An Attempt by Mr. John Ward, F. R. S. to explain some Remains of Antiquity lately found in Hertfordshire. Communicated by William Freeman, Esq. F.R.S. Feb. 14, 1745. N° 476, p. 349.

By the account, which Mr. Ward delivered with them, these are said to have been found in a chalk pit, near the side of Rooky Wood, in the parish of Barkway in Hertfordshire. A farmer's man, digging chalk there about 2 years since, brought them with the chalk into his master's yard, and taking no notice of them mixed them with the dung. They consist of a small brass image, an oblong piece. of brass, and 7 silver plates, very thin; which have all suffered more or less by time, and other accidents. The figures and ornaments on the front of the plates are all in relief, and seem to have been made by a stamp impressed on the other side. Two of them have inscriptions in a compartment, written with the point of a style, and the letters flatted behind. And one of these, with 3 others of the remaining 5, have the figure of Mars, and the other 2 that of Vulcan, impressed on them.

The image represents Mars, fig. 1, pl. 3, looking to his right side, with a helmet on his head, and his body naked; his right arm extended, as if he had held a spear, and a thong round his left, like the remains of a shield now broken off with the hand; his right shoulder supporting a belt, which crossing his body descends on the left side; his right leg broken off at the knee, and his left foot lost. The height of what remains, from the end of the left leg to the top of the crest, is about 7 inches. It has been observed by Montfaucon, that though Mars is frequently represented on coins, yet his statues are not very common. (Sup. vol. i. p. 93.)

The other piece of brass, fig. 2, pl. 3, is about 4 inches long, and seems to have been the handle of a knife, or some such utensil.

The plates are for distinction sake numbered in the following order. 1. The first is broken into two parts, see fig. 3, which put together resembles the form of a leaf, and is near 21 inches high, and about 10 broad in the widest part. It contains an inscription inclosed in a compartment, addressed to Mars Jovialis.

2. The second, fig. 4, is 8 inches in height, and 4 in breadth, where it is widest; and retains pretty much of the gilding, which none of the rest now do: though all of them it seems, when first discovered, appeared to have been gilt, but in, washing them the gilding came off. It has on it an image of Mars in a military habit, with a helmet on his head, a spear in his right hand, and his left resting on a shield; in the manner he is often seen upon coins. This image is placed in the front of a temple, between two pillars, with a fastigium or pediment over them. And beneath the temple in a compartment is an inscription to Mars Alatorum.

3. In the third plate, see fig. 5, which is 3 inches high, and almost 2 wide, is an image of Mars placed between two pillars without a pediment, in much the same attitude as the former, with a parazonium over his shield.

4. The 4th plate, see fig. 6, which is 4 inches in height, and 1 inch in breadth, has the figure of Mars in a like attitude, inclosed only in a plain compartment.

5. The height of the 5th, see fig. 7, is 8 inches, and the breadth near 44; which has also a figure of Mars, much like the former, but turning to the left hand, with a chlamys hanging down on his right side. It stands in the front of a temple, having two pillars on each side, called by Vitruvius tetrastylos, and a double pediment over them...

6. The 6th plate, see fig. 8, is 6 inches in height, and 34 in breadth. It differs from all the former, as it represents the figure of Vulcan, having his usual attributes, a thick beard, high cap, short tunic, femoralia, and half boots; a forceps in his right hand, and a hammer in his left, with a chlamys thrown over his left arm. He looks to the right, and has before him a vessel like an altar, from which a flame ascends. He is placed in the front of a temple, between two pillars under a pediment, like Mars.

7. The last plate, see fig. 9, is 34 inches high, and near 2 inches wide. It contains also an image of Vulcan in the front of a temple, with his several attributes, like the former, but differs from it in the other ornaments.

The design of both the inscriptions is to return thanks for some favour ascribed to the deity, to whom they are addressed. That on the first plate runs thus:

ᎷᎪᎡᎢᏞ :
LOVIALI

TI CLAVDIVS. PRIMVS

:: ATTI. LIBER

S'. L. Μ
That is,

Marti Joviali Titus Claudius Primus, Attii libertus, votum solvit libens merito. The word IOVIALI, in the second line, seems to have been an epithet given to Mars in compliment to the emperor Diocletian, who assumed the name of Jovius; as his colleague Maximian did that of Herculius. Hence we meet with some military bodies in the Notitia, and elsewhere, called Joviani and Herculiani from those emperors; like the Flaviani, Æliani, and the like, which were so denominated from the names of other preceding princes. There are also other epithets of the same form with that in the inscription, taken either from the names of deities, or emperors deified; such were the sacerdotes Augustales, Flaviales, Hadrianales, and others, which often occur in Gruter. In like manner Cicero gives the title of ministri Martiales to the priests of Mars and calls the

company of merchants at Rome Mercuriales, as being under the protection of Mercury. And Ganymedes is stiled by Macrobius, Jovialium poculorum minister. Now as these several appellations took their rise from the peculiar relation and subserviency of the persons to those deities, from whom they were denominated; so Mars himself, being here called Jovialis, is by an excess of flattery represented as subservient to this emperor Jovius or Jupiter. For so he was also called, as we find in some like instances of fulsome compliments paid to him by the panegyrist Mamertinus; as when addressing to him, and his colleague Maximian, he says, Sancte Jupiter et Hercules bone. And in 'another passage, non opinione traditus, sed conspicuus et præsens, Jupiter cominus invocari, non advena, sed imperator, Hercules adorari. And as if no degree of flattery could be too extravagant for this emperor, there is an inscription in Gruter, which begins thus: ETERNO IMPERATORI NOSTRO MAXIMO OPTIMOQVE PRINCIPI AVRELIO VALERIO DIOCLETIANO. The epithets OPTIMVS MAXIMVŠ, usually ascribed to Jupiter, had indeed been applied to some former emperors; but ÆTERNVS, as a personal title, seems to have been first attributed to this prince; though, like other ill examples, it was soon imitated, and given to some following emperors.

The third line contains the names of this votary, TITVS CLAVDIVS PRIMVS, each of which is separately found in Horsley's Britannia Romana; and in one of Gruter's inscriptions they all three meet in the same person, in the order they stand here. The next line tells us his character, that he was the freedman of ATTIVS, that is, probably, of TITVS CLAVDIVS ATTIVS; it being customary for freedmen to assume the first two names of their patrons, as TIRO the freedman of Cicero was called MARCVS TVLLIVS TIRO. Indeed ATTIVS generally stands as a family name, but we find it in the place of a cognomen in Gruter, MARCVS The last line contains the usual form of such addresses.

TVLLIVS M. L. ATTIVS.

Deo Marti Alatorum Dum. Censorinus, Gemelli filius, votum solvit

libens merito.

The word ALATORY in the first line must probably stand for ALATORVM, the letter v being joined to the R in one character; as we find them in the Britannia Romana, where they make part of the word INSTITVERINT for INSTITVervnt.

Now as to the design and use of these plates. The ancient pagans had not only their national but domestic deities, to whom they addressed in private, and

sometimes carried their images about with them, as their guardians and protec tors. And it appears to have been a custom among them to place their images in shrines, made in the form of temples, both for public and private devotion. The tabernacle of Moloch, mentioned in the Acts of the apostles, is generally taken to have been of the former sort. And Herodotus informs us, that the Egyptians, on a solemn day, carried in procession the image of a goddess, said to be the mother of Mars, in a wooden temple gilded over, which was drawn in a chariot. Such shrines are mentioned likewise by later writers. And others of a less size seem to have been made in imitation of them for private use. The silver shrines of Diana, mentioned also in the sacred history cited already, are by most interpreters said to be of this kind. And Mr. Kemp had in his collection of antiquities one made of brass, only 5 inches high, with a goddess, supposed to be Isis, sitting in it; as it is described in the printed catalogue. Another of the same deity, but of a different form, and somewhat less, is now in the possession of James West, Esq. a worthy member of this Society. And sometimes they were placed in the monuments of deceased persons; an instance of which we find mentioned in an inscription published by Reinesius, which is there said to have been made of marble. The persons employed in making those sacred images were called by the Greeks ayanμarol, and by the Romans sigillarii, as we find in the ancient glossaries. And one of these artists is mentioned in two inscriptions of the Britannia Romana, where he is stiled SIGILLARIVS COLLEGII LIGNIFERORVM, who are more usually called by the Greek name DENDROPHORI ; part of whose business might be to carry, or attend, the shrines in their proces sions at public festivals.

Whether these plates ever belonged to shrines, cannot be determined; but probably they did not; except perhaps the first, which from its size, and having no image stamped on it, but only a written inscription in honour of Mars, might possibly have been laid over part of a wooden shrine, within which the brass image was placed, that was found with it. As for the rest, they were probably designed as partial representations of shrines for the use of private persons; having only the front of them with the image of the deity placed in it; which, being fixed on wooden tablets, might either be set up in their houses, or carried about with them, in devotion to those tutelar deities. And when any fortunate event happened, which they attributed to the success of their addresses made to them, they might sometimes express their acknowledgment of it by hanging them up in their temples, among other donations, making them a sort of votive tables. That they were intended for some such uses seems the more probable, from the number of them found together. They have a similitude with the-reverse of many Roman coins, where the images of their deities are repre

VOL. IX.

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sented in the same manner; from an imitation of which they might perhaps be introduced at first, as well for cheapness, as ready convenience, in some of the more remote provinces. And it is very remarkable, that no two impressions on these plates are in all respects exactly alike; as we do not often meet with two Roman coins struck from the same die.

As to the time when the plates were made, the inscription on the first fixes it to the reign of Diocletian; and as not only the characters of the other inscription exactly correspond with that, but also the manner of the work on each plate is the same; it is highly probable they were all made about the same time, which was near the end of the third century. And to this likewise the form of the letters, particularly a and м, very well agrees. Nor.ought it to seem strange, if more of them have not been preserved; since from their nature they appear so liable to be destroyed, either by the injuries of time, or for the sake of the silver.

M,

Concerning the Poles of Magnets being Variously placed. By Gowim Knight, M.B. No 476, p. 361.

1. Mr. K. cut a piece of natural loadstone into the shape of a parallelopiped, 1 inch in length, in breadth of an inch, and in thickness: its weight was 3 drams 10 grains. In this stone he placed the magnetical virtue in such a manner, that both the two opposite ends became south poles; and the middle was, quite round, a north pole.

2. Another stone was in length 1 inch, in breadth, and in thickness about at a medium, it being thicker at one end than at the other its weight 1 dram 57 grains. The 2 opposite ends of this stone he made both north poles, and the 2 opposite sides south poles.

3. An irregular stone, that weighed about 5 oz., had 2 broad flat surfaces opposite to each other, at the distance of 1 inch and. He made half of each of these surfaces a north pole, and the other half a south pole; so that the north pole of one surface was opposite to the south pole of the other surface, and vice versa.

4. He took a stone of a pretty good kind, that had a grain very apparent, running the length ways of it: it was 1 inch in length, 1 inch in breadth, and its thickness at the sides was of an inch; but in the middle; it being tapered away from the middle to the sides: its weight was 3 ounces wanting 4 grains. At one end of it he placed a north pole surrounded by a south; and at the other end a south surrounded by a north pole; so that the edges of each surface had a pole of a different denomination from that which occupied the

middle.

A great many varieties of this kind might be easily devised; but these ex