ANTIQUITIES OF NORTHUMBERLAND. 117 



laid level with the water. Such flones are now lying in the river 

 by both thefe ftations, with iron-cramps in them. In the upper 

 part of the pillars were apertures or openings to give a palfage 

 to impetuous and raging floods (e). 



An abundance of Roman coins of the later empire have been 

 turned up by the plow; now in the cabinet of the Rev. Mr. Wal- 

 ton, vicar of 



The Roman moneys were often notoribufly adulterated, as ap- 

 pears from fome coining molds of thcir's found about the year 

 1697, in delving a field near Thorp on the hill, by Wakefald, in. 

 York/litre, and defcribed by Mr. Thoresby (f). In later times there- 

 have been counterfeits, for the. fake of the high price they bore. 



of Roman work arc in the pofTeffion of Mr. Walton, 

 found at this and the neighbouring ftations ; but ncne of them 

 antiques; all of the lower empire, engraved on carnelians, and 

 ftones of the lower clafs. They are all cntagiios, not one cameo 

 among them. Greek and Roman antiques were always of the mod 

 exqiiifite workmanlhip ; engravings on gems, pebbles, and ftones 

 of the firft order for beauty and luftre. The beril, the chalce- 

 dony, the emerald, hyacinth, the topaz or modern chryfolite, and 

 the garnet, were favourites. The chryftal pebble, and the ame- 

 thyft, were alfo efteemed. They alfo ufecl the onyx, the fardo- 

 nyx, the agate-onyx, the jafper, the hsemachates, or blood-ftone, 

 which they valued for cameos. Other kinds were not ufed by 

 the Romans till the lower empire, when the arts were upon the: 



(e) See the figure of a Reman bri<fge in the Pb. Tr. No. 160. 



(f) Ph. Tr. No. 234. 



decline. 



