At the top there is a warlike band of men : fome brandilhing their weapon 5 > 
others, as exulting, hold their fhields on high, or are joining hands, in earneft 0 
mutual encouragement and fupport, and apparently rejoicing in their ftrength> aS 
a prelude to vidtory. 
In the midft of the next row of figures, two of the warriors appear preparing 
for, or engaged in, a fingle combat, while their followers or adherents are lookup 
on with various expreffion of intereft in the conflict. 
This cuftom often of old decided the fate of armies and of war*. Of 
chiefs, we have heard of the ambitious and accepted challenge, 
“ Let you and I the battle try, and fet our men afidef.” 
* $ 
And an inflance is mentioned of Caledonian dory, by Mr. Pennant , where 
young Earl of Caithnejs , and the fon of an Earl of Sutherland, fought a fmS 
combat, in which both were (lain, while their armies flood looking on ;£. 
In the fquare department below, a number of the figures are evidently eng a S e ^ 
in the folemnity of a deliberate execution of captives, by beheading of thetf 1 ’ 
Three trumpeters are founding their trumpets, while one Hands with a fword in ^ iS 
hand, in the adtion of executioner ; in the other hand holding the head of ° ilS 
of the captives, juft fevered from the body, which lies by. Several men 
poles, or halberts, are Handing round, as guarding a kind of tent or canopy, und er 
which the heads of the dead are depofited, while the bodies are arranged feemi n S/ 
without the circle : feven are figured as having incurred the above penalty on tlllS 
occafion. 
This, though feemingly a barbarous tranfadtion, has been too often exemplify ,n 
the hiftory of polifhed nations. The piles of heads which were laid at the g ateS 
of Jezreel § exemplifies its antiquity ; and in a more nearly correfponding a S c 'j. 
at the fiege of Nantes, in fhe thirteenth century of the Chriftian sera, the Duke 0 
Normandy caufed the heads of thirty prifoners to be cut off in cold blood. v 
need not be furprifed at the folemnity, therefore, as reprefented on the obeh * 
but at the filence of L hiftory with refpedt to it. The combatants, who are try 1 ^ 
their dexterity in pairs, as at the conclufion of the above execution, may 
contending in arms, in prefence of the chiefs, who belt deferves the armour of 1 
flain : the fhields placed between them feem to vindicate this allufion. 
• i Samuel xvii. 
IO 
f Chevy Chace. J Tour in Scotland, 1769, p. 193. § 2 Kings X- 
