9*hs.v.FEB.24,i90o.] NOTES AND QUERIES.
159
In a limestone quarry at Langrove, in 1827, were
found fragments of three very ancient leaf-shaped
British bronze swords, portions of a bronze spear-
head, and a piece of wrought iron in the shape of a
Y, greatly corroded by rust. In the Bacon Hole
marks of human residence were discovered ; though
none were found " below the upper stalagmite, in
the mud above it were some pieces of British
pottery." In Minchen Hole, meanwhile, so recently
as 1896, a bone pin, a piece of a Roman mortuarium,
a small bit of Samian ware, and other articles were
discovered. The difficulty of conveying to the
reader an idea of the treasures that have been
unearthed is augmented by the fact that these are
arranged under localities, and not under separate
heads. In very many cases, moreover, conjecture
itself is at fault in endeavouring t supply an
account of some of the antiquities with which the
district abounds. Of the earthworks known as
" Penlle'r Bebyll," the chief place of the tabernacles,
or habitations, Col. Morgan, who describes its
appearance, can only say, " What it has been none
can tell"; and of the adjacent Penlle'r Castell (-sic)
he adds, " Absolutely nothing is known about the
Castle, when or by whom it was erected, or what
it was called." As its date is that of the Norman
Conquest, this absence of information is perplexing.
Col. Morgan's conjecture is that Henry or Harry
Beaumont, the supposed builder of trie original
castle of Swansea, took possession of the western
portion only of Gower, and that the eastern portion
was held by the Welsh, whose stronghold and
castle, this remained. Among pleasing features in
a volume which makes direct appeal to antiquaries
are the illustrations and plans of S t. Mary's Church,
Swansea ; of the castles at Swansea and Oyster-
mouth ; of cromlechs, sculptured stones, and other
objects of interest. These include maps of mega-
lithic and ecclesiastical remains, and military
antiquities. Most important among the supple-
ments is Col. Morgan's attempt to settle the much-
disputed question as to the origin of the name of
Swansea. As readers of our pages are aware, he is
convinced that the Sein Henyd of the Welsh his-
torians corresponds to Swansea, and he now
suggests that the two names are identical. The
subject has both interest and importance. We
have no such information or knowledge, however,
as justifies us in pronouncing an opinion upon
it. An essay on ' The Ethnography of Gower '
constitutes an important feature in a book with
strong claims on attention.
Acts of the Privy Council of England. New Series. Vol. XIX. A.D. 1590. Edited by John Roche Dasent, C.B. (Eyre & Spottiswoode.) COMPARED with the years by which it had been preceded, 1590 was, as regards English politics and social development, dull and uneventful. This state of affairs is reflected in the Acts of the Privy Council, the register of which, from 25 March to 30 September, has few entries of much interest to modern readers. The death, in his ninetieth year, of Sir Francis Walsingham, Knight, " Principall Secretaire to her Maiestie, and Chauncellour of the Duohie of Lancaster, is chronicled as having taken place on 13 April "about xj of the clock in the night." Allusion is also made to the death of Sir James Croft, Comptroller of the Household. The fall of Sir John Perrot (or Perrott, as the name is here spelt) is passed over practically in silence. His -death will presumably be dealt with in a subsequent
volume. Many of the entries deal with the punish-
ment of recusants. Milder treatment is afforded
to Catholic prisoners, foreign priests being only
banished the realm, and " Seminarie" priests of Eng-
lish birth being bound over to good behaviour. We
have no reference to stage plays or to Court enter-
tainments. Mr. Dasent s editorial duties are, as
usual, admirably discharged ; but the volume in all
other respects is inferior to its predecessor. Those
who read it carefully will find not a few x>oints
raised which have a bearing upon our present
position, such especially as the carriage of muni-
tions of war to the Spaniards, her Majesty being
certainly " aduertized that under the pretence of
merchandize there were amongst them [masters and
mariners belonging to the Low Countries] that did
convey munytion and provicion of warrinto Spaine,
as there were divers Ivkewyse that cullored the
goods of Spanyards in their intercourse of tratick."
Such, however, were the subject of special atten-
tion by Sir John Hawkins and Sir Martin Fro-
busher (sic), Knights.
The Antonine Wall Report. (Glasgow Archaeological
Society.)
A LONG delay for which no explanation is vouch- safed, but for which we have no idea of calling the authorities to account has preceded the publica- tion of this report of the proceedings for the exploration of the Antonine Wall undertaken during the years 1890-93 by a representative com- mittee of the Glasgow Archaeological Society. This Vallum of Antonine, known by various names, of which the most popular are Graham's Dyke and, generically, the Roman Wall, crosses Scotland at its narrowest part, from Dunglass Castle on the Clyde to Caer Ridden Kirk, near the Firth of Forth, or, according to its latest describers, from Old Kil- patrick on the Clyde to Bridgeness, near Carriden, a distance of about thirty-six and a half standard miles. After having in the person of his lieutenant Quintus Lollius Urbicus conquered the Britons and driven away the barbarians, the Emperor Antoninus Pius erected a murus cexpiticius, for the purpose of preserving his conquests from the ravages of Northern tribes. Students of Scottish history are well aware of the discussions to which this con- struction has given rise. Among classical references the account of Julius Capitolinus stands foremost in value and interest. What is said by native writers Bede, Gildas, Nennius, and the rest adds nothing to our knowledge. Thanks, however, to the inscriptions still preserved, and priceless in value, we have some few certainties on which to rest. The attention of the Society was first called to the subject when a cutting for the Carron Com- pany's branch railway, passing under Croy Hill, laid bare a section of the Roman military way. Interest was at once stirred, private assistance was forthcoming, and, thanks to the encourage- ment afforded, a series of investigations was carried out under the competent direction of a committee of Scottish antiquaries. Among the members of this was Mr. George Neilson, whose services to archaeology are well Known to our readers. To him has been entrusted the task of co-ordinating the results obtained, and the work, so far as the literary portion is concerned, is his. It is obviously im- possible to give our readers any insight into the results obtained. For these we must refer them to the work itself. The plough has in the course of centuries obliterated many of the traces of human.