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CORRESPONDENCE.

[The Editor will be glad to receive Correspondence on Archaological matters, and information of discoveries of antiquities, accompanied with drawings of objects, when of sufficient interest, for illustration.]

A FEW OBSERVATIONS ON PAPER MARKS.

II.

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December 11, 1871.

(To be continued.)

W. WINTERS.

circumstance too remarkable to have proceeded from accident.* Paper marks were used as symbols in works of art, &c., to denote their chief features with regard to navigation and discovery, the Ship, the Arrow, the Ladder, and the Eagle, were the general watermarks used in works on subjects like these. The car or chariot was the arms of the Carara family. Whether the mark found in the Stowe copy of the fifth edition of the Apocalypse is intended to represent a car or plough is hardly known. A similar mark, though shorter, is found in the account books of the Hague (Abbey of Leenwenhoist), 1416 to 1418; also in Accounts To the Editor of "THE ANTIQUARY." of North Holland and Arkel of the same dates. It is also SIR,-Writers are in no way decided as to when the manu- found in Accounts at Harlem, 1447; and in a letter in the facture of paper was first introduced into this country. In Tower of London, bearing date 1467-73. On the paper of your last impression I observed that a German was en-books printed in the 15th century this car is very seldom couraged by Queen Elizabeth to erect a mill at Deptford, to be found. (See Princip. Typog., as before). Something in Kent, in 1588. This German was Sir John Spielman. of a similar kind is given by Jansen, taken from a copy of It is, however, very conjectural whether Sir John's paper"Augustinus de Civitate Dei," printed by Peter Schosffer, mill may be said to have been the first erected in England-at Mentz, in 1473. the improbability of which I have before stated, ante p. 189. Waltham Abbey, Mr. R. Herring carefully notices, in his valuable work on paper-making, that paper mills were in existence here long before Spielman's time. Shakespeare, in the second part of his play of Henry VI., the plot of which appeared laid at least a century previously, refers to a paper mill. In fact he introduces it as an additional weight to the charge which Jack Cade is made to bring against Lord Say.* The celebrated John Tate jun, who was Lord Mayor of London (1473), had a paper mill in Hertfordshire, in the manor of the Sele. There is still a place near the river Bean, known as "Paper Mil-Mead," so called from the erection of a mill which is supposed to be alluded to in a treatise by W. Vallance, incorporated in Lelan's Itin. i.e. " A Tale of Two Swannes." (1590.) R. Clutterbuck states that it is from this book that "we learn, that in the year 1507 there was a paper mill at Hertford belonging to John Tate." (See also "Fenn's Orig. Letters." Vol. I., p. 20.) The household book of King Henry VII. gives the following item, May 25th, 1498. For a rewarde geven at the paper mylne 16s, 8d." | Also in the following year "geven in rewarde to Tate, of the mylne, 6s. 8d." Mr. Heiring further observes that it appears far less probable that Shakespeare alluded to this mill, although established at a period corresponding in many respects with that of occurrences referred to in connection, than to that of Sir John Spielman's, which, standing as it did in the immediate neighbourhood of Jack Cade's rebellion, and being esteemed so important at the time as to call forth the marked patronage of Queen Elizabeth.† The following verse has been written on Spielman's establish

ment:

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"Six hundred men are set to work by him,

That else might starve or seek abroad their bread,
Who now live well and go full brave and trim,
And who may boast they are with paper fed."

"THE DANCE OF POWLLYS."

To the Editor of "THE ANTIQUARY.” SIR, I would venture to suggest that this word "Powllys" should be read as [St.] Paul's, meaning the Dance of Death, known as Macaber from Judas Maccabæus, which was formerly painted on the cloister walls of Old St. Paul's, and known throughout England.

This is what Stowe tells us about it :-" About this cloyster was artificially and richly painted the dance of Machabray, or dance of death, commonly called the dance of Pauls; the like whereof was painted about St. Innocent's cloister at Paris in France; the metres or poesie of this daunce were translated out of French into English by John Lidgate, the Monke of Bery, and with ye picture of death, leading all estates painted about ye cloyster; at the special request and dispense of Jankin Carpenter, in the Raigne of Henry the IV."

Jankin Carpenter was executor of the famous Dick Wittington "thrice Lord Mayor," and himself for many years Town Clerk of London; circa 1430.

In the present day this procession is better known by Holbein's pictures. I have now before me a reprint of the whole series, entitled "The Dance of Death; painted by H. Holbein, and engraved by W. Hollar, London; printed by C. Whittingham, Dean Street, Fetter Lane, for John Harding, 36, St. James's Street; 1804." In the preface it is stated that, "the most ancient still existing, is that at Basil (Basle) in Switzerland."

In its first origin, it was known as "the Fall of Princes," and Judas Maccabæus the famous hero of our uncanonical Scriptures led the dance; thus the name has been corrupted to Maccaber or Mackabray.

Paul Lacroix has evidently been led astray relative to the situation and date of the first paper mill in England. The place named is that of Tate's Mill, and date is that of Spielmans, 1588. See "The Arts in the Middle Ages," p. 422. Hans Holbein is know to have cut the whole series on Paper marks found in block books assigned to the Nether-wood, about 1547-8; and Wenceslaus Hollar reproduced lands are for the most part confined to the Unicorn, the the original designs in copper about 1651; his touched plates Anchor, the Bull's Head, the letter P, the letter Y, and the are still in existence. Arms of the dukes of Burgundy, initials of noted persons, and arms of the popes and bishops. Sometimes paper marks had their origin in local and incidental circumstances, or were dictated by the nature of the works or even of the particular part of it in which they are used. For instance, among the early printed books, i.e. The Bible printed by Eggesteyn, the mark of the Crown is used in the paper in which the book of the King's are struck off, the Bull's Head having been used in every other part of the work, a

* Arts of Paper Making, by R. Herring. + Ibid.

It will thus be seen that "Paul's Dance may well have been known to the good people of Bristol in 1449: and it is curious to notice how popular the "Triumph of Judas Maccabæus" became, when all traces of its real meaning and original appearance as part and parcel of a mediæval miracle play, such as is still presented at Upper Ammergau, were lost. A. HALL.

December 7, 1871.

* Principia, Typog, Vol. III., p. 14.

To the Editor of "THE ANTIQUARY." SIR,-In Notes and Queries of the 2nd inst., a correspondent of that paper, "E. L. S.," gave, among other snatches of old songs, two verses of a song, which he states was known as "The Irish Laudation of Lady Jeffries' seat, Castle Hyde," and expressed his regret that the remaining portion of it had escaped his memory. I happen to remember having heard it sung thirty years ago by an old gentleman who informed me that he had learnt it forty years previously, and that even at that time it was considered an old song. But I must state that I know it by a different name. It was known as "The Groves of Blarney," sung to an air which it is said Tom Moore adapted to "The Last Rose of Summer." A few weeks back an old Irish gentleman assured me that there is an older song, "The Banks of the River Lee," to which the air originally belonged.

The words of "The Groves of Blarney" are, to the best of my recollection, as follows:

"The groves of Blarney,

That are most charming, Down by the purling of sweet silent brooks, All deck'd with roses, And lovely posies,

Planted by nature in those mossy nooks.

""Tis there you'll see

The sweet carnation,

The blooming May, and the pink so fair,
The daffydown dilly,
Likewise the lily,

All flowers scenting the most fragrant air. "'Tis there the lake's

Well stored with perches,

And the cold eels lie in the verdant mud,
And the trout and salmon,

All playing at backgammon,
In the waters of that silver flood.

"And there's the cave,
Where no daylight enters,
And cats and badgers are for ever fed,
And the moss by nature,
Is much more completer,

Than a coach and six, or a downy bed.
"There's maids a stitching,
Down in the kitchen,

And mighty praties that would make

There's ham and turkey,
And beef and whiskey,

you stare,

That would make you frisky were you but there.

"In there you'll see

Pat Murphy's daughter,

Washing praties 'ninst the door,

With Judy Neary,
And Biddy Cleary,

All brother-relations to my Lord O'Moore.

"There's snug walks there

For contemplation,

And meditation by the brook.

'Tis there the lover
Might meet his dover,

In flowery grotto, or some sylvan nook.
"And if a lady

Would be so engaging,
As to take a walk down just by there,
Why then the courtier
Would sure transport her
To some soft green bank or bower fair,
"There's statues gracin'
That noble place in,

All heathen gods and goddesses so fair;
There's Neptune, Plutarch,
And old Nicodemus,

All standing naked in the open air.

"And now to finish,

My bold narration,

Which my poor genius could ne'er entwine.

But were I Homer,

Or that grass-eating rascal Nebuchadnezzar, I would make each feature in it for to shine.'

THOS. C. F.

P.S.-Does any one know the name of the author of the song "Crazy Jane?" I believe it was popular eighty or 100 years since,

THE ROMAN VILLA AT NORTHLEIGH.

To the Editor of "THE ANTIQUARY." SIR,-I am anxious to direct the attention of your readers to the present neglected state of the interesting Roman Villa at Northleigh, near Oxford.

It would be needless to dilate upon the extreme value and importance of these remains of Roman art and civilization in the immediate neighbourhood of Oxford. There are few, if any, of the very few perfect Roman villas in England which can compare with this one either as to size or extent, or as to general preservation, and there is certainly not one which is more appositely situated for being studied by those interested in the ancient civilization and art of which it is such a valuable relic. Such, however, is the present condition of the remains, that unless some immediate steps be taken, the care and attention paid to their preservation when originally uncovered in 1815-16 will have been in vain.

The remains at present existing consist of the founda. tion walls of a very extensive quadrangle, with its adjacent rooms and porticos, and of one or two chambers, in a more or less well preserved state. On the north side this quadrangle measures 167 feet in length, on the east side 2121 feet, on the south side 153 feet, and on the west side 186 feet. The number of the chambers which were either wholly or partially uncovered amounts to over sixty, many of which had their tesselated floors well preserved, whilst in others only slight traces of the tessera were discoverable. At present these walls are little more than grassy mounds; they have been left neglected and uncared for, and openly exposed to the weather, and in many cases it is almost impossible to follow the plan of the quadrangle and adjacent rooms.

The

Of the few chambers which were discovered in a more or less perfect state, the most important is that situated in the north-west corner of the quadrangle. This room is 33 feet long and 20 feet broad, with walls of more than 3 feet in thickness. Below the floor of this room is the hypocaust, extremely well preserved, and the curious pillars made of tiles which support the floor are still quite perfect. funnels in the walls by which the hot air flowed in to the rooms, and the flues by which the smoke of the fire escaped, as well as the præfurnium, or place where the wood fire was made in the hypocaust, are well shown. There are seventynine pillars in all, which support the tesselated pavement, and raise it some three feet above the floor of the hypocaust. This tesselated pavement, which is of a very simple and elegant pattern, was, when discovered, almost perfect.

Such was the interest taken in these remains when they were discovered in 1815-16 that a subscription was raised in Oxford, whereby a substantial shed was built over this room and one or two others, and it is to the present dilapidated condition of this shed that I would direct attention. One of the main beams which supported the roof has rotted away, and partly fallen on the tesselated pavement below, whilst the thatched roof has also given way in many places, and so affords no proper protection against the weather. Thus after very heavy rain a portion of the pavement is in a pool of water, which seriously injures and lessens the tessera. A small sum of money would suffice to put this shed into a state of thorough repair, whilst the longer it is allowed to continue in its present state the greater will be the trouble and expense of repairing it, independent of the damage which must accrue to the tesselated pavement.

At the northern corner of the quadrangle are the chambers containing the hot and cold baths, which when found were very perfect, but of which now only the former is well shown, but in a very dirty and neglected condition.

On the north-eastern side of the quadrangle a large chamber, 28 feet long by 22 feet broad, was discovered in 1815, on the floor of which another very beautiful tesselated pavement existed in a very perfect state, and it is stated that a building was erected over it to keep it from decay. Of this building no vestige now remains; the tesselated pavement,

if not entirely lost, is hidden by the grass and weeds which have grown over it, and which render it very difficult to recognise even the site of the chamber.

SOCIETIES' MEETINGS.

Periodical Publications.]

Indications of other pavements were found during the ex-out the Kingdom will confer a favour by forwarding to the Editor of [Secretaries of Archæological and Antiquarian Societies throughcavations in 1815-16, but not fully examined, and many this Journal all Notices and Reports of Meetings, and also their rooms were hardly explored at all. It would be very desirable if the whole of the remains could be again carefully explored, as there is but little doubt that much of a very interesting character would be discovered.

Of the Roman Villa found at Stonesfield in 1711-12, and re-opened in 1779, no remains are believed now to exist, with the exception of a small portion of the tesselated pavement preserved in the Ashmolean Museum. Even the very site of this Villa, of which the area was traced to be about 190 feet by 152 feet, can now with difficulty be recognised.

During the making of the Great Western Railway some little distance beyond Northleigh and Stonesfield another tesselated pavement was cut through, and no regard being paid to it, it was entirely destroyed, and the materials used on the line, so that it is now impossible even to fix its site. It was in order to prevent the remains of the Roman Villa at Northleigh disappearing like those just referred to that the Committee of the Oxford Architectural and Historical Society, in the summer of this year, laid the present state of the remains before the Duke of Marlborough on whose estate the Villa is situated. It was somewhat confidently hoped that the same zeal which he displays in political conservatism would also be shown in antiquarian conservatism, and that he would give orders to have the necessary repairs executed before the winter set in. Up to the present time, however, no reply has been received by the Society, and on visiting the Villa, on Tuesday last, I found that not only had no repairs been carried out, but that no attention whatever had been paid to them. Under these circumstances we can only hope that by the voice of public opinion something may yet be done for it cannot surely be considered a creditable thing in this 19th century to suffer such interesting remains to be destroyed, and to allow the forethought of those who preserved them so carefully to be rendered useless by the neglect of their present owner.

Yours faithfully,

THE ROYAL ARCHEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE. A MEETING was held on Friday, the 1st instant, when Sir E. Smirke was in the chair.

The Secretary reported the result of a visit made by him to Southampton, to arrange the necessary preliminaries for the Annual Meeting in 1872. The Bishop of Winchester had accepted the Presidency of the Meeting, and the Institute would be well received at Southampton.

Mr. Hewitt sent "A Notice of Venetian Bronze Guns recovered by Sponge Divers at the Isle of Symi, in the Mediterranean, and obtained for the Royal Artillery Museum at Woolwich," which was read by the Secretary. The guns were of the 16th century, and were a portion of the armament of a vessel which had been sunk in a storm or fight, of which nothing was known. A sketch of the example acquired for the Woolwich Museum was exhibited, showing it to be one of the ordinary chambered guns.

Mr. Hewitt added some remarks with reference to the relative strength and bore of ancient cannon used for iron or stone shot.

Mr. Tregellas adverted to some examples of cannon of special construction.

The Secretary read a memoir, by Mr. C. W. King, "On an Antique Medallion of Blue-Glass Paste, a Portrait of Antonia, Wife of Drusus, Brother of Tiberius; found with Roman remains at Stanwix, on the Line of the Roman Wall." An engraving of this object is given in Dr. Bruce's "History of the Roman Wall," and Mr. King discussed the arguments which had led him to the attribution of the person intended to be represented by the medallion in lieu of that hitherto accepted.

Dr. Carne sent a singular object of bronze, which had been found in a stone coffin in a barrow at Llantwit Major. The object, about six inches in length, appeared to be a kind of fork, with a small hook between the prongs, and having four rings attached to loops. No satisfactory explanation of the article was given.

Mrs. Meadows Frost exhibited four papal medals with

J. P. EARWAKER,
Hon. Sec. of Oxford Architectural and profiles of Our Lord.
Historical Society.

Merton College, November 29, 1871.

A BRITISH BURIAL-PLACE. UNDER the direction of three officers of the British Archæological Association, a series of very interesting researches in what has proved to be an ancient British_burial-place, between Feltham and Sunbury, have lately taken place, the expense attending the excavations being very liberally borne by Mr. Thomas Ashby, of Staines. On the two occasions of a very careful examination of the field in which the discovery was first made by Mr. Lennard, a farmer of Sunbury, no less than some fifteen urns, of unburnt clay, of different sizes and shapes, have been brought to light, and eight of these ancient vessels, containing burnt bones, small fragments of charcoal, and a few flint arrow-heads, successfully taken from the earth, where they have possibly laid for between two and three thousand years. These urns will be exhibited at the opening meeting of this British Archæological Association, on the 22nd inst., when a paper will be read on the subject of the interesting find by Mr. Edward Roberts, F.S.A., with notes and explanatory remarks by Messrs. George Wright and W. H. Black.

Père Victor de Buch sent a book of "Hours," a fine example of Flemish illumination of about 1485; it had been executed for the Chevalier Croesinck, Seigneur de Beuthuisen et de Joetemeen; also a smaller volume of "Hours," of about 1500.

THE MEETING AT SOUTHAMPTON NEXT YEAR. THE Town Council of Southampton met on the 30th ult. to confer with Mr. Joseph Burt, of the Royal Archæological Institute, with reference to its meeting in Southampton next

year.

Archæological Institute, and to do his duty as far as he Mr. Burt said he attended there on behalf of the Royal could in explaining the details connected with the meeting which they proposed to hold at Southampton during next summer. The proceedings in connection with their annual meetings commenced in 1844, and at present their meeting was formed into three sections-the formation of a temporary museum, illustrative of the objects of antiquity which might be found and collected together in the immediate locality, and also the surrounding district; the reading of papers and the delivery of addresses upon objects of interest, and illus trative of the early proceedings of their ancestors, and the arrangement of excursions from the town to places of interest. These were the principal heads of the business

and other things, would be arranged for the continuance of the meeting. After the inaugural meeting, the local museum would be thrown open to the meeting. He thought now he had given them all the information he possessed.

LIVERPOOL NUMISMATIC SOCIETY.

THE fortnightly meeting of this Society was held on Tuesday evening, the 5th inst., in the small lecture-room of the Free Library, William Brown-Street, when there was a good attendance of members and visitors, the president, Mr. Chapman, in the chair.

After the preliminary business of the evening had been concluded, and the auditors elected, several interesting Papers on numismatics were read. Many coins, medals, curiosities, &c., were exhibited, amongst which we notice the following:

By Mr. Charles Lionel Reis (the honorary secretary), a fine series of bronze Napoleonic medals; by Mr. Gustav H. Ahlborn, a brass medal of Henry IV. of France, a brass medal of St. Martin, and an old silver coin of Prussia; by Mr. David Thom Stewart, a ten-centime piece struck during the siege of Pasis, 1870, obverse, a demi-wreath of laurel, within 10 (for the value ten centimes), below the wreath of the mint letter A (Paris), and the date 1870, at each side a cinquefoil, inscription, "Republique Français;' reverse, a balloon, at each end of the car a tricolour, inscription, "Gt. de la Défense Nationale; a medal struck by the Commune, 1871;" obverse, bust of the ex-Emperor Napoleon III. (wearing a Prussian helmet), to left, at each side of the bust a death's head, inscription, "Napoleon III. Le Miserable," and below the bust, "2 Decembre;" reverse, a vampire displayed (the face having the features of the exEmperor) holding thunderbolts in its talons, at each side the crossbones, description, "Vampire de la France," below the vampire, "Sedan, 2 Sepbre., 1870," and a bronze medal of Arnauld, theologian, 1612-1694.

which would be done by the Institute. One of the first points to be considered was the accommodation which could be afforded, and he had gone over the Corporation property. He had gone over the Hartley Institution, where he was courteously received by Dr. Bond, through the introduction of their worthy town clerk (Mr. R. S. Pearce), and he must say he was perfectly satisfied with the accommodation offered to the Institute he represented. The large room would be exceedingly suitable for them, while the other rooms would do well for the museum. With reference to the delivery of addresses he thought that should be done at the Guildhall, as it was somewhat connected with the objects of the Institute, and therefore he thought that should be the place for the reading of papers and the delivery of addresses. With reference to the excursions, they should try and bring within their grasp visits to Beaulieu, in the New Forest, and Carisbrooke Castle, in the Isle of Wight, and there were other objects of great interest in the immediate vicinity, and of far more interest and importance than the people of Southampton were acquainted with-he referred to the exhumations which were being carried on at Silchester, near to Basingstoke, by direction of the Duke of Wellington. These exhumations had been the subject of much care and attention by a member of the Institute, who had already given some account to the Society of Antiquaries, but the subject had never been so fully brought before the public as they hoped to be enabled to do. Then there were two other places in the immediate vicinity of Southampton to which he hoped they would be able to give some attention-Romsey and Winchester. In places where they had intended to visit their great fear was that the objects of antiquarian interest would not be sufficient to engage their attention during the meeting, but he was happy to say that would not be the case at Southampton, as there would be plenty to interest them. With regard to the local museum, that should be made one of the most gratifying points connected with the gathering, and it should combine a very large range of objects. It ought to contain, among others, things showing the manners and customs of the early settlers in the island, with the implements and such-like they used. Coming THE LEICESTERSHIRE ARCHITECTURAL AND down to the Romans and the Saxons, he did not think they would have any trouble in getting relics of them. Another subject which would also be of great interest was relics of local worthies, such as their portraits and other things connected with their history. Then they might also produce evidences of the early condition of the town, and things to show how rapid had been its growth, and articles of dress, and so forth, might be produced as specimens of what was worn in earlier times. Then they might produce portraits of great county families, old arms, dresses, antique seals of private families, and many things of that sort which would be interesting. Southampton in medieval times was a great port of debarcation, as from it Henry V. embarked for Harfleur before fighting the battle of Agincourt; then, again, many of the Crusaders started from here, and, although in more modern times Southampton had been shut out from the naval history of the country by its great rival Portsmouth, yet there were old associations of naval history which were as much wrapped up in Southampton as at Portsmouth. There were many things which would connect Southampton with the naval history of the country, and it seemed to him there "Thurnby Church, dedicated to St. Luke, consisted of a might be the means of getting at the old arms and other nave, a large south aisle, and a small low north aisle, each evidences of the olden time and of the great sea captains. separated from the nave by three lofty arches, over each of With reference to their own proceedings at the meeting, they which was a clerestory window. The tower was at the east would commence with the inaugural meeting in the great end, and contained four bells. The ancient chancel was room of the Hartley Institute. He was happy to announce taken down in 1779. The work of demolition was comthat the Lord Bishop of the Diocese had consented to pre-menced by first taking down the pinnacles and parapet of side at it, and he would give an address relative to the objects of the meeting and its application to Southampton. Then they would no doubt have addresses from othersfrom representative persons in the county-such as Lord Henry Scott, M.P., and the Right Hon. W. F. CowperTemple, M.P., whom he considered representative men. Then the addresses to be delivered, the papers to be read,

ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

THE usual bi-monthly meeting of this Society was held on Monday, the 27th ult., Mr. James Thompson in the chair. The following Papers were contributed :-By Mr. James Thompson, on "A Discovery of Ancient Coins near to Hinckley." By the Rev. Mackenzie E. C. Walcott, F.S.A., "An Inventory of S. Mary's Benedictine Nunnery, at Langley, county Leicester, 1485." The transcriber of this curious document described it, as he believed, unique, as being an account of the entire furniture of a convent before the dissolution of monasteries. It also furnishes the names of the Prioresses, not given in the "Monasticon" or by Nichols. This addition to county history will appear in the next volume of the associated societies.

Mr. John Hunt, of Thurnby, having exhibited a tray full of relics of various periods, from the Roman to the present, found beneath the level of Thurnby Church, in the foundations, and about the fabric, read a paper upon the subject, as follows

the tower, below which was a moulded cornice, with figureheads and four gargoyles; the roof of the tower being of lead, some of which was very thick. The four windows of the upper stage of the tower, which served as a bell-chamber, were of the decorated style, in tolerable preservation, and the head of each was cut out of one solid stone. This upper stage of the tower was found to be partly built of the stone

of an old spire; for on taking it down the foreman discovered has paid special attention to these early relics) assigns them the ancient stone to be cut through and re-used as ashlar. to some time ranging from the eleventh to the thirteenth Upon placing some of these stones together, he succeeded century, and says they are undoubtedly headstones. The in making seven feet of the spire perfect, and upon calcula- late Sir James Simpson thought them tombstones of about tion from the quantity found it was presumed there was the ninth century. Canon Greenwell considers them very sufficient to build a spire forty or fifty feet high. The tower early Norman. It will thus be seen that the learned men was carried internally by four arches, resting upon four whose opinions I have quoted upon the Adel stones do not massive Norman pillars. The N.E. and S. E. columns were agree as to their date. Mr. Simpson himself remarks, with cracked and much decayed. On the east end of the tower some force, that it seems difficult to suppose they are Early remained a portion of the chancel wall, forming a buttress to Norman, when they were broken up as rubbish for the founsupport the tower, with part of a small lancet window dation of the Norman Church at Adel in about the year blocked up. The opposite buttress was not a portion of 1135; and he further remarks, 'I think they bear notable chancel wall. At the east end of the south aisle were dis- marks of Pagan origin.' I may here remark that whilst covered, under the plaster, two sedilia and a piscina, and in remembering that, so far as I know, it has yet to be proved the east wall, on each side of the altar, an aumbrey; the that headstones for graves were used at all in Saxon times, one on the north side, fourteen inches higher from the ground these stones, being incised on both sides of the upper part, than the other, and smaller. The lintel of this small one were evidently intended to stand detached. The result of was found to be a portion of an ancient ancised stone de- the comparison between the Yorkshire and the Leicesterscribed hereafter. Under the east window of this aisle was shire stones will, I think, prove that while both sets were found a recess, decorated with a margin of scroll-work in made for a common purpose, the Adel stones are the more black and red, containing four lines in Old English charac- ancient of the two. The designs incised upon the Leicesterters, coloured. This was probably the position of the altar- shire stones are better defined and more regular in arrangepiece or table in medieval times. ment than those upon the Adel stones; and our Leicestershire stones have, I think, at any rate, a faint outline of Christianity on their surface; but whether Saxon or Norman, I cannot say. I hope the questions raised by these discoveries may induce others more competent than myself to follow up the enquiry. The church originally was a Norman structure, as proved by the four circular massive pillars supporting the tower, the drip-stones on the same, and its cruciform arrangement. The Anglo-Norman conventual churches were mostly cruciform in plan with a low tower rising at the intersection of the choir and nave with the transepts. Yet I should imagine, from the incised stones, and the quantity of burnt stones found built up in the walls, that a church anterior to the Norman period existed; and it is well known that during the ninth and tenth centuries the Northmen or Danes were continually plundering and burning our sacred edifices. That the church was taken down and rebuilt some time towards the latter end of the twelfth or early in the beginning of the thirteenth century, is almost incontestably proved by the pointed arches of the tower which were first introduced about this period. The church was pulled down a second time, and rebuilt about the middle or the latter end of the thirteenth century, as shown by the Early English fragments of windows, caps and arch stone; also an apex found in the course of pulling down lately. The mural paintings found on these various fragments point unquestionably to the Early English date; these fragments being re-faced, re-worked, and re-used in the structure. A third time the church has been pulled down, as indicated by the bases of the nave arcade columns; these being of the Early Perpendicular period, some time in the fifteenth century."

"It need scarcely be remarked that in taking down an ancient church like that of Thurnby, many curious relics, of almost every century of medieval times, were brought to light. What, however, I wish specially to draw your attention to, was the discovery of several singularly incised stones, which, from their peculiarity, at once demand attention. The first of these stones, when found, was forming what we may call the lintel of the aumbrey, or locker, at the end of the south aisle; the others were found built in the southwest pillar. These stones I exhibited in the temporary museum formed by the Royal Archæological Institute in Leicester, during the Congress of that learned body in this town in the autumn of 1869, and were then subjected to much examination and criticism by several eminent archæologists. The general if not the unanimous opinion then given referred these very curious stones to the Saxon period. From their shape and other peculiarities, they were supposed to be headstones of graves. It will be seen they are incised on both sides, in what may be termed geometrical lines, without any attempt at lettering, and apparently without any tinge of symbolism, excepting that the cross in various forms is traceable in nearly every case. There appears a certain amount of design in the arrangement of the Îines; indeed, in what may be called the reverse of No. 1, the pattern may not unfairly be described as consisting of eight double cross crosslets radiating from a common

centre.

SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY.
A MEETING of this Society was held on Tuesday, the 5th
inst., at their rooms, 9 Conduit Street, when Professor
Donaldson, M.I.B.A., was in the chair.

Mr. T. D. Murray and Professor C. C. Babington were proposed by the Council for election as Members.

"The great rarity of stones of this description renders an attempt even at explanation difficult, and a guess at their true origin uncertain. It is, however, fortunate for our present object that others of a somewhat similar character have been exhumed in Yorkshire. The little church of Adel, in the West Riding, is described as being almost, if not altogether, a pure Norman church of the middle of the twelfth century. The stones there found were discovered in the foundation or groundwork of the church, and so pointing to an earlier origin than the building. It is difficult to assign a date to the Adel stones, inasmuch as the parish produces British remains, pit dwellings, a monolith, a Roman entrenchment; and there is an entire absence of any decided type-Roman, Anglo-Saxon, or Norman-in their design. I would refer you to the remarks of the Rev. H. T. Simpson In this paper (which took the form of a letter addressed to and others, as given in the Archæological Journal for 1870, the Dean of Westminster), M. de Saulcy stated, that having p. 77. It appears from these remarks, and from a corre-reconsidered the whole tenour of the argument first advanced spondence which has taken place between the vicar of Thurnby and the Rev. H. T. Simpson, the rector of Adel, that several eminent archæologists have been consulted respecting the Adel stones. A few of these opinions I give as bearing upon our enquiry. Professor Westwood (who

A paper, by Le Chev. de Saulcy, Membre de l'Institut, &c., "On the True Sites of Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida (Julius)" was read by the Secretary.

by him in the Revue Archéologique twenty years ago,he could come to no other conclusion than that the traditional town of Bethsaida, and the identification of Kerâzeh as Chorazin and Tel Hum as Capernaum, were unsupported by geographical evidence, and were contrary to the express statements

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