The drawings I now submit to your inspection, represent the different sides of the famous square font, or baptistery, at Bridekirk, in Cumberland, together with the Runic inscription on the south side of it.

Having lately had occasion to trouble you with remarks [a] concerning the antiquity of most of the Welsh castles, some of which have been supposed to be the works of the Romans, it naturally occasioned my looking into such ancient writers as have given any account of what passed in this country, from the first invasion by Julius Caesar, to the time it was totally abandoned by the Roman legions.

Caesar's expedition into Britain was made in the 5th year before Christ. He landed on the 26th of August in the Downs. He met, upon his landing, with a warm reception. “Pugnatum est ab utrisque acriter.” The ground was marshy, and full of deep ditches, which embarrassed the Romans: “impeditos adoriebantur (Britanni).” This battle was fought on the sea shore, and not far from it. Nothing more was done for four days, viz. till August 30 at night, which was the full moon, when the storm arose that wrecked the ships, which had carried Caesar's army. “Post diem 4. quam est in “Britanniam ventum,—eâdem nocte accidit, ut esset luna plena, “&c.”

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.

It appears from Horace, Epod. ii. that the ancients used the Crane as a viand; and what may seem more extraordinary, and even new to many people, our ancestors in this island formerly on great occasions, and in splendid entertainments, often served up the Crane as a sumptuous dish. I shall here produce some instances of this, and, as I imagine, enough to put the matter beyond all dispute.

In the winter, A.D. 1768, some workmen digging in a piece of ground adjoining to the foot-road from York to Holdgate, lying between that city and Severus's Hills, about 250 yards from the walls, north of the present road to Burrowbridge and Aldburgh, near Severus's Hill, at about two feet depth found they had broke into an hollow place; and hoping to find a sum of money hidden therein, they soon searched it, and found some urns with ashes and earth.

Since the consular coin of Marius was found, there have been other Roman coins dug up near the same place. Lately also several urns and Roman coins, about three miles east by north of Horden. Also in digging lately about a mile south of York for gravel, many pieces of urns were found, some of a beautiful red clay; some were impressed with letters. Mr. Smithe, of New Buildings, near Thirsk, is very assiduous in searching after Roman antiquities, and takes great pleasure in collecting them. Last summer, in digging for gravel near Huddersfield, in the West Riding, several urns were found with coins in them.

In this wall, which went nearly round the city, the Roman bricks are interlayed in separate courses between layers of flints. The quantity of mortar between the bricks is nearly equal to the thickness of the bricks themselves. Four layers were discernible; the lowest tier had four bricks, the next three, and the two uppermost had each of them two. The distances between the courses of bricks, which were filled up with flint and mortar, were two feet and eight inches. The bricks were an inch and an half, or an inch and a quarter thick; their lengths were from 12 to 18 inches, viz. 12, 16, 17 and 18 inches. Having no authority to pull down the wall, their depth could not be measured.

On the south side of the nave of Salisbury cathedral, under the fourth arch from the west, lies a monument of blue speckled marble, with the figure of a bishop in pontificalibus, his right hand lifted up to give the blessing, his left hand holding the crosier. On the perpendicular sides or edge all round is cut an inscription in large capitals; and on the front of the robe, another in letters somewhat similar. The slab lay to deeply bedded in the stone foundation on which the pillars of the nave rest, that the first of these inscriptions had entirely escaped the notice of the curious, or if any had noticed it, the lower half of the letters being out of sight, rendered it unintelligible. Last summer I procured it to be raised, and the pavement disposed round it in such a manner, that it can henceforth receive no injury, but will remain the second oldest monument in that church, if the conjectures I have formed upon it are founded in truth.

Mr Vertue, in his account prefixed to the portraits of our kings, says, that “the picture of that most glorious “prince, Henry V. is preserved in vellum MSS. of that time;” but does not inform us where he met with them. The accurate researches of an ingenious friend in the Library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, have brought to light a very curious resemblance of that illustrious hero. The generality of illuminated portraits, it is true, are not greatly to be depended upon; they are frequently only the imaginary creatures of the illuminator, drawn with little skill or truth. The disposition of figures, the drawing, the colouring, of this miniature, all shew the hand of an abler master. It appears also, that the book in which this illumination is preserved was originally presented to the king himself, and was afterwards his property. This is another mark of the resemblance being genuine; for it cannot be suppofed that the author would have presented the king with so laboured a miniature of his majesty, if he had not been able to procure a real likeness. Besides these proofs of its authenticity, the profile at Kensington, and the figure of the king in the historical picture belonging to Mr. West, are plainly intended for the same person represented in this MS; and no one has yet called in question the genuineness of the two former.

When Mr. Walpole's Historic Doubts were first published, I sat down with great eagerness to peruse what could be offered by an author of his acuteness upon to interesting an article in our English History. After examining the authors referred to as I went along, I made the following remarks, more for my own satisfaction, than with design of communicating them to the public; but as Dean Milles's ingenious Observations on the same subject have been read before the Society, and deservedly obtained a place amongst their Miscellaneous Traces lately published, I take the liberty of laying these before them, with great deference to their judgement, as a supplement thereto, he having chosen to confine himself chiefly to the Wardrobe Account, which he has handled in so masterly a manner, as, in my opinion, entirely to overset all the arguments built upon it.

I Take the liberty to communicate to the Society an ancient inscription, which I met with some months ago in the possession of Mr Jones, of Finchley, a worthy old gentleman, who is retired from business to a pleasant spot in that village.

The Russians, in effecting a practicable road to China, discovered in Latitude 50 north, between the rivers Irtish and Obalet, a desert of a very considerable extent, overspread in many parts with Tumuli, or Barrows. This desert constitutes the southern boundary of Siberia.

His Lordship the president having been pleased to desire me to give an account of some Tartarian Antiquities lately discovered in Siberia, and exhibited to the Society by Mr. Collinson; I thought myself happy in having the opportunity of acknowledging the honour the Society had done me in electing me an honorary Member, and likewise of manifesting by this means how desirous I am, not only to merit this honour, but also to discharge a part of my duty.

The sole object I had in view when I first sat down to write, was to give you an account of a very singular and curious monument of antiquity at New Grange, in the county of Meath, in Ireland; and I meant to have confined this account to a mere description of particulars. But when I came to consider these particulars under reference to the general customs of times more remote than the highest antiquity this monument can be supposed to boast, that consideration opened a field for disquisitions of a much more general and extensive scope.

Baldwin Wake the fourth, whose name is otherwise written Le Wac, was the possessor of the great manor of Chesterfield, in the 50th year of King Henry III, or A. D. 1266, when the battle, hereafter to be related, happened. This family had a large estate in the counties of Lincoln, Leicester, Northampton, Nottingham, and Hertford; and their chief residence was at Brun, or Burne, in Lincolnshire, and Lidell, in Cumberland. As to Chesterfield, which accrued to them by the marriage of Baldwin the third, grandfather of Baldwin above-mentioned, with Isabella, daughter of William Briver, the description of it runs thus; “manerium de Chestrefeld, cum “redditibus et servitiis duorum tenementorum suorum de “Newbold, Barley (now Barlow), Whittington Magna, Topton “(now Tapton), Boythorp, et Ecchington, et totum wapen- “tachum prædictum;” meaning the wapentake or hundred ot Scarsdale.

Having received, from the Reverend Dr. Griffith, Rector of St. Mary Hill, the inclosed account of a curious discovery lately made at Colchester, I take the liberty to trouble you with it; that, if you esteem it at all worthy the attention of the Society, you may communicate it to them. I will only just take the liberty to add, that, in pulling down the old tower of the church at Mold, in North Wales, last year, a great quantity of grain was found buried under its foundations in like manner; and that probably it was deposited in both places, in consequence of some ancient superstitious custom.

Having many leisure hours during my summer's residence in Gloucestershire, I employed some of them in enquiry after what matters of antiquity the country around me afforded. Among other searches, I visited many of the neighbouring parish churches, and was concerned to find in them numbers of ancient monuments quite buried in oblivion, and the intent for which they were first erected entirely frustrated. I frequently reflected that monuments were designed either to shew the gratitude of surviving friends, or to perpetuate the memory of such as had been eminent or serviceable to their country; ends in themselves laudable, and proper excitements to others to tread in the same steps; but in vain, where the tradition of the tomb is lost almost as soon as its owner's name becomes extinct; and no inscription remaining, we behold only a dumb and useless piece of stone or marble. Well indeed might Horace boast, exegi monumentum aere perennius; since it is evident his own immortal writings have already lasted beyond any monument of brass or marble which could have been erected for him.

King William the Conqueror reserved in his own hands, or in those or his farmers, or tenants at will, or for short terms of years, a great part of the lands of England; the same, as it is said, that was in the hands of his predecessor Edward the Confessor, for the support of his royal dignity, and the ordinary expences of government. The rest of the lands of England he granted away to his Norman and French companions in very large quantities, dispossessing, for the most part, the former Englsh possessors of them.

I have read with attention Mr. Maseres's View of the ancient Constitution of the English Parliament; and have received great information from many ingenious remarks there made on a subject, confessedly obscure and intricate.