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ANTIQUARIAN RESEARCHES.

DURING a long and eventful period our Publication has been unremittingly devoted to the pursuit of Antiquarian and Topographical knowledge. On commencing our Ninety-first Volume, it may not appear unseasonable to notice the successful result of our labours.

In taking a retrospective view of the numerous Volumes of the Gentleman's Magazine, we cannot but experience the most pleasing satisfaction, on perceiving the abundant stores of valuable information on this interesting subject. We may confidently assert that no periodical Work extant can display so ample a field of antiquarian lore; neither does any Miscellany of the day possess resources sufficiently ample to compete with the persevering researches and useful discoveries of our numerous and learned Correspondents; to whom we return our grateful acknowledgments, for many curious papers and important communications on this abstruse, though curious depart ment of Literature-It shall be our unceasing study to merit a continuance of their favours; and whilst we enjoy the support and approbation of the Publick, in so liberal a manner, our labours will receive the most ample reward. We still solicit the contributions of our erudite Correspondents in this particular Science; as we feel conscious that accurate and minute information, respecting Antiquarian discoveries, can only be obtained through the medium of indi

viduals immediately connected with the spot where antient relicks may exist. No pains or expense shall be spared in elucidating the curious remains of "the times of yore;" so that they may prove gratifying to the Antiquary in particular, and interesting to the Publick in general.We shall always adhere to facts and historical statements in preference to long and laboured Essays "signifying nothing,"-a fault too common with many contemporary Magazines, whose contributors are remunerated according to the extent of their Articles!-Thus we ardently hope to render this Publication a valuable store-house of useful knowledge, instead of allowing it to become a tedious melange of theoretical opinions. We have superior means of ensuring our pre-eminence over every literary Thersites of the day, by our ample resources. We have witnessed many who, for a short time, have "fretted their hour away," and then sunk into their primitive obscurity; whilst STLVANUS URBAN has stood like towering Atlas, when conflicting elements thunder over his head, and oceans break their billows at his feet.

We observe some nascent Productions, the mere ephemerals of a day, aspiring to a rivalship with our own, that have emerged from the ruins of their predecessors, as the fabled Phoenix of old sprung from its own ashes; but they also are ready to give up the ghost," and will soon "be gathered unto their fathers."

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ARMS OF BOURCHIER, EARL OF ESSEX.

The annexed is a drawing made from the back pannel of a carved Armed-Chair, purchased lately of a broker in the county of Nottingham, who was unable to give any account of its former possessors, or even of its last owner, further than that he was a poor cottager of a neighbouring village.

Our Correspondent thinks he has been able to trace out with some exactness for whom the Chair was originally made. The Arms can belong to no other person than to Henry, the last Earl of Essex of the name of Bourchier, who broke his neck by a fall from his horse in the year

1539 (31 Hen. VIII.); having been elected a Knight of the Garter in the preceding reign; and whose only child (Anne) married William Lord Parr of Kendall, who was made Earl of Essex in her right, and died in 1571.

The Arms are quarterly; first, Bourchier; second, Bohun; third, Woodville (or Widdevile); and fourth, Louvain: they can belong only to the before-named last Earl of Essex of the name of Bourchier, in this obvious manner:

William de Burgo-Caro, or Bourchier (created Earl of Ewe at Maunt in Normandy, by Henry the Fifth), married one

of

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Antiquarian Researches.

of the daughters and co-heiresses of Thomas de Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, by Eleanor his wife, one of the two daugh. ters and co-heiresses of Humphrey de Bohun, the last Earl of Hereford and Essex.

Henry de Burgo-Caro, or Bourchier, was the eldest son of the said William, and was created Earl of Essex; and in the 15th of Edw. IV. was Keeper of the Great Seal. He married Elizabeth, the sister of Richard Duke of York.

William Lord Viscount Bourchier, the eldest son of this marriage, married Anne, the sister and co heiress of Richard Wood

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vile, the last Earl Rivers (executed at Pontefract), and died in the life-time of his father, leaving a son Henry (who succeeded his grandfather), and a daughter called Cecily, who married Sir John Devereux, whose great grandson Walter was made Earl of Essex by Queen Elizabeth, in right of this marriage with Cecily Bourchier.

This Henry Bourchier (who succeeded his grandfather in the title) was the last (of that name) Earl of Essex, and is the person for whom the Chair was made, as is evident from the Coats of Arms shown in this Drawing.

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Antiquarian Researches.

at page 101, as then remaining in the window of the chancel of Oakham Church (together with the Arms of Thomas of Woodstock, impaling Bobun.)

The Chair (thus appropriated) is a curiosity, and is doubtless upwards of three hundred years old; the owner being a Knight of the Garter prior to the accession of Henry VIII. in 1509. The pannel is too small for the carving to show the heraldic colours, and the bearings are all strongly given, but lines are added distinguishing the colours, for greater accuracy. The corners of the square are filled by heads of cherubs and other ornaments.

ROMAN AND BRITISH COINS.

TASCION RIGON

Mr. JOHN BARNARD, of Harlow, Essex, has favoured us with a British Coin' which is not in Mr. Ruding's Work; nor in Pegge's "Essay on the Coins of Cunobeline." It was lately found near Epping; the metal is electrum; its weight 5 dwt. 10 gr.; on one side is represented a man in armour on horseback, on the reverse, TASCIOVRICON *.

Near Harlow, Essex, are the remains of a Roman station, not yet noticed by Antiquaries. The castellum, or place of strength, appears to have been in the neighbouring parish of Latton, on an elevated field which was formerly almost surrounded by the waters of the river Stort. The works are not now visible, but a few feet below the surface are the foundations of very strong walls.

It is not improbable that this was one of the forts formed by the Romans, to defend the Trinobantes from the Cateuchlani; as the Stort here, and, for some distance up its course, divides the counties of Essex and Herts. This conjecture is rendered more plausible by the appearance of four of these Stations on the Essex side of the river, in the short space of nine miles; viz. this at Harlow, or Latton; one at Hallingbury, called Wallbury, distant four miles; one at Bishop's Stortford, three miles; and another at Stansted Mont-Fitchet, two miles further.

Perhaps some of our Antiquarian Readers can assist in discovering the Roman

*"In consequence of the connexion between the names of Cunobeline and Tascio, those coins which bear the latter name, without the former, are usually attributed to that Monarch."-Ruding on Coinage, vol. 1. p. 200.

[Jan.

name of this Station at Harlow; it is distant from London 23 miles, from Cheshunt 12 miles, and from St. Alban's or Verulam 24 miles.

Among the antiquities found here (most of which are in Mr. Barnard's possession), are, a small bronze head of Silenus, of very good workmanship; a large bronze broach, and fragments of a cup of highly polished red ware, on the outsides of which are figures of a cock and a triton, found in a grave eight or ten feet deep.

British Coins.-A helmetted head with CVNOBELINI; reverse, a hog†, and TASCIIOVANIT.-Another, with a head on one side; on the other, a man striking upon an anvil ;-one with a star, between the rays of which are the letters VERLAMIO; reverse, an ox ;-auother similar, except that the head of the ox is turned the contrary way; and two or three others not intelligible.

Roman Coins.-Silver, of Sabina, Faustina the elder, and Constantinus jun.— Brass, various sizes and various Emperors, from the first Claudius to Valentinian, in all upwards of 200.

ROMAN COINS.

The Rev. M. D. DUFFIELD, of Caston, near Watton, in Norfolk, (who has undertaken the History and Antiquities of the county of Cambridge) has supplied us with an account of the following discovery.

On the 28th of Oct. 1820, as some labourers were digging in a clay-pit in the North-west part of this parish, they found, about five feet below the surface of the ground, a silver ring, and nearly 200 Roman coins, chiefly silver. It is most probable that they had been buried in a purse or box, as no vessel was found with them. M. D. bas nine of the silver coins in his possession, which have these inscriptions : 1. "Imp. Otho Caesar Arg. Tr. P." Caput Othonis sine laureâ. Reverse, "Secvritas P. R." Fig. mulieb. stans dext. laureolam, sin. hastam tenens.

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A. Vitellivs Germ. Imp. Avg. Tr. P." Caput Vitellii laureatum.-Reverse, "XV. Vir. Sacr. Fac." (Quindecim vir sacris faciendis.) Tripos cum Delphino suprà & avicula infra seden. The tripos was a table in the temple of Apollo, to which Deity both the Dolphin and the Crow were sacred. Vitellius was one of those whose office it was to keep the Sybill's books, and make certain sacrifices.

3. "Imp. Caes. Vesp. Avg. P. M. Cos. IIII." Caput Vesp. laureatum. Reverse, "Victoria Avgvsti." Victoria stans

+ Engraved in Ruding, Pl. 5, fig. 23. Ibid. fig. 3.

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5." Antoninvs Avg. Pivs. PP. TR. P. XV." Caput Anton. laur. Reverse, "Cos. IIII." Fœmina stans dext. ampullam, sin. statum. There were several of Antoninus with different inscriptions.

6. "Avgvsta Favstina." Caput Faustinæ. Reverse, Sæcvli Felicit." Duo pueruli (Commodus & Antoninus, gemini) sedentes in lectulo.

7. "Favstina Avgvsta." Cap. Faust. - Reverse, "Jvno." Juno stans dext. pateram, sin. hastam tenet.

8. "Diva Avg. Favstina." Caput. Faust. Reverse, "Pietas Avg." Ad

stat Pietas aræ.

9. "Diva Favstina." Caput Faust. Reverse," Augusta." Fœmina stans in sinist, hastam tenet."

Of the Coins here found, the oldest which Mr. D. has seen or heard of, is that of Otho; and the latest, those of Faustina. -About seven years ago, a little to the South-west, an urn and some coins were found, among which was a gold one. These discoveries seem to prove that here was a Roman station, from which the village took its name, Caston [Castrum].

COIN OF TITUS.

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A silver coin of Titus was found in the rubbish of an old house, which was lately pulled down in Eastgate-street, in the city of Chester. In digging the foundation for the new building, a pavement was discovered at about eight feet below the present level of the street. This gives strength to the prevalent opinion, that the level of the city was originally that of the floor of the Cathedral, to which persons have now to descend by several steps.

HUMAN SKELETONS.

The workmen of Mr. Stevens, surveyor, of Bury St. Edmund's, whilst raising gravel in the hill, near the Priory, have discovered at a small depth from the surface of the earth, the skeletons of 24 human bodies, of rather gigantic size, but in every respect perfect. Numerous persons have been to view them, and it is supposed they are a part of the bodies slain in the bloody battle fought on that spot during the reign of Henry II. and when the differences existed between that Monarch and his son, when, to aid the latter, the Earl of Leicester was marching through Fornham, from Framlingham, with an immense army of Flemings (principally artificers and weavers); but were attacked by the King's troops, who dispersed them in an instant, and put 10,000 of them to the sword, and took their Commander prisoner. This engagement took place in 1174, upwards of 600 years since.

PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRIES.

COL. MACDONALD, ON THE North-West

MAGNETIC POLE.

of 70°. Should the ice oppose a Western progress along this inhospitable coast of about 85 degrees of reduced longitude, no resource will remain but to achieve the object by land. As the Country is inhabited by several tribes of Indians, whose dispositions are unknown, a certain cautious mode of procedure is indispensable.

I rejoice to see it announced, that the Discovery-Ships are to proceed again to explore the Polar Basin, to the West of Baffin's Bay. From accounts, as far as they have been as yet published, it does not appear to me that the vast accumulation of thick ice will admit of proceed--Under these circumstances, European

ing Westward on the parallel of latitude of the newly-discovered Georgian Islands; which, however, ought to be completely explored, in order, if possible, to ascertain the precise position of the Northwest Magnetic Pole; and also to find what advantages the Whale Fishery may derive from these discoveries.

It has not been made manifest that there is no passage from Repulse Bay, into the Polar Basin. This would be the shortest course to the Hyperborean Coast, along which alone, there seems to me to be the best chance of getting to Behring's Straits; and this on nearly the parallel

nations, interested in the object to be accomplished, should join in the expense of establishing a chain of small posts of the blockhouse description, as otherwise, progress, combined with safety, would be quite impossible.-The Posts (as distant as possible from each other) might be constructed of such materials as the country afforded. It is probable that the Fur trade might be materially benefited by this measure, requiring time and resolute enterprise.-Even if a North-west Passage is effected by sea, through Bhering's Straits, navigation will derive little advantage from it, as far as regards

the

68 Philosophical Inquiries.—North West Magnetic Pole. [Jan.

the comparative duration of Voyages to distant quarters.

Any person may be convinced of this by applying a thread to a ship's supposed course on the projection of the Sphere, called a Chart. By this simple trial, a line to Bengal, passing through Baffin's Bay and Bhering's Straits, will be to a line from England to Bengal, by the Cape of Good Hope, in the proportion of 45 to 33.-Again, a line from England to China, by a North-west Passage, and the same by the Cape and Straits of Sunda, will be in the proportion of the lengths of 39 to 32, nearly.-Here we have, independent of the great risk of the navigation, a great addition of run.The North-east Passage round Nova Zembla and Cape Taimuriu, the most Northerly of Russia, has not yet been clearly ascertained; and there is reason to think that there is land to the N.E. of this Cape, towards Bhering's Straits. But even supposing a North-east Passage practicable, a line from England by it, and through these Straits, to China, and the common line through the Straits of Sunda, would be, in relative lengths, nearly in the proportion of 44 to 32. Two persons in making this decisive experiment of comparative measurement, may not go over precisely the same course: but any arising difference will not amount to 1, or 14, and consequently will not militate against the resulting conclusions.

In addition to the celebrated Magnetic Authors, mentioned in my former Communication, I omitted the name of Dr. Gilbert, who, in his "Physiologia Nova de Magnete," and in other publications, has displayed experimentally and theoretically, more knowledge of this occult and obscure science, as far as it has arrived, than all the other authors put together. He also adopted the notion of different Magnetic Poles. In necessarily abandoning the supposition of a Southeast and South-west Magnetic Pole, on account of finding no adequate variation contiguous to their imagined sites, the existence of a moving Magnetic Cause round the South Pole also, will remain dubious, till a continued trial of the variation during a series of years, on the nearest Terra Firma to that Pole, shall indicate such conclusion as may be satisfactory to Philosophy. I throw out the idea, because certain anomalies of variation in South latitudes, require some such supposition.

I am aware, Mr. Urban, that the solidity of the earth may be urged against the possibility of a moving Magnetic cause : but what proof have we that the Sphere we live on, is solid beyond the degree of thickness requisite to preserve its form from being materially altered by its rapid motion round the Sun; by its diurnal mo

tion round its axis; and by its motion round its common centre of gravity with the Moon? Newton in his chair, proved by science, what the French Philosophers confirmed by actual measurement; viz. the difference between the Equatorial and Polar diameters of the Earth, arising from the projection of the Globe at the Equator, by its rotatory motion. Were the Earth a solid to its centre, this motion on an imaginary axis, would not give it the ascertained form of an oblate spheroid ; as a hard solid moving in empty space, cannot be supposed to yield into that shape, by any law of action as yet unfolded by science. The planet Jupiter is above thirteen hundred times the bulk of the Earth; and Saturn, independent of his double ring, is about a thousand times the bulk of our globe. These dimensions are made out by the clearest rules of science. If we apply to these prodigious bodies the reasoning of Newton relative to plastic forms moving variously, there is no ground for concluding that they are solid substances to their centres. If they were, their vast weight would require infinitely more attraction than probably even the sun could furnish. True, nothing is impossible with the Deity, whose laws of Nature are as simple, as they are beautifully efficient, but we honour his name by following such reasoning as Newton's, inferior as he was to infinite beings:

"Superior Beings, when of late they saw, A mortal man unfold all Nature's law; Admir'd such wisdom in an earthly shape, And shew'd a Newton as we shew an ape."

It is difficult to write on such a subject; but still we are certainly more warranted in concluding that the earth is not a solid throughout, than the reverse.

During the next voyage, 1 take it for granted, that the requisite scientific preparations will be made for commencing to discover whether or not the newlyascertained Magnetic Cause has a movement; and this can only be made out in due process of time. The Dipping Needle to be used should be of a very light construction, and might in its plane carry a very light card, marked as usual, with the whole turning on a point. By means of a graduated circumference round the exact meridian to be laid off, and a scale of minutes on one of the extremities of the needle, this whole contrivance would shew the variation-dip and diurnal variation, while the observations of subsequent periods would mark the alteration or stability of the North-west Magnetic Pole. The whole compass of Science hardly offers a subject of higher interest.

JOHN MACDONALD.

Summerland-place, Exeter, Jan. 9.

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