V&h. XLVI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 687 



It appears by a comparison which they made, that the difference in the tem- 

 perature of the air, as to heat and cold, is very little between this place and Spital- 

 square. Sometimes the one thermometer has been higher ; and sometimes 

 the other. So that on the whole, it may reasonably enough be concluded, that 

 the difference between the temperature of the air in the two. places, is imper-, 

 ceptible to sense. 



Of a Bas-relief of Mithras found at York, explained by the Rev. Dr. Stukely, 

 F. R. S. Communicated by Mr. Francis Drake of York, Antiquary and F. R. S. 

 N°493, p. 214. 



As York was doubtless the Roman imperial city of Britain, so is it still ca- 

 sually throwing up remains of its ancient grandeur and magnificence, even down 

 to our time. About 2 years ago, in digging the foundation of a large house, 

 since built, in our Trans Tyberim Street, called Micklegate, quasi Muckle, or 

 Great Street, the workmen went much below any former foundation that could 

 be observed on this spot. And at the depth of 10 feet, came to a stone, which 

 on taking up appeared to have figures on it, but miserably defaced. Mr. D. 

 sent as just a drawing of it, as could be taken to Dr. Stukely, who according 

 to his deep knowledge in the learning of the ancients, soon after returned the 

 following short, but curious explanation of this uncommon piece of sculpture. 



The drawing you sent of the bas-relief, dug up in a cellar in Micklegate, anno 

 1747, is a great curiosity. It is a sculpture of Mithras, as usual, sacrificing a 

 bull. He has on, the Persian mantle, called candys, and the Phrygian bonnet, 

 called tyara. He represents the archimagus, performing the great annual sa- 

 crifice, at the spring equinox : according to the patriarchal usage. These cere- 

 monies to Mithras, were generally celebrated in a cave of a rock ; therefore, 

 this sculpture was found so deep in the earth. 



There is commonly a figure on each side of him, habited in the same man- 

 ner, standing cross legged : the one holds a torch up, the other down : here is 

 only the latter, in your sculpture ; the other is imperfect. 



Underneath is the figure of a horse, denoting the sun's course : for in time, 

 when the old patriarchal customs became profaned, and desecrated into idolatry, 

 they made Mithras to be the Apollo, or the sun. Whence these sculptures had a 

 number of symbols, relating to the solar circuit of the year, through the 12 zo- 

 diacal constellations. 



The two figures attending on the archimagus, are inferior officers to him. 

 There is a mystery in their standing cross-legged, like our effigies of croisaders 

 in churches, and it means the same thing : for the cross was one part of the 

 mithriac ceremonies. These two, by the different attitude of their torches, re- 



