to Sir John Oldcastle and the Lollards, and the execution of one of the Talbot family, who appeared to have been put into brine after being cruelly executed.

Mr. C. Tucker gave a notice of some singular sepulchral cists of the Roman age preserved at Swinton Park, Yorkshire, and exhibited drawings of them; noticing other antiquities found in the same district and preserved in Captain Harcourt's museum at Swinton.

Mr. Harrod sent drawings of subjects recently found in Belton Church, Suffolk ; where are depicted designs of similar character to the favourite Danse Macabre of the middle ages.

Mr. A. Trollope gave a report of his late discoveries of Roman remains at Lincoln; and called the attention of the meeting to some unique vases, ornamented in a very unusual manner, and of Roman workmanship. These had been found, with various antiquities, in one of the singular depositories frequently noticed of late near Roman settlements, and resembling those at Ewell, in which so large an assemblage of curious objects had been disinterred by Mr. Diamond. The Dean of Westminster stated that deposits of a like nature had lately been noticed near Richborough, and had contributed to enrich the museum of Mr. Rolfe of Sandwich.

Mr. Westwood communicated a number of fac-similes of sculptured crosses and memorials from Wales, Cheshire, and other parts of England; and offered remarks illustrative of a series, chronologically arranged, which he exhibited, explaining the peculiar forms of ornament found upon these early monuments. Mr. C. Orford sent two examples, hitherto unnoticed, apparently of earlier date than the Conquest, and pronounced by Mr. Westwood to be unlike any which he had found. They are at present in a cottage garden at High Lane, near Stockport, Cheshire, having been found in ploughing not far from Disley, in that county. Numerous other antiquities and drawings were exhibited; amongst which a plan of the extensive Roman buildings recently discovered at Chesterford by the Hon. R. Neville attracted attention. (See Dec. p. 633.) His researches have also brought to light a structure resembling in arrangement the basilica of the ancients, and supposed by some persons to have been used as a church by the early Christians in Britain.

A profuse variety of valuable rings of every period was contributed by Mr. Whincopp; and other ornaments of a similar kind were brought by Mr. O. Morgan, Rev. E. Jarvis, Mr. Manning, and Mr. Trollope. Mr. Nightingale sent

a memorial of a remarkable period, which, although not strictly archæological, excited no slight interest: namely, a pack of satirical cards, each illustrative of some distinct "Bubble Company," with burlesque verses exhibiting the extent of public credulity at the time of the South Sea speculations. Various specimens of art and antiquities were produced by Mr. B. Lane, Mr. Dixon, Mr. S. Hall, Mr. Nesbitt, and other members.

NUMISMATIC SALES.

The first numismatic sale of the season, commenced on the 16th Nov. at Messrs. Sotheby and Wilkinson's, consisted chiefly of a portion of the valuable collection of Greek coins, in gold, silver, and particularly in copper, collected at Smyrna by Mr. H. P. Borrell-an eminent numismatist, resident in the Levant for more than a quarter of a century. Many of the lots realized good prices; being nowise inferior in beauty and rarity to most of the recently sold Pembroke coins and medals.

The most interesting lots in copper were chiefly bought for a great Parisian col

cector.

We regretted much that at least a score or two of the finest and rarest should not have been retained for the collections of our own country. Amongst these were (lot 6) a very scarce coin of Ilerda-Tarraconensis (now Lerida) bearing a portrait of Augustus, and a wolf on the the reverse, published by Mionnet and Akerman; and a fine coin of Amisus, having for type Perseus holding the head of Medusa with the winged and headless corpse extended at his feet, supposed to be quite a new type for this town. Two unpublished Asiatic coins of Trapezus and one of Zela-Pontus-all three of extreme rarity-produced only 31. 38. Eighty-six very beautiful and varied copper coins of the Ionian town of Erythræ, recently dug up there amongst the ruins, included at least the names of thirty-four different magistrates or men of note. Mr. Curt and Dr. J. Bird purchased some of the finest ; but the larger portion were bought for the Continent. Four copper medals of Alabanda in Caria sold for 11. 13s. One of them struck by order of Caracalla, having on the reverse three branches of laurel, was very fine and is of extreme rarity: as is likewise the medal of Gallienus coined at Bargasa. The probably "unique" medallion of Claudius Gothicus, struck at the town of Prostanna (lot 78)—highly interesting, as it represents the Mount Viarus, unnoticed by all the ancient geographers,brought but 21. 17s. It was not fine. A very rare and fine bronze medal struck in Cyprus to the honour of Caracalla—and, curious to relate, dug up two years ago in

London about Billingsgate (lot 82)-sold for only 16s. This rarity is in the possession of Mr. Curt. It represents the temple of the Paphian Venus on the reverse. The seven silver tetradrachms of Amyntas, King of Galatia, published by the Duke de Luynes (1848), and once worth 501. a-piece, sold for only about 31. 10s. each. Mr. Curt bought four of them. He bought also lots 174 and 175, two rare gold medalets of the same monarch (valued at 401.) for 157. A very fine silver me. dallion of Augustus-reverse, six ears of wheat-was knocked down for only 21. 3s. Of the modern medals and coins disposed of towards the end of the second day's sale, an enormous price (21. 9s.) was obtained for a pattern of the coin of our Queen (lot 251) to be called "a floren," or

of the pound. It was understood that, like the crown of last year, it will be "called in."-Atheneum.

Another important sale, which lasted ten days, from Nov. 27 to Dec. 7-was that of the extensive collection of coins and medals (1408 lots) of the late W. A. A. White, esq., F.S.A. catalogued by Mr. Curt. It realised more than 2,000l. a very good sum, considering the badness of the times and the total want of foreign commissions. Passing over the ancient British, and Anglo-Saxon and English coins, not very remarkable in this cabinet for rarity or preservation, and certainly unequal to the lately sold Pembroke collection, we were pleased at the favourable prices obtained for various silver AngloGallic pieces of Richard I. Edward the Black Prince, and others, an angelet of our Henry VI. sold for 107. 15s. (lot 267,) readily obtainable on the continent at 37.; it was certainly highly preserved, but is not particularly rare. Simon's petition crown of Charles II. not being fine, only sold for 337. 10s. fine ones have sold for 1707. and more; fourteen only are known, -the specimens in the Bodleian Library, the British Museum's, Sir George Chetwynd's, Mr. C. Bale's, are reckoned the finest. The gold coins of the kings of Scotland, though in general very well preserved, sold but at moderate prices. Amongst the foreign coins a very rare silver testoon, struck at Rhodes, of Helion de Villeneuve, a Frenchman, 1319-1346, second Grand Master of the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, sold for 17. 198. The famed sol d'or, of which only about twelve authentic specimens are known, of Louis le Debonnairé, often sold at 507. on the continent, produced 61. 178. 6d. ; it is described and engraved in Le Blanc and in Conbrouse, and weighs 67 grs. troy. A rare de sol of Gregory, Duke of Benevento, (733-740,)

very fine, and weighing 21 grs. was purchased for Mr. J. M. Lockyer, a collector highly conversant with mediæval coins in general. The beautiful and scarce Greek coins, in gold, of the celebrated eity of Tarantum, brought from 47. 16s. to 51. 5s. each coin. A find gold aureus, of Eupator, King of the Bosphorus, was obtained, after much competition, for General Fox, at 61. A rare stater, in gold, classed in our British Museum collection amongst the coins of Athens, bearing the owl on one side, with indented square subdivided into various compartments on the reverse, weight 21 grains, (size of Mionnet's scale,) was purchased for our Museum, at 37. 11s.; it originally formed part of lot 39 of the Devonshire cabinet, 18th March, 1844, and being (as the whole collection was) very carelessly catalogued, sold for only 178. including with it a gold coin of Panormus. The greatest and most valuable rarity in this sale was a fine aureus of Brutus the younger, obverse his portrait, reverse CASCA. LONGVS. trophy, &c. which was purchased by Mr. Curt for 371.; this identical coin formed lot 173 in the Devonshire sale, and then only produced 171. 178. The gold Sextus Pompeius brought 261. 10s. The aureus of Cassius (lot 978) produced but 51. 7s. 6d.; it had cost 91. 5s. The Agrippina Senior, in gold, (lot 992,) was knocked down at 87. 15s. A very fine and rare coin, in gold, of Galla Placidia, sold for 41. 158. In general, the series of gold coins of the Byzantine emperors were very fine, and deserving of still higher prices than they obtained. Lot 1135, a very fine and very rare aureus of Michael VI. was well worth 57. 58. and is highly valued, especially in the Levant. A silver coin of Bruttii, very fine, as were all those of the small trouvaille made some years ago, sold for 107.; the price generally demanded in Paris, &c. is 127. A beautiful coin of Terina (lot 1161) brought 61. 6s.-a reasonable price; it came from the excellent Thomas collection-one of the finest and largest ever sold in London.

All the gold coins of the Visigoth kings sold extremely well, (being beautifully preserved and of great rarity,) averaging 31. each coin. Many of them seem inedited; they were all formerly in the celebrated Bruna cabinet at Seville. A rare Æginetan didrachm, of rather light weight (1882 grs.) according to the standard of the coins of Egina, representing the tortoise, with AIFI in a sunk square on the reverse, of excellent work and very fine, sold for 5l.; it was formerly in the Thomas cabinet. Such coins are very rare with the fourth letter. Literary Gazette.

BURY AND WEST SUFFOLK ARCHEO

LOGICAL INSTITUTE.

Dec. 21. The third quarterly general meeting of this society was numerously attended, the Rev. Lord Arthur Hervey, Vice-President, in the chair. Mr. Samuel Tymms, the Secretary, having enumerated, with some explanatory observations, the many singularly interesting objects that were on the table, a paper by the Rev. Lord Arthur Hervey was read, on the site of the Old Manor House of Ickworth, traditionally said to have been destroyed by fire, but at what period was unknown. It was accompanied by a plan.

A paper, discussing the doubtful points connected with the Duchy of Clarence, the County of Clare, and the Clarenceux King at Arms, and tracing their origin to the town of Clare, was read by the Rev. J. W. Donaldson.

It was resolved, on the motion of Sir J. Walsham, Bart. seconded by the Rev. C. J. P. Eyre, that an application be made to the Marquess of Bristol, the noble President of the society, to give his permission that discreet researches may be made to ascertain the plan and extent of the ancient Abbey of St. Edmund; such researches to be prosecuted under the direction of a committee approved by his lordship.

PANORAMA OF POMPEII.

In

Mr. Burford has opened in his small circle in Leicester Square a new Panorama of Pompeii. The view is taken from the Forum, from whence the most comprehensive view of the principal excavations is obtained. The foreground is occu. pied by the vast area, once the busy resort of the inhabitants; around, and adding to its forlorn grandeur, are the temples of Jupiter, Mercury, Venus or Bacchus, the Pantheon, the Theatres, Triumphal Arches, and other public buildings. numerable streets of roofless houses, with their inmost recesses laid open to the day, meet the eye in every direction, the greater part, judging from their moderate size, having been the dwellings of the middle classes and tradesmen, such as are seldom found of great antiquity elsewhere. Here and there the frescoes of the interior walls are seen, and the fine painting recently discovered of Bacchus and Silenus, adjoining the temple dedicated either to Venus or Bacchus, is particularly conspicuous. To praise the picture as a work of art is merely to repeat the testimony which we have so often found reason to award to Mr. Burford's performances, Suffice it to say that the present picture

does not come behind any of its predecessors in beauty of effect or careful finish, whilst its comparatively small scale brings those qualities more immediately before the spectator's observation.

A splendid mosaic pavement has been placed in the British Museum, in the passage leading to the gallery of Xanthian Antiquities. The specimen is about eight feet square; was found in the ruins of Carthage, on the spot assigned as the site of the Temple of Neptune; and was purchased by the trustees of the Museum. On reaching this country it was found broken in innumerable pieces; but under the hand of Sir R. Westmacott it has been restored. It represents the head of a seagod, with flowing beard, and feet of the seahorse.

The ruins of an unknown city are said to have been discovered in Asia Minor by Dr. Brunner, one of the agents employed by the government of the Sublime Porte in penetrating into the most remote and inaccessible regions of the empire for the purpose of taking a census. While occupied in exploring the sandjak (excavations) of Bosouk, in the confines of Pontus, Cappadocia, and Galatia, Dr. Brunner, whose attention was attracted by the bold and curious passages opened into the living rock, was accosted by a villager, who offered to show him things far more interesting on the other side of the mountain if he would trust to his guidance. After some hesitation, the Doctor armed himself and followed his guide, taking his servant with him. Half an hour brought them round the mountain; and then the Doctor found himself, says the narrative, in presence of the ruins of a considerable town. These ruins are situated to the south-east of the village of Yunkeuï, and to the north of the village of Tschépué, distant half a league from one another; and the Doctor's profound study of all the accounts, ancient and modern, of Asia Minor furnishes no trace by which he can identify them. The site of the town is half a league in length. It contains seven temples with cupolas, and two hundred and eighteen houses, some in good preservation, others half choked up with their own ruins, and with vast fragments of rock detached from the overhanging mountain. The houses have compartments of three, four, and six chambers; and the temples are also flanked with chambers. The largest of these edifices is twenty feet long by twenty-eight wide, and the height of some of them is from twenty to thirty feet.

On Wednesday, the 20th Dec. M. Armand Marrast, the President of the Assembly, proclaimed Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte President of the French Republic, to hold that office until the second Sunday in May, 1852. He addressed the new President, and requested him to ascend the tribune and take the oath. Prince Louis mounted the tribune, and replied in a firm and audible voice, "Je le jure." This was responded to by numerous cries of " Vive la Republique!' The President of the Assembly then said, "In the presence of God and man the Assembly receives the oath." The new President, on silence being made, addressed the Assembly as follows:

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"Citizen Representatives, The suffrages of the nation and the oath I have just taken trace out for me my future conduct; I shall follow it as a man of honour. I wish like you to place society on its true basis; to strengthen democratic institutions, and to alleviate the miseries of that generous and intelligent people which has just given me such a striking proof of its confidence. Animated by a sincere spirit of conciliation, I have called round me capable and patriotic men, who, in spite of the diversity of their political origin, are ready to devote themselves with me to the happiness of the nation. A government coming into power owes a debt of thanks to its predecessors when the deposit of its authority is handed over to it intact, and in particular I owe it to the honourable General Cavaignac to say that his conduct is worthy of the generosity of his character; it will not be his smallest title of glory. The government and myself are animated with a sincere love of the country. Let me hope, citizen representatives, that your co-operation will be given to me, and that with it we may found a government just and firm, which, without being either reactionary or Utopian, will secure the future welfare of the Republic; and, if we cannot do great things, we may at least, by our loyal intentions and our conduct, secure the welfare and the happiness of the people by whom we have been chosen."

Four departments, including Corsica and Algeria, had not transmitted their of

ficial returns of the suffrages, but by the list announced in the Assembly before the proclamation of Louis Napoleon, the numbers stood as follows :—

The Moniteur upon the same evening contained the following list of the Napoleon Administration. M. Odilon Barrot, Minister of Justice, charged with the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in the absence of the President of the Republic; M. Drouyn de Lhuys, Minister of Foreign Affairs; M. Leon de Malleville, Minister of the Interior; M. Rulhieres, general of division, Minister of War; M. de Tracy, Minister of the Marine and Colonies; M. Falloux, Minister of Public Instruction and Worship; M. Leon Faucher, Minister of Public Works; M. Bixio, Vice-President of the National Assembly, Minister of Agriculture; M. Passy (Hypolite), Minister of the Finances. The Moniteur also contained the nomination of Marshal Bugeaud to be Commanderin-Chief of the Army of the Alps; Gen. Changarnier to be Commander of the 1st Military Division, with the command in chief of the National Guards and Garde Mobile; M. Berger Prefect of the Seine ; Colonel Rebillot Prefect of Police. The Prince of Montfort (Jerome Bonaparte) has been appointed Governor of the Invalides, and Marshal Molito Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honour. The new President has nominated his aides-de-camp; among them are Edgar Ney and the son of General Pajol. On Wednesday evening the President gave his first dinner at the Palais d'Elysée Bourbon, which will be his place of residence. The Moniteur of the next day contained a list of promotions in the army, which is, perhaps, the largest that has been made since 1815. It occupies no less than nine columns of that paper, and extends to all the branches of the service. There are many signs of the proximate return of commercial prosperity in France.