attention has been paid in preserving the ancient character water. The painting is in oil, and may have formed part of the external masonry. Under the tower-arch is an ori- of a series. Till its discovery it was hidden behind an ginal oak screen of the Perpendicular period, which has been escutcheon of the Edgar family. carefully restored. The manor aisle contains two stainedglass windows. The funds have been chiefly provided by the lord of the manor, Hubert Hutchings, Esq., and the rector, the Rev. Urquhart Cookworthy.

SITTINGBOURNE.-The restoration of St. Michael's church is progressing. The removal of the ugly western gallery, erected in the early part of the century for the accommodation of the singers, has disclosed an extraordinary piece of vandalism. The capitals and bases of the pillars, which support the ancient Norman arch between the tower and nave of the church, were at the time of the erection of the gallery ruthlessly disfigured to obtain for it a firm support. A new roof to the nave has been commenced. On removing the pews in the north aisle, a discovery interesting to archæologists was made. The workmen came upon the twelve steps which formerly communicated with the roodloft or gallery, believed to have existed in the fifteenth century. The stair is found to occupy the interior of the largest buttress of the north wall.

have lately been discovered during the restorations of the LEONARD STANLEY.-Some interesting mural decorations interior of this ancient church. The church, originally a Norman building, is cruciform, and has been altered at various times: it is a fine and peculiarly interesting structure. On the south wall there are remains of painting to a considerable extent, consisting of figures of men, animals, and fishes. These, however, are very indistinct. On a windowjamb, on the north side, may be seen a composition consisting of figures in armour, under a trefoiled arch, apparently receiving a cross from another figure supposed to be an ecclesiastic. This also is much mutilated; but judging from what is left, the drawing must have been very good and vigorous.

MISCELLANEA.

COMPTON RELICS.-On Cowdown, near Compton, Berk. shire, in Purborough, a large circular British entrenchment, consisting of a high bank, with a ditch or fosse without, and enclosing an area of about six acres, has been discovered. The vallum shows clearly the action of fire. On the line of the earthwork, Sarsen stones or drift boulders have been discovered. On the eastern slope within the enclosure are four circular pits cut in the chalk. In the vicinity, a Roman encampment is visible at the " Slade."

WOTTON FITZPAINE, DORSET.-The parish church of this secluded hamlet has lately been almost entirely rebuilt. Only the lower part of the tower remains of the actual structure, but a great deal of the old materials have been carefully worked in again, as far as possible, in the positions they originally held in the ancient building. The church, in its plan, consists of nave, chancel, and north and south ST. CATHERINE'S CHAPEL.-The bases of the pillars, and transepts, with a vestry to the eastward of the north a part of the encaustic tile floor, with other remains, of the transept, and the Luttrell Chapel on the corresponding side ancient Chapel of St. Catherine, at Westminster, have been of the southern one. There is a good porch at the southdiscovered recently. west end of the church. The style of architecture is mainly Infirmary," and the locale of numerous interesting historical It was the chapel of the "Monks' Decorated, the Luttrell Chapel only being Perpendicular. incidents, recorded by Dean Hook and Dean Stanley. The The font is Norman, and not uninteresting; it is octagonal building is of the transitional Norman date, with the form of in form; the bowl is plain, but there is an enrichment of a parish church, with its nave, aisles, and chancel. Archsome merit and interest upon the upper part of the stem, bishop à Beckett, in its early days, encountered within its forming a capital for the bowl to rest upon. The arch be-walls his rival of York. tween the chancel and Luttrell Chapel is old, so are the east and west windows, and the north and south chancel DUNSTABLE PRIORY CHURCH.-Among the subscribers windows. They have ancient and quaintly-carved heads to the fund for the restoration of this church are the Duke of stopping their labels, all of which are in good preserva- Bedford, who gives 500l.; Earl Cowper, 50%.; and the Archtion. A large number of exceedingly interesting Early æological Society, 50/. English corbels were found in the old walls during the progress of pulling down. These have been carefully preserved, and are re-inserted as corbels beneath the roof on the exterior of the chancel. The east and western gablecrosses are of early date and character. They are good examples of the period, and have been refixed in their old positions, and so also has the old piscina. During the works, the door which originally led to the rood-loft was discovered bricked up, and has been re-opened, together with an old squint upon the north side of chancel. The seating throughout is open, and of deal, stained and var nished; the roofs, too, are of the same material.

DISCOVERIES OF MURAL PAINTINGS. IPSWICH.-During the progress of the restoration of St. Margaret's church, the workmen recently discovered the remains of a mural painting in the spandrel between the second and third arches, reckoning from the west end on the south side of the nave arcade. The picture seems to be an attempt to combine the legends of St. Christopher and St. Anthony praying with the fishes. At the bottom is the kneeling figure of a man in the act of prayer. Just above him are fishes of various kinds, the pike in the act of swallowing a smaller fish, the eel, the plaice, &c., and the water is visible, in spite of the mutilation which the picture has suffered. Above the highest of the fishes, in the widest part of the spandrel, are traces of the figure of a man. The figure appears to be wading through the

FOUR Stone coffins have been discovered in the excavations for the co-operative store at Kirkcaldy. On the top of one of them was found an earthen urn.

IT is stated that the old château of William the Con. queror, situate on the Normandy coast at Benne ville, was put up to auction the other day, and knocked down for a moderate price. In latter days, the château was used as a prison by Richard Cœur de Lion. Under Francis I. it was a hunting lodge, and now it is a ruin.

ANTIQUITY. A fine specimen of the silver shilling of Henry VIII. was lately turned up in the Pearson Park. It is in a good state of preservation, and is in the possession of Mr. Thompson, assistant gardener at the Park, by whom it was dug up.

JEWELLERY AT SOUTH KENSINGTON.-The latest addi tion to the jewellery is a set of rare and antique Egyptian coins, set as a necklace and bracelet, and lent for a few days by the Khedive of Egypt. There are nine coins in all, each as large as a crown piece, and all bearing the image of Arsinoe, Queen of Egypt, wife of Ptolemy the Second, who reigned about three centuries before the Christian era. The profile head stands up in bold relief; and on the reverse of each coin are cornucopiæ.

DISCOVERY OF ROMAN POTTERY.-Whilst making some excavations in the rear of a house in the High-street, Carmarthen, some fragments of a Roman earthen vessel were found. They are of coarse clay, highly glazed, in parts ornamented by a cord pattern in relief. Some Lones of the goat and horse were also found near.

cannot stand against Mr. Fergusson's determined assault. Its advocates must rebuild it before they can defend it; they must be explicit upon such questions as the overlapping of the stone, bronze, and iron ages."

"THE STONE AGE OF GREAT BRITAIN. "The classification of the primæval antiquities of Western Europe, now generally received, was first partially adopted about half a century ago by the Danish antiquaries, who divided the time to which these works of man belong into three periods, called respectively the Iron, Bronze, and

Stone Ages. In Denmark, for instance, the Iron Age is Age to embrace a period of one or two thousand years prior supposed to go back to about the Christian era; the Bronze to that date; and the Stone Age all the previous time of man's occupation of that part of the world." [After quoting Mr. Evans's idea of the succession of the ages given at p. 2 in his work, the reviewer goes on to say:] "This being the received opinion, it is evident that such a classification into successive periods by no means implies an exact chronology, and that in accepting them we must not haggle or stickle for a hundred, or it may be for a thousand years, more or less. Still less must we imagine that these periods can be rigidly applied at one and the same time to all the countries of Western Europe alike. They only mark a succession in follows that in a country like Italy the Iron Age may have each country of different stages of civilization; and so it commenced when other countries in the more northern part of Europe may have been in their Bronze, and others in their Stone Age.

| "We have more than supposition on which to rest our assertion that the successive ages gradually passed into one another, and that the implements and weapons of each age Evidence of this were for a long time intermingled in use. is afforded by the tombs and interments brought to light by the researches of recent years.

of the reviews, I will merely produce a few passages to show that the recent writer is averse to the fact that the sharp divisions of the Danes have long ago been graduated:

recently, the following variety of a token, placed by Boyne
among the uncertain, V. p. 558, No. 29:

Obv. PHINEAS LA MBE· 666-A lamb couchant.
Rev. THOMAS HARDWICK=Their Half Peny.

I will now describe an additional coin belonging to the
Lincolnshire series, which has since "turned up."
Obv. IOHN DA(I ?)RE. 63=A ram trippant.
Rev. Of Ancaster-I.D.

"When the Danes first introduced their theory of these successive ages, they referred to the Stone Age such implements and weapons as are commonly found upon or near the surface of the earth in encampments, on the sites of ancient habitations, and Ancaster is a village near Grantham, and I shall take an in cairns and tombs. These they called the stone early opportunity of getting a peep at the parish register. implements of the Stone Age, and, as was natural, they Under the head of Falkingham I have noted, in my recent were sometimes found intermingled with implements publication, the marriage of John Michill and Eliz Behemi, of bronze or iron, and in their manufacture occa- 18th March, 1695. This lady was undoubtedly a daughter sionally afforded indications of the use of these of George Boheme, a native of Pomerania, who was edumetals. But this original classification was gra-cated at Cambridge, and became minister of Sleaford, in dually found insufficient. It was discovered that this county; and was one of the "Ejected," in 1662. He gradations of time were observable in the use of afterwards kept a school at Walcot, near Sleaford, and the stone implements themselves. thence removed to his daughter's, at Falkingham. See Calamy, where there is an account of him, and of his brother Blythe pedigree, page 55, I may add, by way of illustration, Mauritius, ejected from Hallaton, co. Leicester. In the

"We may remark that this advance on the original determination of the Stone Age by the Danish anti-that Anne, eldest daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Mitquaries was very much due to Mr. Evans himself. chell, Esq., m. 1st Luke Norton, Esq., and 2ndly, Henry It was he who, in 1859, when the discoveries of M. Stone, of Skellingthorpe, Esq., whose monument is at South Boucher de Perthes, in the Valley of the Somme, Witham, in this county. I am enabled to add the followattracted the attention of English geologists and ing notes to the Stamford issuers, &c., which may perhaps antiquaries, first pointed out these differences of be worth recording. They have been extracted from the character in the instruments (sic) of the two vestry books of the respective parishes. St. John's: periods. From this followed the conclusion that a Mr. George Boheme was born in the city of Colberg, vast interval of time divided the latest from the Pomerania, in 1628. The family came to England when he was young, upon what occasion does not appear. He was earliest implements of the Stone Age; and it was then, and not till then, that the immense duration a member of the University of Cambridge. He first settled as a minister at Sleaford, where he continued till silenced of the period commonly called the Stone Age was by the Act of Uniformity, 24th August, 1662. Nichols says, accepted as an undoubted fact. But with this dis-in his ponderous "History of Leicestershire," that he be covery came, as we have remarked, the necessity for subdivision. Since then the Stone Age has been regarded as falling into two distinct stages, one early and the other late."

came vicar of Foxton, in this county, 14th March, 1654. About seven years before his death he removed to his daughter's, at Falkingham, and there died, September 9, 1711, aged eighty-three. He had a brother, Maurice, rector of Hallaton, Leicestershire, nephew to Dr. Burguis, chaplain I need not go any farther length in commenting to the Elector of Brandenburg, and who, after his ejectment upon the want of harmony between the reviews, as it in 1662, returned to his own country. He was in good will have become evident to the most superficial esteem for learning and piety. Nichols mentions him as and casual reader. But I certainly must advise all rector here in 1654. I am inclined to think that it was students of archæology not to be led with eyes un-Maurice, and not George, who was vicar of Foxton in 1654, opened through the intricacies of this delightful science, by the minute and discontinuous thread laid down by the Times, for the probability seems to be that the unwary will never reach the bower

wherein dwells truth.

J. JEREMIAH, Jun.

TRADESMEN'S EARLY TOKENS.

AT page 203, of Vol. II., of the Antiquary, information is requested from your readers as to what towns the two coins described there belong to. I venture to think the first should be appropriated to the village of Staverton, Northamptonshire, which is, at the present time, pronounced by the inhabitants as "Startan; " but not having seen the parochial register, I am unable of course to speak with a degree of certainty. With regard to the second, I am unable to give so reasonable a clue to its identity as the first. I have not at hand a Gazetteer of England; but if there is a place of the name of Shuxton, I should be disposed to think Shuston might be a corruption of Shuxton. It is a fact generally, I may say universally, admitted, that the die-sinkers of this class of coins were geniuses of a very inventive turn, especially in their mode of spelling the names of some of the towns as well as the issuers. I met with,

as there is no such place in this county of that name, but there is in Leicestershire. If Lincolnshire is meant, I take Foston to be the place intended. In Hallaton parish registers are the following entries respecting members of this family: "Jane, wife of Mr. Bohemus, buried Dec. 14, 1647. Anne, daughter of Mr. Boheme and Eliz. his wife, baptized March 12, 1652. Elizabeth, wife of Mauritius Bohemus, minister, buried July 16, 1654. Mauritius Bohemus, minister, and Hannah Vowe, published Jan. 13, 20, 27, married Feb. 27, 1656." In the list of the names subscribed to "The humble representation of divers well affected ministers of the Gospel in this county [Leicester], which was presented to the House in 1659, in relation to Sir George Booth's rising in behalf of Charles II., for which they received the thanks of the House," is that of "Maurice Boheme, Halloughton." The following additional note probably alludes to the Mr. Scortreth, of Lincoln, noticed at page 4 of my work. A Mr. George Scortwreth, of Lincoln, was the colleague of Mr. Edw. Reyner, M.A., of that city, and who printed "A Word of Warning to all Slumbering Virgins." Mr. Reyner was born at Morley, near Leeds, in 1600. He was first a lecturer at St. Benedict's, in that city, 13th August, 1626, and then parson, at St. Peter's, at Arches, 4th March, 1627. He subsequently settled at Yarmouth and Norwich, but the people of Lincoln at length, by letters from them. selves, the mayor and aldermen, under the seal of the cor poration, and the Committee of Parliament, &c., claimed

him, and obtained an order from the Assembly of Divines, then sitting at Westminster, or rather a resolution in the case, upon an appeal made to them about the matter, as other places, Leeds and Norwich, claimed him. He accordingly returned to Lincoln, 29th October, 1654, and settled in the minster.

Mrs. Dale, who resided in the parish of St. Marie, was assessed at 6d.

No. 201. R. ALGAR.-In 1641-2, Rt. Algar was overseer of the highways, and again, in 1654-5, 1660-1; sidesman," 1652, Aug. 7. paid Goodman Hardy js. iiijd. whch it 1644-5, 1662-3; and churchwarden in 1645.6. In the accounts of the churchwardens for 1657, is this item: "For mending Robert Augurs seate Is." In the books his name is spelt thus-Algar, Algur, and Augur.

=

No. 209. JOHN HARDY.-In St. John's vestry books I find this family is frequently mentioned. In the churchwardens' account for 1607-8 is entered this disbursement : "Itm. paid to Richard Hardy for mendinge the churche yard walles vs. ijd."; and in those of 1652-3 is this item: coste him aboute his seat." John Hardy was sidesman for the parish in 1648-9; churchwarden, 1649-50; a Mr. Hardy was overseer of the poor in 1674-5; and a Thomas Hardy churchwarden 1684-5, and overseer of highways 1693-4. According to St. Michael's parish books, I find a Thomas Hardey was a receiver for the poor in 1634-5, 1639-40; churchwarden, 1642-3, 1651-2; and sidesman, 1643-4; and a John Hardye served the office of churchwarden in 1659-60, and in 1664-5.

No, 202. L. ASHTON,-Leonard Ashton filled the office of churchwarden in 1672-3; overseer of the poor, 1667-8, and 1688-9. In the Easter accounts of the churchwardens, audited April 21, 1674, is this note : "Mr. Len. Ashton craves allowance for Is. 4d. for Mr. Humphrey Ilive." Mrs. Ashton is assessed from 1691 to 1696, sixpence for the No. 212. H. ILIVE.-This token-issuer was a resident of monthly collection for the poor St. Michael's. the parish of St. Michael. Humphrey was overseer of the No. 203. F. BARNWELL.-In St. John's parish book are poor in 1650-1, and churchwarden in the years 1656-7, these entries in the account. 1605-6, "Itm. paid to Antony 1657-8, and 1664-5. In the churchwardens' accounts, deBarnwell for writinge our register xijd. livered Itm. paid to up in vestry April 21, 1663, is this entry in the Antony Barnwell for writinge the register from the date receipts: "Recd of Humphrey Ilive his child burriall in Anno Dom. 1603, to the ende of that yeare xijd." If it is ye church o0. 03. 04." Humphrey, junior, served the office the register of births, &c., that are alluded to, it was worth of overseer of the poor in 1686-7, and that of churchwarden the money, as the handwriting is very good. 1691-2. For the relief of the poor he was assessed 6d. widow, in 1718, paid 6d.; and in 1721 paid 6d. and 8s. 6d. from 1691 to 1708, in 1709 one shilling. Mrs. Ilive, his

"It.

No. 204. FR. BLYTH.-In St. John's parish books the family name frequently occurs. In the churchwardens' accounts are the following entries: 1587, "lead for the mending the bell ropes to Jeames blyeth ijd; for mending them (the bell ropes) iiijd" 1589, "Itm. to James Blythe the xxvjth day of Decembr, for shooting the bell roopes iijd." 1627, "It. given to Christopher Blythe beinge sicke jd." to Christopher Blithe & Widdow Webster, being sicke viijd." 1628, "Imprimis to Christopher Blythe vjd; Imprimis to Christopher Blythe vjd. Imprimis to Christopher Blythe at his wives buriall js. 1652-3. ffeb 3, paid ffrancis Blythe for 2 double flythes surdale and 4 other bordes wth nailes 00 10 11." In 1664-5 ffrancis Blyth served the office of churchwarden; in 1682-3, Edward Blyth was sidesman, and churchwarden in 1683-4; John Blyth was overseer of the poor in 1693-4, and 1698-9; and Robert Blyth filled the same office in 1709-10. According to the St. Michael's books, I find ffrancis Blyth was one of the overseers and collectors for the poor in 1655-6; and Robt. Blyth was assessed for the relief of the poor in 1710, at 2d.; in 1716-7, 4d.; in 1718, 5d., for real property, Is. for 177., and for personal 17.; and in 1721 he is assessed 8s. 6d. and 9s. 6d.

No. 213. WILLIAM LARET was churchwarden of the parish church of St. George in 1658-9 and 1669-70. John Larrett, his son, was overseer of the poor in 1705-6, 1713-4; and churchwarden in 1709-10. Under the head of countrymen who contributed to the relief of the poor for the parish of St. Michael, I find Henry Larrett paid 4d. in 1690, and 6d. in 1697; and Widow Larrett, 4d. in 1705.

No. 214. H. REYNOLDS.-In the churchwardens' accounts for St. John's parish I find the following entries relative to the family: 1615-6. "Pd. to Goodman Rennolds for shooting the bell ropes xd. 1629-30. It. to Raphe Reynolds for new (bell) ropes vjs. viijd. 1632-3. Itm. to Mr. Reynolds for writing ye register ijs. [In 1633 he did it again for ijs.] 1633. It. for ringing at ye burriall of Mr. Reynolds js. vjd. 5634-5. It. for a horse and man for Mrs. Reinolds when she went to Cotsmore js. vjd." Humphrey Reynolds, the token.. issuer, was a useful parochial officer of St. John's. In 1644-5, 1663-4, and 1674-5, he filled the office of overseer for the poor; sidesman in 1646-7 and 1654-5; churchwarden 1648-9; and surveyor of highways in 1654-5. The name of the family is thus variously spelt: Rennolds, Reynolds, Reinolds, and Reanolds.

No. 216. JOHN ROGERS was overseer of the poor for the parish of St. Michael in 1661-2, churchwarden 1664-5; and John Rogers, junior, churchwarden 1711-12. Walter Rogers was overseer of the poor for the parish of St. John in 1702-3.

No. 217. RICHD. WALBURG, son of the token-issuer, was churchwarden of St. Michael's in 1692-3. I find he was assessed for the relief of the poor, in 1690, 10d.; and a Mrs. Walburge 9d. in 1692.

No. 205, CHAS. DALE.-Charles Dale, father of the tokenissuer, was overseer of the poor from 1617 to 1620; sidesman, No. 215. THOMAS ROBERTS was overseer of the poor for 1620-1 and 2; churchwarden, 1622-3; overseer of the high-the parish of St. John in 1655-6, churchwarden in 1659-60; ways, in 1631-2; and overseer, alias collector, for the poor and one Augustine Roberts overseer of the poor in 1653-4. in 1635-6, for the parish of St. John. Charles Dale, the One Laurence Roberts was collector for the poor for the issuer of the token, was a useful parishioner, as I find him parish of St. George in 1645-6. filling several offices of trust connected with the same parish. In 1653-4, he was overseer of highways; overseer of the poor in 1667-8; sidesman, 1674-5; and churchwarden, 1675-6. In the churchwardens' accounts of this parish, rendered in vestry, April 8, 1667, is this item entered: "ffor breakinge ye ground in ye church ffor Charles Dale 00 03 04.' Edward Dalle was overseer of the poor in 1659-60, and in churchwardens' accounts for 1667 this item is entered among the receipts: "ffor breakinge ye ground for Edward Dale No. 218. WILLIAM WALKER.-I find the name of this our parishioner, oo 06 08." In the parochial books I find family frequently mentioned in the parish books of St. the name spelt thus-Daile, Dale, and Dalle. In St. Michael's John's and St. George's. In the churchwardens' accounts vestry books, I find a John Dale was assessed for the col- of the former parish are these entries:-1605-6. "Item paid lection for the poor in 1718-19 and 20, 3d.; in 1721, 4s. 3d. to Mr. Walker for parchement iiijd."; and in that taken, and 5s. In St. George's parochial books is an entry, dated 5th April, 1616, "Received of John Atton 40s. weh was August 30, 1686, recording that an assessment was levied given by Mr. Willyam Walker by his will for the use of ye "for raising, by order of the bishop, the sum of 127., accord-church. 1667. April 8. Received ffor breakinge ye ground ing to estates and seats in ye church for its repairs. Two in ye church, Will. Walker 00. 03. 04." I find a Will. pence per acre for arable, & 6d. for meadow." I find a Walker was collector for the poor in 1648-9, 1662-3, 1666-7,

1671-2, 1672-3, and 1675-6; sidesman, 1649-50; and over-well-known Manchester antiquary of the last century. In seer of highways in 1653-4 and 1665-6. In St. George's this account, at pp. 140, 141, is given a description of an books I find Fras. Walker overseer of highways in 1678-9; ancient sword, which was highly prized by Mr. Barritt, and and for the repairs of the church, in 1686, Fras. Walker was assessed Is. 6d.; fines 45.; Robt. Walker, 35.; Lewis which there is great reason to believe was the original Walker, 5s. 6d.; and Edwd. Walker, 9d. Fran. Walker, jr., sword of the Black Prince above referred to. Quoting was overseer of the poor in 1699-1700; and Lewis Walker from Mr. Barritt's Diary, the following history of it is churchwarden 1665-6. given :

No. 219. In St. John's parish accounts I find the following entries of payments to members of this family:"1629-30. It. to Willm. Waters for a board vjd. 1652. Nov. 10. Paid to Henry Waters for makinge a box for ye bread to be sett in ijs. vjd." This individual last named was the token-issuer. In St. Michael's, I find Henry Waters was sidesman in 1673-4; William Waters, overseer of the poor in 1627-8, and sidesman in 1628-9; and "Petter Watters" was assessed 4d. for the relief of the poor in 1697. In those of St. George's I found the following members of the family, as holding parochial offices of trust, viz.: Willm. Waters, churchwarden 1636-7, 1641-2; sidesman 1640-1; Henry Waters, churchwarden 1655-6, 1679-80, 1681-2; he was assessed for the repairs of the church, in 1686, 3s. 6d.; fines, 3s. Henry, his son, was churchwarden in 1693-4 and in 1709-10; overseer of the highways 1691-2, and in 1707-8; and overseer of the poor in 1691-2, 1692-3, and in 1707-8. JUSTIN SIMPSON.

P.S. I shall esteem it a great favour if any of your numerous readers would kindly forward me a descriptive list of any tokens they may have, that is not in Boyne's list, Northamptonshire especially.

The following unedited Lincolnshire token has "turned up" since my List:

Obv. THOMAS. PELL. OF. The Mercers' Arms.
Rev. DUNINTAN. 1664=T.P.

The reverse of No. 97 in my last should read thus:
IN HAGWORTHINGHAM=W.R. 1663.

THE SWORD OF THE BLACK PRINCE. THE following interesting communication was addressed to the Editor of the Times :

SIR,-Attention has already been called in the Times to the military accoutrements of the Black Prince, which formerly hung over his monument in Canterbury Cathedral, and which were the first objects moved at the recent fire. It is satisfactory to learn that they were all preserved intact, with the exception of the scabbard, which was unfortunately broken in two. I would now, with your permission, direct attention to the sword which belongs to this scabbard, and which there is every reason to believe was originally placed with the other armour of the Prince above his tomb.

"This sword, which came into my hands in 1778, is in length, from pommel to point, 28 inches, though, in all probability, was once longer, as the point appears too thick and blunt; the blade is 2 inches broad at the guard or cross, which is but small and terminating at each end with a knob. The handle is staghorn; the cap of the pommel, guard, and ring, in the middle of the handle, is iron, and once gilt with gold, which is not yet thoroughly worn away. Upon one side of the blade is written in letters of gold, and in old character, Edwardus,' with the imperfect figure of some animal. On the other side is inscribed with the same metal and character, Prins Anglia.' On referring to Dart's History of the Antiquities of Canterbury,' I found to my surprise that the scabbard hung with the military trophies of the Black Prince was a crooked one, and the gauntlets gilt. My sword agreeing in shape with this scabbard, and the gilding of the handle with that of the gilt gauntlets, together with its antique appearance and remarkable inscription, induced me strongly to suspect it once belonged to the above Prince's trophies.

I therefore wrote to the Rev. Mr. Gostling, of Canterbury, desiring his opinion on the matter, and received the following letter from Mr. Oscar Beauvoir, Master of the King's School there, a friend of his.”

This letter is dated October 16, 1778, and in it Mr. Beauvoir gives an account of the armour, &c. (which he had specially examined), as it then existed, now nearly 100 years ago:

"The scabbard is broken a little at the end; it is made of wood covered with crimson leather, and studded down one side with small brass studs gilt, lozenge-shaped, and the edge pearled. Its present length is 28 inches, but it seems to have been about 30. The out side breadth at the top is 1 inch and at the bottom inch. I believe that it was straight.. I shall be obliged if you will favour me with an account how this curious sword came into your hands, and what you can trace of its history. Is the sword to be disposed of?"

To this letter Mr. Barritt replied as follow:

66

The scabbard by your description I find is onedried it up-and some inches longer, a matter always comeighth of an inch narrower than my sword-time may have mon with old wooden scabbards, though all who see my sword imagine it to have been longer; the point is blunted, but I cannot account for your believing it was straight. In Dart's book the Prince's scabbard, which hangs over his I am not aware of any record giving an account of these tomb on the iron rod, is crooked, and in two other plates of monuments in the aforesaid author, where the Prince's relics previous to the Civil Wars, but the extreme monument is seen in the background, the scabbard is porimprobability that an empty scabbard would be hung trayed in the same form. However, be it as it may, or let over a warrior's tomb in the 14th century forces one to it have formerly belonged to whom it will, I think it highly the conclusion that the sword of the Black Prince was worth preserving, and a valuable piece of antiquity. I have at the time of his death, in 1376, placed in its proper 60 or 70 years ago (i.e. circa 1708-1718) in the possession of made what inquiry I can concerning it, and find its being position in its scabbard. The common tradition is that a gamekeeper at Garswood Hall, the ancient seat of Geralds it was carried away during the Civil Wars, and since in our county (Lancashire), who made use of it to chop then has never been replaced, and is now, I believe, con- down his venison and divide it into haunches, and by old sidered to be lost. The following interesting facts, however, people in the neighbourhood supposed to have been brought lead me to hope that this sword is not lost, but may possibly into the county during the wars of Charles I. and Cromwell, yet be recovered and replaced in its proper position. In betwixt Wigan and Warrington. The sword was a present several engagements happening in that neighbourhood, the valuable antiquarian periodical called the Reliquary, to me from a worthy friend, who, suspecting something Vol. IX. (1868-9), is an account by Mr. Thomas Barritt, a | extraordinary from its shape and inscription, bought it from