tradition which he and the author of the History of Radnorshire record, that the font in Old Radnor Church was hewn out of one of the missing stones, shows that the supposed removal took place at a remote period, and is so far valuable; but an examination of the four stones does not support the tradition of the use which was made of one of their missing fellows, for they are clearly erratic boulders from the adjacent volcanic rocks of Hanter or Stanner, of which a very truthful and picturesque sketch is given in Murchison's Silurian System. Any local stonemason would, on examination, at once say that the four stones could not be dressed or hewn into a regular form, as they would shatter into irregular fragments when broken or dressed. The volcanic rocks referred to are about two miles to the south of the four stones. The boulders which have proceeded from them are plentifully strewed, intermixed with rocks of Old Radnor Hill, on Bradnor Hill, and Hergeot Ridge; the current of the drift having set towards the south-east. Notwithstanding the constant use of these boulders for road materials many of the larger ones remain; boulders of a large size may still be met with in the Whetstone, near the race-course on Hergeot Ridge, and on the Beastry, Grove, and Bage farms on the northern and southern sides of the Ridge. The builders may, therefore, have gone only a short distance to the south of the site for their materials. How long they have borne their present name is uncertain ; but it appears that a jury at a court held for the Manor of Burlinjobb and Ploughfield in 1767 presented the four stones as one of the bounds of that manor. may, therefore, be reasonably inferred that this was the name handed down to that time by tradition, and that the steward and the jury in their use of the name were perpetuating a previous record of the boundary of the manor. It It only remains to give an account of the dimensions and position of the stones as they now are: the space within them is about 13 feet wide, the south-west stone is 5 ft. high and 13 ft. 9 in. in circumference; that to the south-east is 4 ft. 10 in. by 12 ft. 3 in. round; an excavation showed that this stone is embedded 2 ft. in the ground. The north-west stone is 6 ft. high and 15 ft. 3 in. round, and the north-east stone 4 ft. high and 11 ft. round. The relative distances at which they are placed are-north-west to north-east, 8 ft. 4 in.; north-east to south-east, 5 ft. 6 in. ; south-east to southwest, 7 ft. 6 in.; south-west to north-west, 7 ft. R. W. B. MONUMENTAL EFFIGY OF ST. IESTYN, CLAD IN THE GARB OF A HERMIT, IN LLANIESTYN CHURCH, ANGLESEY. THE churches of Llanbabo and Llaniestyn, Anglesey, contain two remarkable monumental effigies, apparently executed by the same hand, but many centuries after the deaths of the two personages of whom they are commemorative. The former church is within a walk of the Rhos Goch Station, on the Anglesey Central Railway; the latter within a walk or short drive of Beaumaris. I gave a descriptive account of the effigy, in Llanbabo Church, of King Pabo Post Prydain, in the April number of the Archeologia Cambrensis. I now proceed to notice the monumental slab of St. Yestin or Iestyn, in Llaniestyn Church. The slab out of which this effigy is sculptured, I think schist or slate, is five feet ten inches in length by one foot ten inches in width, and though formerly lying on a raised mass of masonry in front of the altar is now placed upright embedded in the wall. The effigy, which is in low relief, represents the saint not in the dress of the period in which he lived, but in the garb of a hermit, as worn in the fourteenth century. This consists of a long tunic or coat (tunica talaris) reaching to the ankles, and girt about the waist with a tasselled cord or rope hanging down in front; an inscribed scroll is sus pended from the left hand. Over the tunic or coat is worn the cappa clausa, a mantle or cloak of a cope-like fashion, fastened by a morse or circular clasp in front of the breast, and thence opening downwards; the borders of this cloak are ornamented. The head is covered by the caputium or hood, which likewise covers the shoulders; the face is bearded, and over the upper lip is worn the moustache, and the head reclines on a squareshaped cushion. The shoes are pointed at the toes. In the right hand is held a bordon or staff, shod with a pointed ferule at the lower extremity, whilst the head of the staff resembles that of a dog. Above the head of the effigy is an ogee headed canopy, cinquefoiled within, the spandrels of which are filled with sculptured foliage. Along a portion of the upper part of the verge of the slab, and within the canopy on the sides of the cushion on which the head reposes, are remains of an inscription, which, when in a more perfect state than it is at present, appears to have read thus: HIC IACIT SANCTVS YESTINVS CVI GWENLLIAN FILIA MADOC ET GRYFFYT AP ISTAM IMAGINEM P SALVTE ANIMARVM. S. Hic jacit Sanctus Yestinus cui Gwenllian Filia Madoc et Gruffyt ap Gwilym optulit in oblacionem istam imaginem pro salute animarum suarum. Oblacoem being an abbreviation for oblacionem, P. for pro, and S. for suarum. A very excellent engraving of this monumental slab and effigy appears in the second volume of the Archaologia Cambrensis, in the October number for 1847. In that work the Saint Iestin or Iestyn ab Geraint, of whom this sculptured slab is commemorative, is said to have flourished in the sixth century. It is probable a full account of him may be found in Rees' Welsh Saints, but I have not that work to refer to.1 1 The notice in the Welsh Saints is as follows:-" Iestin ab Geraint was the founder of Llaniestin in Lleyn, Carnarvonshire; and This may be considered as an unique specimen of a sculptured sepulchral effigy, exhibiting the person commemorated in the garb of a hermit. Amongst the small statuettes which adorn the sides of tombs some other specimen may possibly be found-at present I do not recollect one-and these statuettes must be considered as accessories only, and not commemorative. In the Pontifical of Lacy, Bishop of Exeter, who flourished in the fourteenth century, is the order for the benediction of a hermit's dress, though the particular articles of which that dress was composed are not enumerated. It was, however, different to the garbs of the other religious orders. In the Vision of Piers Ploughman, written in the fourteenth century, are the following allusions to this garb: And again- "In abit as an ermite." "Eremytes on an hep wt hokede staves That is, hermits in throngs with hooked walking sticks went on the pilgrimage to our Lady at Walsingham. In this effigy we have the staff clearly defined, but with a dog's head for the hook. And again "Clothed hem in Copis to be known fro othere And made himsilve eremytes hure eise to have." That is, they clothed themselves in copes to be known from other men, and made themselves hermits to lead easy lives. In this effigy we have the cappa clausa, or cope-like mantle, worn over the tunic or long coat. In whatever view we may regard it, this effigy is the also of Llaniestin in Anglesey, where a stone was seen in the last century with an inscription purporting that he was buried there." His father Geraint ab Erbin is stated to have been "one of the princes of Devon, who was slain while fighting under Arthur at the battle of Llongborth." An elegy on Geraint ab Erbin, attributed to Llywarch Hen, is preserved in the Black Book of Carmarthen, and also, with some additions and variations, in the Red Book of Hergest. See Four Ancient Books of Wales, ii, 37, 274.-ED. Arch. Camb. most interesting of all in the island of Anglesey. Amongst those of Great Britain, it has, I think, the merit of being perfectly unique. LLANEILIAN. The little church of Llaneilian or Llanelian, Anglesey, is about two miles from the railway station at Amlwch, lying due east of the latter place. It consists of a tower, nave, and chancel, and of a distinct building lying south of the latter, and connected therewith by a lean-to passage. The porch on the south side of the church is of late fourteenth or early fifteenth century construction. On the right of the door, and within the porch, is a projecting stone basin or stoup which contained holy water, in which, before the Reformation, each dipped his finger and crossed himself on entering into the church. In the east wall of the tower is a plain Norman arch of the twelfth century; this is apparently the most ancient portion of the church. The south window of the nave is of late fifteenth century work, and contains three lights foliated in the heads; the jambs and architrave have bold hollow mouldings. The north window of the nave is similar to that on the south side. There is a string-course beneath each of these windows, composed of a plain set off and hollow beneath. On the north side of the nave is a pointed doorway, the jambs and architrave of which, and the hood over, have bold hollow mouldings. Both nave and chancel have externally embattled parapets. The south window of the chancel is square-headed, and of two lights of fifteenth century construction. The north window of the chancel is of two lights within a square head with hood mould over. The east window of the chancel is nearly triangularheaded; it contains three lancet-shaped lights, and the hood over has the cavetto or hollow moulding. Such are the principal constructive features of the church, which appears to have been mainly rebuilt or greatly |