in the British Museum, a pair of armillæ may be seen, stated to have been discovered in this country. The cord is simple, formed of two threads, tapering considerably towards the extremities: the fastening is contrived by means of a hook and eye. A representation of one of these armlets has been given in Dr. Smith's "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities," (v. Armilla,) and may be seen in the last volume of the Archaeological Journal.[1]
A slender gold armlet, formed in like manner of two wires wreathed together, was found in 1845 at Downham, Norfolk. It was unfortunately condemned to the crucible; but a representation has been preserved in the "Transactions of the Norfolk Archaeological Society," Vol. i., p. 231, with a memoir by the Rev. James Bulwer. In Ireland, where ornaments of gold are found in greater profusion than in this country, armlets of this fashion are of less rarity. Two good examples, from Lord Albert Conyngham's collection, are given in the Archaeologia.[2] They were found near the entrance of the Caves at New Grange. None of these, however, precisely resemble the Wendover armilla, except in general character, as belonging to the class of wreathed, or torc-ornaments.
In the neighbouring county of Herts, an ancient torc-ornament of gold, weight twenty guineas, was found in 1744, in the grounds of Caleb Lomax, Esq., of Park Street, St. Albans. I am not aware whether it is still in existence. For the sake of comparison with the Wendover armilla, a representation is here given, from Gough's edition of Camden's Britannia; although unskilfully portrayed, this may suffice to show that it was an ornament of analogous type, but formed of two wires only.[3] (No. 2.) Gough describes it as a fibula, but the notion of its dimensions, by comparison of its weight, (about 5 oz. 15 dwts.) may fairly lead to the conclusion that it had been an armilla. A second ornament of gold, apparently a kind of torc, was found near the same locality, in 1748; it came into the hands of Gale, and is described as "a wreathed or vermicular ornament, being a solid chain of gold, dug up near Old Verulam."[4] In the same
- ↑ Archaeol. Journal, vol. v., p. 341.
- ↑ Archaeologia, vol. xxx., Plate XII., p. 137.
- ↑ Camd. Brit. Vol. ii., Plate III., p. 72.
- ↑ The discovery, at St. Albans, of the precious ornaments above mentioned, calls to mind the golden "bracelets," presented to the shrine of St. Alban by Henry III. in 1244, as Newcome and other writers state, on the authority of Matthew Paris. The words of the historian are as follows:—"Obtulit unam pallam preciosam, et
