GO 



from their obvious uses and from the general circum- 

 stances — that they belong to very distinct historic periods. 

 Some are things of yesterday, as it were ; others are coeval 

 with the earliest periods of our authentic history, and long 

 antecedent to any records of the district at present in 

 existence. The miscellaneous nature of the articles at first 

 impressed me with the idea, as I believe it impressed 

 others, that they could not be genuine ; but, to the careful 

 inquirer, this is evidently a proof of their genuineness. A 

 single pot may contain nothing but coins of the period of 

 the Revolution, because deposited by their owner, a con- 

 temporary ; — and a Roman bath may contain nothing but 

 Roman articles. It is obvious, however, that a locality 

 which has been trod by Briton and Roman, which has seen 

 the raven banner of the Dane, and the white horse of the 

 Saxon, and which lias, besides, been the abode of peaceful 

 industry for centuries, should give evidence, more or less 

 distinct, of its connexion with all these various periods 

 and populations. 



The following remarks were made by Mr. Way in April, 

 1840, when drawings of a few of the articles were forwarded 

 to him : — 



****** 



" The two bow- shaped fibulse, both of which present 

 " some little unusual features of detail, appear to be Anglo- 

 " Roman; the buckles (24 and 35) are, I imagine, of 

 " the twelfth or fourteenth century, and served probably 

 " for the narrow belts which were used by civilians or 

 " warriors, ladies or male personages. The strap, which 

 " merely served to keep the surcoat, or loose upper robe, 

 ' close around the waist, was commonly of this narrow 

 " width ; the guige of the shield and the sword-belt were 

 " necessarily much wider. All the remains, of which your 

 " letter contained representations, appear to be of civil 

 " rather than military costume. The tag or pendent of a 

 " strap is quite new to me, and I should think of about the 

 " thirteenth century. The ring brooch, ornamented with 

 " fleur-de-lys, is of that or the succeeding century. It is 

 " a very pretty example." 



****** 



" These objects are all curious indications of successive 

 " occupation from Roman times downwards. The pin with 

 " a multangular head is probably Anglo-Roman, and 

 " destined for attaching the dress. Possibly it may have 

 " been a style for writing." 



