240 THE ANTIQUITIES 



of many hundreds of Roman copper-coins, and some medallions, 

 all of the lower empire. There was not much virtu stirring at 

 that time in this neighbourhood ; however, some of the gentry 

 and clergy around bought what pleased them best ; and some 

 dozens fell to the share of the author. 



The owners at first held their commodity at an high price ; 

 but, finding that they were not likely to meet with dealers at 

 such a rate, they soon lowered their terms, and sold the fairest 

 as they could. The coins that were rejected became current, 

 and passed for farthings at the petty shops. Of those that we 

 saw, the greater part were of Marcus Aurelius, and the Empress 

 Faustina, his wife, the father and mother of Commodus. Some 

 of Faustina were in high relief, and exhibited a very agreeable 

 set of features, which probably resembled that lady, who was 

 more celebrated for her beauty than for her virtues. The 

 medallions in general were of a paler colour than the coins. 

 To pretend to account for the means of their coming to this 

 place would be spending time in conjecture. The spot, I think, 

 could not be a Roman camp, because it is commanded by hills 

 on two sides ; nor does it shew the least traces of entrench- 

 ments ; nor can I suppose that it was a Roman town, because I 

 have too good an opinion of the taste and judgment of those 

 polished conquerors to imagine that they would settle on so 

 barren and dreary a waste. 1 



LETTER II. 



THAT Selborne was a place of some distinction and note in the 

 time of the Saxons we can give most undoubted proofs. But, 

 as there are few if any accounts of villages before Domesday, 

 it will be best to begin with that venerable record. " Ipse rex 

 "tenet Selesburne. Eddid regina tenuit, et nunquam geldavit. 

 " De isto manerio dono dedit rex Radfredo presbytero dimidiam 

 " hidam cum ecclesia. Tempore regis Edwardi et post, valuit 

 " duodecim solidos et sex denarios ; modo octo solidos et quatuor 



1 [" A large pot of medals " was found in Wolmer pond about 1774, the dates 

 ranging from Claudius to Commodus (see Letter from W. Sewell to Gilbert 

 White, printed in Bell's edition, vol. ii., p. 393). In digging the foundations for 

 Lord Selborne's buildings at Blackmoor, and in planting the estate, many more 

 finds were made, among others, of two large earthenware vases containing about 

 30,000 Roman and Roman-British coins (see Lord Selborne's communication on 

 the Roman-British antiquities of Selborne, Bell's edition, vol. ii. , p. 378).] 



