upon the approach of the enemy. Mr. Wentworth detailed some curious traditions connected with this building and Lady Bolles, who died in 1662. The paper will be printed.

Mr. Cecil Brent produced a curious and extensive assemblage of articles obtained from the site of the Old Steel-yard, consisting of bone pins, styli, spatulæ, and other Roman antiquities in bronze, together with some curious iron keys. The bronze objects were of a brilliant golden hue, derived from the damp soil in which they had been buried for probably not less than eighteen centuries.

Several letters were read relating to the Congress at Ipswich to be held in August next, under the patronage of the Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk and the Bishop of the diocese. Among the Vice-presidents on this occasion are the Marquis of Bristol, the Earl Jermyn, Lord Alfred Hervey, M.P., the Rev. Lord Arthur Hervey, Lord Rendlesham, Admiral Sir G. N. Broke Middleton, Bart., the High Sheriff of Suffolk, C. Austin, Esq., High Steward of the Borough, H. E. Adair, Esq., M.P., J. C. Cobbold, Esq., M.P., Windsor Parker, Esq., M.P., J. T. Miller, Esq., M.P., J. S. Western, Esq., M.P., J. A. Hardcastle, Esq., M.P., the Mayors of Ipswich, Bury St. Edmunds, Beccles, and Colchester, &c., &c. George Tomline, Esq., M.P., presides on the occasion. Mr. Phipson and Mr. Haddock hon. Local Secretaries.

March 9. JAMES COPLAND, Esq., M.D., F.R.S., V.-P., in the chair. After the receipt of various presents to the Library from the Royal Society, the Archæological Institute, the Kilkenny Archæological Society, &c., Mr. W. Powell exhibited a pint vessel of the shape of the old Bellarmine, but without ornament, and of the sixteenth century, found at Deptford. Mr. Cuming has a galonier of the same contour. These vessels were frequently called Dutchmen, their place of manufacture being the Low Countries.

Mr. John Taylor exhibited a Danish brooch of the tenth century, found in Quart Pot-lane, Northampton. It is of a circular form, and of brass.

Mr. Cecil Brent exhibited a circular brooch of lead, having the peculiar character of decoration on both sides in low relief, but of different designs.

Mr. Irvine and M. Syer Cuming exhibited claw hammers of iron of the Elizabethan period, annulated in a very ornamental manner, and inscribed with names. They are presumed to have been in the service of the tapestry hangers, or upholders, who from the time of Henry VII. formed part of the royal household. The duty was performed by six yeomen of the guard, who were denominated yeomen hangers.

Mr. Irvine also exhibited a pocket solarium or ring dial of brass, found at Chilfrome, Dorset. These instruments were called "journey rings," and King Charles I. had a large one of silver. They were continued in use down to the middle of the reign of George III., and the latest manufacturers were Messrs. Procter, of Milk-street, Sheffield.

Mr. Blashill exhibited a pair of brass pendants, composed of links and drops, like to the ear-rings and trinkets of the Egyptian ladies. They are of very elegant form, and were found in the Thames.

Mr. Gunston exhibited three curious badges found in London. The earliest is of the thirteenth century, and was found in Moorfields. It is of copper, and heater-shaped, charged with three lions passant.

is supposed to have been attached to a bugle, possibly of the royal huntsman. The second specimen was obtained from the Thames, and was of latten, bearing the arms of France and England. It belongs to the fifteenth century. The third example is a medallion badge of copper, thinly plated with gold, found in Shoreditch. It represents a gentleman drawing an arrow at a stag, and is of the reign of George II. It probably belonged to some member of a toxophilite society.

Mr. Cuming read a very interesting paper "On Archers' Badges," illustrated by reference to old English writers on archery, and by specimens derived from his own collection of arrows, targets, bugles, ornamented buttons, &c. The paper will be printed.

The evening concluded by the reading of a paper by Mr. Planché, of considerable interest. It related to an effigy seen by the Association at the late Congress upon occasion of their visit to Ripon Cathedral. It is that of a knight in complete steel armour, exhibiting the military equipment of the early part of the fifteenth century. The sacred monogram, I.H.S., is sculptured on the front of the bascinet, like to that of Lord Bardolf and others. The head of the knight reposes on a tilting helmet, surmounted by a crest which has unfortunately suffered injury. Mr. Planché availing himself of the MS. collections of Brooke, Somerset Herald, has traced the family of Markenfield, and seems disposed to regard the figure as that of Sir John son of Sir Thomas de Markenfield, who flourished in the reign of Henry V., to which period the details of the costume in which the effigy is represented decidedly point. It has a collar of a unique character, giving the representation of a stag, identical with the seal of the Baileys of Derby. The stag was, however, a badge of Henry Earl of Lancaster, Hereford, and Derby, afterwards Henry IV., into many particulars regarding which Mr. Planché entered at length, and they will appear in the paper, which is to be printed

in extenso.

ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS.

Feb. 15. Mr. OWEN JONES, V.-P., in the chair.

The Hon. Sec., Mr. C. F. Hayward, announced the result of the Voluntary Architectural Examination for 1864. In the class of Proficiency seven candidates had passed the examination.

He then read a memoir of the late Mr. Joseph Gwilt, by his son, Mr. Sebastian Gwilt, and afterwards a paper “On Architectural Competitions," by Mr. Seddon, which elicited a short but animated discussion. Mr. Seddon ridiculed the present style of church architecture in this country, remarking that one church in the provinces had been denominated the " holy Zebra," in consequence of its particoloured aspect. Mr. Owen Jones spoke of the confused styles of architecture in the present day, and hoped that the anomalies now existing would conduce to an improved and more uniform style. It was a question whether they ought not to take civilization with its wants, and let architecture be the expression of it; they wanted unity of idea and simplicity of purpose. Mr. C. Fowler protested against Mr. Seddon's wholesale condemnation of the works of continental architects, which were in some respects good in themselves, and very suggestive in study. In their private buildings the entrance halls and

passages were designed with great originality, and generally with a great deal of variety. The Parisians were much before the English in their designs and in the placing of their public monuments. Professor Kerr made some remarks on the great amount of ornamentation at All Saints' Church, Margaret-street. Mr. Ferrey advocated going back to the study of ancient models. In a recent visit through Normandy he was struck with the absence of medieval architecture in the new buildings for secular purposes; they were carried out in the Renaissance style. Mr. O. Jones thought the reason why the French had not so much practised Gothic architecture resulted from their academic system. There was a school of architecture in France easily recognised, the French translation of Italian, having a great deal of unity. Mr. Edward Hall said it was a fact that five or six Gothic churches had just been completed, or were near completion, in Paris. The Gothic style prevailing in France was inferior to that of England in its logical or exact structural features. The more recently erected churches in Paris were in the Italian or Romanesque style. There was a revival of the Louis Quinze style, but the most prominent architecture was the Græco-Italian. He thought the whole of the architecture of Paris deserved more study than English architects generally gave to it.

Feb. 29. Mr. THOS. L. DONALDSON, President, in the chair.

A magnificent donation of rare and valuable works from the library of the late Mr. J. B. Bunning, Fellow, was announced, having been presented by Mrs. Bunning as a memorial of the great interest which her late husband always evinced in the welfare of the Institute. The books thus presented were stated to be of the intrinsic value of upwards of £100. A special recognition of this valuable present was directed to be forwarded to Mrs. Bunning, under the seal of the Institute.

Mr. G. Aitchison, Fellow, read a paper "On Iron as a Building Material," in which the whole question of the adaptability of iron to architectural purposes was treated in a highly interesting and practical manner. Mr. Aitchison advocated the use of iron for many portions of modern structures, for which the more costly materials of brick or stone were now generally employed, particularly in confined localities in London, and other large cities, where space was valuable and light was a desideratum. The practical difficulties in obtaining satisfactory results in the ornamentation of iron (both cast and wrought) for architectural purposes were pointed out, and the attention of the profession was directed to the consideration of means whereby those difficulties could be lessened or entirely overcome, with a view to the more extended introduction of that material in buildings. The paper was illustrated by a large number of beautifully executed drawings and diagrams, which elicited the commendations of the meeting for their valuable practical character. The discussion on the subject, it was announced, would take place on a future evening.

March 14. Mr. THOMAS L. DONALDSON, President, in the chair. A letter was read from Sir C. B. Phipps conveying Her Majesty's approval of the award of the Royal Gold Medal to Monsieur Viollet-leDuc, of Paris, Honorary and Corresponding Member.

The President announced that the subscriptions collected by a com

mittee of friends of the late Mr. Pugin, amounting to nearly £1,000, for a testimonial to perpetuate the memory of that gentleman, had been transferred in trust to the Council of this Institute, and had been invested in 5 per cent. perpetual preference stock of the London and North-Western Railway Company, and the thanks of the Institute were accorded to Mr. Joseph Clarke and the other members of the Committee for the way in which they had carried out the duties undertaken by them.

Mr. Frederick Marrable brought before the meeting the extraordinary conditions under which the directors of the East London Bank Company had invited designs for bank premises to be erected in Cornhill. A premium of £100 was offered for the best design, to be determined by the board of directors themselves; the designs and plans sent in to be considered the property of the directors, to be used by them as they thought proper, the board not binding themselves to adopt the plans to which the premium was awarded, or to employ the architect whose designs were selected; but in the event of his being employed to carry out the building the premium was not to be paid to him. Mr. Marrable remarked that this was a cheap way of getting designs, but he trusted for the honour of the profession that no member of this Institute would respond to such an invitation. He hoped for the sake of the directors they had taken this step in ignorance.

A short memoir of the late Leo von Klenz, by Mr. C. C. Nelson, Hon. Sec. For. Corr., was then read by Mr. J. P. Seddon, Hon. Sec.

After which a paper was read by Mr. A. J. B. Beresford Hope, F.S.A., Honorary Fellow, on the "Sky Line in Modern Domestic Buildings," for which the thanks of the members was voted.

NUMISMATIC SOCIETY.

Feb. 18. W. S. W. VAUX, Esq., President, in the chair. Stanley C. Bagg, Esq., and A. Crump, Esq., were elected members. Mr. Evans exhibited casts of a gold coin of Cunobeline, type, Evans's "British Coins," pl. ix. 5, but with a pellet below the horse, found at Glemsford, near Melford, Suffolk, and in the possession of Richard Almack, Esq., of the latter place; also of a gold coin of Cunobeline, found near Faversham, similar to that found near Baldock, and described in Evans's "British Coins," p. 302. It is in the possession of Mr. Gibb, of Faversham.

Mr. Freudenthal exhibited a cent piece struck by Rajah Sir James Brooke, for the use of Sarawak. On the obverse is the Rajah's head in profile to the left, beardless, but with whiskers; around is the inscription, J. BROOKE, RAJAH. Reverse, ONE CENT, in the centre of an olive-wreath; above, SARAWAK; below, 1863. The edge is plain.

Mr. Madden read a paper, communicated by the Rev. Churchill Babington, B.D., " On an Inedited Tetradrachm of Alexander III., struck at Rhodes, with some observations on the import of the Rhodian Symbol, and other matters connected with Rhodes." The coin in question belongs to Class VI. of Müller in his Numismatique d' Alexandre le Grand. It is of the usual type, with the legend AAEZANAPOY, with the letters PO beneath the throne of the Jupiter, and in the field the Rhodian symbol and the monogram of the name AINHTOP. The weight is 264 grains, and was probably rather more originally, the

coins of Alexander struck at Rhodes appearing to be generally of full weight. The principal interest attaching to the coin lies in the fact that the monogram upon it admits of a sure interpretation, as on another coin the magistrate's name, AINHTOP, is written at full length. In the same manner the magistrate's name, ETAƐION, is expressed both in full and in monogram on Rhodian coins. The Rhodian symbol, a sort of flower, has been regarded by some numismatists as the flower of the pomegranate (balaustium), and by others as the rose. Spanheim endeavoured to prove it to be the former, which was used by the Rhodians in dyeing wool. Eckhel left it to botanists to determine whether it was not after all a rose, in some instances at least; though in others it was not unlike a tulip, in which case he thought it might be the balaustium, so that probably both flowers were represented on the coins. The late Professor Henslow had, however, in conversation with Mr. Babington called his attention to the toothed calyx of the flower, which at once proves to a botanist that a rose is intended. The paper concluded with a notice of a gold stater of Philip II., struck at Rhodes, and bearing the magistrate's name, MNAƐIMAXOƐ, which af fords probably the earliest instance of a regal coin with the name of a magistrate also upon it.

Mr. Evans read a farther communication from Signor F. Calori Cesis on the subject of a coin of Offa, King of Mercia, with the legend s. PETRVS on the reverse, which had been described to the Society in May last.

CHESTER ARCHITECTURAL, ARCHEOLOGICAL, AND HISTORIC SOCIETY.

Ar the meetings of this Society on Jan. 18 and Feb. 8, papers were read by Mr. Robert Morris, " On Baptismal Observances," and by the Rev. Canon Blomfield, "On the Black Death of the Fourteenth Century." Both subjects were well treated, but they do not demand any lengthened report. Canon Blomfield touched lightly on the ravages of the pestilence in other countries, as described by Boccaccio and others, but went into considerable detail as regarded England. He maintained that the independence of the working classes dated from it, the millions of people who then perished rendering necessary a relaxation of the laws which up to that time bound the labourer, serf-like, to the soil, but he was now set at liberty to go wherever he could get the best wages for his labour. Making a practical application of this fact, he said they had in it no bad argument against the theory of the subdivision of land among a multitude of small owners, a system of peasant proprietorship, which seemed to the minds of some persons the best, if not the only remedy for the hardships and depressed state of the labouring classes. The dissolution of the ancient bonds of feudal serfdom tended on the Continent generally, as it was now doing in Russia, to the system of small ownerships, peasants having patches of land granted to them out of the extensive commons and wastes, which were, if not created, yet greatly increased by the depopulation of the country by the great pestilence. On those few acres they lived by personal labour in cultivation, deriving an independent, but very scanty and miserable subsistence, not so good as that of their former service under the old lords of the soil-not so good even as that of the labourer who had no land,