Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 7.djvu/142

lOU NOTICES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS. instructive character exhibited. It is most desirable that on such occasions, when the antiquarian wealth of Great Britain is tested, and mostly with such signal advantage, careful notices and delineations should be preserved. But the hint is needless in the present instance, and the skilful hand of Mr. Pidgeon has contributed greatly to the value of the volume by many very pleasing illustrations, from subjects thus brought under review. We might notice, if our limits permitted, many subjects of general, as well as local, interest, brought before the Society during their first session. The Primeval and the Koman periods have their share of attention. Mr. Just, whose valuable aid was rendered with so much kindness, in furthering the object of the Institute, in prepariug the Map of British and Roman Yorkshire, undertaken by Mr. Newton, has contributed an able sketch of the Pioman roads in Lancashire, and of the Tenth Iter of Anto- ninus. We might well anticipate that the vexata qimstio of the ancient municipal seal of Liverpool would be brought in limine before the incor- porated antiquaries of that city. Mr. Pidgeon has treated this curious subject anew, and now first has supplied a representation of the original, — the seal now used being merely a blundered copy of comparatively late date. An impression, however, of the ancient matrix has been brought to light. He has skilfully elucidated the legend, and corrected the erroneous readings previously suggested in various publications. One part of the enigma, however, although accurately read, has not, as it appears to us, been correctly interpreted. The bird, the species of which had so sadly perplexed previous writers, is undeniably an eagle, but not of Jove, as some had thought, from a conjectural explanation of the accompanying hieroglyphics. They are certainly the letters I O H ' I S, but, as we think, without any allusion to King John, as our author inclines to conclude. Very probably the seal is of his times ; but it is to the Evangelist, whose symbol they accompany, that this inscribed scroll refers, in accordance with a practice, not without precedent on seals, but most frequent on sepulchral brasses. No example on the other hand, as we believe, can be adduced, analogous to the supposed insertion of the name of a sovereign, on the seal of a town chartered in his reign. The memoranda relating to Lancaster Castle are interesting, and here again, we are indebted to Mr. Pidgeon's facile pencil for the reproduction of two curious views of that structure, previously to the changes in 1T80. It is a relic of military architecture which had not been examined or described as it deserves. The contributions to Family History by Mr. Brooke, and other writers, deserve attention, especially tlie memorials of the Handle Holmes and the Cheshire antiquaries of his period. We heartily hope that the publication of his curious collections, now preserved in the British Museum, and especially the completion of the " Storehouse of Armory," may be achieved through the agency of this promising Society. Before we take leave of a volume which has afforded us so much pleasure, we may be permitted to advert to a singular omission in the memoir on the " Lancaster liunes," (p. 121). It comprises the remarks of previous writers on the inscribed cross there found, closing with the la^t (as stated) — the interpretation given by Mr. Kemble, in 1841. Any reader conversant with the Journal of the Institute will not fail to