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The registers of the bishops of Lincoln, in the bishop's office at Lincoln, begin earlier than those which are remaining either at Canterbury or York, or perhaps any other in England, viz. from bishop Wells, who was consecrated anno 1209, to bishop William Barlow anno 1608. The series is in good preservation. The institutions of Wells, Greethead, Lexington, and Sutton, are wrote on long narrow rolls; the Mss. of appropriations, confirmation of abbots, priors, &c. being endorsed on the same, excepting Sutton's, which are wrote in a vellum book; as all the succeeding bishops institutions and Mss. are down to the Reformation; after which period they are most carelessly written on paper. One of the most curious and useful records in that repository is a thin quarto, which contains all the endowments of all the vicarages in the diocese, written about 1210.

In a paper lately communicated by your Lordship to the Society, from Mr. Pegge, that learned gentleman has animadverted very properly on the mistakes which Mr. Lisle, and after him Mr. Hearne, have been guilty of in translating a passage of king Alfred's preface to Gregory's pastoral; for they represent him as sending a copy of this book to each of his cathedral churches, together with certain mancusses or marks of gold the fairest of his coin. But the passage is thus rendered in Spelman's life of that king, “Ad unamquamque episcopi sedem in regno unum (sc. librum) “misi, superque singulos libros stylum qui est quinquaginta man-“cussae.”

When I lately made the tour of the south west parts of Ireland, I saw several of those buildings called usually Penitential Towers; not one of them had either belting or girting, nor the least sign of there having been any room in them till within ten feet of the top; that room had windows exactly facing the cardinal points; from thence, downward to the entrance, which is about fifteen feet above the surface of the ground, only a few slits were cut, just to give light to persons going up or down the stairs. These towers are all built of stone, and exceeding strong, the stones and mortar remarkably good; and in general they are intire to this day, though many churches near which they stood are either in ruins or totally destroyed.

For as much as thrugh the natural desire that all sorts of subjects and people, both noble and mean, have to procure the portrait and picture of the Queen's Majestie, great nomber of Paynters, and some Printers and Gravers, have allredy, and doe dayly attempt to make in divers manners portraietures of hir Majestie in paynting, graving, and pryntyng, wherein is evidently shewn that hytherto none hath sufficiently expressed the naturall representation of hir Majesties person, favor, or grace, but for the most part have also erred therein, as thereof dayly complaints are made amongst hir Majesties loving subjects, in so much that for redress hereof hir Majestie hath lately bene so instantly and so importunately sued unto by the Lords of hir Consell and others of hir nobility, in respect of the gret disorder herein used, not only to be content that some speciall coning payntor might be permitted by access to hir Majestie to take the natural representation of hir Majestie whereof she hath bene allwise of hir own right disposition very unwillyng, but also to prohibit all manner of other persons to draw, paynt, grave, or pourtrayit hir Majesties personage or visage for a time, untill by some perfect patron and example the same may be by others followed.

The papers inclosed herewith, partly law, and partly history, I have taken from an old (and I think authentic) MS. in my custody. What I have copied thereout seems to have been compiled to shew that dignities and titles of honour are constitutionally preserved and derived down in families by the female descendants, particularly baronies; about which in those times perhaps some questions were agitated. Claims of that kind are sometimes advanced in our days: I therefore send these sheets to our brethren of the Antiquary Society; and if they are thought proper memoirs to be read there, and give some amusement to the gentlemen, I shall be agreeably satisfied. The number of pedigrees I was induced to transcribe from what I have observed in the first volume of papers published by the Society, wherein the worthy President, Dr. Milles, has remonstrated against Mr. Walpole's relation in favour of Richard the Third, in which I think the pedigree of Tyrrell, supposed to be the principal agent in destroying the young princes, a striking proof of that fact; and that pedigrees are in many respects useful. At the beginning of the MS. volume is that paragraph which I have prefixed to these papers.

Permit me, through your hands, to lay before the Society over which you so worthily preside, the enclosed papers, relating to a subject not foreign to their enquiries. I am sensible indeed there needs some apology for the many imperfections and errors that may be found therein; but, as I am persuaded, they will meet with the greatest degree of candor; I venture without any further hesitation to introduce this little essay, under your sanction, to the consideration of those, who I trust will both rectify the errors, and add many more curious observations to these imperfect hints.

You may recollect, that some time ago I had the honour of communicating to the Society, a paper, asserting the Teutonic original of the English language, contrary to the opinion of a celebrated writer of antiquity, who chiefly confines it to a Celtic one. You may remember also, that in order to confirm my position, I confronted a portion of the Gothic version of the gospel, as it appears in the Codex Argenteus, with our common translation of the same chapter, and I believe you was surprized to observe how striking a resemblance the English tongue had with the Gothic. It may perhaps be some entertainment if I should pursue the subject; for which purpose I shall again place together another part of the two different versions, and compare them in the same manner I did before, that by an actual collation of the two languages, a Gothic original of the English tongue may demonstrably appear. For this design I shall select a few circumstances relative to the crucifixion of our Saviour, as described by St. Mark, and without further introduction lay them before you.

From the mode of proceeding observed by the Society of Antiquaries in regard to their publications, it is evident, that they have no objection to reviewing any paper in the Archaeologia, either for the purpose of correcting errors, or the further illustration of the subject.

I did myself the honor, some time ago, to submit to the judgment of this most respectable Society the result of my antiquarian researches in Monmouthshire. It has since been an agreeable surprize to me, to find the same subject treated by the Reverend Mr. William Harris, in his observations on the Julia Strata, and other Roman remains in South Wales, inserted in the second volume of the Archaeologla since this Gentleman's observations seem to confirm the principles, which I ventured to adopt in regard to the Romans in Wales, by additional proofs, not only respecting Monmouthshire and Brecknockshire, but with regard also to the other neighbouring Welsh counties. As the perusal of Mr. Harris's Paper has given me occasion to make some particular remarks, I think proper to communicate them to the Society, as a supplement to my former Essays, and a further illustration of this curious subject. I shall also add such antiquarian observations as I was able to make in my tour through the neighbouring county of Glamorgan.

From an attentive perusal of a paper relating to the earthen ware abovementioned, and which was published in the last volume of the Archaeologla [a], it appears to have been the idea of the gentleman who delivered in that paper to our Society, that there had been a Roman pottery established near about the spot where so many earthen vessels, and fragments of vessels, are now from time to time dragged up by the fishermen of Whitstable, on a place which they have, in consequence of their discoveries, called the Pudding-Pan Sand, or Rock, situate, as I have always understood, between two and three miles from the shore.

Mr King, in his many ingenious and pertinent Observations on Ancient Castles, (published in the Archaeologia, vol. VI. art. XXVII.) for the purpose of explaining the conclusions he has drawn from them, has given a full description of Rochester castle, which he remarks was in great part re-edified, if not originally built by Gundulph bishop of that see, about 1088. The justice of this prelate's claim to have been the architect of this venerable fabric is examined in the following disquisition ; and, should the paper appear to you to be not unworthy of the attention of the society of which you are a member, by communicating it to that learned and respectable body, you will oblige

Mr. Brander having entertained me at dinner with a desert served up in Roman earthen-ware out of his cabinet : on my mentioning this to my brother, he gave me the account [which stands in my paper, Archaeol. vol. V. p. 282.] of his having himself dragged up some pieces of Roman earthen-ware from off the Pudding-pan Sand or Rock, and showed me the three pieces there referred to, with several fragments of black earthen-ware. On examining them I observed on one the stamp Attiliani M. perfect and distinct; on the other, the traces, in the same sort of letters and stamp, of the same name, though not perfect. Whether the black sort ever had any stamp did not appear on the small fragments which I saw. I was led by this circumstance into a train of conjecture (for all that I have written on the subject deserves no better name) on the things themselves, and the place where they were found: and wrote a little memoire on them. In return to Mr. Brander's civility, I sent this paper to him, with liberty, if he pleased, of communicating it to the Society. At the same time that he communicated this paper in 1778, he exhibited six specimens of his Roman earthen-ware, said to have been fished up at the mouth of the Thames. A note referring to these pieces, and not to those on which I wrote, was, without the sanction of the Society, subjoined to this paper as published in the Archaeologia, vol. V. p. 282. 1779. I had observed that the name Attilianus only (as far as I could see) was on this earthen-ware. The note observes first, that the earthen vessels mentioned in this paper are in the cabinet of Gustavus Brander, Esq. next gives the six specimens of vessels, referred to in that note, on one only of which appears the name of Attilianus, This directly contradicts the fact which I had stated as the ground of my conjecture.

This pillar of granite, in form of an inverted cone, three feet four inches high, from eight inches I-half to six inches I-half diameter, with an inscription in Oriental characters in six lines, each letter three inches I-fourth high, was brought 1726 from Alexandria, where it was found buried in the sands, and supposed to have served as a tomb stone. It was given by captain Childerston, who brought it to England, to Mr. John Oxley, surgeon in Horsley Down, Southwark. It came afterwards about 1737 or 1738 to Mr. Ames, then living at Wapping; and was purchased after his decease by the late James West, Esq; and on his death by Gustavus Brander, Esq; F.A.S. who has since presented it to the Society of Antiquaries, together with the several papers addressed to Mr. Ames attempting to illustrate and explain its original designation. From these papers the following abstract is here subjoined with additional observations interwoven.

Introduction, giving an account of the antique cup, the subject of this paper.§ 1. Of the nature and ceremony of the convivial libations.§ 2. Of the Deities to whom these libations were made at the convivial table, the Trina Numina. An inquiry who these were.The causes of the confusion in this point even amongst the early Roman antiquaries.Inquiry into the particular idea annexed by the ancients to the word Numen, and of the word Genius.Close of this section of the Trina Numina. That Mercury, according to the original ancient idea of this God and his Numen, always was one.And the two Lares, under the same original idea, the other two of these Trina Numina.The cup described: and by the ideas above suggested and premised.An attempt to show that this cup was one of those three, which used to be set on the table after the eatables were removed, and used in this ceremony of the Convivial Libation.

Salset is an island lying in the great Indian ocean, north of Goa, and separated from Bombay by a narrow channel. It is seventy miles in compass, twenty in length, and fifteen in breadth. The soil is fruitful, and the island intirely under the dominion of the Portuguese. It has in it several villages inhabited by Heathens, Moors and Christians. Within the island, and four miles from any house, and surrounded by thick woods abounding with lions, tigers, monkeys, and other wild and venomous animals, stand four very high hills contiguous to each other, and looking like one intire rock by the surface, which bears strong marks of calcination. On the sides of these hills are many pagodas, caverns, apartments, and other excavations cut out of the rock, called at this day the city of Canorin, from a village of that name adjoining.

This paper brings together all the species of Microphanurus from the Ethiopian and Indo-Malayan regions that I have written about during the last eight years. I have found that the fauna of neither region could be studied in isolation if a proper understanding of the taxonomic relationships and host-preferences of the genus were aimed at.The key contains all the species from the regions concerned of which the types or at least authentically named specimens are in the British Museum. Two new African species are described.For the identification of the Hemipteron, Atelocera stictica, Westwood, and for other information I am much indebted to Mr. W. E. China.

In making a common-sewer along Lombard-street in the autumn of the year 1785 and the following winter, the labourers met with a great number of Romaan antiquities, particularly tesselated pavements and earthen ware. The first pavement that I have heard of was near Sherborn-lane, and was composed of bricks about an inch square, and bedded in very firm mortar. Between this and the Post-office a wall was found perforated perpendicularly by two flues, one circular, the other square. Opposite the Port-office was dug up a foundation (or floor) of common Roman bricks, each about eighteen inches by twelve in size.

Since the last paper which I had the honour to lay before the Society, giving some account of a picture representing lord Burleigh with three others playing at cards, I have found some confirmation that those exhibited in the hand of one of these players, relate to Primero, because the Sydney Papers mention that queen Elizabeth formed a party at this game with the Lord Treasurer, Mr. Secretary, and the Lord North.

The following paper collects and puts together some scattered historic traces of the architecture used in the transalpine parts of Europe, in order from thence to suggest a line of inquiry after the origin of that particular species of it, called the Gothick; and also after the institution of that Collegium or corporation of Free-masons, whom I conceive to have been the first formers of this architecture into a regular and scientifick order, by applying the models and proportions of timber frame-work to building Stone.

The two drawings which accompany this paper represent the general view and four sides of a singular and very antient font in the church of East Meon in Hampshire.The two villages of the name of Meon now distinguished by East and West, were in the Confessor and Conqueror's time, known by the general name of Mene or Menes, and gave their name to this hundred.

You doubtless remember the papers in the first volume of the Archæologia relating to those antique slender towers which are found belonging to some old churches in Scotland and Ireland, but generally at some distance from them, and which, though lofty, were not capable of holding bells of any size. Very different sentiments were entertained of the uses they were designed for: some supposing they were intended for watch-towers: some, for places of refuge to which the people might repair on any sudden alarm ; some, as places of penance. The conjectures of others differed from all these. The enquiries of the learned, after all, terminated in uncertainty; and I found the uneasiness of such a state, without expecting ever to meet with any thing satisfactory upon the point.

In the Custumale Roffense lately published by Mr, Thorpe, under the title, Jurati de Derente; de consuetudinibus et redditibus, p. 5, col. 2. are mentioned the rents due and services to be performed by a class of tenants styled Waldenses; and in this paper, which I will trouble you to communicate to our Society, it is my purpose to hazard a conjecture who might be the persons here meant. A few months ago, when I cursorily hinted the subject to you, it seemed to be your opinion, if I did not misapprehend it, that they might have been natives of the Weald of Kent or of Wales; but I must own, their having acquired this name from either incident appears to me to be not a little questionable.

Some observations by the late Mr. Wells on the stalls exhibited in Vetusta Monumenta, not coinciding with the remarks that accompanied the drawing of the stalls in Maidstone church presented by me to the Society; I have judged it expedient to revise my letter to Mr. Gough, with the view of retracting my surmises, had I found them entirely groundless: but after deliberately examining the two papers, and I trust without a bias of prejudice to my own, I must confess I do not see reason to alter my sentiments. Before I consider the observations of this ingenious gentleman, I cannot forbear expressing a regret that our body should be deprived of a member, not long enrolled in our list, whose zealous ardour for researches into subjects of antiquity, assiduously pursued from an early part of life, so properly qualified him to answer the purposes of our institution.

Orwell is a river in Suffolk, arising a little to the west of Rattlesdon. It takes in the Gipping a little below Stow, runs by Needham Market and Ipswich, and joining the Stour, that separates Suffolk from Essex at Harwich, forms what is now called Harwich harbour; then passing by Languard fort, and the sand called the Andrews, it discharges itself into the ocean; at the mouth whereof we have strong reasons to suppose there formerly was a very considerable town that took its name from the river, in all probability, and gave its name to Orwell harbour.

The inclosed paper was drawn up at a time when the subject engaged a more general attention among the learned, as long ago as the year 1748, and then designed to have been presented to your lordship's predecessor at the Royal Society, Mr. Folkes, to whom I had the honour of being well known; but, upon my being seized with an afflicting and long illness, which for some years disabled me for all literary enquiries, it lay by forgotten, till a gentleman's shewing some old dates at the Society of Antiquaries, when I was last in town, the memory of it recurred, and my inclination was awakened to search for it.

When I engaged myself to some friends to vindicate Pliny in relation to the description of the Temple of Diana at Ephesus, I was not aware how many ingenious writers had discussed the same subject. Having, however, been lately favoured by a learned and noble friend with the Memoirs of the Academy of Cortona, I have read the Marchese de Poleni's curious and instructive paper on this subject, and have also considered Mr. Windham's description of that structure which is published in the sixth volume of the Archæologia. I owe much to these learned persons, but am not discouraged from attempting a farther explanation of the text of Pliny, who, though he may have been sometimes mistaken in Natural History, has illustrated the fine arts with the greatest attention, and the most correct taste. The passage I shall first refer to is that in Book xxxvi, chap. 14.

Some time ago I met with one of the oldest symbols of antient investiture perhaps now to be met with in Scotland. It is a small silver sword, which has long been preserved in the family of Lany, and which, afterwards by a marriage, came into the family of Buchanan of Arnprior. Upon the forfeiture of that family, for engaging in the rebellion of 1745, this sword being found in their charter-chest was lodged in the Court of Exchequer, along with the papers of the family, and a few years since, was, together with the estates, restored. When I was in Edinburgh, in the year 1789, with my late friend the learned Francis Grose, Esq. Antony, Barclay, Esq. writer to the signet, did me the favour to allow Capt. Grose to make a drawing of the remains of the little silver sword with which Culenus, king of Scotland, who succeeded to the throne about the year 965, invested Gillespic Moir with this estate, of which Alexander II. King of Scotland, in 1227, granted a charter of confirmation, narrating the foregoing circumstance, which still exists in the archives of the family of Buchanan of Arnprior; and of which I here give a copy.

In your copious description and illustration of fonts, inserted in the tenth volume of Archaeologia, N° XXIV. at note t, p. 201, you have suggested, that Mr. Gostling seems to have given up his conjecture that the dome on the North side of Canterbury cathedral, and placed opposite to the entrance into the East cross aile, was a baptistery; and that I think the edifice was a lavatory. Concerning both these points it is my intention to trouble you with some observations, and to add miscellaneous remarks on fonts in this country, which you will be pleased to transmit to our brethren in Somerset Place, should you deem the paper worthy of their attention.

Since I transmitted my miscellaneous observations on fonts, I have been favoured with a letter from Mr. Clarke, in which there are some passages so pertinent to the subject, as to make it advisable for me to communicate them to the Society. He is the gentleman very conversant in ancient rituals, whom I mentioned as having acquainted me that the same vase for Holy water was sometimes called Fons; and as before he had apprized me of this circumstance, I could only by implication collect from conslitutions provincial and synodical that this was one meaning of that word, I desired him to let me know where he had met with this use of it. Having likewise noticed in a paper written by him, and inserted in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. LVII. p. 661, that fonts were to be surrounded with a lattice; I expressed a wish to learn his authority, no such direction occurring in the conslitution of archbishop Edmund, which he had just before cited.

This “briefe discourse” addressed to her most excellent majesty queen Elizabeth, was written, probably about the year 1582, by that most excellent mathematician of his time, and skilful engineer, “Thomas Digges, Esquire, sonne and “ heyre of Leonard Digges, of Wotton, in the county of Kent, Esquire, and of “ Bridget his wife, daughter to Thomas Wilford, Esquire, which Thomas deceased the 24th day of August, Ann. Dom. 1595,” Stowe's Survey of London, ed. 1720, B. iii. vol. I. p. 71, 72. For a more particular account of the life of this eminent person, see Wood's Athen, and the Biograph. Britannica.

Queen Elizabeth, in the year 1563, appointed Ambrose Dudley, earl of Warwick, (to whom this letter is addressed) “her lieutenant and captain-general of her subjects that should in any wife pass over into Normandy.” And in the month of October he landed at Newhaven (Havre de Grace) with a body of three thousand English troops. He employed every means for putting it in a posture of defence, and was successful in several skirmislies with the enemy near the town, but was not able to retain the possession of it longer than the 28th of July following, when it was delivered up to the French, to whom it became a much eafier acquisition than was expected, in consequenee of the plague which broke out among the English soldiers, and which was afterwards brought by them to England. See Holinshed's Chron. Vol. III. p. 1195 to 1204, edit. 1587. Hume's Hist. Vol. V. p. 79, 8vo.

Among many other curious labours of our forefathers to be seen in our old Abbey Church of Romsey, I had long noticed some singular irregularities, appearing somewhat like groupes of figures, on the capitals of two of the pilliars at the east end of the north and south aisles; but, from their having been in a great measure obliterated by successive coats of white-wash bestowed upon them from time to time, under the idea, no doubt, of beautifying, no conjecture whatever could be formed of what they were meant to represent, until some little time since I came to the resolution of having them thoroughly cleaned for that purpose. This being done, I was not a little rejoiced to find that the figures on both were in tolerable preservation, sufficiently so as to allow of their being traced on paper, whereby I am enabled to send you afac simileof them in their proper size and situation. I have also made drawings of both on a small scale on one piece of paper, whereby the whole may be seen at one view, for the purpose of your laying them before the Antiquarian Society, should you judge them to be worth their attention.

The ingenious writer of the foregoing very interesting account, having forborne to give in it any conjecture relative to the subject of the sculpture and inscriptions which he has described, I cannot forbear adding to his memoir a few observations which may perhaps throw some little light on the subject, and will at least serve to engage others of deeper research to attempt a more satisfactory explanation of them.

Will you be kind enough to lay before the Society the papers which accompany this note? The discovery seems to me to be of considerable importance, and the learned world must lament that young men so zealous in the cause of antient literature should have had the misfortune to lose by shipwreck many treasures collected in various parts of Greece.

I embrace this opportunity of conveying to you an account of an engraved plate, which I have had the loan of for copying, and which belongs to a neighbour of mine. It is of a high-coloured brass, or pale copper, about nineteen inches square, and weighs ten pounds. I can obtain nothing more of its history, than that it originally came fromNetley Abbey, and that a relation of the person to whom it now belongs, found it several years ago in a poor man's house, where it served for a back of a grate, and that it was purchased from the latter for a moderate gratuity. It is now clean and bright, and seems not to have suffered the least injury. You will receive a fac-simile of this plate, taken off by myself, by rubbing a piece of paper laid upon the plate, and I should think sufficiently correct for you to judge by. [a] I beg leave to observe, that the shape of the beacon is nearly similar to one inArchaeologia, Vol. I. pl. 1. and from being repeated four times, was probably meant for the crest of the knight represented in the plate, whose name perhaps may not be so easily ascertained.

It is with great deference I presume to offer any conjectures towards an attempt at explaining the ancient sculptures and inscriptions on the two pillars in the abbey church of Rumsey, which appear in the last volume of theArchaeologia, after those ingenious observations contained in the subsequent paper to that account; but, as the following thoughts occurred to me upon reading it, I take the liberty of communicating them to you, whose judgment is so well able to ascertain how likely they may be to merit the attention of the learned Society of Antiquaries.

When I was in Norwich, in July last, I made some drawings of a building then pulling down, and since almost destroyed. As the style and character of this building is of singular beauty, for the early date to which I suppose it to belong, I shall only describe the parts, by a reference to the drawings; after transcribing the following extract from Blomefield's History of Norfolk.

The beautiful drawings by Mr. Smirke, junior, of different fragments of ancient ecclesiastical architecture in the south of Europe, are extremely interesting to every one who has studied that subject; and it is most earnestly to be wished, that such of our artists as travel into Germany and Italy, would give some portion of their time to the collection of specimens similar to those exhibited by Mr. Smirke; the accuracy of which is not less to be admired than the elegance of their execution. In reasoning, however, from such specimens, as to the style of architecture in use at different periods, much caution is requisite, lest repairs and additions of a later date should be confounded with the original structure. Of such additions and mixture of style our own cathedrals afford so many instances that it is needless to particularize any.

In a paper lately communicated by your Lordship to the Society, from Mr. Pegge, that learned gentleman has animadverted very properly on the mistakes which Mr. Lisle, and after him Mr. Hearne, have been guilty of in translating a passage of king Alfred's preface to Gregory's pastoral; for they represent him as sending a copy of his book to each of his cathedral churches, together with certain mancusses or marks of gold the fairest of his coin. But the passage is thus rendered in Spelman's life of that king, “Ad unamquamque episcopi sedem in regno unum (sc. librum) “misi, superque singulos libros stylum qui est quinquaginta man-“cussae.”

Forasmuch as thrugh the natural desire that all sorts of subjects and people, both noble and mean, have to procure the portrait and picture of the Queen's Majestie, great nomber of Paynters, and some Printers and gravers, have alredy, and doe dayly attempt to make in divers manners portraietures of hir Majestie in paynting, graving, and prynting, wherein is evidently shewn that hytherto none hath sufficiently expressed the naturall representation of hir Majesties person, favor, or grace, but for the most part have also erred therein, as thereof dayly complaints are made amongst hir Majesties loving subjects, in so much that for redress hereof hir Majestie hath lately bene so instantly and so importunately sued unto by the Lords of hir Consell and others of hir nobility, in respect of the great disorder herein used, not only to be content that some speciall coning payntor might be permitted by access to hir Majestie to take the natural representation of hir Majestie whereof she hath bene allwise of her own right disposition very unwillyng, but also to prohibit all manner of other persons to draw, paynt, grave, or pourtrayet hir Majesties personage or visage for a time, untill by some perfect patron and example the same may be by others followed.

The following paper is transcribed from the original in the library of this College. It relates to the Yorkshire Insurrection in 1536, which obtained the appellation of “The Pilgrimage of Grace,” and which is rendered peculiarly memoráble by an instance of clemency, very rare indeed in the reign in which it occurred, for Henry the Eighth pardoned the malecontents without a single exception. Our histories afford general information enough on the subject to make any comments on the matter of this paper unnecessary here, at the same time they present us with so few distant facts, that any new accession of intelligence seems to be highly desirable. Impressed with that opinion, I take the liberty of requesting you to offer it to the notice of the Society of Antiquaries; and remain

The enclosed paper contains an account of the opening of the great Barrow at Stow-heath, near Aylsham, in Norfolk, in July 1808. If you think it deserving of attention, I hope you will have the goodness to communicate it to the Antiquarian Society.

n/a

In a volume of Miscellaneous Papers among the Cotton Manuscripts in the British Museum, is a short but curious Memoir on the state of Norham Castle in the time of Henry the Eighth.A very short extract from that part which relates to provisions for the garrison was copied by Mr. Pinkerton in his History of Scotland: but I think the whole Memoir affords an important detail, not only of the œconomy, but of the general expense attending the keeping up of an ancient fortress.

The three enclosed original papers were put into my hands a few weeks since by Lord Sinclair at Nisbett house, in Berwickshire, where his Lordship found them, when he became possessed of that ancient seat of the Carr family; these had been carefully preserved, with other family papers, in a small box. The first of them, addressed to King James the first, by whose command it appears to have been written, contains a variety of charges against the Duke of Buckingham; and was probably drawn up by Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset, the former favourite, though it is not in his hand writing, being evidently a fair copy made by a secretary. The two other papers addressed to King Charles the first, in favour of the Earl of Somerset, are written in a very neat hand in letters of gold, and both endorsed with the descriptions here prefixed to them, in the Earl's hand-writing.

I enclose the copy of a Roll, preserved in the Record Office at the Tower, containing an account of a great variety of articles provided for a Tournament, held in Windsor Park, in the month of July, the sixth year of the reign of King Edward the first. This tournament appears to have been one of those termed peaceable Justs, lately described in Mr. Douce's interesting paper, to which the contents of this Roll may serve as a supplement.

Your expressing a wish that I should put on paper a few observations which I made upon the Inscription, which I copied in 1801, and published in the Statistical Survey of the County of Kilkenny, is sufficient inducement to me to offer you the ideas that have occurred to me on the subject, though professing no knowledge as an antiquary, and having scarce any book to refer to: but, however otherwise incompetent, 1 have at least no theory or system to support.