69 



a Roman Villa and parts of a Temple. A considerable portion 

 of the Villa remains, the side walls being some eight or ten 

 feet high, and good taste has in every case protected the 

 remains when uncovered. The peculiar feature in this Villa 

 may be said to arise from the very perfect state of the system 

 of baths, the tesselated pavements, of most graceful patterns, 

 being nearly perfect.* 



In one of the princij^al rooms, which had the greatest 

 portion of the pavement perfect, the Rev. S. Lysons, F.S.A., 

 read a paper on the " Antiquities of the District ;" from which 

 it appearedthat the first in timation of the existence of any 

 antiquities here was due to a keeper pulling out some tesserae, 

 whilst in search of an " earthed" rabbit. To this trivial oc- 

 currence is to be attributed the recovery of a missing link in 

 early history. Tradition, the learned antiquary stated, had 

 asserted that Arviragus, an ancient Biitish King of the 

 Dobuni, had embraced Christianity; if Corinium (hodie 

 Cirencester) was, as is supposed, his capital, what more 

 natural than that royalty should leave its mark behind ? This, 

 as recorded, has been done in a neighbouring combe, for bricks 

 have been there found with the legend " Arveri" upon them, 

 and on the foundation stone of the principal entrance to this 

 Villa, the X. R., the ancient Christian monogram, was incised. 

 May not the word " Arveri" (said Mr. Lysons) be the name of 

 Arvira(gus) ; may not the Christian emblem corroborate the 

 legend of his conversion ? With such happy suggestions and 

 inferences, the learned gentleman carried away the thoughts 

 of his hearei-s, until a summons to lunch provided by the 

 hospitality of Lord Eldon, suggested more practical views. 

 During the few minutes allowed, the attention of most was 

 diverted to the tesselated pavement beneath their feet, which 



* For particulars of this Villa, see an account given of the excavation of it, 

 by James Farrer, Esq., in the " Proceedings of the Soc. of Antiq. of Scotland," 

 Vol. vi., part ii., p. 278. 



