east-lothian-1924/05-208

Transcription

TRANENT.] -- INVENTORY OF MONUMENTS IN EAST LOTHIAN. -- [TRANENT.

22 feet wide and is ceiled, like the transepts,
with a high pointed barrel vault, the eastern
portion of which is enriched with moulded ribs
springing from corbels carved with grotesques
and foliaceous work ; the three eastern cells
are true rib vaults (fig. 162). The eastern
vaulting boss bears a shield charged with the
royal arms of Scotland. The third boss from
the east also bears a shield, charged apparently
with three stars in chief and a star in fess,
all within a tressure (? Murray). On either
side of the east window there is a moulded
corbel to bear the effigy of a saint. These
corbels have shields displaying three crescents
within a double tressure flory-counter-flory for
Seton.

Around the lateral walls and also round the
apsidal end-which is more unusual-there has
been stone seat. The piscina at the east end
of the south wall (fig. 28) is a fine specimen of
15th century design and is complete, except for
the top course. The basin partly projects and is
partly recessed within a niche covered by a
gabletted, pinnacled and embattled canopy
terminating in a crocketed pyramidal top.
The outer surface of the basin is moulded and
carved with foliaceous enrichment ; on either
side of the niche is a diminutive buttress with
carved enrichment. Adjoining the piscina in
the same wall and at an unusual height is a
sedilia with a three-centred arched head. On
the jambs are clustered shafts with moulded
capitals and moulded bell shaped bases. The
shafts and hollows of the jambs are continued
round the head as roll-and-hollow mouldings.
The south doorway internally has a three-
centred arched head, on which is a filleted edge-
roll, also continued down the jamb. Beneath
the east window of the north wall there is a
15th century tomb recess (fig. 5), which has a
moulded shelf and segmental head with roll-
and-hollow mouldings and one band of folia-
ceous enrcihment ; on either side is a buttress
with moulded base, string and intakes and
terminating in a gableted and crocketed top.
On the shelf are two recumbent effigies. The
male figure is bareheaded save for an enriched
orle around the brows and over the close
cropped and conventionally waved hair. The
head rests on a folded rug or perhaps a helmet
also enriched, as at Borthwick. The body is
clad in plate armour with laminated epaulieres,

117

brassarts and coudiéres. Beneath the breast-
plate can be seen a hausse-col or standard of
mail round the throat, and round the hips are
six rows of tasses, at the lower edge of which
can be seen a skirt of chain mail. The legs
are clad in jointed keel-shaped jambards of
mail with laminated genouilliéres or knee
pieces. The feet are clad in laminated sollerets
and rest on the back of an animal like a lion
couchant but with a human face. The hands
are folded on the breast in prayer over an
object, possibly a reliquary, which has been
coloured in green or blue paint, and is sus-
pended from a chain hanging round the
shoulders. From a richly ornamented hip belt
is suspended on the right a misericorde and
on the left the sword.

The female figure is clad in a high-necked
undergarment embroidered round the throat
and with tight and embroidered wristbands,
which have been gilt. Above this is a wide
sleeved mantle, silk-lined, falling in folds and
concealing the feet. Round the waist is an
embroidered girdle knotted at the foot. The
arms are folded in prayer on the bosom. The
head has a band of embroidered ribbon round
the brows and jaw with a pearled cap and
veil falling to the shoulders.

West of the tomb is the entrance to the
revestry or sacristry, a two storeyed chamber
(cf. p. 116), the upper floor of which is ceiled
with a pointed barrel vault and has been
reached by a ladder from the ground floor.
The entrance doorway has a semicircular head
with filleted rolls and flanking hollows wrought
on the archivolt and continued down the jambs
to bell-shaped moulded bases. The doorstep
is an old tombstone, on which is inscribed a
sword and, apparently, a cross. The sacristy
has a fireplace in the gable wall, while south of
the window in the east wall is a laver with an
ogival head. The basin has a bold projection,
and the drain has an outlet above the upper
member of the string course. In the south
wall is a squint to obtain a view of the alter.
The daylight has been barred vertically and
transversely. On the west wall a large slab of
black marble, within a moulded and much
decayed border of red-veined white marble,
commemorates with a long Latin inscription
George, seventh Lord Seton, who died in 1585.