S64> 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



similar case, where the grantor of 

 the deed was not before the court, 

 and who, if present, might set up 

 many objections, which might per- 

 haps be fatal to the existence of the 

 instrument. His lordsliip said, it 

 was impossible, in this stage of the 

 cause, to grant the injunction as 

 prayed; but that he saw no objec- 

 tion to restrain Mr. Coutts from re- 

 ceiving the money at all at present ; 

 and,if the plaintiff chose to make any 

 other motion, he should certainly 

 hear it, assisted by the judgments of 

 the master of the rolls and the lord 

 chief justice of the common pleas. 



28th. Some workmen digging to 

 repair the pipes in Ijcadenhall-Street, 

 opposite the Jjast India House, ten 

 feet below the surface of the street, 

 struck upon something solid, which 

 proved to be a beautiful tcsselated 

 pavement, forming, when entire, a 

 square of nine feet, in the centre of 

 which, within an elegantly-adorned 

 circle of about three feet diameter, 

 was a figure of Bacchus, in a green 

 mantle, holding in his left hand a 

 Thyrsis dressed with ivy ; and in his 

 right a goblet: his brows crowned 

 with ivy; sitting on a tiger at full 

 speed, his head inclined to the neck 

 of the beast, who turns his head back 

 npon the rider. This circle is sur- 

 rounded by three circular borders of 

 difierent patterns, and in each angle 

 is a cup with two handles. The 

 margin to the wall Avas filled up 

 with plain red tiles. The pavement 

 has been raised in pieces, under the 

 direction of JMr. Wilkins, librarian 

 to the Company, and deposite^l, for 

 the present, in a room adjoining to 

 the library, till it can be completely 

 arranged and put together ; when 

 most probably the whole will be 

 communicated to the public, through 

 the medium of thcAvell known taste 



and patriotism of Mr. Wilkins. 

 Fragments of an nrn which con- 

 tained a few bones were found at 

 the same time. 



31st. From the almost unprece- 

 dented mildness of the season, the 

 crocus, snow-drop, polyanthus, and 

 garden daisy are in full-bloom. The 

 lilac and seringa arc spreading their 

 foliage, and the rooks and daws be- 

 ginning to build. 



The magnificent library of the late 

 Thomas Astle, Esq. is, by the di- 

 rection of his will, to be sold in the 

 course of the spring; a collection 

 highly interesting to the lovers of 

 literature ingeneral, but particularly 

 to the lovers of English antiquity 

 and English history. It will be 

 matter of great gratification to those 

 who know how to appreciate that 

 splendid collection of Saxon cha- 

 racters, Saxon MSS. ancient regis- 

 ters, and other documents, tending 

 to the illustration of our early Con- 

 stitution and history (and to which 

 the public are so highly indebted for 

 many of the learned essays presented 

 to them by Mr. Astle), that they 

 arc not to be separated ; but are be- 

 queatlied by him to his noble friend 

 the Marquis of Buckingham, to be 

 added to his magnificent library at 

 Stowc ; which will now have the 

 singular advantage of uniting in it, 

 and that of the venerable and learn- 

 ed Charles O'Connor, the Antiquary 

 of Ireland, the most valuable and 

 the earliest illustrations of Irish and 

 of Saxon antiquity. The condition of 

 the legacy is, that the marquis pay 

 5001. to Mr. A's executors. Should 

 this be declined, the MSS. are to be 

 oti'ered on the same terms to the 

 British Museum. Many of the an- 

 cient Saxon rolls and charters have 

 been already communicated to the 

 public; and the specimens of tite 



Irish 



