VOL. XX.] ^ PHILOSOPHICAL. TRANSACTIONS. 341 



Concerning a Piece of Antiquity lately found in Somersetshire. By Dr. Mus- 



grave, F. R. S. N° 247, p. 441. 



This piece of antiquity was lately found near Ashelney, in Somersetshire, the 

 place where King Alfred built, as Milton affirms, a fortress, but according to 

 William of Malmsbury, a monastery ; in memory, it is supposed, of his deli- 

 verance, obscure retreat, and concealment in that place from the Danes. 



The work is so very fine as to make some question its true age, but in all 

 probability it belonged to that great king. 



The edge is thin, as far as the letters, which are on a plane rising obliquely. 

 All within the inner pyramidal line is on a plane equidistant from the reverse. 

 The representation in that upper plane seems to be of some persons in a chair. 

 It is in enamel, covered over with a crystal, which is secured in its place by the 

 little leaves coming over its edges. In the reverse are flowers engraved. The 

 whole piece may be of the weight of 3 guineas, and is of pure gold, except 

 the crystal and enamel ; and was perhaps an amulet of King Alfred's. 



Account oftlie Catalogues of MSS. lately printed at Oxford. N° 247, p- 442. 



The whole consists of two tomes, price ll. 2s. The first vol. takes in the 

 MSS. in the Bodleian, Savilian, and Ashmolean libraries, which belong to the 

 university in general, in part I, and the MSS. in most of our college libraries 

 in part II, with those of the libraries of the university of Cambridge in part 

 III. The second tome gives, in part I, catalogues of the MSS. in the libraries 

 of many of the cathedral churches, and of several of the nobility and gentry . 

 and in part II, are some catalogues of the MSS. in some libraries of Ireland ; 

 each of which several parts has its peculiar index. At the beginning of the 

 book is prefixed an epistle concerning its nature and use, which is followed by a 

 preface, which acquaints us with the method taken in composing the indexes, 

 with a list of all the catalogues comprehended in the whole. Then comes the 

 life of Sir Thomas Bodley, the magnificent founder of our public library, with 

 the history of it, and an account of its thief benefactors, the heads of whom 

 are engraven on copper plates, here, and at the front of the book to be seen. 



The first catalogue is that of those Greek MSS. which once belono-ed to 

 Sig. Francesco Baroccio, a Venetian gentleman, which were highly valued in 

 Italy, and brought over into England, and by the persuasion of Archbishop 

 Laud, were bought by the old Earl of Pembroke, and presented to our univer- 

 sity. These books have been often celebrated by authors of note, to whom 

 they have been highly serviceable ; containing a great number of excellent 



