hermit's girdle, to which hung a crutch and a little bell.[3] See in the
Gentleman's Magazine for the year 1750, the plate of the orders of
knighthood, where T, whether a letter or crutch, is given to the order of
St. Antony of Ethiopia.

"The saint is always represented with this appendage in Missals, and on
monuments, the T hanging from his girdle, and the bell from the neck of
the pig at his feet."

We are indebted for this subject to the _Vetusta Monumenta_ of the
Antiquarian Society.

The form of the arch will be recognised as strictly of the ecclesiastical
architectural character; and, with reference to this style, we may observe
that "the ecclesiastical residence, the dwelling of the mitred abbot with
his train of shaven devotees, or of the princely bishop and humbler priest,
naturally was designed to correspond with the consecrated edifice round
which these buildings were usually grouped; and hence the architecture of
the abbey or priory is essentially of a piece with that of the cathedral."
Reverting to the chimney-piece, it should be added that formerly both on
the continent, as well as in England, fire-places and chimneys were
decorated with architectural ornaments, as columns, entablatures, statues,
&c., like the entrance to a small temple; now they are mostly made of
marble, and more for the office of sculptural decoration than for the
orders of architecture.


[1] Polwhele's Devon. II. p. 281.

[2] The bishop's motto was, _Quod verum tutum_.