his collection to Cambridge University, he retained this, his choicest example of Greek art. From his sale at Ingatestone in 1885, this head was purchased and subsequently became mine. The original head has been considered to have been the work of Alcamenes, a younger associate of Pheidias, 416 B.C. The goddess is represented wearing the well known Corinthian helmet, beneath which on both sides may be seen projecting the felt cap worn to prevent the brow from being chafed. The lips, slightly parted, show the teeth, whilst the gaze is one of kindly reverie, and is directed slightly downwards. There is in the Louvre a full length figure of Athene with a similar head, bearing on her left arm a box, from which emerges a snake, representing Ericthoneus, which she regards with a look of quasi-maternal interest. This, Professor Gardner suggests, may be the prototype whence are derived the Eirene and Plutos of Cephisodotos and the Hermes of Praxiteles, this latter the finest example of sculpture preserved to us from antiquity.

WALTER CROUCH, Wanstead.

Thorpe-le-Soken.-The Church here contains a finely carved oak screen of the Decorated period. Along the top of it, on a scroll supported by angels, now unfortunately headless, is the following inscription. The first half-"this loft is the bachelors' " is easily deciphered. "Made by ales" has a puzzling look. Local tradition has it that the "bachelors" gave up their "ale," and with the money saved thereby, erected the screen. This is a pleasant myth, ascribing unmerited honour to

This loft is the bachelers made by ales ihesu be the med

the bachelors of the Soken. The truth, of course, is that the money for the screen was raised at a "church ale," a carousal which was the precursor of the no less iniquitous modern church-bazaar. An expert has told me that the last four words are probably Jesus (ihesu) be their mediator, or possibly "meed." The mark after the is certainly an apostrophe, and the two last words were evidently curtailed from want of space. As it is, they are more cramped than the rest of the inscription. M. W. MANTHORP, Thorpe-le-Soken. [Curiously enough, two notes on this interesting inscription reach us from independent sources at the same time. We give them together for the sake of comparison.-EDS.]

Thorpe-le-Soken.-The interesting church here, so full of bygone memories, was re-built in 1875, and robbed of much of its

interest. No doubt it needed careful restoration, but it is sad to have to record that the authorities only left the stately tower intact. The rest of the church is all modern, so far as the outer fabric is concerned, and many ancient tablets and old records appear to have perished. One is grateful for the few relics of antiquity that survived the general destruction, especially for the rare fragment of a beautiful screen against the South-East chancel-arch, of the Decorated period, and most delicately carved. On it may still be traced the following inscription, cut in relief on a flowing scroll:

:

This loft is the bachelers made

by Ales. Thesu be their med.

The last word is "medi," and may signify " Mediator," but more probably "Reward."

The inscription doubtless alludes to the curious custom in bygone times of supplying ecclesiastical needs by holding village sports and selling "ailes," the proceeds being devoted to any deficiency in churchwardens' funds, repairs, or beautifying of the church. This church fair was usually held at Whitsuntide, and called "Ye Witsun Ailes," the custom being kept up to the reign of James I., if not later. In the present case it is most likely that the screen was the gift of the bachelors of Thorpe-le-Soken, who collected the necessary money by means of one of these "Ailes." Its present position is not the original one. No doubt when first erected it was the rood screen, and extended across the Chancel arch, but this no man remembers. This would explain the word "loft" in the inscription, which is evidently alluding to the rood - loft, over the rood - screen. Before the so-called restoration it stood in the south-west corner of the south aisle, forming a kind of barrier for the school children, who sat behind it on raised seats. When removed to the place it now occupies it was found to be too long for the arch-a fault soon rectified by the hewing away and the destruction of a good-sized portion of this beautiful work.

Near it, under a canopy of an ornamented ogee arch, lies the recumbent effigy of a mail-clad Crusader, his crossed feet resting against a lion "couchant," and his hands devoutly folded over delicately carved chain armour on his breast. Who was he? No one knows. All inscription has long since gone, and all that tradition can give us is his appellation of the "King of Landermere"

and the local belief that he owned Landermere Hall. The nearest clue to his identity can be obtained from Morant, in whose time the shield of the knight hung suspended over his head, and from its quarterings the historian connected him with the family of Salburghe, putting the period in which he lived as not later than that of Henry III. or Edward I. Beyond this fragmentary evidence nothing can be learnt. The old warrior and his faithful lion" couchant" at his feet keep their silent counsel as the generations come and go.

E. VAUGHAN, Rayne.

The Church House. In Dr. Laver's interesting "Recollections," he mentions the existence of one traditionally known to him through his father's remembrance, at Paglesham. To this I may add a pendant through the recollection of my father, which may be about contemporaneous. When he was quite a young school-boy, perhaps between the years 1818 and 1820, he remembers the old church-house at Great Bardfield being demolished, and the piece of ground upon which the house stood adjoining the Braintree Road, was added to the church yard. The consecration of the additional ground by the Bishop, a ceremony which would leave an impression upon the mind of a child, is still fresh in his memory. Not long after, the two cottages now standing opposite the Vicarage were built as a "pest-house," for these were the days of many deaths from small-pox, and it was deemed advisable to detain the patients-who seldom recovered-as near the churchyard as possible. This view, in time, was exchanged for another slightly in advance from a sanitary point of view, and the parish purchased two houses at Pitley, about two miles away from Great Bardfield Church, where its infectious cases were kept in

strict seclusion.

To these reminiscences may be added another from the same source, viz., that of the parish stocks, which stood when my father was a lad, he says, on the village green, at the foot of the principal street. The first British School which the parish owned was built here by his father in 1835. It was afterwards transferred to a School Board, and is now about to be condemned by the Education Department on account of its low situation upon the side of a brook.

C. FELL SMITH, Great Saling.

The Will of John Morley. GRANDSON OF THE BUTCHER. BURIED 1777 IN HIS GRANDFATHER'S VAULT. Extracted from the Principal Registry of the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice. IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN, I, JOHN MORLEY, of Halstead, in Essex, Esquire, being of sound and disposing mind and memory, all thanks be given to the Great King of Heaven and Earth for the same, and also for his great mercies in preserving me from the many dangers I have met with by land, and water, my Soul being my greatest concern, I humbly hope may find acceptance with the God of all mercies through the infinite merits, and blessed intercession, of Jesus Christ my only Saviour. My body I desire may be very privately interred with my Grandfather's in the Churchyard of Halsted, and my will is that not above Thirty Pounds be expended on my funeral; and as to the Worldly estate I now have, or may hereafter have, I make the following disposition.

Imprimis, Whereas, I have lent to my son Hildebrand Morley at divers times the sum of Two Thousand Pounds for which he gave me his bonds or notes. Now I give unto my said son Hildebrand Morley all his said bonds or notes and all interest that is, or shall be due thereon to be cancelled.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my Son Hildebrand Morley aforesaid, the sum of 1hree Thousand pounds more.

Item: Whereas I have lent unto my son Allington Morley at divers times the sum of One Thousand Five Hundred Pounds, for which he gave me his Bonds. Now I give unto my said son Allington Morley all his said bonds and all interest that is, or shall be due therein to be cancelled.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my said son Allington Morley the sum of Three Thousands Pound more.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my sons John Jacob Morley, Hildebrand Morley, and Allington Morley, their Executors and Administrators, the sum of Two Thousand Pounds in trust, that they, the said John Jacob Morley, Hildebrand Morley, and Allington Morley, their Executors and Administrators the sum of Two Thousand pounds in trust, that they, the said John Jacob Morley, Hildebrand Morley, and Allington Morley, their Executors and Administrators do, and shall, within Two Months next after my decease, buy and purchase as much Bank annuity stock or other Government securities as can be purchased with the said sum of Two Thousand Pounds, to be transferred into, and stand in their names upon the following trusts, that is to say, that they, the said Trustees, their Executors and Administrators, shall pay, or cause to be paid, all the dividends as they shall become due unto my daughter, Dorothy Harvey, now wife of Bridges Harvey, for, and during the term of her natural life, to, and for, her own sole, and separate use, and benefit, separate and apart from her husband, Bridges Harvey, or any other Husband she may hereafter marry, nor shall the same be liable to the debts, controuls, or management of her present or any future Husband, and my mind and will is, that the receipt of my said Daughter alone, for the interest and produce thereof without her present or any future Husband shall be a good and sufficient discharge for the same to my said trustees, their Executors and Administrators, for the same, and from and after the decease of my said Daughter Dorothy, I do direct that all the said dividends and the produce of them, which shall grow due during the minority of the Children of my said Daughter, in equal and even portions, be paid towards their maintenance and education, as ye major part of my Trustees, shall direct, And as each one

of them shall arrive at the age of Twenty one years, that he or she shall be entitled to, and be paid an equal share or part (with all the Children that shall be living at such time) of the Principal Annuity Stocks or other Government securities to be purchased as aforesaid for his, or her, own and separate use by my said Trustees, their Executors, and Administrators, and for no other use, trust, or purposes whatsoever.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my sons, John Jacob Morley, Hildebrand Morley, and Allington Morley, their Executors and Administrators, the sum of One Thousand Pounds In trust for the sole and separate use of all the Children of my said Daughter Dorothy, to be laid out by my said Trustees in Government securities, within three months after my decease, and the dividends to be paid as they shall become due for, and towards ye maintenance and education of all the said Children in equal shares for each child until such one shall attain at the age of Twenty-one years, then such child shall be entitled to receive. and my trustees empowered to pay such child one equal share of the Principal, Stock, or securities, so purchased as the number of her children shall then be living, and in such order for every child as shall arrive at Twenty-one years, and when the youngest child shall arrive at Twenty-one years, then all the remainder of the said Stock or Securieties shall be paid to the said youngest child by my Trustees their Executors, or Administrators and for no other trust or use whatsoever.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Dorothy Harvey, Sixty pounds to put herself and Children into plain and decent mourning independent of her Husband Bridges Harvey.

Item: I give unto Bridges Harvey, her Husband, Twenty Pounds for his

own use.

Item I give and bequeath unto my Wife Mrs. Elizabeth Morley Twenty guineas to buy a ring in remembrance of me, and I hereby confirm her jointure.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my old acquaintance Mrs. Mary Parker, Ten guineas, but desire she will buy no mourning with it. Whereas there is now

the sum of Sixteen Hundred and Fifty pounds ten shillings and sixpence, Old South Sea annuity stock standing in the names of four Trustees, namely, Benjamin Winthorp, Isaac Boggis, James Herbert, and Philip Slater, which is settled on the joint lives of me and my now wife Elizabeth, and ye longest liver of us one moiety or half part of the said sum is agreed by our marriage settlement to be at my disposal after the decease of my now wife Elizabeth. Now I give and bequeath all my reversion of, in, and to the said moiety, or half part of the said annuity stock after the decease of my said wife, unto and between my sons Hildebrand Morley, and Allington Morley, to be equally divided between them that shall be living at such decease by equal shares or portions, if but one of the said two sons shall be living at sueh decease, then I give all the moiety to the survivor.

Item: I give to my Son John Jacob Morley the Coronation Cup and Cover of King George the First, a Silver Punch Ladle, Six best Silver table Spoons, Six Silver Tea-spoons, Tongs and Strainer, my Topaz ring, my Gold Seal with J.M. engraved on Cristal, Silver Pepper Box, Silver milk pott with mine and his own Mothers Arms, my watch made by Tompion.

Item: I give to my son Hildebrand a Gold Seal with my own arms, a Silver Brand to draw off Liquor, the model of Governor Pitts Diamond in Cristal, a Silver dram Bottle, a Pair of Silver Candlesticks, a Silver Milk pot with flowers,

D