representing the Theban Sphinx. 13 



curled, and the faces are always beardless. Mr. Pegge has 

 also noticed, that although, according to Ceesar*, the Britons 

 wore their hair long, but shaved it 011 every part of the body 

 except the head and upper lip, yet that there are no signs of 

 the flowing hair upon the coins : the reason for which he ap- 

 prehends to have been, that their princes were exempt from this 

 general rule. 



I am inclined to differ from Mr. Ruding, in his description 

 of the above coin. No. 2, and to consider that, from the 

 costume of the human figure, it is meant for the image of some 

 Roman divinity : this idea receives support from the altar near 

 to It, as well as from the reverse of another coin of Cunobelin 

 given by Mr. Ruding in his Appendix f. Scarcely can the re- 

 verse of the coin. No. 2, be thought to represent the effigy of a 

 Roman emperor ; much less a priest, or any one at sacrifice, the 

 back being turned to the altar. 



But, before any attempt at a conclusion, I refer again to the 

 British corns, engraved in Mr. Ruding's work. Plate ii No 22 

 Rev. " Probably a Briton driving his chariot over a falling 

 enemy." Nos. 23, 24, 26, and 53, following, appear to re- 

 present the same thing; and in Nos. 28 and 29, the hand un- 

 derneath the (horse or other) four-footed animal with a human 

 head, and raised, as it were, in a supplicating posture, seems to 

 be a similar indication. In all these examples, (as well as in 

 some other coins of the same class), the quadruped has the 

 head of a man, or rather of a woman; and in Nos. 23, 24 and 

 53, It IS distinctly winged. Further, upon the head of many 

 ofthe same monsters, we may perceive a cap or coif, resem 

 bling that upon the head of the Sphinx, in the coin No. 3 here 

 engraved. ' 



Thus, in the absence of every chance for obtaining from his- 

 tory, any lights by which to penetrate this dark matter- we 

 can only attempt to guide ourselves by such interpretation, as 

 may not be thought too extravagant in an apposition of those mo- 

 numents of antiquity, that are supposed to be remains of nearly 

 the same time in this country. 



• De BeU. GaU. L. 6. + Append, to the Annals. PI. 29, No. 6. 



