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tion as you may, nothing else will answer; and this interpretation has stood 
the test even of German criticism, and yet you will find the word with the inter- 
pretation of the “quarters” of a century or company in no Latin lexicon or 
dictionary whatever. 
The second is a short inscription and is chiefly remarkable for the rude de- 
lineation below it of the eagle and the capricorns, the devices of the second Augus- 
tan legion. 
The third is a memorial stone erected to a veteran of the second Augustan 
legion by his wife. Pray remark the curious mode (well known in lapidary inscrip- 
tions) of writing a double II for the letter E. Thus in the word or abbreviation 
LEG, there is first L, then a double I, and then G. This is not ideal, it is a well 
known fact. You will find it again in the last inscription to be brought before you. 
And hereby “‘ hangs a tale.” It has been repeatedly published but never deciphered 
till lately, nor was it understood when I first published it in a quarto volume in 
1845. At that time not knowing what to make of it I wrote to the late Sir 
Samuel Meyrick, who it appears was equally puzzled and asked whether it might 
not be ‘‘ Bardic!” an idea with which I could not agree, as the lines surrounding the 
inscription are evidently Roman. It was, therefore, published without explanation. 
But when writing the ‘‘ Isca Silurum ” in 1862, I corresponded with several other 
friends about it ; and it is most singular that the truth seems almost at the same 
moment to have flashed on Mr. King at Cambridge, on Mr. C. Roachsmith near 
Rochester, and on Dr. M‘Caul at Toronto. May I therefore ask you to look at it 
in two positions? The first as it was formerly published makes it unreadable. 
Now turn it and you will find that it can be nearly if not entirely decyphered, the 
figure or “‘siglum” being the mark for ‘‘ centurion ” >, like a V placed sideways ; 
then C.Ivli, and the second line, though the letters are rude, may (if you bear in 
mind that the IT is frequently used for E) be read Caeciniani, so that the whole 
inscription may be read clearly, looked at in its correct position, as “‘The century 
(or company) of Caius Lucius Caecinianus. 
We will now mention a few of the more remarkable antiquities which have 
been found here, without taking them in any very particular order. Every one 
knows what wainscotting is, but every one knows also that at present it is made of 
wood. You have, however, seen some specimens in the museum which show that 
the Romans used ornamented slabs of stone for this purpose. I remember seeing 
these stone facings in their original position in the villa in Mr. Woollett’s grounds. 
They are by no means common. The pottery found at Isca is very interesting. 
The red polished Samian ware, covered with figures, reveals a great deal of the 
social life of the Romans. 
Amongst other things (if indeed it can be called social) you will find combats 
of gladiators armed exactly as mentioned by the ancient authors, you will find 
combats of wild beasts both amongst themselves and with human victims, and on 
some of the fragments you will see elegant designs made of leaves and tendrils. 
In one case you will see a winged figure playing on the double pipe. The coarser 
vessels were often sepulchral, 
