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XX. An Account of the Discovery of a Tessellated Pavement, 10th Feb. 1854, under the Vaults of the South-Eastern Area of the late Excise Office
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 January 2012
Extract
I have the honour to forward for the consideration of the Society of Antiquaries a Drawing of the Tessellated Pavement recently found between Bishopsgate Street and Broad Street, under the vaults of the south-eastern area of the late Excise Office. A small plan which accompanies the drawing (Pl. XVIII.), will show the exact position of the pavement itself, relatively to the adjoining street and to the buildings of the Excise Office. It is a commonly received opinion, that the late Government edifice occupied the site of the house and premises of Sir Thomas Gresham only; and it may be therefore convenient to explain that subsequently to the purchase by the Government from the trustees of Sir Thomas Gresham of the buildings of Gresham College, in 1768, they bought an inn adjoining southward, called the Sun; and these two premises together constituted the area of the late Excise Office. I cannot exactly define the boundary of the two properties, but I have no doubt that the site of this pavement was under the Sun inn portion of it, and did not form any part of the land purchased of the Gresham trustees. In removing the Excise Offices we began from Threadneedle Street, and in taking up the foundations of the main buildings, nothing of any interest was found; but, as we proceeded towards Bishopsgate Street, it was evident that we were approaching foundations and remains that were of a much earlier construction.
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References
page 203 note a On the 17th March the City Members, attended by Mr. Dance, the surveyor, waited on the Lords of the Treasury with a plan of the ground on which Gresham College stood, with a view to the converting that ancient and almost useless building into an Excise Office; the building in the Old Jewry then made use of being found too small and inconvenient for that purpose. At a Court of Common Council held on the 22nd of May, it was resolved to agree with the proposal of government for the purchase, in order to erect the Excise Office on the spot.” Noorthouck's New History of London, 1773, pp. 439, 440. See also Stat, 8 Geo. III. c. 32.
page 204 note a Vitruvius De Architectura, lib. vii. c. i. lib. x. c. v.
page 205 note a This expectation has been partly realised, because northwards of this pavement we have found the floor of a room paved with dark red tesserse The pavement was about 12 feet square; the tesserse uniform in size, being about 17 inches square. I still expect to find further remains to the north-east; but the old buildings cannot be at present removed.—March, 1855.
page 205 note b Horsley's “Britannia Romana,” book i. chap. 4. pp. 49, 50.
page 205 note c Vit. Hadriani in Script. Hist. Ang.
page 206 note a This is shewn in a Section of the Wall Brook in my possession, made by Mr. Richard Kelsey, the late Surveyor of Sewers of the City of London.
page 206 note b Horsley, Brit. Rom., p. 447.
page 206 note c Itinerarium Guriosum, vol. i. plate 57; vol. ii. p. 12.
page 207 note a “A Letter occasioned by some Antiquities lately discovered near Bishop's Gate, London,” in Hearne's Leland's Itinerary, vol. viii., at the end, sects. 8–10.
page 208 note a Several very fine specimens of tessellated pavements found in England nave been engraved by Messrs. W. Fowler and Samuel Lysons, in their well known and interesting publications.
page 208 note b Sects. 5, 6, in Hearne's Lelanc's Itinerary, vol. viii. Wren's Parentalia, part ii. sect. i. p. 264.
page 209 note a Cognomento quidem colonise non insigne, sed copia negotiatorum et commeatuum maximé celebre.—Annalium, lib xiv. sect. 33.
page 210 note a The tessellated pavement here referred to was found at Stunsfield (Stonesfield), co. Oxford, Jan. 25th, 1711–12. Hearne's Leland's Itinerary, vol. viii., at the commencement.
page 210 note b It is oworthy of observation that this subject almost precisely agrees with the figure forming the centre of the fine tessellated pavement found near the eastern extremity of the India House, in December, 1803, published and described by the late Thomas Fisher.
page 210 note c “A Discourse concerning the Stunsfield Pavement.” Hearne's Leland's Itinerary, vol. viii. sect. v. p. 17.
page 211 note a Bacchus amat Flores: Baccho placuisse coronam
Ex Ariadnseo sidere nosse potes.
Ovid. Fast. v. 345.
page 211 note b The festive character of the apartment to which the tessellated pavement found in Leadenhall Street originally belonged, was further indicated by the figures of drinking-cups being introduced in the ornamental border.
page 211 note c Owing to the space required, this has not yet been done, but I still trust to the realisation of this expectation and promise.