the island to the south of the Brigantine territory, it has been supposed that the soldiers of that legion made their first halt in that country. Both at Cambodunum, and in the line of the wall of Antoninus in Scotland, we have an altar dedicated to Fortune by the sixth legion. Near the one discovered in Scotland were remains of a sudarium or hot-bath, and a number of human bones, with pieces of pottery. The same was the case near the altar of Fortune at Cambodunum, near Scammonden, in this neighbourhood, where a Roman hypocaust was discovered by myself, and near it fragments of urns and burnt bones.

There was at no great distance from this altar an inscription, or rather part of an inscription, found, which, though known to several able antiquaries, has not, so far as I know, been satisfactorily explained. It was the single word opus on a fragment of stone. Until I had examined several inscriptions discovered on the wall of Antoninus I was at a loss what constructtion to put upon it. A diligent investigation, however, of the inscriptions of the sixth legion, the "Legio sexta victrix," has convinced me that it is a part only of an inscription by the same sixth legion, or some portion of it, afterwards stationed at the Roman town of Cambodunum. If the inscription had been preserved entire, no doubt it would have resembled many discovered in the Roman wall in Scotland, in which the term OPUS VALLI is generally used to express the work done by the sixth legion in the formation of the wall. There are several such inscriptions preserved entire; a single specimen will be sufficient:

It seems probable, therefore, that after the completion of the great wall in Scotland, a detachment of this sixth legion left this memorial of their labours at Cambodunum, where they appear to have been stationed, as indeed is evident from the altar to Fortune they erected there, found about a century ago amongst the ruins of a building composed of Roman bricks.

There has been no altar, however, of the sixth legion discovered, of equal interest to the one found near the site of the Roman fort at Castlecary, of which the following is the translation: "To the God Mercury, the soldiers of the sixth the victorious, pious and faithful, natives

of Sicily, Italy, and Noricum, their vow being most willingly fulfilled." This is the only altar that tells us from whence the soldiers of this legion were drafted, and that the natives of Noricum contributed to swell their ranks. This appears to me rather a remarkable circumstance, inasmuch as the principal town in Noricum was Cambodunum, and the surrounding population of Brigantine extraction. There is a town too named Brigantia. Now, as it has already been shewn that the garrison of the British Cambodunum, in the parish of Huddersfield, consisted of soldiers of this same sixth legion, it is not improbable that some of them at least were natives of the continental Cambodunum. If such was the case, the coincidence would recal to these brave men the associations of their earlier days. Fated to pass their lives in this remote corner of Europe, and cut off from all hope of revisiting their native country, the similarity of name and manners might reconcile these hardy warriors to their adopted country. It was no unusual thing for the Roman soldiers, at the expiration of their term of service, to be rewarded with grants of land, and they often preferred those towns for their residence on which muncipal privileges had been conferred-and the Cambodunum near Huddersfield was one of the ten towns in Britain honoured by such privileges. These soldiers of Noricum therefore might see in the Alpine district of Yorkshire a country, a climate, and even a language, so much like their own as to reconcile them to perpetual banishment. Whether, however, the honour of the jus Latii conferred on ten cities of Britain only, be assigned more truly to the parish of Huddersfield, or to Greteland in the parish of Halifax, may become a future subject of discussion. At present opinions are divided. All doubt respecting the celebrated altar found at Greteland is now set at rest by the researches of the first of living antiquaries, the Rev. Joseph Hunter, who had the good fortune to find, in one of the manuscript volumes of Roger Dodsworth, in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, the memorandum respecting the time and manner, as well as place, of the discovery of this altar in 1597.† Another fact is proved by the contents of this memorandum, which hitherto was never more than suspected, and indeed since the discovery of the Roman town near Scammonden has been generally renounced, -I allude to the once existence of a Roman town, on

or near the place where the altar was found. Besides this, I am of opinion that there has been a camp near Greteland Wall Nook; and the Greteland road leads to another Roman camp, not far from my own residence, which is now known by the undignified name of Megs dyke. Whatever was the real name of the station at Greteland, the existence of which has now been so fully established, it seems to me that its connection with Littleborough was maintained by this road, and that the camp near my residence was a military post, necessary in warlike times, and perhaps placed on this road as near as possible to that point where the two Roman roads would meet, that is, one from the Greteland station and the other from the Ealdfields near Scammonden. However, as I may return to this subject at a future time, I will at present confine my observations to the altar itself. It was a votive altar dug up, according to Camden, on the summit of a hill inaccessible on every side but one, and therefore the site of a camp, inscribed "to the Goddess of the state of the Brigantes, and to the divinities of the two Augusti." The first and most material part of the inscription is the first line DVI C BRIG &c. This word Dui is not, so far as I know, to be met with in any known inscription. But the opinion of the most competent judges makes it signify Goddess, and this Goddess of the Brigantes is adjudged to be no other than the Brigantia whose statue exhibited at full length was discovered at Middleby in Scotland, within the ruins of a Roman temple. That indeed is my own opinion, but I am not so sure that the received reading of the altar is the true one.

May not the DVI C BRIG be read Deæ Victrici Brigantum? At the period when this altar was erected many of the Brigantes had entered the Roman service, and it might be policy to conciliate the good feelings of their Brigantine subjects. There is indeed in the possession of the Scotish Antiquarian Society a monument of a Brigantine soldier, who had served for twenty years in the centuria or company surnamed Vindex, a subdivision of the ninth corps of stipendiaries, which had been drafted from the Brigantine territory; and it further tells us that he had originally enlisted in the second cohort of THR, supposed to mean Thracians. We have here evidence enough that recruits were raised from the territory of their old

enemies the Brigantines, and at the æra of the erection of the Greteland altar, A.D. 208, about two years before the Emperor Severus expired at York, while on the eve of preparing a second formidable expedition against the Caledonians, every exertion was making to swell the ranks of the Roman army. Whichsoever of these readings be the true one, there can be no doubt that the Goddess Brigantia was invoked in the Greteland altar. The statue of Brigantia, to which I have already alluded as having been discovered at Middleby in Scotland, had the following inscription:

Brigantiæ. S Amandus

Architectus ex Imperio Imp I

The last line states that it was erected by Amandus, the architect, under the injunction of the Roman Emperor Julian, who succeeded to the Emperor Constantius, son of Constantine the Great. At the death of Constantius Julian returned to the worship of heathen gods, ordering their temples to be reopened in the provinces and colonies of the Roman empire, at the same time persecuting the Christians. This event took place A.D. 362, when the imperial legions still occupied the towns and stations in the Brigantine territory. The appearance of Roman altars therefore still standing in proprio situ, is no proof that they have not been at one time overthrown, or that Christianity had not previously been established in their vicinity. The Roman altar* in the station near Huddersfield was still standing, though covered with ruins, as well as that in Greteland dedicated to Brigantia, yet we are not to assume on that account that at no former period did the light of Christianity reign in the hearts of many a convert within these primitive fortresses. I cannot but persuade myself, not merely from the circumstance of Cambodunum being the next leading station to York, where Christianity was introduced at an early period, but because I have myself, in different researches made on and near the ground-plot of this station, met with many tiles, or fragments of tiles, bearing a single rectangular cross on them, not those oblique crosses or scores so often found on Roman tiles, but such as if seen on monuments would be regarded as emblems of Christianity.

Whilst vindicating so early an æra for the introduction of Christianity in this

GENT. MAG. VOL. XXXVII.

I

district, permit me in this place to dwell for a few moments on two sepulchral monuments, found in a cemetery on the wall of Antoninus. They are deposited in the Hunterian Museum at Glasgow, and great as my delight was in surveying the numerous interesting relics of Roman greatness, brought to light from time to time on the wall of Antoninus, in point of interest these two singular yet solemn mementoes of death far surpassed them all. The first has sustained considerable injury, and the only part of the inscription still remaining is D M VERECUNDAE, that is, "to the shade of Verecunda," a Roman lady. This is, I believe, the oldest monument of a Roman lady yet discovered in Britain. Who this lady was, and to whom she was indebted for this simple monument, which has survived more than fifteen centuries, we are not told, at least in that part of the stone yet left; but what more than all riveted my attention was a garland engraved upon it. This, and the other sepulchral monument I shall mention presently, are the only two that either here or among the monuments in Horsley are distinguished by a garland. Horsley, who describes this monument, supposes this garland to be emblematic of youth; but may it not, in connection with the surrounding emblems, point out the probability at least that this lady had not died in the darkness of heathenism? Then in the second funereal stone, on which is the following inscription, "To the shade of Salmanes, who died at the age of fifteen, Salmanes has dedicated this."* There is also a garland. If either in Gruter, or any other record of Roman inscriptions, such funereal ornaments as are seen in these two interesting monuments are ever found on heathen gravestones, then of course my conjecture is erroneous; but on each of these stones there are other marks, singular, and to me significant of Christianity, which it may be well to allude to, and these very peculiarities I am gratified to find have not escaped the attention of other more experienced antiquaries; for in a work by the late Mr. Whitaker, on the Ancient Cathedral of Cornwall, there are the following remarks on these two monuments. After alluding to the garland on each of them, he adds :-"Christianity indeed has alone found out the happy art of taking away the natural mournfulness of death in general, of turning it into a ground of triumph, and of

crowning the gravestones of its professors with the garlands of victory. Accordingly we find in one of them a garland with two branches, probably of cypress, and two globes quartered, or, as the eye tell us at once, two crosses, one upon each side of the upper part of the garland, and the cypress branches on each side of the lower; significant emblems of the triumph of Christianity over nature."

In the early days of Christianity at Rome it was a very common thing to continue the formulary Dм upon monuments professedly Christian. I have only met with two Roman monuments at York, one to the shades of Minne, and the other of the standard-bearer to the ninth legion; on the latter of these there is a cross within a circle, but in other respects it has no appearance of a Christian monument, such as those I have just mentioned in the Glasgow museum.

At what period Christianity was first preached in Britain is a matter of uncertainty, yet as most of the heathen altars discovered in Britain, of Roman sculpture, appear to have been erected a century or two before their final departure, may we not indulge a hope that one cause of this circumstance was the gradual introduction of Christianity? Without ascribing the æra of its first promulgation (as some monkish historians have done) to the first century, we have the authority of Eusebius for the fact, that the Emperor Constantine, who was born at York of a British princess in the year 272, was the first imperial convert to the Christian faith; so that it is not difficult to suppose that the religion of the Cross, already promulgated at York, the then capital of Roman Britain, should in no very long space of time extend its influence to the adjacent provinces, and it was at this period probably that it was first introduced at the Roman town of Cambodunum, near Huddersfield, where I observed so many tiles with the marks of a cross.

As the subject of Roman remains is beginning once more to invite the attention of antiquaries, I will defer such other suggestions as occurred to me on this subject, especially as bearing on the camps and stations in this district, once occupied by the imperial legions, to some future opportunity, having already encroached too largely on your valuable pages. Yours, &c.

J. K. WALKER, M.D. Cantab.

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alludes to three instances, but names only two. The identity of this "Countess of Tancarville" is also variously adopted; Ashmole making her Constance daughter of the Duke of Exeter; Mr. Beltz (Memorials of the Garter, p. ccxx.) Antigona daughter of Humphrey Duke of Gloucester; and Sir Harris Nicolas (Hist. of the Garter, p. 499) Joan daughter of Edward Lord Cherlton of Powis. May I inquire of your genealogical and heraldic readers which is right, and whether it has been ascertained where the effigy is, or was? Yours, &c. J. C.

Mr.

We had the pleasure to communicate to our readers, in our September Magazine, the favourable reply received from the Master of the Rolls, in answer to the requisition which had been presented to him, that Literary Inquirers should be permitted to make searches among the PUBLIC RECORDS without payment of fees. The regulations for the exercise of this privilege have now been made, and have been communicated, through Mr. Bruce, to the requisitionists. They are as follow:

1st. That the individuals seeking to avail themselves of the permission shall address a letter to the Deputy Keeper, (Sir Francis Palgrave, K.H.) stating generally their objects of research, so as to show that the applications are really and bond fide for literary purposes, and that the applicant shall also attend the Deputy Keeper personally thereon, and give such further explanation as may be required; and that thereupon the Deputy Keeper shall, if he be satisfied with the statement and explanation, authorise the Assistant Keepers to allow the applicant to inspect such Indexes of Records, and also such Original Records, and to make such copies or extracts in pencil required by the applicant as the Deputy Keeper may think advisable. This mode of proceeding, which is equally required for the security of the Records, and for the protection of the business searchers, will in fact be beneficial to Literary Inquirers; for the more fully they explain their objects, the better will the Deputy Keeper and the other officers be able to direct them to the documents which may be useful to them.

2ndly. That all the applications before mentioned be entered in a book, and be reported to the Master of the Rolls.

3rdly. That a book be kept at each branch office, in which the Assistant Keeper shall enter a note or particular of the Rolls, Records, Books, or Documents, called for, inspected, or used by the

applicant, nearly in the same manner, mutatis mutandis, as is practised with respect to Manuscripts in the British Museum. But this book to be considered as confidential, and not to be shown to the public without the express permission of the Master of the Rolls or Deputy Keeper.

4thly. That in case of any impropriety or abuse of the privilege, the Assistant Keepers do forthwith report the same to the Deputy Keeper, in order that he may bring the same before the Master of the Rolls.

It will be necessary also to explain to the Literary Inquirers that the time of the various officers and other persons employed in the Public Record Office is wholly engrossed by the performance of their present duties; that it will not be possible for the officers to assist any Literary Inquirers beyond the production of the documents, and giving a general explanation, if needed, of their character and nature. No applicant ought to present himself who is not sufficiently acquainted with the hand-writing, abbreviations, and language of ancient documents, so as to be able to read and decypher their contents. The Literary Inquirer will have free access to the documents, but, this being done, he will have to conduct the inquiry from these documents in such manner as his own knowledge and capacity may best enable him to do.

We hope that these arrangements will be found in practice to be just and satisfactory. The effect of all such regulations depends entirely upon their administration. We rest in perfect confidence on the liberal disposition of the present Deputy Keeper and his subordinate officers, and render all thanks to the Master of the Rolls for his courtesy and kind intentions.

The proceedings which have arisen in our national antiquarian societies, at their early meetings of the current session, occupy a more than ordinary space in our

present number. As it is generally long before the papers of the the SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND are produced in a printed form, we gladly avail ourselves of the opportunity that has been kindly afforded us of publishing Prof. Munch's curious communication relative to the "Pomona" of the Orcades, and also of giving a full abstract of Dr. Wilson's interesting memoir on ancient Ecclesiastical Bells. At the opening meeting of the same Society an important arrangement effected with H. M.'s Treasury was announced, and received with general, approbation, whereby the Society's museum is in effect transferred to the public, whilst its management and control are still reserved to those who are best qualified to administer them. Such a plan is characteristic of the sterling and judicious economy which characterises our Northern countrymen, whereby the best practical results are accomplished without an unnecessary waste of means. In too many of our own institutions for scientific purposes, we have to lament a diminution of force in consequence of an unnecessary multiplication of establishments and official corps. The Edinburgh plan has, however, been already successfully tried with some of our provincial museums; as at Leicester and elsewhere.

The Report of the London Society of Antiquaries also commences with an important announcement relative to their acquired stores. It is a detailed description of the NUMISMATIC COLLECTION presented to the Society by Mr. Kerrich: of which a printed Catalogue is about to be provided for the Fellows.

The protracted existence of "The Crystal Palace,' ," and more particularly of the surplus fund arising from the exhibition of its recent contents, has produced a great amount of activity among well-meaning projectors of museums. We have no doubt their several suggestions will all receive due consideration. In particular, we trust that an instructive COLLECTION OF CASTS, architectural and sculptural, and impartially formed of the best examples in the classical, mediæval, and modern periods, will be one of the results. Meanwhile, the late Mr. Cottingham's valuable nucleus of an architectural and sculptural museum of the middle ages, has been irretrievably dispersed by the hammer of the auctioneer.

In 1758 the House of Commons issued a commission to adjust the standard of weight, and under the superintendence of competent officers of the Mint, assisted by some eminent scientific men, the standard was determined, and two troy pounds of extreme accuracy were pro

duced. One of these pound weights was deposited in the House of Commons, and was destroyed in the fire in 1834, and the other, until recently, has been in private hands. This duplicate of the original standard troy pound has been, since the destruction of its fellow, the weight always appealed to in any commission for the trial of weights. On the 12th Nov. it was sold by auction by Messrs. Puttick and Simpson, among other effects of the late Mr. Stanesby Alchorne, formerly King's Assay Master. It was sold for 177. and was understood to be purchased for the government. The hydrostatic balance, used for the trial of the standard in 1758, with several boxes of extremely accurate weights, were withdrawn, no bidder appearing for the same. The sale included many curious MSS. on Mint affairs. Among these was "Crocker's Register Book of Drawings for Medals," certified under the hands of various officers of the Mint, and containing thirty autographs of Sir Isaac Newton, sold for 401., and which will, with the most interesting of the other MSS. find its resting place in the British Museum. Lot 178, a 57. piece of George III. dated 1820, and in very fine condition, sold for 317.

At the monthly meeting of the Chester Architectural, Archæological, and Historic Society, held on the 1st Dec. the Marquess of Westminster presided, and the Rev. G. B. Blomfield, M.A. Canon of Chester Cathedral, gave an interesting topographical description of the original and present arrangements of the Abbey buildings of St. Werburgh (now the cathedral); when, in reference to some remarks of the lecturer on the state of the charter and MSS. of the abbey, the Rev. Wm. Massie took occasion to bring before the meting the general subject of the county, city, and ecclesiastical records. Those of the city were as heaps of parchment in heaps of dust, and the others at least needed a more minute classification, which he suggested should be accomplished by some person well qualified to make a digest and descriptive catalogue; and he had reason to suppose, from a recent conversation with Mr. W. H. Brown, that a suggestion coming from the society would not be ill received. The noble chairman declared that, if, as Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum, he had any thing to do with the muniments of the county, he was ready to promote so desir. able an object. It was suggested that the county rolls were under the care of the Marquess Cholmondeley, as Lord Chamberlain; when the Marquess of Westminster replied that he was sure this would make no difference, and that every facility