Major; Robert Drew, Esq., and John Kent, Towne Clarke, all 3 Justices of the Peace within the saide Borough; Sir Edw. Bainton, Sir Hen. Ley, Knighte; Rich. Fflower, Thos. Whitacre, Nicholas Barret, John Nicholas, Edw. Northey, Edw. Lewes, John Thurman, Robt. Fflower, Edw. Hope, Thomas Lewen, Christopher Clarke, Richard Dernford, Stephen Fflower, and Thomas Potter, Cheiffe Burgesses and Councellors of the sayd Borough; Edward Northey and Thomas Lewen, Chamberlins; George Morris and Nicholas Sanford, Constables; John Watts and Richard Peirse, Baileiffes of the said Towne and Borough."

A question may arise whether the building delineated on the earlier seal is merely an invention, or intended to represent the original fabric of Devizes Castle, as extant at the period when the seal was engraved. The semicircular arch of the gateway seems certainly to be suggestive of a building of Norman date; and as the castle, for instance, engraved upon the early seal of Norwich will be found to bear a striking resemblance in its outline to the ancient and still remaining fortress of that city, so it may, perhaps, be reasonably inferred, in the absence of any positive proof, that a similar representation of the Castle of Devizes was intended by the engraver of the ancient Seal of that borough.

The Seals, Nos. 2 and 3, both appear to be of a date subsequent to the existence of Devizes Castle in its original state, the former is an exact copy of No. 1, and the latter, although it retains the principal features of the castle as represented on the earlier seals, must necessarily be regarded as displaying a certain amount of more recent invention.

One of the occasional uses of Borough Seals may be seen in the following mandate, issued 14th Richard II. [1390], abbreviated.

"The King to the Sheriff of Wilts, Greeting:-Whereas by the statute lately made at Cambridge, it was ordained, among other things, that no servant or labourer, whether man or woman, should quit the hundred, rape, or wapentake where he dwells, before the end of his term, to serve or abide elsewhere, unless he

carry with him a letter-patent under our seal, stating the cause of his going and the time of his return:-We command you with all the authority we possess, that, all excuses set aside, you cause that our seal for this purpose shall be forthwith made for each hundred, wapentake, rape, city and borough within your bailiwick, and delivered into the hands of such person in each place as the local Justice of the peace shall deem fit and trustworthy:-such seal to be executed in latten metal, and to have the name of your county engraven round its edge, and the name of the hundred or town across its field. Teste Rege apud Westm. VIII die Marcii.

Devizes, October 1st, 1856.

EDWARD KITE.

239

Fout in the Church of St. George, Preshute,

Wilts.

The Font represented in the annexed plate has been for several centuries preserved in the Church of Preshute near Marlborough, and is, perhaps, more generally known in connection with an ancient and somewhat common tradition, than as an architectural relic, affording an interesting example of early art.

Camden has described it as being in his day one of the principal boasts of the Inhabitants of Marlborough. "They brag of nothing more than of the Font, probably of touch-stone, (Lapis obsidianus) in the neighbouring Church of Preshut, in which, as the tradition goes, several Princes were heretofore baptised."

Camden is, however, incorrect in his conjecture as to its material, which will be found upon inspection to be black marble, and, unlike touch-stone, easily acted upon by the application of an acid. The tradition which he alludes to is, that either King John, or some members of his family, were baptized in the Font; and that this story is not without probability, may, perhaps, appear from the following circumstances.

The Font is of Norman date, and may be referred to the early half of the 12th century. Mr. Waylen, in his "History of Marlborough," p. 31, expresses an opinion that it originally stood in the Chapel of St. Nicholas, within the walls of Marlborough Castle, and, that on the dismantling of that fortress in after years, was transferred to the neighbouring Church of Preshute, in which parish the greater portion of the Castle grounds lay.

From the same work, p. 30, it also appears that Henry II., soon after his accession to the throne, granted to his son John, Earl of

1 Gough, in his "Additions to Camden's Britannia" remarks that "the present Inhabitants seem to have forgot the tradition that prevailed in Camden's time about their Font, which is a plain bason of dark grey marble, two feet and a half diameter at top, ending in an inverted cone."

Mortagne, (afterwards King John), the Castle and Manor of Marlborough, the former of which was selected by the Prince at a later date (1189), as the scene of his marriage with the heiress of the Earl of Gloucester. It seems, therefore, very probable, in accordance with the tradition, that the rite of Baptism may have been administered to some member, or members, of his family, at the Font in the Castle Chapel.

About two years ago, when the Church of Preshute was partially rebuilt, the Font was repaired. It is proposed, therefore, briefly to notice some of its more remarkable features, as well as the steps which were at that time taken for its preservation.

Its form, as will be seen from the drawing, is circular; the shaft is quite plain, the bowl and base exhibit various mouldings of the Norman style, consisting chiefly of rounds, hollows, and fillets. The following are some of its principal measurements :

The size of the bowl, as will be seen by its measurement, considerably exceeds that of an ordinary Font. It was, together with the shaft, originally polished within as well as without, and does not appear to have been lined with lead, this, owing to the hardness of the material, not being required. In the centre is a drain. The edges bear some traces of the staples by means of which the cover was formerly fastened.

The bowl, owing to the partial decay of its material, had become cracked and divided into two or three separate portions. This was remedied by affixing a narrow band of brass, about an inch in width, around the circumference of the bowl, on a flat surface between the mouldings, near its upper edge. A considerable quantity of the base had also been chipped off, and, no doubt carried away by persons anxious to possess some memento of their visit. The whole