Scarcely two writers agree either in the names or the succession of the Lord Chancellors of the reign of King John. The earlier compilers of the list of those officers had to rely either on the historians, who were often mistaken, or on their own examination of original documents, which was necessarily limited and unsatisfactory. Since the publications issued by the Record Commission, and subsequently by royal authority, the means of arriving at correctness have been materially increased; and recent authors must be presumed to have used them. Much allowance is therefore to be made for the errors of the former, while the assertions of the latter become a fair subject of critical inquiry; the more especially in John's reign, most of the records of which have been published in extenso.

In the paper which was recently communicated by the Honourable R. C. Neville, through me, to the Society, mention was made of some British coins. Casts have since been forwarded to me by Mr. Neville, viz.—

As I believe that the collection of the Society of Antiquaries of London does not include a specimen of the Leaden-pellet or Sling-bullet of the Greeks, I do myself the honour to forward you one; of which, together with the accompanying drawing, I beg the Society's acceptance.

Situated at the distance of a mile and a half from Royston, two miles from Melbourne, and three from Barkway, these barrows give a name to the locality,

“Campus ab illis

Dicitur, æternumque tenet per sæcula nomen,”

the spot where they stand being called “Five Hill Field.” On an eminence, they form a conspicuous feature throughout the surrounding country, as yet only partially inclosed, and command an extensive view over the adjacent flat. Their exalted position would seem to favour the opinion of Professor Henslow, that they were originally intended for beacons: those however that have come under my notice are by no means to be included in such a classification, as, of the nine I examined, eight were decidedly of a funereal character, and one in the same neighbourhood equally so. Commencing with the tallest of the group, its shape, nearly oval, was longer than appeared altogether proportionate to its circular form, which cannot be better described than by a reference to “Fosbrooke's Antiquities,” whose account of the “Long Barrow” and its contents coincides most remarkably with the one now under consideration.

The Observations of Thomas Stapleton, Esq. F.S.A., in No. 9 of the Archæological Journal, purporting to be “in Disproof of the pretended Marriage of William de Warren with a daughter of the Conqueror,” contain so much curious matter relating to the early locations in Normandy of some families afterwards belonging to English history, that the reader may have failed to notice how little of such disproof there really is in the numerous extracts from Chronicles and MSS., however interesting, brought forward by that able antiquary.

There are many obscure nooks and corners in the wide field of antiquarian research, which must be carefully explored, if we would make ourselves thoroughly acquainted with the history, or the literature and science, or the archæology of the Middle Ages. We shall find facts in the history of science and art among the heavy folios of the scholastic writers, which seem at first sight to forbid all attempt at perusal. Historical events are often cleared up from what has been looked upon as the refuse of manuscript collections, and hardly to be distinguished from the dust in which it has so long lain buried. Manners and customs of private life receive the most interesting illustration from the bills of butlers and cooks, from the parish register, or from the local court book.

The following particulars regarding the illustrious house of Castillion, formerly seated at Benham Valance in this county, may I think be interesting to the historical section of our association. They were kindly furnished to me by the Rev. Mr. Randolph, grandson of Bishop Randolph, and a lineal descendant from the Castillions of Benham Valance.

A Direccion takyn for the receyvyng of the Corps of the Most Noble Princes Quene Elizabeth.

When the present Society of Antiquaries of London determined on printing from time to time communications which were made to them, in a series of volumes to be entitled Archæologia, they determined also that there should be prefixed to that work an Introduction, in which should be given a history of their own foundation, and of the attempts which had been previously made to collect the lovers of history and antiquities in associations for the prosecution of their inquiries, and for mutual assistance in their studies. It is not necessary to inquire to whom they committed the task of preparing this Introduction. It is done perhaps as well as the state of the knowledge of the literary history of the country at that period allowed. But when looked at from times when the public mind is not so easily satisfied to remain in ignorance of the minute facts in the history of great undertakings, it cannot, I fear, but be regarded as imperfect and unsatisfactory.

This little memoir contains numerous comments upon the state of certain points and places where it was supposed the Spaniards might be able to land: the proper dispositions for combating with them: the order of fighting with the enemy if he should land: and the proportion of men to be provided for that purpose, more especially as regarded the border toward Scotland. There are various other points also proposed to be considered, which will be best understood in the detail.

The Cylix, which I propose an explanation of in the present Memoir was found at Vulci, (see Plate VIII.) and formed part of the hundred select vases of the Princess of Canino. I also, as particularly illustrative of the same myths, accompany it with tracings of two other Vases from the same source. They all are portions of the great original discoveries of Hellenic fictile art at Vulci.

In the course of the researches which have been instituted at home and abroad into the history of an invention which has had in various ways most extensive influences on the state of society, and in particular on its application to the art of war, reference has been often made to a passage in an old Italian historian, John Villani, in which it is stated that instruments, which can only have been cannon in the ordinary sense of the word, were used by King Edward the Third at the Battle of Cressy. It has not been discovered that the statement receives any support from any of our own historians; and the utmost of the corroboration which it has received from the testimony of our Records amounts only to this, that persons named gunnarii occur in an account of the Expenses of the Siege of Calais, which ensued immediately on the Battle of Cressy.

I have the honour to lay before the Society of Antiquaries to-night the drawing of two heads in bas-relief, and of heroic size, forming a portion of the recent discoveries of Mr. Botta at Khorsabad. They were sent by Mr. Rassam, Her Majesty's Consul at Mossul, to Sir Stratford Canning, and by him to Sir Robert Peel, who has sent them to the British Museum for examination and inspection.

The manuscript entitled Mappæ Clavicula, signifying the Little Key of Drawing, or Painting, is a small duodecimo volume of sixty-seven leaves of vellum, written in the twelfth century. It appears to be perfect, except a leaf torn out between pp. 64 and 65 of the modern paging, and a little cropping in two leaves.