Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 9.djvu/147

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THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE.
97

in too fragmentary a state to justify any positive conclusion, the ware presented no resemblance to that of British or Roman manufacture. Mr. Ffoulkes considered it similar to certain specimens noticed by him in North Wales. The further researches proposed by Mr. Warre, will, it may be hoped, adduce sufficient evidence to demonstrate the period to which the curious vestiges found on Worlbury should be truly assigned.

By Mr. A. W. Franks.—Some iron weapons found near St. Omer, in an ancient burial place in marshy ground, where numerous interments have been discovered, with relics of the "Iron Period." Those exhibited by Mr. Franks comprised a short massive axe, a spear-head, a short single-edged sword and a single-edged knife, usually found placed about the middle of the sword-blade, as if it had been worn adjusted to one side of its scabbard.[1] The axe is precisely similar to the Francisca found in a tend) attributed to Childeric, at Tournai. (Chifflet, p. 210.) Mr. Franks produced also a drawing of an inedited Roman oculist's stamp, in the collection of Mons. Lagrange at St. Omer, possessor of a curious museum of objects found on the site of the ancient Therouenne, Taruenna of the Romans, destroyed by Charles V. Amongst these Mr. Franks had noticed this stamp.

By Mr. W. H. Brackstone.—A third of the very singular objects of siliceous stone, found near the Bay of Honduras, two of which bad been exhibited at the previous meeting. (Journal, vol. viii. p. 422.) This specimen is unfortunately broken at one extremity. A fourth, presenting no marked variety of form, is preserved in the British Museum. These extraordinary relics were found by Capt. William Stott, in a cavern distant from the shore about two to three miles inland. Representations of those in Mr. Brackstone's museum are here given. (See woodcuts.)

By Mr. E. J. Willson.—A drawing of a singular inscription, formerly placed immediately above the lower western window in the tower of Stixwold church, Lincolnshire, a good example of the perpendicular period. This incised tablet, being a sort of rebus, was removed to Lincoln some years since, in consequence of alterations at the church. Commencing with the central e, and taking it up in combination with the letters all around, as occasion requires, the inscription may be thus read:—est veva lex dei. One letter, however, at top, remains unaccounted for.

Diam. of orig. 11½ in.

Sir F. Madden has kindly pointed out this ancient riddle in a curious collection of quaint enigmas, in a MS. of the thirteenth century, Cott. MS. Cleop. B. 9, fol. 9, vᵒ. It is there given in like form as on the Stixwold tablet, with the exception that the central e contains the letter s and t

  1. Interments of the same period, with iron weapons of similar forms, especially the axe and single-edged sword, have been found in other parts of the north of France, near Dieppe, and at Bénouville, near Caen. De Caumont, Cours d'Antiq., part vi., pp. 269, 276.