40 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [ANNO \7q6. 



Abbey, destroyed by the Danes in 870, (Tanner's Not. Monast. p. 248.) In 

 Strutt's korttoa 3£ngel-cynnan, where he describes the customs of our Saxon and 

 Danish ancestors, such swords frequently occur; especially in the lives of the 2 

 Offas. Similar swords are also in the hands of the Danes, who are killing the 

 abbot of Croyland on the shrine, as delineated by Dr. Stukeley, in the Phil. Trans, 

 vol. 45, p. 5Q7- The brass scabbard possesses some degree of elegance, and much 

 accuracy of workmanship. It appears to have been originally covered with a bright 

 blue varnish, but the quantity was much too small for ascertaining its nature. 

 Exactly such a sword as this is represented at the side of a Danish soldier, in pi. 2(5, 

 vol. 1, of Strutt's work just quoted. The sword within this scabbard was destroyed 

 by rusting, and could not be drawn out. The pommel and guard had been broken 

 off. There was a plate of open work, about 4 inches long, laid over one side, 

 and near the top of the scabbard ; and at the bottom, on one side, was a sort of 

 joint; and on the other and opposite side was a bas-relief figure. The scabbard 

 was made of hammered metal, and was perhaps about 7 V of an inch thick. 



The next, and last 3 articles under the present head, are known to antiquaries 

 by the name of Celts. They were probably instruments used by the ancient 

 Britons, Gauls, or Celtae. The learned do not agree whether the celts were Roman 

 workmanship or not: nor to what particular uses they were applied. Accordingly 

 some persons have supposed that they were the offensive weapons of our ancestors; 

 and others have supposed that they were both offensive military weapons, and civil in- 

 struments; but the most probable opinion is, that they were merely domestic 

 tools. Many of the celts are cast after the model of stone implements, which are 

 confessedly ancient British or Celtic chopping instruments, and tools for making 

 holes. Several of these stone implements, in Sir Jos. Banks's collection, correspond 

 exactly with the figure and size of the celts. Great quantities of these instruments 

 have been at different times discovered in England, as well as in Ireland, and some 

 few in France. Sometimes they have been found in heaps, as if the owner had, 

 and probably did throw them away by basket-fulls, as things of little value. It has 

 been very ingeniously conjectured, that when the Romans came to Britain they 

 found the inhabitants, especially to the northward, very nearly in the same state as 

 that in which our late discoverers found the natives of the South Sea islands. The 

 Britons parted with their valuable articles of food, rarities, and commerce, for metal 

 topis made in imitation of their stone ones; but in time, finding themselves cheated 

 by the Romans, who made these tools of bad metal, of the shape of the ancient 

 British stone axe, as the inhabitants of Otaheite were by the use of base metals; 

 they relinquished these tools when they became acquainted with those made of 

 better metal, and according to the Roman patterns. Hence we see a reason for 

 such great quantities of celts being found among the Celtic nations, and not among 

 the Roman, excepting now and then a specimen, which may be considered as the 

 tool or spoil of barbarian auxiliaries. 



5. Fig. 5. represents a Celt, N°. 1, found on the peninsula of Ballrichen, within 



