drip moulding of this win- 

 dow is very characteristic of the period to which I refer the erection of 

 the present building. 



No. 37. Pireplace, from the same abbey. 



No. 38. Large oval opening near the summit of the side aisle wall ; 

 abbey church. 



No. 39. The Priest's tomb, from the graveyard of Slane Abbey 

 church. The name on this tomb slab is iftlslSfS^glH, though a recent 

 writer on the antiquities of this district calls it Keewan — an error 

 of no great importance, yet one which a writer on antiquities should 

 not have made. 



No. 40. Decorated key- stone to an arch, now built up in the gate- 

 post to the graveyard of the abbey church. 



No. 41. View of the decoration on the left side of ornamental key- 

 stone, gatepost to the graveyard, Slane Abbey church. 



No. 42. View of the right side of same stone. 



A recent writer calls this " a face of a nun," though for no appa- 

 rent reason, as the religious establishment with which it is associated 

 was occupied by canons regular. Possibly this carving represents a 

 female face, though it may be that of a youthful chorister. The high 

 foliated ornament over the head is purely architectural, and the decora- 

 tions at either side of the head represent grotesque animals with large 

 claws and richly foliated tails. 



No. 43. Corbel representing the bust of a bishop, or mitred abbot, 



