At Bradley, Lincolnshire, is a very large font, of the Decorated period,
with this inscription round the bowl in black letter:
"Pater Noster, Ave Maria, and Criede, leren ye chyld yt es nede."
This is an early instance of the use of _English_ for inscriptions. The
sketch was engraved in the work on _Baptismal Fonts_.
At Threckingham, Lincolnshire, I believe I succeeded in deciphering an
inscription round the font, which was said to have been previously studied
in vain. It is somewhat defaced; but in all probability the words are,--
"Ave Maria gracia p... d... t..."
_i. e._ of course, "plena, dominus tecum." The bowl of the font is Early
English; but the base, round which the inscription runs, appears to be of
the fifteenth century.
At Burgate, Suffolk, an inscription in black letter is incised on the upper
step of the font:
"[Orate pro an--b'] Will'mi Burgate militis et d[=n]e Elionore uxoris
eius qui istum fontem fieri fecerunt."
Sir William Burgate died in 1409. It is engraved in the _Proceedings of the
Bury and West Suffolk Archæological Institute_.
At Caistor, by Norwich:
"Orate pro animab ... liis ... ici de Castre."
At Walsoken, Norfolk:
"Remember the soul of S. Honyter and Margaret his wife, and John
Beforth, Chaplain."
with the date 1544.
At Gaywood, Norfolk, is a font of Gothic design, lust probably of
post-Reformation date. On four of the eight sides of the bowl are these
inscriptions:
"QVI . CREDIDE "VOCE . PATER
RIT . ET . BAPTI NATUS . CORPORE
ZATVS . FVERIT FLAMEN . AVE.
SALVVS . ERIT." MAT. 3."
"CHRISTVM . IN "I . AM . THY . GOD
DVISTIS . QVOT AND . THE . GOD
QVOT . BAPTI OF . THY . SEEDE.
ZATI . ESTIS." GEN."
{483}
At Tilney, All Saints, Norfolk, is an inscribed font so similar to the one
last mentioned that they are probably the works of the same designer.
On the _cover_ of the font at Southacre, Norfolk, is this inscription:
"Orate p. aia. M[=r]i. Ri[=c]i. Gotts et d[=n]i Galfridi baker,
Rectoris huj' [eccl[=i]e qui hoc] opus fieri fece^t."
I may take the opportunity of adding two _pulpit_ inscriptions; one at
Utterby, Lincolnshire, on the sounding-board:
"Quoties conscendo animo contimesco."
The other at Swarby, in the same county:
"O God my Saviour be my sped,
To preach thy word, men's soulls to fed."