DURING THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY.

47

mg, at about two-thirds the height of the windows from the cill, small square-headed compartmentsare inserted, quite independent of the design, on the ground of the window. These small compart-ments each contain canopies and figures most exquisitely treated; an arrangement which presents,from the continuation of the square compartments through a series of windows, the effect of a stiffband of colour on a light ground. It is a style now seldom used, from its only being suitable to side-windows, on account of the last-named circumstance. Excellent examples of these square-headedcompartments exist also in the north aisle of Cockayne Hatley, in Bedfordshire , and in St. Mar-tin’s church, Stamford.* This, which was the most primitive mode of introducing effigy andarchitecture, seems to have led to that long favourite mode of planning, viz., figure and canopy com-prehensively throughout the whole opening.

In the east window of Oxted Church, Surrey , are four large spandrels, quatrefoils, of aboutthe middle of this century. They contain severally the Evangelical attributes, viz., the angel, thelion, the calf, and the eagle; they are most spiritedly designed, f and are displayed so nearly uponheraldic principles, as to admit of description by the ordinary rules of blazon, t They are boldlyand vigorously painted in outline, and the grounds are highly enriched with diapered ornament.

Some excellent though small remains of glass of this period are in the east window of CranleyChurch, in Surrey . One of the spandrels contains the figure of Christ sitting in Judgment, which ischiefly remarkable from the globe in his hand, as emblematic of the world. On this is heraldicallyportrayed, in outline, the three great epochs. The lower half is wavy, intended to represent theflood; in the two upper quarters are displayed the tables of the law and the cross of redemption.

Quarrels were much used throughout the whole of this epoch, sometimes with marginal bands,sometimes without, and complete in their several patterns, or with the ornament distributed through anumber of them, as running over the entire window, these often receiving medallions with various sub-jects and devices. Reticulated work was also much used during this period, here and on the continent,of which Mr. Shaw has given examples (in his “ Encyclopaedia of Ornament”) from Altenburg, &c.It is worthy of remark, that at this period more green and purpure were introduced than in the pre-ceding epochs, especially in the draperies of the figures and in the foliaged parts, a marked indica-tion of its becoming less severely heraldic, these tints being very rarely introduced in heraldry;indeed, the very principle of figure and canopy is a sort of inroad upon the consistency of decoration,an assumption of the vocation of the architect and the statuary, and an indication of an approachtowards a deterioration of this art.

Having, therefore, in the preceding remarks endeavoured to explain and shew the chief varie-ties, and the ancient manner of constructing the designs for stained glass as connected with Decoratedarchitecture, we deduce from them the following classification of the laws and leading features ofthis epoch :

1. Foliaged.— As in the East Window of Bristol Cathedral.

2. Canopied.— As in the Choir of Bristol Cathedral .

the Church of Tewkesbury Abbey.

the Armorial Window of York Minster .

All Saints’ Church, York.

* “ Hints on Glass Painting,” by an Amateur; Plate 12 represents an uncoloured example of this glass. Parker, Oxford, 1847-Exeter cathedral has some exquisite examples of Decorated glass of this kind in the east window, but it is the glass of the old Deco-rated window adapted at the time to the present Perpendicular window and its tracery, and thus presents the same anomaly that a late super-structure would upon an early style, the tracery parts not being in harmony, although the figures and canopies are beautiful despite theirassociation.

p See Plate of St. Petrock, Cornwall , the emblems in the spandrels of which are drawn from them.

X This glass was originally removed from the spandrels of the north and south side chancel windows, previously to their restoration andadaptation to their present situation, (together with other new ones,) by the Author ; they are as follows:—1 st. Argent, an angel sejant proper,habited vert, wings displayed gules, nimbus azure, debruised by a label of the first, inscribed S. Matthseus, in Lombardic capitals :—2nd. Argent,a lion proper (deep amber), winged gules, nimbus vert, a label as before, inscribed S. Marcus 3rd. Argent, a calf gules, unguled or, nimbusazure, winged vert, a label as before, inscribed S. Lucas 4th. Argent, an eagle proper, membered or, wings displayed vert, nimbus gules,a label as before, inscribed S. Johannes.