161 



The inscription is also given in Hiibner's Tnscriptiones Latince, published at Ber- 

 lin in 1873. Written in full it would doubtless be this : — 



Victoriae 



Legionis Sextae Victricis 



(or Legio Sexta Victrix) 



Valerius Rufus 



Votum Solvit Libens (or Lsetus) Merito. 



And it means that Valerius Rufus, an officer or soldier of the corps, had willingly 

 presented this statue in fulfilment of a vow to Victory." 



Dr. Whittaker adds, " Valerius Rufus, whose name occurs nowhere else 

 among the inscriptions of Roman Britain, may be supposed to have been an 

 officer of rank in the Sixth Legion ; and that the arm of this vote had in all 

 probability been broken off and lost in one of their marches from York, their 

 stated quarters, to Manchester, where the altar to Fortune proves them to have 

 been occasionally stationed. " 



" These images of Victory were frequently of gold, and in great military pro- 

 cessions were borne by a boy elevated on the shoulders of men. The statue to 

 which this arm belonged must have been about two feet high, and therefore of a 

 proper size for the purpose which has been described. Any misfortune which be- 

 fel these palladia of the camp was held to be extremely ominous, and the loss of 

 this arm and label must have spread consternation through the whole Legion to 

 which it belonged. " 



The gold ring was found at Ribchester, and the same historian says of it : — 

 " I have a gold ring found here some years since set with a cornelian with many 

 faces. It has a dove in the centre, and around it the words, 



'AVE MEA VIA,' 



the present, as it would seem, of a lover to his mistress. " 



Both these valuable relics are now in the possession of General Gillespie, at 

 Trewyn House, Abergavenny ; they having descended to his wife, who is the his- 

 torian's great grand-daughter. 



A very curious piece of ancient glass, which is believed to be Roman, was 

 also shown. It appears to be blue with a peacock lustre in places from reflected 

 light, but on looking through it the colour was seen to be really of a light yellow- 

 ish-green. 



HEREFORD CASTLE AND APPURTENANCES. 



Mr. James W. Lloyd, of Kington, then brought to the notice of the Club a 

 series of most interesting papers relating to the " Ruinous Castle of Hereford, 

 with its yards, ditches, trenches, herbage, &c.," one of the letters from Edward 

 Harley being dated from Trewyn, which he occupied at that time. These papers 

 showed that the Castle of Hereford and its appurtenances had been granted by 

 King Charles to Gilbert North 2nd Oct. 5 Car. I. (1630). From Gilbert North it 



