Three Kings of Cologne.-Melford Church.

and gilt, in Long Melford Church in Suffolk, representing the offering of the wise men. This letter was published, accompanied by a very correct representation of the tablet, drawn by J. Carter, F.S.A.

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Ancient Ceremonies at Melford Church, Suffolk.

and beautiful painted glass, written by a former rector in 1688; and the second is a curious MS. by Roger Martin, esq. written about the time of the Reformation, giving so many interesting particulars of the religious ceremonies observed at this Church, that we are induced to append it to our correspondent's letter.-EDIT.

"The state of Melford Church and our Ladie's Chappel at the East end, as I did know it.

"Memorand.-At the back of the High Altar, in the said Church, there was a goodly mount, made of one great tree, and set up to the foot of the window there, carved very artificially with The Story of Christ's Passion, representing the horsemen with their swords, and the footmen, &c. as they used Christ on the Mount of Calvary, all being fair gilt, and lively and beautifully set forth. To cover and keep clean all the which, there were very fair and painted boards, made to shut to, which were opened upon high and solemn Feast Days, which then was a very beautiful shew; which painted boards were set up again in Queen Mary's time. At the north end of the same altar, there was a goodly tilt tabernacle, reaching up to the roof of the Chancell, in the which there was one fair large gilt image of The Holy Trinity, being patron of the Church, besides other fair images. The like tabernacle was at the south end.

"There was also in my Ile, called Jesus Ile, at the back of the Altar, a table with a crucifix on it, with the two thieves hanging, on every side one, which is in my house decayed, and the same hope my heires will repaire and restore again, one day. There was also two fair gilt tabernacles, from the ground up to the roofe, with a fair Image of Jesus, in the tabernacle, at the north end of the altar, holding a round bawle in his hand, signifying, I think, that he containeth the whole round world; and, in the tabernacle, at the south end, there was a fair image of our Blessed Lady having the afflicted body of her dear Son, as he was taken down, off the cross, lying along in her lapp, the tears, as it were, running down pittifully upon her beautiful cheeks, as it seemed, bedewing the said sweet body of her son, and therefore named The Image of our Lady of Pity.

"Memorand. There was a fair Rood Loft, with the Rood, Mary and John, of every side, and with a fair pair of organs standing thereby; which loft extended all the breadth of the Church, and on Good Friday, a Priest, then standing by the Rood, sang the Passion. The side thereof, towards the body of the church, in twelve partitions in boards, was fair painted with the images of the twelve Apostles.

"All the roof of the Church was beautified with fair gilt stars. Finally, in the veswhere there were many rich copes and

[Sept.

suites of vestments, there was a fair press, with fair large doors to shut to, wherein there were made devises to hang on all the copes, without folding or frumpling of them, with a convenient distance, the one from the other.

"In the Quire was a fair planted frame of timber, to be set up about Maunday Thursday, with holes for a number of fair tapers to stand in before the sepulchre, and to be lighted in service time. Sometimes it was set overthwart the Quire before the Altar, the sepulchre being alwaies placed, and finely garnished, at the north end of the High Altar; between that and Mr. Clopton's little chappel there, in a vacant place of the wall, I think upon a tomb of one of his ancestors, the said frame with the tapers was set near the steps going up to the said Altar. Lastly, it was used to be set up, all along by Mr. Clopton's Ile, with a door, made to go out of the rood loft into it.

"Upon Palm Sunday the Blessed Sacrament was carryed in procession about the churchyard, under a fair canopy, borne by four yeomen; the procession coming to the church gate, went westward, and they with the Blessed Sacrament went eastward; and when the procession came against the door of Mr. Clopton's Ile, they with the Blessed Sacrament, and with a little bell and singing, approached at the east end of our Ladie's Chappell, at which time a boy with a thing in his hand pointed to it, signifying a prophet, as I think, sang, standing on the tyrret, that is, on the said Mr. Clopton's ile doore, Ecce Rex tuus, venit, &c.; and then all did kneel down, and then, rising up, went and met the sacrament, and so then, went singing together, into the church, and coming near the porch, a boy, or one of the clerks, did cast over among the boys flowers, and singing cakes, &c.

"On Corpus Christi day, they went likewise with the Blessed Sacrament in procession about the church green in copes, and I think also, they went in procession, on St. Mark's day, about the said green, with handbells ringing before them, as they did about the bounds of the town, in Rogation week, on the Monday one way, on the Tuesday another way, and on the Wednesday another, praying for rain or fair weather, as the time required, having a drinking and a dinner there, upon Munday, being fast day; and Teusday, being a fish day, they had a breakfast with butter and cheese, &c. at the Parsonage, and a drinking at Mr. Clopton's by Kentwell, at his manor of Lutons, near the pond in the Park, where there was a little chappel, I think of St. Anne, for that was their longest perambulacion. Upon Wednesday, being fasting day, they had a drinking at Melford Hall. All the Quire dined there, three times in the year at least, viz. St. Stephen's Day, Midlent Sunday, and I think upon Easter Monday.

On St. James's Day, Mass being sung

1830.]

Ruins of Iona.-Inscription for Shelton Oak.

then by note, and the organs going in St. James's chappel, which were brought into my house with the clock and bell, that stood there, and the organs which stood upon the rood loft, that was then a little from the rood, which chappel had been maintained by my ancestors; and therefore I will, that my heires, when time serve, shall repair, place there, and maintain all these things again. There were also fair stooles, on either side, such as are in the Church, which were had away by John King's means, who was Sir William Cordell's bayliff, about which chapel there was paled in, round about, a convenient peice of the green, for one to walk in.

"Memorand.-On St. James's Even their was a bonefire, and a tub of ale, and bread, then given to the poor, and before my doore there were made three other bonefires, viz. on Midsummer Even, on the Even of St. Peter and Paul, when they had the like drinkings, and on St. Thomas's Even, on which if it fell not on the fish day, they had some long pies of Mutton, and peasecods, set out upon boards with the aforesaid quantity of bread and ale; and in all these bonfires, some of the friends and more civil poor neighbours were called in, and sat at the board, with my grandfather, who had at the lighting of the bonefires, wax tapers, with balls of wax, yellow and green, set up, all the breadth of the hall, lighted then and burning there, before the image of St. John the Baptist; and after they were put out, a watch candle was lighted and set in the midst of the said hall, upon the pavement, burning all night.

"This was transcribed by Mr. Johnathan Moor, by my order, out of certain papers written by, and belonging to Mr. Roger Martin, of Melford, who died circ. 23d These papers were showed to me by Mr. Valentine Martin, and were part of the large MS. book lately wasted. N.B. 12th April, 1692.”

Eliz. 1580.

Mr. URBAN,

WITH

Sept. 14.

ITH reference to a notice in your last number, of the discoveries made among the ruins of Iona, I subjoin an abstract of a letter just received from a friend who has visited these interesting remains. All who venerate the impressive vestiges of former ages must regret the state in which this monument of the piety and learning of other years is now left. It is discreditable to the proprietors of such objects to allow them to remain in such a state, for Dunstaffnage and other castles and religious houses are the same.

"Next morning visited Staffa, exceeding even anterior imaginings. Iona fell short as to extent and imposing as

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pect of ruins, but is venerable, and a peculiarity in the style of the sepulchral monuments very striking. The whole is in a state of the most disgusting neglect, filth and degradation. . . . I am persuaded curious discoveries are to be made by excavations, and laying open what is at present concealed by an accumulation of rubbish and dung from the cattle which are penned in the chapels and aisles, &c. Something was said in a newspaper lately about Rae Wilson having excavated, but it must have been to a very trifling extent. Under a large slab, we were told, lay the Kings of Scotland; under another, those of Norway; and under a third those of Ireland; no other monument indicated their places of sepulture."

If this is worthy of a place in your pages, it may be the means of drawing some attention to the state of this building, once so celebrated as a seminary of learning and religious instruction. Yours, &c. JAMES LOGAN.

Mr. URBAN, Shrewsbury, Sept. 13. IN your vol. LXXX. part ii. p. 305, Ν

you gave a view and description of the far-famed Shelton Oak, which tradition says Owen Glendwr ascended to reconnoitre, at the battle of Shrewsbury, and from whence he precipitately retreated to Oswestry, and from thence into Wales, on finding that Hotspur and his friends were defeated. By the permissive kindness of my respected friend, John F. M. Dovaston, Esq. I am enabled to send you the following inscription, commemorative of the event. Yours, &c. D. PARKES. INSCRIPTION FOR SHELTON OAK:

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CLASSICAL LITERATURE.