is represented the crucified Saviour; the figure of Our Lord is very tall and slender, the head is seen sideways falling upon the breast, bearded, with long hair, destitute of nimbus; the arms are long and straight; the body draped from the middle to below the knees; the feet, nailed separately, rest on the scabellum; above the head is the inscription—HIC EST HIC NAZARENVS REX IVDEORVM-followed by a semicolon, and three dots in a triangle; the two letters H have the transverse bar extending to the left beyond the first upright stroke. The name of the Saviour is singularly contracted-Hic-. Above the inscription the hand of God, holding a circular wreath, is extended from a crescent; a dove, with closed wings, being represented within the wreath. A serpent is entwined round the cross beneath the scabellum. At the end of the left arm of the cross is a figure of sol draped, with a circular fibula on the right shoulder, and veiling his face with his cloak, which is spotted with stars and dots arranged in triangles, the head surmounted with waved flames. At the end of the right arm is a similar figure of luna, weeping, the head covered with a crescent. It is worthy of notice that the ground at the foot of the cross is treated in the same conventional manner as on the gold plates above described.

Two of the MSS. preserved in the sacristy of the Cathedral are of great interest. Both are copies of the Gospels. One, written in the eighth century, contains an illumination, in which are represented the four Evangelists, drawn in a most spirited manner and colored in thick body-colors, entirely in the Roman style; the other is a MS. of the end of the tenth century, and contains several illuminations, of which the most important is the apotheosis of Otho III., who died in the year 1002. A copy of this is given by Hefner, Trachten, 1st divis. pl. 48. It is there stated that the MS. had been given to the Cathedral of Aix-la-Chapelle by that emperor, and was then in the possession of the Canon d'Orsbach. It appears, however, from a statement by MM. Cahier and Martin,' that this MS. had been seen by the two Benedictines at Epternach, near Trèves, and that it then bore on its cover an ivory plaque with figures of Otho II. and his queen Theophania. This plaque is now at the Hôtel de

1 Mélanges Arch. i. 185.

2 Voyage Littéraire, ii. p. 237.

Cluny at Paris, and it has been accurately figured in Les Arts Somptuaires. As, however, the figure of the emperor in the illumination differs from that upon the plaque, and agrees with that in the MS., No. 38, in the Royal Library at Munich,1 in which are allegorical representations inscribed -ROMA, GALLIA, GIRMANIA (sic), and SLAVONIA, the lastnamed country having been conquered by Otho III., MM. Cahier and Martin consider that the illuminations, both in the Aix-la-Chapelle Gospels and the Munich MS., No. 38, represent Otho III., not Otho II. The former of these MSS. contains another interesting illumination facing that of the apotheosis of the Emperor Otho, and representing the scribe Liutharius offering his work, and inscribed-Hoc

AUGUSTE LIBRO TIBI COR DS INDUAT OTTO: QUEM DE LIUTHARIO TE SUSCEPISSE MEMENTO.2 Both these MSS. are enclosed in silver-gilt covers, splendidly ornamented with precious stones. One of them also bears on its front side a Byzantine ivory carving, with a half-length figure of the Virgin and Child, surrounded by chased silver-gilt plates, representing the Birth, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of the Saviour, evidently contemporary with the large plates used for covering the coronation throne of the emperors, described above, the third of these scenes being almost identical in design in both monuments. The other side is ornamented with another Byzantine ivory carving, containing the busts of four saints, surmounted with chasings of the four Evangelists, seated and writing.

An ivory situla, or vessel for holy water, apparently of the eleventh century, is used at Aix-la-Chapelle as the support of a silver-gilt book-stand, bearing a figure of St. Matthew in the Byzantine manner. The cup is decorated with about seventy precious stones; it is about eight inches high, octagonal in form, and displays two rows of figures, separated by a band of precious stones, those in the upper row consisting of a king seated, holding the globe and sceptre; two prelates seated, each with the right hand raised in the gesture of benediction; and five bishops standing, holding pastoral staves. In the lower row are eight warriors armed with spears and shields, each standing

1 This is given in part by Hefner, Trachten, 1st divis. pl. 7, but as the portrait of Henry II. It is much more satis

factorily represented by Foerster.

2 This drawing is also copied by Hefner, pl. 47.

before an open door of a castle or of the building which is seen in the upper part above their heads. The rim of the vessel is ornamented with a row of small arabesques and grotesques, and with two large human heads, to which the handle was doubtless attached. A figure of this curious bénitier has been given by Didron, Annales Archéologiques, pp. 78, 103, by whom the figures have been supposed to represent an imperial or œcumenic council. A more elaborate representation has also been published by Weerth, tab. xxxiii.

tome xix.

The two leaves of an ivory diptych are also here preserved, measuring 12 inches by 5 inches, each containing three scenes of the life of Christ, including the Last Supper, the incredulity of St. Thomas, and Christ blessing his disciples. The proportions of these figures are very short and robust, and the treatment very inartistic. Each scene is surrounded by a foliated border, as usual in German ivory carvings previous to the twelfth century.1

The great corona suspended over the grave of Charlemagne was presented by the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and Beatrix, his wife, in honour of the Blessed Virgin, in 1165. It is of gilt copper, highly ornamented with enamels, chased work, engravings of very curious character, and inscriptions, which merit a careful examination, both from their beautiful execution and well authenticated date. These, as well as the two great silver gilt reliquaries, have been very elaborately engraved in detail by Cahier and Martin, and also by Weerth.

I regret that I was not able satisfactorily to examine one of the large silver gilt reliquaries, measuring 2 feet in height, containing, in a polished crystal vase, the so-called leathern girdle of our Lord, both ends of which are brought together in the seal of Constantine the Great. On one of the cameos is the portrait of St. Helena, and on the other are those of Constantine and his empress.

1 Many of the precious objects preserved at Aix-la-Chapelle, including nearly the whole of those above described, have, since these notes were written, been

very well figured in the fine work by Ernst Aus' M. Weerth, Kunst-denkmäler des Christlichen Mittelalters in den Rheinlanden.

(To be continued.)

VOL. XVIII.

I I

The Girth House, in the parish of Orphir, Orkney. Exterior view of the Apse, taken from the South-east.

NOTICE OF REMAINS OF A ROUND CHURCH WITH SEMICIRCULAR APSE, IN THE PARISH OF ORPHIR, ORKNEY.

BY GEORGE PETRIE, CORR. MEM. S. A. SCOT.

THE very remarkable ruin now to be described stands in the churchyard of the parish of Orphir, Orkney, immediately opposite to, and within a few feet of, the door of the present parish church. Its peculiar appearance attracted my attention several years ago, and at that time I made a sketch and measurements of the ruins, and forwarded copies to Sir Henry Dryden, Bart., who on a subsequent occasion accompanied me to Orphir, and measured the ruins with me.

The churchyard is near to the sea-shore, and the immediate neighbourhood abounded with numerous traces of ancient buildings, which are believed to be the remains of the palace of Jarl Paul, who lived at Orphir in the twelfth century. During some excavations, which were made about 1859, close to the outside of the churchyard wall, great quantities of bones of various domestic animals were found, and amongst them were jawbones of dogs and cats in great abundance. The farmer who is tenant of the farm adjoining the churchyard, and his servants, who had made the excavations, informed me that they had found some hundred or more jawbones of dogs and cats, and I can readily believe it, for, when on a visit to the place, two years ago, with Dr. George W. Dasent, author of "Burnt Njal," I picked up in a few minutes several amongst the rubbish.

There can be no doubt that the ruins are those of a circular church, with a semi-circular apse. A gentleman who

1 The Rev. J. L. Petit, in his notes on circular churches, in this volume, has

given this as the most simple and ancient type. He cites several examples of this