286 [Proc. B. N. F. C, 



The eighth and last meeting of the Session was held in the 

 Museum, on 24th April, when two communications were brought 

 forward. The first was by Mr. Robert Day, F.S.A., M.R.I. A., 

 of Cork, " Upon some of the objects in the Loan Collection of 

 the Cork Exhibition of 1883." Mr. Day illustrated his subject 

 with examples from the Exhibition, which had been lent by the 

 owners. Among these was a collection of silver spoons, com- 

 prising a trefoil-top spoon, with the London Hall mark 1565 ; 

 an Apostle spoon, with the London date letter for 1637, the 

 handle of this surmounted with a figure of St. Philip holding 

 in one hand a cross, and in the other a basket offish ; a remark- 

 able silver ladle, with an octagonal hollow handle, and the mark 

 W. C, for William Clarke, the maker, who was Master of the 

 Guild of Goldsmiths in Cork, anno 1714 ; a seal-top spoon, with 

 the London Hall mark 1647 ; a Danish spoon, anno 1701, with 

 engraved bowl and open work handle ; a Persian spoon of 

 boxwood, in a case with silver chain ; &c. He referred to the 

 " Maidenhead spoons," so called from having a figure of the 

 Virgin upon the handle ; to the Cavalier spoons, which bore 

 an effigy of King Charles ; and to the many historical allusions 

 to the Apostle spoons — e.g.^ in the play of King Henry VIII., 

 where the King twits Cranmer as wishing to spare his spoons 

 by excusing himself from being godfather to the young Princess 

 Elizabeth, for the spoons were sponsorial gifts, and are men- 

 tioned more than once in the diaries of Pepys, Evelyn, &c. 

 His next reference was to the pomander or scent box, a beauti- 

 ful example of which, in pierced silver work, was shown. The 

 pomander is mentioned in an inventory so far back as 1321, 

 and again among the valuables of King Henry V., anno 1423. 

 Cardinal Wolsey is described by Cavendish as holding one in 

 his hand when passing among crowds, as a prevention against 

 pestilent airs, the plague and infection. He then referred to 

 the matrices of mediaeval and other seals, and showed a beauti- 

 ful vesica-shaped, brass-gilt matrix of " S. Priorisse Monasterei 

 see Caterine D. Senis" of 14th century work. While dwelling 



