256
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
south porch of the church, but so dire were the misfortunes resulting to the
voyagers that the sinful captain put back in haste and restored the stolen
property. Carved in stone, above the north door of the church, is a wheel from
which a fragment has been struck by the sword of an angel. This has reference
to the story of St. Catherine and her release from the wheel by the angel. The
noble monuments of the D'Arcy family and to the Earl and Countess of Rochfort
came in for their share of attention, as also did the remarkable "fold" within
which communicants were wont to kneel. It is shaped like a horse shoe, and
together with other portions of the chancel has been recently restored by Sir J. H.
Johnson. The vicar pointed out a monument prepared by an ancient worthy in
his own commemoration. On it he in his own lifetime caused to be inscribed,
with special reference to himself, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord . . .
for they rest from their labours." The labours of this particular saint consisted,
said the vicar, in hunting down old people and destroying them as witches. The
roof of the north aisle of this ancient church merits special notice, being superbly
carved in chestnut, each beam worked in a different design, and the whole
executed in the spirit of a true artist.
A capital cold luncheon was served at the "Lion Inn," after which an
Ordinary Meeting (127th) was held for the proposal and election of members,
the president, Mr. E. A. Fitch, in the chair.
The following were elected members of the Club : Messrs. S. F. Hurnard,
W. du Flon Hutchinson, and G. Bentall.
Gateway of St. Osyth Priory.
(Block kindly lent by Mr. Benham.)
The priory and grounds were then visited, by the kind permission of Sir J. H.
Johnson. It was originally an Augustinian monastery supposed to occupy the site
of an ancient nunnery founded by St. Osyth. The old nunnery was plundered by
the Danes, and, according to the legend already alluded to, St. Osyth's head was
cut off near the spring in Nun's Wood (in the present park). The spring, says