78 Tue Brus INscRIPTION AT ANNAN. 
squeeze with blotting paper of any particular part of it. But 
where the letters are there at all, they are pretty clear; and 
where they are not, there is no surface at all. I don’t think 
that there is much that can be got. I’ve felt it over pretty 
carefully. J’ll see about photographing. ... . 
‘‘T can find no documents relating to its purchase. 
Family tradition has it that the Rev. Walter Stevenson 
Halliday bought it from a house in Annan which was pulled 
down. He was one of those regular Autolycuses of things 
ancient or foreign of the early nineteenth century. Evi- 
dently, too, the Scott boom provided him with his favourite 
kind of literature. Probably, like a more distinguished 
Autolycus, Lord Elgin, he did save his treasure trove from 
destruction by getting hold of it. I’m afraid, though, that 
I can’t pretend that he treated it well. It was apparently 
left in the open exposed to the weather. (In the same way 
he bought a Roman mosaic floor and stuck it up in the open 
at a romantic spot in the woods, with the result that nothing 
is left of it now.) I think it must have been my grand- 
mother, who was I believe a considerable antiquary in her 
own heraldic line, who rescued it. Ever since I can remem- 
ber, it has lived in a little deserted bath-house. It has a 
~ sound roof over it, and is not likely to suffer further damage. 
‘* You will now have had as much of my handwriting 
to decipher as you will care about, and I must turn from 
Bruce and a very pleasant excursus. 
. “© Yours, 
W. R. HAtiipay.”’ 
+ROBERopagnRnvs: 
GOuNc aD a-dA 
kKEOS EN OUD 
PRYVAUNT DD 
Brus STONE, PROFEssoR W. R. HAL.LipAy’s DRAWING. 
