planation is not the true one. Moreover, goldsmiths were not distinct from silversmiths, as Dr. Cox's suggestion would seem to imply.

The Corporation of Northampton has set a good example to other towns in the publication of these two important volumes, which, in spite of the blemishes in the first volume, form a very valuable contribution to the study of English municipal life and government in the past. We ought to add that there are several facsimiles and illustrations, as well as a topographical plan or map of old Northampton based on Speed's plan of 1610. Each volume is supplied with a full index, and the printing and general get-up of the two volumes leave nothing to be desired.

ABSTRACTS OF THE PROTOCOLS OF THE TOWN CLERKS OF GLASGOW. Edited by Robert Renwick. Vol. IV. Cloth, 4to., pp. viii, 158. Glasgow: Carson and Nicol.

We have noticed this work favourably on previous occasions, and we need say but little more regarding it on the present occasion. It is of a very different character to that of the Records of Northampton, as it only deals with the transfer of lands and houses in Glasgow; but it affords a great deal of very valuable information as to the topography of the city in the middle of the sixteenth century. It contains the "protocols" of William Hegait, the town clerk, from 1568 to 1576, and in an appendix those of one Michael Fleming from 1530 to 1567. Thus the whole of the middle of this century is covered. Mr. Renwick has made what is evidently a very careful abstract of each document, quoting the essential portions verbatim, but avoiding the printing of merely useless legal verbiage with which all such documents abound. It would be difficult to exaggerate the topographical value and interest of such "protocols" as those printed in this book. Besides the "protocols" there are a few other documents contained in the volume, including an " Instrument of Sasine," dated November 5, 1539, in which some interesting directions relating to religious services are contained. One of these directs the "maister of the sang scuyll of the metropolitane Kyrk of Glasgow to arrange for the singing each night of "ane gloriosa" at "our Lady altar in the nethir kyrk, and the said maister to uphald and fynd ane pryckat of wax nychtlie byrneand induryng the tyme of the synging of the sammyng, in the middis of the sammyng altar, fra the begynning to the endyng." With regard to other services there is an interesting direction: "Item I wyll Sanct Mungo bell be tursyt [, carried] ryngand throwch the towne, the nyght befoir, and the morne the tyme of the messis, be the belman and he to haif thairfor fowir penneis." The reference to St. Mungo's handbell is noteworthy. Are there other allusions to it elsewhere?

The whole book is full of items of more than mere local interest, but as regards Glasgow itself its interest and importance can hardly be estimated too highly. Mr. Renwick has added a very useful glossary, and there are separate and complete indexes of names and of places. The publication

of these "protocols" of the town clerks of Glasgow was a happy thought, and it is being admirably carried out by Mr. Renwick, to whom the grateful obligations of Scotch and other antiquaries and topographers are due.

AUBREY'S BRIEF LIVES. Two vols. Edited by Andrew Clark, M.A., LL.D. Clarendon Press. English scholars and literary students in general will welcome these two volumes. Dr. Clark has done his work admirably, and given a clearly-written introduction. John Aubrey, to whom Wood in his Athena Oxonienses was so immensely indebted, has never before been properly edited. His MSS. at the Bodleian yield about 400 short biographies, chiefly of his contemporaries, between the years 1669 and 1696; they are chiefly lives of authors, and next of mathematicians, but accounts of statesmen, soldiers, men of fashion, and personal friends are also introduced. With but few exceptions, the manuscripts are closely followed. They are very outspoken. Aubrey, writing to Wood in 1686, says of them: These arcana are not fitt to lett flie abroad, till about 30 years hence; for the author and the persons (like medlars) ought first to be rotten." A great variety of quaint bits of lore occur in the midst of these realities and fragmentary biographical notes. For instance, the following occurs under the account of Sir John Popham (1531-1607): "Memorandum.-At the hall in Wellington in the countie of Somersett (the ancient seate of the Pophams, and which was this Sir John's, Lord Chiefe Justice-but quaere if he did not buy it?) did hang iron shackells, of which the tradition of the countrey is that, long agoe, one of the Pophams (lord of this place) was taken and kept a slave by the Turkes for a good while, and that by his ladie's great pietie and continual prayers, he was brought to this place by an invisible power, with these shackells on his legges, which were hung up as a memoriall, and continued till the house (being a garrison) was burn't. All the countrey people steadfastly beleeve the trueth hereof."

A variety of Notes of Antiquities" are collected together from the different Aubrey MSS. at the end of the second volume. One result of the Civil War, says Aubrey, was that the tabor and pipe, which were used when he was a boy on Sundays and holidays, and at christenings and feasts, gave way to the noisier and more martial music of the trumpet and drum. The paper mill at Bemerton, Wilts, was the second in England; it had been standing 112 years, when Aubrey wrote of it in 1681. Jessamines came into England with Mary the queen-mother," that is Henrietta Maria, consort of Charles I., who landed on our shores in 1624. Laurel was introduced by Alathea, daughter of the seventh Earl of Shrewsbury; she married, in 1606, Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel.

shire and Somersetshire. Domestic architecture is well to the fore, though so often neglected by local antiquaries. Old Parr's cottage, at Glyn, in the parish of Alberbury, is described under the year 1814, and the farmhouse at Stanton in 1808. The ancient renovated mansion at Berwick-Maviston, long since destroyed; Boscobel House, of architectural as well as historic interest; the old birthplaces of Wycherley at Clive, and of Shenstone at Halesowen; and the mansion at Longner, pulled down in 1830, are amongst the more important ancient Salop dwelling-places herein noted. Under Somersetshire, there are interesting references to the mediæval houses near Clevedon, to the Manorhouse of Ashington, to the Duke of Monmouth's cottage at Grenton, to Hardington House in 1802, to the Manor-houses of Hinton, Kingston Seymour, South Petherton, and Tickenham, and to the old house at Ilchester, temp. Henry VI., which was destroyed by fire in 1846. Almshouses, monuments, remarkable trees, popular usages, churchwarden accounts, and chained books are amongst the numerous interesting items chronicled in these pages. This volume, like its predecessor, is of much value to others besides those who take special interest in Shropshire or Somersetshire.

ST. BOTOLPH, ALDGATE: THE STORY OF A CITY PARISH. By Rev. A. G. B. Atkinson. Grant Richards.

Mr. Atkinson, who has been curate of the parish for a year or two, is the young author of this book. The preface is headed by the now hackneyed quotation from Montaigne-"I have gathered a posie of other men's flowers, and nothing but the thread that binds them is mine own." We suppose this is intended to disarm criticism, and therefore our remarks shall be very brief. These pages are not sufficiently attractive for the general reader, and they are far too cursory for the antiquary and student; but they are no doubt of some value and interest to local folk. The valuable, varied, and voluminous" Record Books" of this parish, beginning in the time of Elizabeth, well merit more painstaking and fuller treatment than they have yet received.

No. 7 of the "Grimm Library" well maintains the repute of this series. These studies upon the original scope and significance of the Gawain legends were undertaken with the object of throwing light upon the Arthurian cycle as a whole. If the precise nature of the traditions associated with a knight who plays so important a part in that cycle can be ascertained, the result will naturally affect the whole group. The results seem doubtedly to point to a Gaelic (Irish) origin rather than a Kymric (Welsh) one; and Miss Weston begs us to believe that these results are in no sense due to a previous bias towards or against the conclusions of any individual scholar or group of scholars.

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The parallels that are here adduced between the Gawain tales and those of Cuchulinn, the nephew

Vision of the Twelve Goddesses"; Thomas Campion's "Lords' Masque"; Beaumont's "Masque of the Inner Temple and Gray's Inn": James Shirley's Triumph of Peace"; Sir W. Davenant's Salmucida Spolia"; Ben Jonson's "Masque at Lord Haddington's Marriage,' Masque of Queens," Oberon," Golden Age," "Lovers made Men," News from the New World." "Masque of Augurs." Pan's Anniversary,' Neptune's Triumph," Fortunate Isles"; and an anonymous one termed 'The Masque of Flowers."

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DANTE'S PILGRIM'S PROGRESS. By Emelia Russell Gurney. Second edition. Elliot Stock.

The scheme of Mrs. Gurney's modest contribution to Dante literature may be gathered from the secondary title, "The Passage of the Blessed Soul from the Slavery of the Present Corruption to the Liberty of Eternal Glory, with Notes by the Way." The plan of the book is to print on the left-hand page, in the original Italian, extracts from the Inferno," "Purgatorio," and Paradiso"; whilst on the opposite side are placed "hints towards the spiritual meaning." In addition to various apposite passages from the Scriptures, the writings of Sir Philip Sidney, Milton, Wordsworth, Victor Hugo, Henry Vaughan, Ruskin, George Eliot, and Deans Plumptre and Paget are all utilized for the purposes of illustration, though most of the comments are from Mrs. Gurney's own pen.

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NOTE TO PUBLISHERS.-We shall be particularly obliged to publishers if they will always state the price of books sent for review.

TO INTENDING CONTRIBUTORS.—Unsolicited MSS. will always receive careful attention, but the Editor cannot return them if not accepted unless a fully stamped and directed envelope is enclosed. To this rule no exception will be made.

It would be well if those proposing to submit MSS. would first write to the Editor stating the subject and manner of treatment.

Letters containing queries can only be inserted in the "ANTIQUARY" if of general interest, or on some new subject. The Editor cannot undertake to reply pri vately, or through the " ANTIQUARY," to questions of the ordinary nature that sometimes reach him. No attention is paid to anonymous communications or would-be contributions.

July is the month during which most of the chief outdoor meetings and excursions of the more important of the archæological societies are held. This year, as we have already mentioned, the Royal Archæological Institute meets at Lancaster, while the British Archæological Association has selected Peterborough as its headquarters. In both cases the meetings will be held too late in July for us to notice them in the August number of the Antiquary. We hope, however, to note the more salient matters in regard to both meetings in September, and as regards the Institute meeting, a special descriptive account has been arranged for. A general feeling of curiosity is entertained as to what the Association will make of Peterborough, where the members are to be conducted round the Cathedral by the Dean.

number of the Antiquary ought to be in the Editor's hands by the 14th of the preceding month at the very latest, or it will probably be impossible to insert it.

The first meeting of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archæological Society for this year was held in the Langholm district on July 12 and 13. The members visited Lochmaben, thence went to the Roman fort at Birrens, and over the moors to Langholm, passing the site of Kirkconnell Church, and various stone circles and prehistoric forts on the moors. Owing to illhealth, Chancellor Ferguson, the president, whose presence adds so much to the pleasure and enthusiasm of these meetings, was unavoidably absent. The second day's excursion was from Langholm through the beautiful and historic district of Ewesdale and Liddesdale. A stay was made at Hermitage Castle, where the party were met by Mr. John Elliot, the farmer there, a descendant of the famous Border Elliots. He gave the party an interesting description of the ancient stronghold, which, on the Scottish side, occupied in the lawless period of the Borders a position similar to the fortress of Belted Will, the Warden of the Marches at Naworth, on the English side. The party had lunch at New Castleton, and afterwards visited Mangerton Tower, noted as the residence of the Armstrongs, to one of whom, who was assassinated at a feast at Hermitage Castle, an interesting inscribed monolith is erected. During the excursion various papers were read. Mr. W. H. St. John Hope, under whose superintendence the recent excavations at Furness Abbey were carried out, sent a paper on the result. The remains of a thirteenth-century kitchen have been discovered, having fireplaces with projecting stone hoods. It is believed to have been the abbot's kitchen. Mr. Hope has completed the greater part of a new plan of the Abbey, showing all the discoveries.-Mr. C. W. Dymond, F.S.A., contributed a paper on the prehistoric village at Threlkeld Knott. appears to be threatened with destruction by quarrying operations. He believes the village is practically complete and intact so far as modern spoliation is concerned. The place is called Settrah, and he asked if this

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is a corrupt form of the word 'saeter,' a Norwegian upland dwelling.-Canon Thornley contributed a paper on the recent discovery of a tumulus in the neighbourhood of Kirkoswald.-The Rev. J. Brunskill, Rector of Ormside, contributed a paper on discoveries in the churchyard there. Some notes upon a fragment of a British Christian cross, found in a field at Aspatria Vicarage, were contributed by the Rev. W. S. Calverley. -Mr. G. Watson, Penrith, read a paper on "A Misappropriated Bishop." This related to the reputed Bishop of Penrith, John Bird (1537). Mr. Watson declares that the John Bird named was suffragan to the Bishop of Llandaff, and took his name from Penruth or Penreeth, which became confused with Penrith.

A great deal of local anxiety seems to be felt as to the future of Tintern Abbey, which, with Raglan Castle, is about to be sold by the Duke of Beaufort. A proposal has been made that the Monmouthshire County Council should purchase the ruins, but this they have no power to do. The fact that such national monuments should be freely bought and sold, without any restriction as to their ultimate fate, is undoubtedly a great anomaly, and calls for serious attention. There ought to be an Act of Parliament passed by which all such monuments should be compulsorily scheduled, and the owner considered to hold them in trust for the nation. As a rule, most of the owners of our national monuments take good care of them, and are generally very willing and ready to listen to advice when such is tendered in a proper spirit. Still, there ought to be some check on the possibility of a "crank" (in the language of America) pulling down an important historical monument on his property out of "pure cussed ness (to borrow another Americanism). At present there is no check of any kind, and the owner of Tintern Abbey might pull it down to-morrow without let or hindrance, so far as the law is concerned. Perhaps when somebody commits some such an act of destruction, steps will be taken to put a stop to it in the future.

From it we learn that one suggestion is to purchase Tintern, roof over the church, and use it again for sacred offices. The Western Mail says: "Both these noble ruins have at present a small revenue from sightseers. Tintern Abbey, in the richly-wooded hills overhanging the Wye, is the greater favourite, and is said to yield about £600 a year from the sixpences of visitors. Raglan, it is said, may be credited with about half that sum. If a representative body obtained possession of either of these, it is felt that a systematic process of preservation of the walls would be desirable. The idea of restoring Tintern as a'habitable' church, if that term be permissible, is, we suppose, out of the question, though in some respects the ruins have not gone past redemption much more than Llandaff Cathedral had done not so very many years ago. People who would feel offended at being called old recollect having played as youths over the grass-grown ruined walls of the Cathedral Church of Llandaff. But the restoration of Tintern is, to employ a utilitarian phrase, rather too big an order. The last historic occasion of a service there, if we remember rightly, was on the occasion of the Queen's Jubilee in 1887, when the Bishop of Llandaff preached in the ruins. The sale of the estate is to be by private treaty, intending purchasers having been invited to send offers to the solicitors, the agent, and the surveyors of the estate. It is all a question of money, but we feel certain that if a reasonable offer could be made by a party of Monmouthshire gentlemen, the advisers to the Duke of Beaufort and the Marquis of Worcester would treat it with great respect." A representative of the paper appears to have "interviewed" the chairman of the County Council, who is reported to have spoken as follows: "From private intimation some time ago, some of us heard that it was probable that Tintern Abbey and Raglan Castle, as well as the other castles on the Beaufort Estate, would come into the market, and it occurred to one or two members of the County Council to consider what could be done under the circumstances. We felt that to allow such a grand old pile as Tintern Abbey to fall into the hands of strangers would be a grave reflection upon the country, and the same

would apply to Raglan Castle, for there are no finer ruins in the county than these two present. It was discussed whether a syndicate could possibly be formed to purchase these two old buildings, and then apply for a short Act of Parliament to enable the County Council to buy them. Of course, this view has never yet been brought before the County Council, for the simple reason that the public announcement of the sale has only been issued within the last few days. The question, I am afraid, presents grave difficulties, for the greatest uncertainty would rest upon the question whether it would be sanctioned for such a purpose, and, therefore, I look with more confidence to the generosity and public spirit of some of the titled and wealthy inhabitants to come forward and do

was, I believe, at Hungerford, Berks. I should be glad to know if it is uncommon, and also what was its use. I can only suggest two possible uses: (1) As a game of chance: fire the pistol and see what number turns up; or (2) As a test of the explosive force of various powders. Neither suggestion is, I think, satisfactory. It consists of a wooden stock, a brass pistol barrel, externally square in section, and a brass disc working in a fork attached to the barrel, having its pivot directly underneath the end of the barrel. To the edge of the disc is attached a leafshaped projection, set at right angles to the plane of the disc, so that on turning the latter to a certain point, the projecting piece presses against the mouth of the barrel. It is obvious that when the pistol is fired off the disc will

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what would appear to be almost impossible for the County Council themselves." "Have the County Council power to promote a Bill in Parliament for such a purpose?" "No. County Councils have no power to promote Bills at all; and if a Bill were promoted, it would have to be at the expense and risk of the syndicate which purchased the abbey and castle." It is quite reasonable that anxiety should be felt in the matter, and the desire of the Monmouthshire people to secure these fine remains for their own is worthy of all possible support and sympathy.

Mr. Bertram R. Wallis, of 3, Gray's Inn Square, W.C., has sent us a sketch, from which the accompanying illustration has been made, of an object in his possession. He says: "I enclose an accurate sketch and description of a singular instrument which has come into my possession. Its last home

turn on its pivot. In order to retard the movement of the disc, a spring, pressing against its edge, is attached to the under part of the barrel. The fork in which the disc runs ends in a pointer, and round the circumference of the disc are engraved (on one side only) numbers from one to eight, the latter being at the furthest point to which the disc can turn. The pistol has no lock, but is fired by a match in the pan. The whole is well finished, and the brass-work is somewhat rudely ornamented with the chisel." We shall be glad to receive information as to what the pistol with the dial attached to it was used for. Perhaps attention being drawn to this example, others may be brought to light.

In the Antiquary for July (p. 217), in speaking of the comparative list of brasses enumerated by counties and published by