The success I met with in discovering the Druidical monuments in Derbyshire (which I had the honour to lay before the Society), induced me to make an excursion into Yorkshire, to examine some curious groups of rocks, seven miles from Ripley, on the road to Pateley Bridge, called Brimham rocks. They are indeed a most wonderful assemblage, scattered about the moor in groupes, which all together occupy a space of above forty acres. The extraordinary position of these rocks in a variety of directions must have been occasioned by some violent convulsion of nature; but at the same time it is evident, that art has not been wanting to make their situations still more wonderful.

The monuments of antient art noticed in North America have been so few, that the discovery of any such has a particular claim to the attention of the learned in any part of the globe. When therefore I had found in a publication in that part of it [a], the following reference made to an antient inscription discovered on a rock in Taunton River in Narraganset Bay, I thought this an object worthy the attention of the Society.

As you did me the honour to impart to me your sentiments on cards, I will take the liberty to mention to you what I formerly noted down, and have investigated upon this matter.

It is impossible that morsels or particular portions of history should be related in general histories so gratify the curiosity of the readers of a national history, of France or England suppose, and I may add of foreigners, who will be satisfied with knowing the event of a battle, and the consequences of it; but a native of the place of action, well acquainted with the scene, someway connected with it, or perhaps at this day residing upon it, expects, and is even desirous of being informed of all the circumstances, though perhaps but small and insignificant in themselves, relative to the transaction, so far as at this distance of time they can be recovered.

It is sixty-six feet in circumference, composed of forty-five large stones, measuring seven feet in height, six in breadth, four in thickness, containing four perfect lodges [or cells] and one destroyed. The supposed entrance in it may be called a subterraneous passage, faces the East and measures fifteen feet in length, four feet two inches and a half in breadth from the inside of the two outward pillars or stones, in height two feet, each pillar being one foot nine inches and a half thick.

Having observed that the equestrian figures on the Great Seals of most of our kings and ancient barons from the Conquest to the time of Edward III. are represented with spurs consisting of only one point, somewhat resembling the gassle with which fighting cocks are armed, I have endeavoured to trace out the origin of these spurs, which appear to have been worn after the invention of the rouelle, or wheel spur (so called from the revolution of its spicula about an axis), several of our kings and great barons being on different seals sometimes represented with one, and sometimes with the other species.

I Have the honour to transmit herewith the model of a Druid Temple, discovered some time ago on the top of a pretty high rocky hill, near the town of St. Helier, in the Island of Jersey. I am sorry to have so long delayed executing the promise I made to send it your lordship; but it having been transmitted to me without a scale, I did not care to trouble you till that material defect was remedied. By the scale which I have now received, and which is of three feet to an inch, your lordship will see the dimensions are not great, but I imagine it to be the most intire and perfect monument of this kind existing in this part of the world.

The Roman Causeway which runs from the N. E. to the S. W. of the kingdom through Hants and Wilts, is known through those counties by the name of the Portway. If I may be allowed to give this name to those ways in Antoninus's Itinera which run in a North Easterly direction from this road in Hants, and South Westerly from its Wiltshire limit, the Portway is as long as either of the two great ways in longitudinem ; and if it is a Roman way from the Eastern sea coast to Hampshire, and from Wilts to the sea coast West-ward, it would exceed them. That it does so, seems to be referred to in the charter granted by queen Elizabeth to the Borough of Andover, which is on the Portway between London and the Land's-end.

The caves of Salset and Elephanta have of late attracted the notice of the virtuosi at this place, and are now the general topic of conversation.

No 1. Pl. XXI. is an exact representation of the front of a Roman altar found in Tinmouth Castle in Northumberland, by Major Durnford, at the depth of six feet in the earth, where it had been laid as a foundation stone, probably of the antient Christian church which is said to have been erected there soon after the introduction of that faith into Britain. The lower part of it, by whatever accident, is much defaced, and it is at present quite flat at the top, though we may suppose it to have had originally a focus there, which the workmen, in order to make it square and bed properly, may have been obliged to take off. The inscription is plainly to be read : “Jovi optimo maximo “Ælius Rufus Præfectus Cohortis quartæ Lingonum.” The Lingones were a people of Champagne in France, and are well known to have been among the Roman auxiliary troops of infantry, but this is our first information where the fourth Cohort of them was stationed in Britain.

I have the honour to send you herewith a very rude and imperfect sketch of one of the tiles which cover some ducts or drains, now discernible in the cliff at Reculver in Kent, about eight feet below the surface of the Roman station.

I call these ducts, or drains, because I am unable to determine whether they were merely drains or sewers to the camp, or whether they were ducts to a bath.

I conceive that the following account of a picture, which was sold last week at Greenwood's auction-room in Leicester Fields, may be interesting to the Society.

It originally belonged to the great and good lord Falkland; from whom it descended to the late viscount of that title, who died not long since.

According to tradition in the family it was painted by Zuccaro; and represented lord Burleigh playing at cards with three other persons, who, from their dress, appear to be of distinction, each of them having two rings on the same fingers of both their hands.

The office of purveyor to the king's houshold was heretofore exercised with so much oppression of the subject, and the officer was armed with such authority, as to occasion continual applications to the king for redress, and numerous acts of parliament were passed to restrain these abuses. From the frequent repetition of such laws, we may collect that they did not answer the intended purpose. The total abolition of this enormity was one of the advantages derived from the troubles in the last century ; an end was put to it at the Restoration. The name of purveyor indeed still remains amongst the king's servants, but the purveyor of these days is nothing more than the tradesman who serves the king as he would any other customer, and, in general, at as cheap a rate.

At what period the nation of the Jews first obtained a settlement in England, is a question involved in considerable obscurity; arising as well from the distance of time when this event is supposed to have happened, as from the few memorials that have been (since their dispersion) transmitted down to us concerning them.

The Barberini Vase being at present the subject of much speculation, I request the favour of you to lay before the Society some conjectures which have amused me respecting several traits of history apparently sketched in the exquisite Cameos on that elegant piece of workmanship. They are offered entirely subject to correction, and better interpretation. It seems to me, where history is concerned, to be very fair to have recourse to it for the explanation of any piece of art which may be of modern discovery. I learn that this vase was found within a sepulchral monument in the Monte del Grano, at Rome according to the words of the historian, who says, of Alexander Severus, Romæ sepulchrum amplissimum meruit. I shall only add, that, among the figures represented by Bartoli as extant on one of the sides of the grand Sarcophagus, is one whose head and manner perfectly resembles the Jupiter or Guardian Genius, which, in the vase, is contemplating the event of Alexander Severus's existence.

The following essay towards a discovery of the Ikneld-street, the course of which Antiquaries have been so long enquiring after, is the production of the late Mr. Richard Willis of Andover, a gentleman very studious in matters of antiquity, and indefatigable in his researches.

Well knowing your taste for antiquities in general, and in particular for such as bear any relation to Cambridge, a place to which you have always had a singular attachment, I take the liberty of communicating to you, by the hands of our most respectable friend George Steevens, Esq. a discovery lately made there, and through you to the worthy Society of Antiquaries, of which I have long had the honour of being a member.

The observations which you desire me to make concerning the “Speculum Salutis” in my possession, will be few, unless I am permitted to enter a little more largely into the subject of early printing.

I am happy in having the honor to communicate to the Society an account, illustrated with drawings, of some very curious remains of Roman antiquities in this neighbourhood. These, with some specimens of painted stucco, and cubes of tessellated pavements, are inclosed in a box, which goes from Mansfield to-morrow by the Leeds Fly, directed for you at Somerset Place.