46
indeed commonly, although sparingly, used in this country in Decorated glass, but this example isan early instance of it. Geometrically patterned windows, after the manner of the last example, inmany forms and varieties, were very prevalent throughout the Decorated period, and there are stillmany remains. Yorbury Church, in Derbyshire, possesses some fine specimens of this style in thenorth and south side windows of the chancel. They much resemble in character those of the chap-ter-house in York Minster , and have shields of arms in each light, but very little other colour exceptin the borders. There are some considerable remains in
Checkley Church, Staffordshire .
The chancel of this church contains three windows (the eastern and the next one to it on each side)quite filled with stained glass, and in a remarkably good state of preservation. They appear, how-ever, to be composed of portions of several windows taken from the same edifice, and put togetherat a recent period. The style of the chancel is Decorated, and so similar in its details to that of theadjacent church of Norbury, (the stained glass in which in many respects much resembles this,) thatit is probable they were the work of the same architect.
The east window is a large one, of five lights, having plain intersecting mullions without folia-tions in the head. The general plan or pattern of the glass is composed of circles, inclosing doublequatrefoils, and formed as usual by their lines of colour, with coloured bosses in the centre. The bor-ders are very rich, some of vine-leaves, others of an heraldic character, with castellated designs andfleurs-de-lis, and having a small exterior margin of white glass. The whole of the mosaic pattern notoccupied by colour is graiselled, or covered with creeping vine-leaves and tendrils. There are two tiersof subjects in this window, extending in parallel rows one above the other, across it at equidistantpoints in the entire length. The lower tier comprises in the centre the Crucifixion under a trefoiledcrocketed canopy; the ground of this and all the rest of the subjects being rich ruby, except that ofthe central upper one, which is blue. The side subjects in the lower tier are inclosed in a complexdesign, formed by the unison of a vesica with a square, the sides of which expand into semicircles.In one of these are three knights dressed entirely in chain mail, with flowing surcoats; a circum-stance which fixes the date of the windows at a period not much later than 1320, after which platearmour came gradually into use. This is another among the innumerable instances of the associa-tion of armoury and an heraldic feeling with stained glass. The upper tier contains small figuresstanding under trefoiled canopies; they are quite perfect; three of them are bishops in full vest-ments, the other two are saints. In the head of the window are circular ornaments and shields.
The two side windows, each of three lights, are similar to the above, but the pattern of theback-ground varies from circles to plain quatrefoils and interlacing vesicas, probably as the partshave been brought together from various windows. There is in these however only one tier of me-dallions, about midway in the height. The grounds of these are, conversely to the east window, blueat the sides, and ruby in the centre. Here are the figures of the Virgin and Child, and of saints andapostles under canopies. Most of these have labels with inscriptions, in what are commonly calledLombardic characters,* still very legible. One is “ Jacobus, another , e< Johannes f 5 and they are veryinteresting as a very early instance of labels pendant from the figures, fi instead of being placedunder the feet. Another represents a kneeling figure, with an inscription in two lines across it.These windows are very fine in design, colour, and effect, and altogether must be considered asamong the best specimens of the age which we possess.
Merton College Chapel likewise contains some valuable remains of this kind. These,which are in the side-windows of that structure, much resemble m their general ground and treat-ment those of Trumpmgton church just named, the principal difference being, that in each open-