248 



through the published views of our colleague, Mr, John Jones ; who was 

 the first to draw attentiou to the phenomena there presented in a very- 

 learned paper, which appears in our Transactions for the year 1863. In 

 that paper, Mr. Jones — basing his views upon a careful consideration of 

 existing conditions — suggests the possibility that the ancient people, 

 whose works were there brought to light, might have existed upon that 

 spot previous to the formation of the Stroud valley. Mr. Witchell's 

 paper is directed mainly to the effect of land-slips on the spot, and in the 

 immediate neighbourhood, to which agency he is disposed to attribute 

 the phenomena of the beds in question. The subject is, however, still, 

 open to further investigation, which, as its importance justifies, it will 

 doubtless receive at the hands of the Cotteswold Club. 



The reading of the President's address, brought again under discussion 

 the circumstances connected with the opening of the Foxcote "tumulus," 

 which, upon a fonner occasion, aroused the susceptibilities of some of the 

 antiquaries concerned; who, to confess the truth, did not seem to be 

 quite in accord respecting the facts of "the find." This gave occasion to 

 much waggery and good-hiimoured banter, which fovind expression, at 

 length, in the following humourous lines from the pen of our colleague, 

 Mr. D. Nash, which I here proceed to embalm in the recoixls of the Club. 



THE DOCTOR AND THE PARISH CLERK. 



THE FOXCOTE FIND. 



"Well, neighbour, if you axes I to teU you what I found 



In the tump at Foxcote yonder, in the foui-teen acre ground, 



If you'll stand a drop of summat, for talking makes me dry, 



I'll tell you what I knows on it, and the gospel truth thereby. 



Not what I told them chaps as come up here from Cheltenham town 



A axing lots of questions, and a writing of it down : 



' A doctor ' and ' a parson, ' and another gent I knows, 



Leastways I knows his father, as I've reason to suppose, 



For he given me seven days in quod, for nothing as you may say, 



Only being drunk of a Saturday night, and 'saulting pleeseman Day.* 



Well, you knows the fourteen acre ground, and the tump as used to 



be there, 

 'Twas Dout but a heap of stones as was throwed promiscuous-like iu 



the air, 

 For I minds when the field was first ploughed up, and how we gathered 



the stones. 

 So when they comes a axing I if I'd found in it any old bones, 



* Sergeant Day, a well-known, active officer of the Cheltenham police force. 

 This is a convincing proof of the truthful character and minute accuracy of the 

 whole statement.— iW)/^ by P. P., Parish Clerk. 



