not quite over it, is an opening in the wall of the third storey, 5 feet 2 inches in height by 1 foot 10 inches at the springing of its triangular head; like the doorway, this ope is slightly wider at the bottom than at the top. It may be observed that this window, if it be a window, though externally terminating in a triangular form, is square-headed within the thickness of the wall. Each of the other floors were lighted by plain

small quadrangular openings-all except the upper storey, which possesses four apertures, measuring 4 feet 2 inches in height, and which face the cardinal points as nearly as possible. These openings, like all the others in the tower, have inclined sides. But the chief peculiarity of Devenish Tower, and one which renders it of the highest interest to intelligent archæologists, is the ornamentation of its cornice. Over three of the topmost apertures are quaintly-executed human heads, displaying beards most curiously and artistically interlaced in that style of art which we find admirably developed in some of our earliest manuscripts.

One of these heads has been so injured by the weather that but a small portion of the tracery remains. A fourth head, that which faces the north, is beardless, and was evidently intended to represent a female-perhaps, if we may hazard a conjecture, St. Brigid. These heads are connected together by a set of mouldings, consisting in some places of three and at other places of five members, but all constituting part and parcel of one cornice. It may be imagined, from the irregularity of the design, that on the

occasion of some unrecorded restoration of the tower the original arrangement had been altered. That such a supposition is tenable, if not plausible, we have evidence in the

Head on the Cornice of Devenish Round Tower.

fact that at least one stone, which had evidently at some time belonged to the cornice, is at present used as a headstone in the lower and more ancient cemetery of the island. With regard to the character of the ornamentation, it is not too much to say that, taken by itself, it may be referred to any period between the seventh and twelfth centuries. Ecclesiologists of a modern school are very apt to maintain that wherever decorative work, of no matter what style, is found upon Irish ecclesiastical structures, it indicates for the edifice on which it occurs a degree of antiquity not older than the twelfth century. It is hard to believe that these antiquaries are correct in their assumption; but, after all, in a "guide book," a discussion on the subject would be out of place. We are tempted, however, to refer any of our critical readers interested in the question to page 182, vol. ii. of the "Ulster Journal of Archæology," where may be seen engravings of articles of silver found near Coleraine, and evidently Roman, which are in artistic character extremely like some of the ornaments on Devenish Tower. No 1 of the plate has the identical spiral ornament of the cornice; so like is it indeed that the engraving would answer, even to a fastidious mind, as a representation of the chief ornament in our tower. Again, in figure 3 of the same plate, we find interlaced patterns, usually esteemed Celtic, and of somewhat late character.

Mr. J. Scott Porter clearly shows that the date of the

formation of the hoard of coins and other articles which constituted this "find," must be limited between A.D. 423 and A.D. 600.

Some years ago the tower was thoroughly repaired under circumstances thus related by Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Hall: "A tree having taken root just at the point of the shaft, under the cone, inserted its fibres so forcibly into the masonry as gradually to loosen and displace the stones. For many years the downfall of this part of the building was foreseen; but in 1834, during a high wind, it actually took place. The tree (an alder of considerable dimensions) was blown down, and carried with it several tons of stones, making a diagonal breach, which left only two-thirds of the cone standing. The breach extended some little way down below the cone, and was at the south-eastern side of the building. Numbers were lamenting the occurrence, anticipating that time would soon reduce the structure to a complete ruin; and what was everybody's' work no person seemed disposed to enter upon. Fortunately the Hon. and Rev. J. C. Maude, the rector of the parish of Enniskillen, was not an indifferent looker-on. He resolved upon the preservation of this interesting relic of antiquity, and at once wrote circulars to the bishop of the diocese, whose property the island then was, and to all the leading gentry of the country,' apologising for interfering in such a matter, being only as it were a casual resident,' but stating that he had done so from the fear that, while no exertion was made, the dilapidations would proceed to an extent that would preclude all reasonable hope of restoring the building.

"His call was responded to by almost every person of property in the vicinity; and having received such encouragement he advertised for contractors. Mr. Robet Rexter of Enniskillen was agreed with for £95; the manner in which he erected the scaffolding enabling him to make his proposal £45 under the next lowest offer. In the tower there are projecting stones at certain distances,' apparently for the purpose of supporting some kind of flooring or staircase.' At the top, just under the cone, there are four windows, each looking to the different points of the compass, N. E. W. S. The projecting stones he made use of to

affix temporary floorings, communicating with each other by strong ladders. Out of the windows he projected four strong beams of timber, and on them he erected the scaffolding, thereby saving all that would be otherwise necessary from the ground to the part of the building which required repair. Competent judges agree in opinion that he executed the work in a most satisfactory manner, in the summer of the year 1835, without any accident whatever having occurred, and making use of very few new stones in the restoration."

Upon this occasion it was discovered that the topmost stone of the cone was hollowed for the reception of some further ornament, and a piece of iron one and a-half inch in length by a quarter of an inch in breadth, was found in the aperture.

For the measurements which we have been enabled to give of the tower we are indebted to Roderick Gray, Esq., C.E., of Enniskillen, who availed himself of the opportunity afforded by the erection of the scaffolding to make some very valuable notes in connexion with the building.

The round towers of Ireland have long excited the attention of archæologists. Giraldus Cambrensis, in the twelfth century, called them "ecclesiastical towers." Succeeding writers severally assumed that these lofty and often beautiful structures were celestial indexes, Buddhist temples, fire towers, penitentiaries, hero monuments, anchorite retreats, watch towers, and so-forth. Indeed until lately the opinions held and published concerning them were nearly as numerous as the towers themselves. Dr. Petrie, in his late work upon the ancient architecture of Ireland, has clearly. shown that while the savants of this and of other countries were at sixes and sevens with one another as to the origin and uses of the towers, the simple peasantry, who style them in Irish cloigteach, or bell-house, had no opinion on the subject but the right one. Dr. Petrie, by reference to passages in ancient Irish writings of authority, and by a careful examination of the architectural peculiarities of the towers themselves, was able to collect an overwhelming mass of evidence which proves that the period within which it was

customary to erect those buildings was not earlier than the fifth and little later than the twelfth centuries.

The story of Columbus and the egg is completely paralleled by that of Petrie and the round towers. Our late accomplished antiquary was the first to appeal to the towers themselves for proofs of their date, and now there is not an educated ecclesiologist in Europe who can find in their architectural details evidence other than that which clearly indicates the comparatively recent origin of the buildings.

THE GREAT CHURCH.

This edifice is all but a featureless ruin. It appears to have consisted of nave and chancel, with a transept to the south and a suite of domestic buildings to the north, an arrangement somewhat unusual. The only detail remaining is a very fine window in the southern wall. This, which is round-headed and deeply moulded within and without, measures externally four feet ten inches and a-half. It splays upon the interior to three feet one inch. That the church contained other windows with similar mouldings is shown by the presence in the graveyard of some of the stones of which they were formed. The work would in any European country be assigned to the twelfth century. The masonry is quite different from that of the house or oratory, and equally so from that of the round tower. It is probably much more modern than either, but is still of a very respectable degree of antiquity. From old drawings in the possession of the Rev. Grey Porter of Kilskerry, a gentleman who takes a laudable interest in remains of Irish ecclesiastical art, it would appear that the eastern window consisted of three lights separated by massive piers of stone.

THE PRIORY.

At a considerable distance from the round tower, near the highest part of the island, are the ruins of a large priory, church and dwelling, supposed to have been erected by Mathew O'Dubagan in the year 1449. The architecture, however, seems older than that date. Indeed there is

no reason whatever to assume that

an inscribed and