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XVII. Observations upon an ancient Bracelet of bronze, found upon the Sand-hills near Altyre, on the Coast of Murrayshire: in a Letter from Henry Ellis, Esq. F.R.S. Secretary, addressed to the Right Honourable the Earl of Aberdeen, K.T. President
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 June 2012
Extract
The Bracelet found upon the Sand-hills of Murrayshire, which was exhibited to the Society of Antiquaries at their last Meeting through your Lordship's hands, by Lady Gordon Cumming, having occasioned some Inquiry, and several of the Members expressing a doubt, in consequence of the narrowness of the circle and the extreme weight of the ornament, whether such could really have been either used or intended for a Bracelet, I have selected from the passages which occur in ancient writers, both sacred and profane, a few which illustrate the wearing of that Ornament, as well as the other uses to which it was applied. And I now lay the result of my research before your Lordship.
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References
page 287 note a Near two pounds and a half.
page 286 note b Genesis, chap. xxiv. 22, 23.
page 286 note c 2 Sam. chap. i. 10.
page 286 note d Homer, in the xviiith Book of the lliad, mentions in the same passage both the Armilla and the Torques, the bracelet and the ornament for the neck:
Τησι πάρ' εἰνάετες χάλκευον δαίδαλα πολλὰ,
Πόρπας τε, ΓΝΑΜΠΤΑΣ Θ’ ‘ΈΛΙΚΑΣ, κάλνκάς τε, καὶ ‘ΌΡΜΟΣ—
page 287 note e “Vulgus Sabinorum Aureas Armillas magni ponderis gestasse.” Lib. i. cap. 11. He adds that they were worn on the left arm, which female custom is confirmed by other Writers.
page 287 note f “Notavit hæc Trimalchio, jussitque adferri omnia; et, ‘Videtis,’ inquit, ‘mulieris compedes ? sic nos barcalæ despoliamur. Sex pondo et selibram debet habere, et ipse nihilo minus habeo decem pondo Armillam, ex millesimis Mercurii factam.’ Ultimò etiam, ne mentiri videretur, stateram jussit adferri, et circulatum adprobari pondus.” Petron. Arbiter, cap. 67.
page 287 note g Æliani Hist. lib. i. cap. 22.
page 287 note h Plut.inArtax. Xenophon, Instit. Cyri, lib. vi. Herodianus. Isidori Orig. lib. xix.cap.31.
page 287 note i “In conspectu duorum exercituum et Carvilius suos pro cujusque merito laudavit donavitque; et Papirius, apud quem multiplex in acie circa castra, circa urbem fuerat certamen, Spurium Nautium, Sp. Papirium, fratris filiura, et quatuor centuriones, manipulumque hastatorum, Armillis Avreis coronisque donavit. Equites omnes, ob insignem multis locis operam, corniculis Armillisque Argenteis donat.” Liv. decad. I. lib. x. c. 44.
page 287 note k Plin. lib. xxxiii. cap. 10. “Sunt adhuc aliquse non omittendæ in auro differentiæ. Auxilia quippe et externos torquibus aureis donavere, at cives non nisi argenteis. Præterque, Armillas civibus dedere, quas nonhabent externi.”
page 287 note l “De Siccio Dentato egregio bellatore multa memoratu digna. L. Siccium Denta-tum, qui trib. plebi fuit, Sp. Tarpejo, A. Haterio consulibus, scriptum est in libris annalibus plus quara credi debeat, strenuum bellatorem fuisse, nomenque ei factum ob ingentem fortitudinem: appellatumque esse Acbillera Romanum. Is pugnasse in hostem dicitur centum et xx præliis; cicatricem aversam nullam, adversas quinque et xl tulisse; coronis esse donatus aureis octo, obsidionali una, muralibus tribus, civicis xiv. torquibus tribus et LXXX. Armillis plus centum ix, hastis duodeviginti, phaleris item donatus est quinquies viciesque. Spolia (militaria dona) habuit multijuga: in his provocatoria pleraque, triumphavit cum imperatoribus suis triumphos novem.” Auli Gellii Noctes Atticæ, lib. ii. c. 11.
page 289 note m Arhnini, prope portam S. Andreæ.
L. Lepidio, I. F. AN
Procvlo.
Mil. Leo. V. Macedon
7. Leg. Eivsd. 7. Leg. Eivsd. II.
7. Leg. VI. Victricis
7. Leg. XV. Apollinar.
Prim. Leg. XII. Gemin
Donis. Donato. AB
Imp. Vespasiano. AVG.
Bello. Ivdaico. Torqvis.
Armillis. Phaleris
Corona. Vallari
Salinatores. Civitatis
Menapiorvm. OB. Mer. Eivs
Septimina. P. Reponend.
Cvravit. Gruteri Inscript. Mxcvi. t.
page 289 note n “Q. Albio. Q. F. Hor. ILLICI
Leg. XX. V. V.
Cornicvlario. PR. PR.
Donis. Donato. AB. Dlvo
Traiano. AVG
Torqvibvs. Armillis
Phaleris. Bello. Parthico. ET. A
Imp. Caesare. Traiano
Hadriano. Avg. Hasta. Pvra
Et. Corona. Avrea
Avillia. Soteris. Mater
Filio. Optim O. Pientissimo
L. D. D. D.” Smetius, fol. lxxiii. b.
page 290 note o Hist. Dan. ii. p. 29.
page 290 note p See the Song of the Traveller, pp. 18, 25. Beowulf, pp. 52, 105, 129, 133.
page 290 note q Hickesii Dissert. Epistolaris, p. 51.
page 290 note r “Apposuit ille fidei juratae zenium, ut gratiam plenam redimeret locupletissimum sane, et pulcherrimum, ratem auro rostratam, habentem octoginta milites, qui haberent in brachiis singulis Armillas Duas, unamquamque sedecim unciarum auri, in capitibus cassides deauratas, securim Danicam in humero sinistro, hastile ferreurn dextra manu gestan tes; et ne singula enumerem, armis omnibus instructos, in quibus fulgor cum terrore certans, sub auro ferrum occuleret.” Will. Malmesb. edit. Francof. 1601. lib. ii. p. 77. The same writer, p. 102, describing the Manners and Customs of the English in 1066 upon the Conqueror's arrival, says “their arms were laden with golden bracelets:” “Armillis aureis brachiis onerati.”
page 291 note s Matt. Par. pp. 562, 574.
page 291 note t “In Ara preterea Annulus asservabatur argenteus, vel ex Orichalco, unciarum xx quem forensi aliquo munere fungentes, jusjurandum jam præstituri, victimarum illinitum cruore, religiosé inter jurandum contrectabant.” Crymogasa Rerum Island, lib. i. p. 63.
page 291 note u Ibid. p. 76.
page 292 note x beage.—Chron. Sax. edit. Gibs. p. 83.
page 292 note y Speaking of the Armilæ Sponsalitice, p. 79, he says, “Caruerunt iis Virgines, Armillasque manibus suspendisse infra decorem putabatur. Hortatur enim Virgines B. Cyprianus (de Habitu Virginum,) ne inferant auribus vulnera, nec brachia includant, aut colla de Armillis et monilibus pretiosa catena. Ratio pudoris manifesta. Nam a Viris dabantur, ut virginitati suae irent exsequias, de qua, acceptis Armillis, transigebatur.”
page 292 note z See other superstitions in Pliny, Hist. Nat. edit. Harduini, torn. ii. 451, 11. 472, 10. 531, 22.
page 292 note a See Pl. XXV.
page 292 note b Archæol. vol. x. pl. 13; vol. xiv. p. 92.
page 292 note c Montfaucon mentions having seen one of this kind on a Statue of Lucilla.