what I could from their discourse, as we sat surveying the corn growing upon the spot. It contains about fifty acres within the walls, exactly such a figure as Silchester, standing north-east and south-west, as Vitruvius directs. I saw the wall to the foundation; they are pulling it up with much labour to mend their highways, though materials might be had at easier charge as near, for which I heartily anathematised them. Vast quantities of Roman coins of all sorts I found there, and one Saxon, of King Edward; as also many Roman pavements within the wall: a woman at an alehouse there, has a whole room paved with them; but the most charming sight that can be imagined, is the perfect vestigia of a Temple, as easily discernible in the corn as upon paper. The cell or naos was five yards broad within, and thirteen long. The people say, let the year come as it will, this place is ever visible, and that it has been so ever since the memory of man, and fancy the fairies' dancing there causes the appearance. I leave it to your discerning penetration to find out the name of this city; they call it now Burroughfield, and the money found Burrough-money. Just by this city are Ickleton and Streethall: the great road runs between them by the walls of the city."[1]
The land, where the site of the Temple was traced by Stukeley, being this winter in such a state that excavation would occasion no injury, Mr. Neville, with the permission of Mr. Owen Edwards, to whom the field belongs, commenced operations immediately after he had finished at Ickleton. Stukeley's measurements were compared, and foundations were found very nearly on the spot which he described; on being uncovered, they proved to be the remains of a structure bearing no resemblance to a Temple, but simply a Roman dwelling-house. The excavation was commenced on Oct. 10, 1848, and quickly showed the Roman character of the remains: innumerable fragments of various kinds of Anglo- Roman pottery were discovered, including two small vases of the peculiar embossed ware, supposed to have been fabricated in the potteries of Castor, according to the valuable researches of the late Mr. Artis.[2] (See Woodcuts). Also, a specimen of "Samian," ornamented with the ivy-leaf pattern in high relief,
- ↑ Reliquiæ Galeanæ, Bibl. Topogr. Brit. vol. iii. part 2, p. 113. In Plate IV., Fig. 4, an outline plan is given, corresponding in general form with the ground-plan developed by Mr. Neville's excavations.
- ↑ The Durobrivæ of Antoninus Identified and Illustrated, &c. London, 1828. Compare Plates XXVIII. and XXX.
