Anancient stained glass panel representing a pedlar and his dog has lately been removed from a window of Lambeth Church, to give place to a new memorial window. It commemorated “some person unknown” who is supposed to have left to the parish a piece of land long known as “Pedlar’s Acre.” Its removal has caused some excitement in the parish.
Anancient stained glass panel representing a pedlar and his dog has lately been removed from a window of Lambeth Church, to give place to a new memorial window. It commemorated “some person unknown” who is supposed to have left to the parish a piece of land long known as “Pedlar’s Acre.” Its removal has caused some excitement in the parish.
No. V.—THE REV. P. MORANT TO A. FARLEY, ESQ.
South Lambeth,Oct. 17, 1769.
Sir,—In one of the Petitions which I am preparing for the press, there is an extract out of Domesday-book, written so badly that I cannot possibly make outa word in itnear the end. I inclose a transcript of it, and, if it is not too much trouble, humbly (sic) the Favor of You to fill in up that word, and send this Letter back to Mr. Astle at the Paper Office. I am obliged to print that Extract as it is in the Petition, and therefore you will be so good as not to give yourself the Trouble to write out the whole Extract.
Begging of You to excuse this Trouble, I remain,Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant,Phil. Morant.
ToAbraham Farley, Esq.
[This letter was written by the Rev. P. Morant, the historian of Essex, while residing at Lambeth, whither he had removed early in this year, as being appointed to succeed Mr. Blyke in the work of preparing for the press a copy of the “Rolls of Parliament.” The “Mr. Astle” to whom it refers was Thomas Astle, Esq., Keeper of the Records, who married Morant’s daughter. It was in crossing over from Lambeth to his work that Morant caught the chill from which he died.[77]—J. H.Round.]
“Milton’s Bible,” which the trustees of the British Museum have purchased, is, strictly speaking, the first Mrs. Milton’s Bible. “I am the book of Mary Milton,”—so runs the inscription in the lady’s own handwriting. The poet, himself, however, has entered the dates of the birth of his children, which are given with commendable precision. Thus—“Anne, my daughter, was born July 29, the day of the monthly Fast, between six and seven, or about half an hour after six in the morning, 1646.” Another entry records a fact not often remembered: “My son John was born on Sunday, March 16, at half-past nine at night, 1650.” This child, Milton’s only son, died an infant—“through the ill-usage or bad constitution of an ill-chosen nurse,” says Phillips. The fates and fortunes of Milton’s remaining children, and even of his grandchildren, are well-known; we read also of great-grandchildren who lived, but (it is to be feared) did not flourish, at Madras down to the commencement of George II.’s reign. Then one loses sight of them altogether. Possibly the heir of the poet’s body is a Eurasian, and a writer of Baboo English. Perhaps he is identical with the judicious author who boasted that “he had studied the Shakespeare and the Milton, and had avoided the imperfections of either.”—St. James’s Gazette.
“Milton’s Bible,” which the trustees of the British Museum have purchased, is, strictly speaking, the first Mrs. Milton’s Bible. “I am the book of Mary Milton,”—so runs the inscription in the lady’s own handwriting. The poet, himself, however, has entered the dates of the birth of his children, which are given with commendable precision. Thus—“Anne, my daughter, was born July 29, the day of the monthly Fast, between six and seven, or about half an hour after six in the morning, 1646.” Another entry records a fact not often remembered: “My son John was born on Sunday, March 16, at half-past nine at night, 1650.” This child, Milton’s only son, died an infant—“through the ill-usage or bad constitution of an ill-chosen nurse,” says Phillips. The fates and fortunes of Milton’s remaining children, and even of his grandchildren, are well-known; we read also of great-grandchildren who lived, but (it is to be feared) did not flourish, at Madras down to the commencement of George II.’s reign. Then one loses sight of them altogether. Possibly the heir of the poet’s body is a Eurasian, and a writer of Baboo English. Perhaps he is identical with the judicious author who boasted that “he had studied the Shakespeare and the Milton, and had avoided the imperfections of either.”—St. James’s Gazette.
A Guide to the Roman Villa recently discovered at Morton, between Sandown and Brading, Isle of Wight.ByJohn E. Price, F.S.A., and F. G.Hilton Price, F.G.S. Ventnor: Briddon Brothers, 1884.
A Guide to the Roman Villa recently discovered at Morton, between Sandown and Brading, Isle of Wight.ByJohn E. Price, F.S.A., and F. G.Hilton Price, F.G.S. Ventnor: Briddon Brothers, 1884.
Fromtime to time during the past century, excavations made intentionally or unintentionally, have revealed to modern eyes how large a store of remains still attest the presence of the Eagles of Imperial Rome in this country, though fifteen or sixteen centuries have passed since their departure from these shores. At Woodchester, on the Gloucestershire Hills; at Chesters near Hexham, on the Roman Wall; at Bignor near Petworth, on the Sussex Downs; at Carleon-upon-Usk in Monmouthshire; in north, south, and central London, at Colchester, at Lincoln, and in a dozen other places, we have seen exhumed from time to time, baths, ovens, kitchens, and temples with walls and floors inlaid with Roman mosaics, dating from the days of the Antonines and Hadrian.
But few of these places are of greater interest than Brading in the Isle of Wight, near which Messrs. Price brought to light, in 1880, the ground-plan of one Roman villa, almost complete. The explorations originated in the discovery of such indications of Roman buildings as offered encouragement for further investigation. Here a short time previously to our authors’ assisting in the matter, Captain Thorp, of Yarbridge, had discovered fragments of walls, roof tiles, and traces of pavements, and had devoted a considerable amount of energy and zeal to the complete examination of the ground. Before many months had passed by, it was found necessary, on account of the number of pilgrims who flocked thither, to publish a guide, giving a description of the discoveries. This has now reached the honours of an eleventh edition. In this Guide the dimensions of the several chambers of which the building consisted are duly set forth, and the fragments of pottery, mosaics, and tessellated pavements fully described and illustrated. By the kindness of the authors we are enabled to reproduce one of the illustrations,[78]which represents a group in the south-west compartment of the lower portion of the pavement of one of the larger chambers, admirably worked in small tesseræ of varied colours. There is a female figure partially draped after the manner of thesaltatrixor dancing girl of Greece or Italy, playing upon a tambourine; her companion is a male figure of more than ordinary interest, on account of the peculiarities presented by the costume worn—a Phrygian cap, a skirted tunic with a small cloak orpalliumfastened on the right shoulder, andbraccæor “trousers.” “The peculiarity of this dress,” writes Messrs. Price, “leads to the opinion that it may be that in fashion at the time the mosaic was laid down, because the form given to thebraccæis different to that usually met with in the costume attributed to the ‘barbarians’ or provincial nations in Roman sculpture.”
The Lincolnshire Survey.Edited byJames Greenstreet. Privately printed. 1884.
The Lincolnshire Survey.Edited byJames Greenstreet. Privately printed. 1884.
Bythe publication of this valuable and handsome volume Mr. Greenstreet has done good service to the cause of historical research, and has earned the gratitude of all those who are lovers of exact scholarship. The Lincolnshire Survey enjoys the reputation of being probably the earliest after Domesday, which had only preceded it by some thirty years, and which, in form, it closely resembles. In the autotype plates by whichthis ancient survey is here reproduced in fac-simile, the writing is as clear almost throughout, as when the parchment first received it 770 years ago. It was fitting that a record which can only appeal to antiquarian connoisseurs should be issued in the choicest form, and Mr. Greenstreet’s subscribers have good reason to be satisfied with the appearance of the work. The title-page is appropriately adorned with the arms of eight of the leading families whose names occur in the survey, grouped round those of the See of Lincoln. Our readers need not be reminded of Mr. Greenstreet’s eminence as a herald, possessing as they do, in these pages, from his pen, more than one valuable Roll of Arms. We trust that the enterprise he has shown in bringing out this important work may serve to arouse a wider interest in the obscure period with which it deals, and, consequently, in the work of the Pipe-Roll Society, of which Mr. Greenstreet is the honorary secretary, and one of the most zealous promoters.
Diary and Letters of Thomas Hutchinson, Esq.By P. O.Hutchinson, Sampson Low & Co.
Diary and Letters of Thomas Hutchinson, Esq.By P. O.Hutchinson, Sampson Low & Co.
Thisis the title of a work which will be found to fill an important blank in the history of the American Revolution. It is the work of one of Governor Hutchinson’s great-grandsons. It supplies many personal memoranda of the leaders on both sides in that struggle, including several notices of the Copleys, Pepperells, and other Royalists, who settled in England when the breach between the old country and her colonies was complete. There is from first to last about it no attempt at fine or sensational writing, or at “stating the case” on behalf of the Royalist cause; it consists of plain matters of fact, extracts from diaries, letters, &c., and these are such as give the reader the clearest insight into the transactions which it records, and the conduct of the chief movers in them. As a painstaking effort to place on permanent record a portion of history of which but little is known, and which as yet has found no adequate historian, the book is deserving of all praise.
The Principles of Gothic Ecclesiastical Architecture.By M. H.Bloxam. Three vols. G. Bell & Sons.
The Principles of Gothic Ecclesiastical Architecture.By M. H.Bloxam. Three vols. G. Bell & Sons.
Itis not to be wondered at, considering the part which the veteran Mr. Bloxam has played in the revival of the study of Gothic architecture, that this book should have reached its eleventh edition, or that from a small 12mo. volume, couched in a catechetical form, it should have attained the honour of a library edition—for that is what is now the case. Along with the late Mr. J. H. Parker, of Oxford, Mr. Bloxam was one of the chief pioneers of that movement which has found its outcome in the many flourishing county and diocesan architectural and archæological societies which are scattered up and down England, and in those pleasant annual congresses which Mr. Bloxam himself attended and instructed till the weight of eighty years forced him to abandon them. Most of the older men of the present generation can say that it was from Mr. Bloxam’s little work that they imbibed their earliest taste in the above direction, and they will be not the less glad to possess the three volumes into which that work has been gradually expanded on account of the portrait of its author prefixed to it. The treatise really is one which needs no recommendation at our hands; but it is as well to add that the third volume is devoted to an account of the costumes of monumental effigies—a branch of the subject to which Mr. Bloxam of late years has paid especial attention. The illustrations are exquisitely done; and three good indexes add a special value to the work as a book of reference.
“Emori nolo; sed me esse mortuum nihil æstimo.”—Epicharmus.
TheRev. Hugh Pigot, Rector of Stretham, Cambridgeshire, and author of “The History of Hadleigh,” died on September 22, aged sixty-five years. Mr. Pigot graduated at Brasenose College, Oxford, and besides the above-mentioned work, he was the author of “A Guide to the Town of Hadleigh,” “Suffolk Superstitions,” and other antiquarian works.
TheRev. John Allen Giles, D.C.L., Rector of Sutton, Surrey, formerly headmaster of Camberwell Collegiate School, and afterwards of the City of London School, died on September 24. His name is known as a scholar in various branches of learning. He edited or translated the works of Lanfranc and of the Venerable Bede, “Letters of St. Thomas of Canterbury,” the “Codex Apocryphus Novi Testamenti,” “Sculptores Græci Minores,” “Terentii Comœdiæ,” “Severi Sancti Carmen,” and “The Works of King Alfred the Great.” He was also the author of the “Life and Times of Alfred the Great,” “Life and Letters of Thomas à Becket,” “The History of Bampton,” “The History of Witney,” and a “History of the Ancient Britons,” &c.
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METROPOLITAN.
British Archæological Association.
(Continued from p. 195.)
TheCouncil of the Archæological Association added this year three “extra days” to their Tenby congress, to be devoted to Haverfordwest and St. David’s. Accordingly on Tuesday, September 9, they went to Narberth, to visit the castle of that town. This was made the subject of comment by Mr. Loftus Brock, who explained its leading features, drawing attention to its strong position and its great extent, and stating a few facts about its history, from which it appeared that it was founded by a Norman baron named Perrott, and passed by royal gift into the hands of Sir Rees or Rhys Ap Thomas, who was its owner in the days of Leland; and the latter mentions it in his “Itinerary” as a “praty” place. Like the other castles of this country, it suffered sadly during the civil wars, and though afterwards repaired and inhabited, it soon fell again into decay. From Narberth their journey lay to Llawwhydden, a castellated mansion of the Bishops of St. David’s, who here figured almost as barons, and lived in baronial splendour. Of this once noble structure only some octagonal towers remain, and these and some fine lancet windows were much admired. The next visit was to Picton Castle, a place which has never ceased to be inhabited, and which, therefore, shows more completely than any other similar structure in Pembrokeshire what was the condition of a feudal castle four or five centuries ago. It was built by a Norman knight named William de Picton, in the reign of William Rufus. The building is oblong in plan, with three large bastions projecting on each side, and at the eastern end, betweentwo smaller bastions, was the principal gateway with a double portcullis. Until a comparatively recent period it retained its original form, and even the alterations made by the late Lord Milford and his predecessors have not much affected or changed its original character as a baronial fortress, castellated and embattled. The castle itself and its historical associations were explained by the present owner, Mr. Charles Philipps, who entertained the whole party present at luncheon. It was late in the afternoon when the party drove on to Haverfordwest, where they explored the noble castle, which frowns down upon the town, the river, and its bridges, but which is far more interesting externally than internally, as its four square walls are really almost a shell, such buildings as there were inside of them having been long since removed in order to utilise it as a prison, a purpose which it has served until very lately. It is now empty and vacant, and has been made the property of the town, who keep it in repair. They also inspected St. Mary’s Church, one of the very finest ecclesiastical structures in South Wales, and remarkable as having nearly the only clerestory (except that of St. David’s Cathedral) to be found within the whole county. Here the archæologists found very much to admire in the Early English arches of the nave and church, the recumbent monument of a knight near the porch door, the elegantly carved roofs, and the graceful arcading and capitals of the pillars throughout.
On Wednesday, the archæologists were favoured with very fine weather for their drive to St. David’s. It is observed of this sixteen-mile journey that it has as many hills as miles. Leland writes: “This tract was inhabited by the Flemings out of the Low Countries, who by permission of King Henry I. were planted here. These are distinctly known still from the Welsh, and so near joined are they in society of the same language with Englishmen, who come nighest of any nation to the Low Dutch tongue, that this their country is called by the Britons, ‘Little England beyond Wales.’ ” On their way to St. David’s the carriages halted at Roche Castle, a fine old fortress, of which little now remains except a single tower, which forms a conspicuous landmark. Its site was evidently chosen for its strength. It was built early in the thirteenth century by one Adam de Roche or de Rocke, who founded here one of the most powerful of Norman families. The name, it may be interesting to know, still remains in Pembrokeshire. The castle was to a great extent ruined in the wars against the Welsh, and what remained became still further dilapidated through the rough treatment which it received from the soldiers of the Parliament when it was held by its captain, Francis Edwards, on behalf of King Charles I. Roche Castle was briefly commented upon by Mr. Loftus Brock. From this point the party proceeded by way of Newgall Sands, and the tumulus which is still called Poyntz Castle, to Solva, and so on to St. David’s, where they arrived in time to partake of the Bishop’s hospitality at a luncheon, which they found ready spread for them in the grounds of the ruined episcopal palace of Bishop Gower. Luncheon over, the Bishop proposed “The Health of the Queen,” and then in a brief speech welcomed the archæologists to this the first banquet given by a bishop in these grounds for many centuries; after which he explained the peculiarities of the structure, which, he said, is really a double palace, joined in the ground-plan into a sort of letter “L” by a common kitchen at the angle. He then enlarged upon the great beauties of the arcade which runs all round the palace above, the curious structure of its once magnificent roof, now destroyed, its exquisite “wheel” or “rose” window, its chapel, and itsgrand dining-hall; the whole forming together by far the finest specimen of domestic architecture in South Wales, or, perhaps, in the entire principality. It is needless to say that this matchless structure was very much admired. At four o’clock the entire party, nearly one hundred strong, attended service in the cathedral, after which the Dean took them in hand, and conducted them round the building, explaining every part in detail, and showing the extent to which the restorations of the last quarter of a century had altered and improved its condition. He pointed out the semi-Norman arches of the nave, purified from coats of whitewash, the roof cleaned, the side aisles repaved, and the windows restored. Then he led them into the south transept, which not long since was little better than a barn, and assigned as the place for a Welsh service, to which a new roof and new windows had been added by benefactors now deceased. He then took them through a series of ruined side chapels to the Lady-chapel, now bare and roofless, though full of the purest architectural details. Thence the party were conducted to Bishop Vaughan’s chapel, behind the high altar, rich with a roof of fan tracery, which is scarcely to be matched except at King’s College Chapel, Cambridge. He also pointed out the front and the back of the marble slab on which rested the shrine of St. David, once an object of pilgrimage inferior in interest and in the number of its devotees only to that of St. Thomas of Canterbury, reminding them that in the old days two pilgrimages to St. David’s were always regarded, in canonical penance, as equivalent to one journey to Rome—according to the old monkish rhyme, “Roma semel quantum bis dat Menevia tantum.” The Dean next showed the progress of the works in the north transept, and then led the party into the cathedral vestry or chapter-house, formerly St. Thomas’s Chapel, where he showed them a small collection of ecclesiastical relics, including the tops of two episcopal croziers, the top of a processional cross, two episcopal rings, and some chalices which had been buried along with some of the older bishops. He also displayed here the cathedral plate, the communion service, platen, and chalice, on which Messrs. Lambert and Loftus Brock offered some descriptive remarks. The Dean having completed his peregrinations and description of the fabric, a vote of thanks to him for his kindness was proposed by Mr. Thomas Morgan, F.S.A, and seconded by Mr. E. Walford, M.A., who, in a few words, contrasted the present state of the cathedral, after its recent repairs, with its new roofs, decorated interior, and rebuilt west front, with what he remembered of it forty years ago, when it was little more than a large barn-like structure, covered with a mixture of whitewash and whitey-brown paint from end to end; he also congratulated the Dean and Chapter on the conservative way in which the work of restoration had been carried out. In the evening the Dean entertained at dinner at his house, in the Close, the leading members of the congress, whom he kindly invited to meet the Bishop.
Fortunately for the congress and its members the fine weather which they had enjoyed upon the whole continued to the last. Although carriages cannot be driven up actually to St. David’s Head, the extreme object of their pilgrimage, yet they were enabled to draw up about a mile short of it, and Mr. Edward Laws acted as their guide over the rest of the way on foot. Arrived at the Head, they saw a magnificent seaview, and rocks such as not to be found elsewhere except at the Land’s End in Cornwall. Mr. Laws explained to them the remains of a large stone circle, not unlike those at Stonehenge and Avebury, inWiltshire, with portions of its avenue of large stones still remainingin situ. They were also able to see the traces of a fine fortification, probably British, close by St. Justinian’s Chapel. A ruined edifice near the sea-shore was also inspected, and Mr. Laws pointed out to the party the place where local tradition declares that the old Roman city of Menevia lies buried many feet deep below the sand-drifts. Before returning to St. David’s, they were also shown the traces of a quadrangular fort, probably Roman, nearer to the city. The return to Haverfordwest was effected in good time. This enabled the members to inspect portions of the old castle, the council chamber, the churches of St. Mary and St. Martin, and a variety of private houses in which vaulted cellars, carved and painted mantelpieces, and the tracery of mediæval windows still exist, and also to extend their walk to the ruins of the Priory in the riverside fields below the bridge over the Cleddaw. Here, under the guidance of Colonel Bramble, they were able to make out the ground-plan of this once noble ecclesiastical structure, including its cruciform church, the refectory, cloister, &c. The party then returned to the Castle Hotel, and the congress finally broke up, much to the regret of its members, who agreed that it had been one of the pleasantest and most successful of such annual gatherings. This result was largely due, it should be added, to the courtesy of the authorities of the Great Western and the Pembroke and Tenby Railway Companies, whose officials lent them all the aid in their power.
The Library Association.—The annual meeting of the above Association was held at Trinity College, Dublin, Dr. Ingram, F.T.C.D., Librarian of the College, presiding. The proceedings commenced on Tuesday, September 30, and among those present were Mr. Justice O’Hagan, the Lord Mayor, M.P., Lord Charles Bruce, the Provost of Trinity College, Dublin; Rev. Dr. Haughton, F.T.C.D, F.R.S.; Dr. Moffat, President of Queen’s College, Galway; Mr. George Bullen, of the British Museum, and others. Dr. Ingram having offered the Association a hearty welcome, gave an account of the library in Trinity College. It was well stored with ancient and modern literature, containing more than 200,000 volumes of printed books, and about 2,000 manuscripts. It contained certain peculiar and precious things, some of them deserving to be called national heirlooms, which gave to it a special character and dignity of its own. Trinity College having been founded in 1591, was opened for the admission of students on January 9, 1594. He explained the difficulties under which the library was formed, and gave an account of its contents, which had outgrown the accommodation provided for them. The first group of manuscripts worthy of notice consisted of three Biblical manuscripts, which possessed special interest. The first was the palimpsest known as “Codex rescriptus Dublinensis,” in which an uncial text of portions of St. Matthew’s Gospel had been partially covered with more recent writings, containing extracts from ecclesiastical authors. Dr. Barrett, a Fellow of the College, who discovered and edited the palimpsest, assigned it to the sixth century at latest, having believed it to be of the fifth. In the same volume were also palimpsest fragments of Isaiah, probably of an earlier date than the text of St. Matthew. The second Greek text in their possession was the “Codex Montfortianus,” a late manuscript and of little critical value. The third text was in cursive characters, with a commentary of the tenth century. There was formerly a fourth Greek text of the New Testament, but it was lost between theyears 1688 and 1742, and after several changes of ownership is now in the library of the Marquis of Bute. The library contained several copies executed in Ireland of the Gospels in Latin, according to the Vulgate version. Among them the place of honour belonged to the world-renowned Book of Kells. The marvellous illuminations give the volume its great interest, being thoroughly Irish in their type, the characteristic spiral ornamentation constantly recurring. The manuscript is of the seventh or eighth century. It was preserved in the Columbian Monastery of Kells, in Meath, whence its name was derived, and came to Trinity College in the Ussher Library. The library also contained the Book of Durrow. Other Irish copies of the Vulgate version of the Four Gospels are the Book of Dimma and the Book of Moling, both probably of the seventh century. These manuscripts are in silver cases, ornamented with crystals. That of the Book of Dimma states that the case was gilt by O’Carroll, Lord of Ely, in the twelfth century. It also boasts the Book of Armagh, compiled aboutA.D.750, with the celebrated confession of the Saint, and documents on the rights of the See of Armagh. Coming to English typography, they could boast only a single Caxton. It is a copy of the second edition of the Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers, printed about 1480, though not the first printed in English. On the motion of the Lord Mayor, seconded by the Provost, and supported by Mr. Bullen, a vote of thanks was passed to Dr. Ingram for his address. The report of the Association was taken as read. Mr. George Bullen, Keeper of the Printed Books, British Museum, then read a paper entitled “Early Notices of Guttenburg.” He held that it had not been conclusively proved that Guttenberg was the inventor of the art of printing. After a few remarks from Dr. Garnett, Mr. Bullen mentioned that in Japan and China the art of printing from moveable type was known long before it was known in Europe. Some books had been brought from Japan which were printed in the year 1417. They were now in the British Museum. Mr. Harrison (London) said the irony of fate was shown in the fact that Ticket, who writes of the art of printing as perpetuating the memory of man, did not get his own letter made public until 400 years after it was written. Subsequently the members visited the library of Trinity College, and the Record Office, Four-courts.—The business of Wednesday began with the adoption of a report on the proposed examination of library assistants in the month of September next. Certificates will be awarded to successful candidates according to their various degrees of merit. Mr. Dix Hutton read a paper entitled “Impressions of Twelve Years’ Cataloguing in a Great Library” (that of Trinity College, Dublin), which was listened to with marked attention. It was not ended when the arrival of the Lord-Lieutenant was announced. After Mr. Hutton came Lord Charles Bruce, who read an epitome of the history of his relative’s renowned library at Althorp, and described some of the rarer specimens of its contents. Lord Spencer admitted that Lord Charles had told him much which he had not known before. His Excellency concluded his speech with a frank and hearty invitation to the public, and especially to those present, to make use of the stores of his library. A pleasant interlude followed in the shape of “Twenty Years’ Recollections of Panizzi,” by Mr. Henry Stevens, of Vermont, which was “capped” by amusing recollections of Panizzi by the Rev. Dr. Haughton.—On Thursday Dr. Garnett, of the British Museum, read a paper “On the Use of Photography in Libraries,” in which he advocated the establishment of a photographing department in the British Museum at the cost of the State. The cost of photographing,if the work were left in private hands, must, he thought, be far more expensive than if it were done by a public institution, inasmuch as under the latter condition the main elements of expense, that of photographers’ personal charges and the cost of material, would entirely disappear. At present these charges were sufficient to seriously impede the British Museum in its earnest desire to circulate its treasures by means of photography, while to private persons they were, in general, absolutely prohibitive. The recent case of the transfer of the Irish portion of the Ashburnham manuscripts to Dublin was a case in point. Whether placed in Dublin or in London they must be equally inaccessible to a large number of scholars, but if a national institution had existed in whichfac-similescould be made of the national property free of expense, it would be indifferent where the originals were deposited. By a further application of the same principle Ireland might havefac-similesof every manuscript illustrative of her ancient language or literature within her own shores, andvice versâ. Photography as a public institution would be beneficial not merely to individual customers, but to the community at large, for it afforded the best means of meeting the legitimate demands of provincial institutions and museums. Provincial residents contributing out of the taxes to the support of the British Museum and similar institutions had a right to expect that their stores should be made as accessible as possible. To meet this wish by cheapening photographic reproductions would be not to create a luxury, but to redress a grievance. Dr. Garnett gave numerous instances within his own knowledge of the expense and inconvenience occasioned by the absence of facilities for photographing literary and artistic objects. Such an institution as that suggested should be located at the British Museum. Its management would require much prudence to avoid undue competition with private photographers, and to make some pecuniary return to the State without defeating its own object by high prices. If successful, it might form the germ of undertakings of the highest national, and even international, importance. The vexed question of the custody of parish registers would be solved by photography, and if other nations combined, each might possess within its own borders the materials for its own history now scattered through every country in Europe. The President considered the paper one of the most important yet placed before the meeting. The Royal Irish Academy had undertaken to transcribe some of the most important Celtic manuscripts, and then have them lithographed. To do this the services of an old Irish scholar, Mr. O’Longan, were obtained. He was a genuine Irish scholar, and he transcribed the “Leabhar-na-Huidhre,” “Leabhar Breao,” and “The Book of Leinster.” Having transcribed these, with the assistance of Professor O’Loony, of the Catholic University, the works were lithographed. Mr. O’Longan commenced the fourth book—“The Book of Ballymote,” but he died before it was transcribed, and the work was brought to a termination. Mr. O’Longan had most conscientiously performed his duty, and this was borne testimony to by Dr. Atkinson, who was at present having some important records photographed. Professor Hennessy thought that the works carried out in the Royal Irish Academy, and referred to by the President, were not correct productions of the originals. He hoped that if the “Book of Ballymote” was to be copied it would be reproduced by photography. Visits were paid to the National Library, the Royal Irish Academy, and to Marsh’s Library. This consists of three libraries, Dr. Stillingfleet’s, Archbishop Marsh’s, and Bishop Stearne’s, besides a collection of foreign books. One of the curiosities ofthe collection is a copy of Clarendon’s “History,” annotated by Dean Swift. This last day of the meeting was filled up mainly with routine business, modification of rules, election of officers, and votes of thanks: Mr. Tedder, however, reading his instructive paper “On the Study of Bibliography,” and the Rev. W. D. Macray another “On the Libraries of South Australia,” written by Mr. C. Holgate. There was also a desultory conversation on free libraries. It was agreed that the next annual meeting should be held at Plymouth. A reception of the members of the Association by the Provost of Trinity College and Mrs. Jellett brought the meeting to a close.
PROVINCIAL.
Haileybury College Antiquarian Society,July 1.—Mr. E. Walford read a paper on “Old Watering Places.” Beginning with some remarks on watering places in general, and the amusements resorted to by those who visited them, he first spoke of Bath, the oldest watering place in England. There are many old Roman remains here, but the walls and gates of the city, which were of the portentous length of 400 yards by 380 yards, have long ago disappeared. Of the ancient history of Bath little is known. It formed at one time the quarters of the Sixth legion. The town was laid waste by the Saxons in the seventh century, and, after being taken and retaken by Saxons and Danes, was in the eighth century taken by Offa, King of Mercia, from the Prince of Wessex. The town was destroyed by fire inA.D.1137. The most interesting part of the history of modern Bath is the period of Beau Nash’s reign, who, despite his profligacy, became very popular at Bath, where he was elected “king;” and it was during his reign that Bath reached the height of its prosperity. He died in 1761, and received a public funeral. Mr. Walford also explained the extent and interest of recent excavations at Bath. The next place spoken of was Brighton. The old name of this town was Brighthelmstone, probably derived from an old word “Brit,” signifying “divided,” as the town was in former times divided by a narrow brook flowing through it. It was bounded by three streets, North-street, East-street, and West-street, outside of which were five large tracts of land, known as the Tenantry “Laines,” a word probably connected with “lay,” and signifying, as shown by Mr. F. Sawyer, the “laying-out” or disposing of the land. An old map of Brighton, which was passed round, served to illustrate the lecturer’s remarks. The town was originally built under the cliff, but in 1703 a storm occurred, which, followed by another in 1705, completely destroyed the old town. Mr. Walford promised to give a lecture, on a future occasion, upon Hythe, Seaford, and the other Cinque Ports.
Royal Historical and Archæological Association of Ireland.—The Ulster quarterly meeting of this body was held on Aug. 7, at Armagh, Lord Charlemont in the chair. The minutes of the last meeting, held at Killarney, having been read by the hon. secretary, the Rev. J. Graves, and several new members elected, Mr. J. P. Prendergast, barrister-at-law, read a paper on “Charlemont Fort,” a place intimately connected with Lord Charlemont’s family. Mr. W. F. Wakeman read a paper “On Some Recent Discoveries at Lisnacrogher, near Broughshane, County Antrim.” Two interesting papers were read by Mr. J. J. Phillips, Belfast. The first was, “Notes on some old Wrought-iron Grille Work in the Vicinity of Armagh;” the second, on “The Ancient Abbey of Armagh.” Rev. G. R. Buick, M.A., read a paper on “An EarthenwareVessel found on a Pre-Historic Site at Port Stuart.” A visit was afterwards paid to the library and the ruins of the Franciscan Abbey in the Palace grounds at Armagh, which had been kindly thrown open by his Grace the Lord Primate. On the following day the members and friends visited a number of historic sites in the neighbourhood. They assembled at 10 o’clock, and drove in brakes to the site of the ancient lime-kiln at Emania. This lime-kiln is mentioned in the “Four Masters,” and is said to have been erected by Gillamacliag, successor of Patrick. The great earthwork now called Emania was the chief regal seat of the Irians, which was the generic name borne by the inhabitants of the province of Ulster. This was the resort of the renowned knights of Craebh Ruadh, or Royal Branch, and the palace of the Kings of Ulster for upwards of seven hundred years, until finally destroyed by the three Collas. The excursionists next visited the King’s Stables and Ballybrawly Stone Circle, and then proceeded to Tynan Abbey, the residence of Sir James Stronge, where the beautiful crosses and grounds were inspected.
Thenext annual meeting of the Kent Archæological Society will be held at Sandwich.
Lord Duciecontradicts the report that he “is collecting materials for a history of the Spanish Armada of 1588.”
A collectionof old Wedgwood ware has been lent by Mr. Felix Joseph for exhibition at the museum in Nottingham Castle.
Lord Tennyson’snew poem will be entitled “St. Thomas à Becket: a Drama.” The play, it is stated, is “not intended for acting.”
OurDecember number will contain an article by the Editor on Dr. Johnson, with reference to the 100th anniversary of his death.
Sir P. Cunliffe Owenpurposes to raise in America a sufficient sum of money to “restore” the parish church of Stratford-on-Avon from end to end.
TheDuke of Norfolk, as we learn from theWeekly Register, has visited Holywell, where the little Earl of Arundel was bathed in the waters of St. Winifrede’s Well.
“Tree Gossip,” a little volume on the byways of tree lore, by Mr. Francis George Heath, will be published shortly by Messrs. Field & Tuer, at the Leadenhall Press.
Thememorial of the liberation of Vienna in 1683 in the Cathedral of St. Stephen’s, on which the sculptor, Herr Hellmer, is engaged, will, it is expected, be completed by Christmas.
Themonument which is to commemorate the landing of St. Augustine in the Isle of Thanet, is being erected by Lord Granville himself, and not by the English Catholics, as stated by theJournal de Rome.
Thenumber of historic documents in the possession of the corporation of Hull, which is very large, and of great antiquarian interest, is to be set in order and calendared by Mr. T. T. Wildridge.
TheRev. F. W. Weaver announces as nearly ready his “Visitations of Somerset in 1531 and 1573.” The work will be published, by subscription, by Mr. Wm. Pollard, of North-street, Exeter.
Itis stated that the two portrait pictures of the second wife of Rubens from the Blenheim collection were purchased by a member of the Rothschild family. They will go to the Continent.
TheRoyal Castle of Christianborg, Copenhagen, has been burnt down, and several important works of art, including some by Thorwaldsen, as well as the archives of the Rigsdag, have been destroyed. The castle chapel and Thorwaldsen Museum have been saved.
TheClarendon Press is about to publish a volume of York Mystery Plays, printed for the first time from a MS. in the Ashburnham collection. The book, which will contain notes and a glossary, is edited by Mr. Toulmin Smith.
TheEmperor of Austria has presented to the Royal Library at Vienna a collection of ancient Arabic literature, comprising 1,600 works in 1,052 volumes. The oldest of these MSS. dates from 1058A.D., or earlier, and is called the “Kitab Elfelahe,” or book of agriculture.
Thenew apse of the Basilica of St. John Lateran at Rome and the prolongation of the portico of Sixtus IV. are approaching completion; and the decorations of the Hall of the Candelabra in the Vatican sculpture gallery are finished.
Messrs. Ward, Lock & Co., are on the point of publishing an exhaustive treatise on the Violin, by Mr. Ed. Heron-Allen, author of “The Ancestry of the Violin,” “Violin-making, as it was, and is,” &c. The work will be profusely illustrated.
A “Historyof England under Henry IV.,” by Mr. James Hamilton Wylie, Inspector of Schools, will shortly be published by Messrs. Longmans; and “A Study of Anne Boleyn,” by Herr Paul Friedmann, is announced for publication by Messrs. Macmillan.
Dr. Humannhas been appointed Abtheilungs-Director at the Royal Museum in Berlin, which he has done so much to enrich. The excavator of Pergamus is working at Nemruddagh, and his official position has no conditions of residence attached to it.
Thefront of the Curfew Tower, the most ancient portion of Windsor Castle, is being refaced with the “Neath stone.” The new masonry is being carefully built up under the supervision of Mr. R. Howe, Clerk of the Works at the Castle.
Theliterary property in letters—that is, the right to publish copies of them—remains in all cases in the writer. This was decided as long ago as 1741, in “Popev.Curll, 2 Atk. 342,” when the poet obtained at the hands of Lord Hardwick an injunction against the publisher who proposed to print some of Pope’s letters.—Law Times.
Thebicentenary of Corneille was celebrated with greatéclaton Saturday, October 11, by the town of Rouen, where he was born in 1606, and died in 1684. The Academy was represented on the occasion by MM. Dumas and Sully-Prudhomme, the former of whom delivered an oration in honour of the dramatist and poet.
A callhas just been made for the purpose of forming an American Historical Association to deal with both the story of the past and with that of the immediate present. Professor C. K. Adams, of Michigan, Professor M. C. Tyler, of Cornell, and Professor Adams, of Johns Hopkins Universities, are the chief movers in the matter.
TheClarendon Press will publish in November a work entitled “The Ancient Coptic Churches of Egypt,” by Mr. A. J. Butler, Fellow of Brasenose College. The work will consist of two octavo volumes, the first being mainly architectural, the second dealing with church furniture, vestments, rites, and ceremonies. It will contain numerous plans and illustrations.
Bythe generosity of three of the subscribers, copies of Mr. Greenstreet’s autotype fac-simile of the Lincolnshire Survey, temp. Henry I., have been deposited in the Public Free Libraries at Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and Sheffield, and in the Advocate’s Library, Edinburgh, the Mitchell Library, Glasgow, and the National Library of Ireland, Dublin.
Earlynext year Mr. Quaritch will issue to subscribers Messrs. Herbert Jones’ work, entitled “The Princess Charlotte of Wales,” an illustrated monograph, which will contain reproductions in monochrome of a series of miniatures of the Princess from her cradle to her grave, painted from life by Charlotte Jones. The book will also comprise a memoir of the Princess, and selections from her correspondence. The edition will be limited to 250 copies.
Threepictures which are claimed to be works of J. W. M. Turner, have been brought to light at Exeter. They represent views of the interior of Exeter Cathedral, and have been stowed away for nearly fifty years as lumber. An Exeter hairdresser lately purchased the pictures from a furniture broker for a sovereign each. A judge of works of art has offered £1,500 for the three, but the owner has communicated with London experts, so as to place the authorship of the works beyond question.
Thefollowing articles, more or less of an antiquarian character, appear among the contents of the magazines for October:—Contemporary Review, “Goethe;”Art Journal, “Landscapes in London: The Inns of Court,” “The Fountaine Collection,” and “Delft Ware;”Century Magazine, “The ‘Odyssey’ and its Epoch;”Gentleman’s Magazine, “A French Curé in the Sixteenth Century;”Harpers Magazine, “The Great Hall of William Rufus;”Le Livre, “Canterbury, its Cathedral, its Library,” &c.
Witha view to perpetuating the memory of the French Walloon refugees who settled in Canterbury three centuries ago, the directors of the French Protestant Hospice in London have commissioned a well-known Kentish archæologist to transcribe the inscriptions on the tombstones in Canterbury and the neighbourhood, where many of the refugees lie buried. Of the Huguenot and other French exiles who found a home beneath the shadow of Canterbury Cathedral, and established in its crypt a church which exists to the present day, there are now but few descendants living.
TheMercers’ Chapel, Cheapside, has been reopened, after extensive repairs and alterations; the latter comprise new flooring, new and very handsome carved oak stalls and seats throughout, new choir stalls, prayer desk and pulpit. The fine old screen has been retained, as also all the oak panelling round the walls. The organ, one of Father Smith’s, has been entirely rebuilt and enlarged. The altar piece is not yet finished, but the three large frescoes are in position, the centre and largest panel representing the Ascension of our Lord. The whole of the roof has also been re-decorated, and a sun-light introduced into the lanthorn.
Thesecond volume of “Topography and Natural History of Lofthouse, near Wakefield,” by Mr. George Roberts, of that place, is in the press. In addition to the continuation of the “Natural History and Rural Notes,” it will contain an account of past and present customs, notices of places of worship, further notes on the old Lofthouse families—Hipron, Watson, and Lyley; a revised list of church sun-dials; and a short memoir of Charles Forrest, the discoverer of the Rock sculptures onRombalds Moor, near Ilkley. The volume will be privately issued to subscribers only.
Ata recent meeting of the Academie des Inscriptions, M. Maspero read a report on his archæological work in Egypt during the past year. He dwells especially upon the new system by which the fellahs are encouraged to excavate on their own account by the guarantee that they may keep for themselves one-half of the objects they find. In this way the Boolak Museum has obtained during the past twelvemonths, with no expense beyond that of conveyance, about 2,000 objects of various interest.
Thefoundation-stone of a new hall for the Butchers’ Company was laid on September 1, in St. Bartholomew-close; and at the dinner which followed the ceremony, the Master, Mr. Ernest Hart, gave some historical details relating to the halls of the Company from the reign of Henry II. The Company of Butchers, he said, dated as far back as 1180, and had had no fewer than three halls. The first, in Butcher’s-lane, was destroyed by fire, as was also the second, in Eastcheap; whilst the third, and last, had been demolished in the extension works of the District Railway.
Inthe last days of August was celebrated in the old capital of Flanders an historical pageant of no ordinary interest. In honour of her patron and former sovereign, Bruges has placed before the world, in the form of a mediæval procession, the chief incidents in the life of St. Charles the Good. The committee of management, which comprised several archæologists of note, spared no pains to reproduce with the utmost exactitude the actual dresses and appurtenances of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Many of the highest ladies in the land took part in the procession, and wearing the costume of their ancestresses, assumed their parts as ladies in attendance at the Court of their ancient Count.
Followingthe precedent of the Luther Exhibition held last year at the British Museum, which proved so great an attraction to the building, a Wycliffe Exhibition has been displayed by Mr. E. M. Thompson, keeper of the manuscripts, who has also compiled a catalogue descriptive of its contents. These consist of a series of manuscripts and printed books, comprising translations and service books in English, all intended to illustrate the efforts made to translate the Bible into English in early times. Then follow Wycliffe’s original works in manuscript and print; and lastly, the Reformer’s life and actions are illustrated by manuscripts and engravings.
AtBeckhampton, near Avebury, Wilts, a very interesting discovery has lately been made of an ancient British dwelling pit. The dwelling consists of two circular holes, sunk in the clean chalk, adjoining and intersecting one another. They are about five feet six inches deep, and five feet in diameter. On the floor of the pit were found the fragments of an earthen cooking vessel resting on three stones, and under it the ashes of the fire that had been used in boiling the pot. There were also found a well-shaped “spindle-whorle,” a “loom-weight,” bone ornament, and several so-called “pot boilers,” also bones of the ox, sheep, rabbit, &c. The whole of the goods and chattels, &c., found in this interesting dwelling are now in the County Museum.
Cataloguesof rare and curious books, most of which contain the names of works of antiquarian interest, have reached us from Mr. F. Edwards, 83, High-street, Marylebone; Mr. U. Maggs, 159, Church-street, Paddington-green; Mr. G. P. Johnston, 33, George-street, Edinburgh; Mr. W. Scott, 7, Bristol-place, Edinburgh; Mr. G. Harding, 19, St. John-street, Westminster; Mr. A. B. Osborne, 11, Red Lion-passage,Holborn; Mr. J. E. Cornish, 33, Piccadilly, Manchester; Messrs. Jarvis & Son, 28, King William-street, Strand; Messrs. Robson & Kerslake, 43, Cranbourn-street, Leicester-square; Mr. W. Wilkins, Merthyr Tydvil; Mr. E. Parsons, 45, Brompton-road, S.W.; Messrs. Reeves & Turner, 196, Strand; Messrs. Farrar & Fenton, 8, John-street, Adelphi.
A proposalfor the foundation of a museum devoted to the antiquities of Palestine, has recently been attracting attention in Paris. A room in the Louvre is now devoted to the display of objects of this class, which, however, in 1879 did not exceed 83 in number; to these about 100 more have recently been added, including between 50 and 60 vases and lamps in terra-cotta. In the British Museum exist between 50 and 60 similar objects; and a much larger collection, belonging to the Palestine Exploration Fund, is partly in possession of that association, either in London or in Jerusalem, and partly at the South Kensington Museum. The whole collection, in these several detachments, does not, perhaps, exceed 1,000 objects.
Mr. Frederick Hawkins’s“Annals of the French Stage,” which Messrs. Chapman & Hall are to publish in two volumes, extend from its origin to the death of Racine. Notwithstanding the light recently thrown in France upon the development of her old literature, no English writer has thought fit to illustrate, at least upon anything like a comprehensive scale, the rise and progress of the theatre in Paris. The author has tried to verify carefully his statements, and study at first hand the important plays which he has ventured to criticise. For the rest, these annals, unlike most books relating to the stage, give quite as much prominence to dramatists and dramatic literature as to players and their work.
Inthe carrying out of some street repairs at Bonn, a portion of a Roman drain or watercourse was lately laid bare at a depth of about 5 ft. below the present surface. It seems to have come from a neighbouring encampment, is about 20 in. wide, and 30 in. deep, and is constructed and covered with heavy tufa blocks, well capable of sustaining the wear of centuries. Many of those blocks were nearly 5 ft. long by 29 in. thick. An original charter of the German Emperor Henry II., dated 25th February, 1015, which has long been given up as lost, has just been discovered during an examination of archives of the collegiate church at Bonn, which was formerly attached to a convent of nuns. The charter is on a single sheet of parchment, very well preserved, measuring 50 by 62½ centimetres (20 in. by 24½ in.), and contains a grant to the church of an estate near Königswinter, belonging to the Emperor.
Thetercentary of the death of William the Silent was celebrated in July at Delft, in Holland, by a solemn service in the church. The Prince’s tomb was magnificently decorated with funeral wreaths, including one in silver offered by a deputation of Freemasons. The church was filled by a numerous congregation, all the Ministers and the principal civil and military authorities being present. Professor Van Vries, of Leyden, delivered an address, reviewing in eloquent terms the memorable work accomplished by the founder of Dutch independence. The whole ceremony made a profound impression upon the assembly. At its conclusion the exhibition was opened, at Prinsenhof, the house in which William was assassinated by Balthasar Gerard, of relics of the Prince and a number of objects illustrating his life and works.
TheAthenæumsays that the death of Mr. Archibald Fraser, of Abertarff, is bringing memories of Jacobite times before the public.Only the other day the history of the Lovat family was to some extent before the Court of Session in connection with the succession to the estate of Abertarff, which was bequeathed to the late Mr. Fraser by his grandfather, a son of the notorious Lord Lovat, with an ultimate entail “in favour of the person who shall be able to prove himself to be the chief of the clan Fraser by legitimate descent from Hugh, first Lord Lovat, and his heirs male.” At the beginning of next month, the Abertarff collection of antiques, pictures, arms, &c., comprising many relics of the rebel lord and of the old family of Lovat, will be sold in Inverness by public auction.
Somediscoveries of great interest to antiquaries have been made on the Yorkshire Wolds by the Rev. E. M. Cole, M.A., vicar of Wetwang, Yorkshire—viz., a large number of entrenchments, which are supposed to have been the work of the ancient Britons. The dale “heads,” it has been ascertained, are all covered with entrenchments, and a village called Fimber appears to be completely surrounded by them, as if it had been an enormous camp. In one of these entrenchments, near the monument to the late Sir Tatton Sykes, at Garton, a large number of dead bodies were found, but the idea is not entertained that the entrenchments were used for purposes of burial. According to Mr. J. R. Mortimer, a well-known Yorkshire archæologist, they are mostly V-shaped. They appear to have been much used, and are trodden hard and firm.
A largeIndian mound near the town of Gasterville, North America, has recently been opened and examined by a committee sent out from the Smithsonian Institute. At some depth from the surface a kind of vault was found, in which was discovered the skeleton of a giant measuring 7 ft. 2 in. His hair was coarse and jet black, and hung down to the waist, the brow being ornamented with a copper crown. The skeleton was remarkably well preserved. Near it were also found the bodies of several children of various sizes, the remains being covered with beads made of bone of some kind. Upon removing these the bodies were seen to be enclosed in a network of straw or reeds, and beneath this was a covering of the skin of some animal. On the stones which covered the vault were carved inscriptions, and these when deciphered will doubtless lift the veil that now shrouds the history of a race of giants that at one time undoubtedly inhabited the American continent. The relics have been forwarded to the Smithsonian Institute, and they are said to be the most interesting collection ever found in the United States. The explorers explored another mound in Bartow county, Pennsylvania.
Theexcavations of General Cesnola have not exhausted the possibilities of Cyprus, and surely if Englishmen are to excavate anywhere, this island is the natural field for their labours. A committee, consisting of Englishmen and Cypriotes, was formed in 1882 by Sir Robert Biddulph, with the object of establishing a local museum at Leukosia. Under the auspices of the committee, excavations on a small scale and supported by private subscriptions have been carried on in the years 1883-1884. It is a little surprising that these excavations have had to be conducted by a German, Herr Max Ohnefalsch Richter, and that the report appears this month in a German periodical, theMittheilungen, of the German archæological institute at Athens. The site chosen was the village of Voni, the ancient Chytrai, and the find has been a large one. It speedily became evident from a multitude of inscriptions that the excavators had lighted on a sanctuary of Apollo. The architectural remains are insignificant, but there is evidence that on the remains of the old pagan shrine a Christianchurch had been raised, into the walls of which a mass of fragments of ancient sculpture was built. The sculptural find was a very rich one; as many as 133 statues are already catalogued.—Builder.
TheAthenæumannounces that a strong committee, upon which the Society of Antiquaries is represented by Lord Carnarvon, Dr. Perceval, Mr. Milman, Mr. Franks, Dr. John Evans, Dr. Freshfield, the Hon. Harold Dillon, Mr. Hilton Price, Mr. Roach Smith, and other Fellows; the Institute of Architects by Mr. Whichcord; the City of London by the Lord Mayor, Sir Reginald Hanson, Alderman Staples, Sir John Monckton, Ex-Sheriff Burt, Mr. Deputy Saunders, Mr. William Rome, and others; the Metropolitan Board of Works by its chairman, Sir J. M‘Garel Hogg; and London archæology generally by Mr. Hyde Clarke, Mr. Anderson Rose, Mr. Herbert Fry, Mr. Henry W. King, and others, has been formed to raise a fund for taking immediate steps to protect and record monuments of antiquity in London and its vicinity at the moment of discovery. The executive committee consists of Mr. Alfred White, Mr. Overall (the City Librarian), Mr. John E. Price (secretary), and Mr. Brabrook. Sir John Lubbock has consented to act as treasurer. The committee is already taking steps, through Mr. J. E. Price, to preserve and place in a public museum some remarkable remains of the Roman occupation of London which have just been found used as building material in a bastion of the wall at Bevis Marks.
Upto the present time theformof the Rigveda, that curious collection of ancient Indian poems which has long engaged the attention of scholars in India and Europe, has remained an inscrutable mystery. The 1,017 hymns follow one another in ten books or sections, but no one has hitherto detected any system in their arrangement. Mr. Frederic Pincott, however, has, theManchester Guardian’sLondon correspondent says, just discovered the hidden method, and his discovery promises to give a new impetus and direction to Vedic studies. He has found that the first book of the Rigveda is a selection of hymns arranged in the order of their recitation at the offering of an oblation to the sacred Soma Juice. The next six books are family collections, containing the poems of particular poets and their relatives; whilst the eighth book contains hymns omitted from previous books. The ninth book is filled with hymns celebrating the praises of the Soma Juice, and the last book contains hymns ascribed to mythological authors. When the poet, the deity, the length, and the metre are known, the hymns are found to have a methodical arrangement. A full exposition of Mr. Pincott’s curious discovery is about to be given in theJournal of the Royal Asiatic Society.
A Biblewhich contains two signatures that profess to be written by Shakespeare has turned up at Manchester. It was bought about thirty years ago by the late Mr. William Sharp, a somewhat eccentric collector, who was firmly convinced of the authenticity of the signatures, but rarely showed the book. Its present custodian exhibited it the other day to a number of gentlemen at the Manchester Free Library, including Prof. A. Ward, Mr. Alexander Ireland, Mr. C. W. Sutton, Mr. J. H. Nodal, and Mr. W. E. A. Axon. One signature is on the inside of the end cover, and reads “William Shakspere off S × o × A his Bible 1613.” The other is on the reversed title of the New Testament, and reads “William Shakspere 1614.” The volume contains the Old Testament, Apocrypha, New Testament, and Psalms of the “breeches” edition of 1611, but some of the earlier leaves are gone. There are many names of other possessors from about 1633 downwards, and one entry appears to indicate that thevolume has been rebound and a Prayer-Book taken from it. In this case the signature now on the end leaf may have been transferred to the new binding. As to the authenticity of the signatures it would be impossible to speak with confidence without the application of more searching tests. They do not resemble any of the five undoubted signatures, but they are both marvellously like that on the title-page of Florio’s Montaigne now in the British Museum. The present custodian of the “Shakspere Bible” purposes, we understand, to accept the advice tendered to him of submitting it to a critical examination at the British Museum.—Public Opinion.