370 Coventina's Fountain, by the Rev. J. C. Bruce, LL.D. 



Again we would expect to find the freshest coins of any 

 particular reign lying below those which were worn by use ; 

 this was not the case; coins in every condition were lying 

 side by side. But overlooking these considerations we can- 

 not but ask what were the priests about, that they allowed so 

 much treasure to lie useless in the well ? The deposit 

 theory gives us no answer to this question. That bones of 

 animals and fragments of deers' horns should be found in the 

 well is puzzling. But it should be remembered, that whenever 

 the houses and barracks in the stations, mile-castles or turrets of 

 the Wall are excavated, great quantities of bones are found. 

 The bones found in the well may originally have encumbered the 

 floors of the priests' houses and the temple, and have been trans- 

 ferred to the well during the hasty deposit of the treasure there. 

 The advocates of the deposit theory regard the bones as remnants 

 of the offerings sacrificed to the Nymph. The deities how- 

 ever in whose honour victims were slain, and wine or oil offered, 

 got very little of them. A portion of the entrails of the animal, 

 or a few drops of wine or oil, were burnt upon the altar ; the 

 rest formed the feast in which the worshippers and priests in- 

 dulged. Ovid gives us an idea of the use to which these offerings 

 were put — 



" Hue venit, et fonti rex Numa mactat ovem : 

 Plenaque odorati disponit pocula Bacchi ; 

 Cumque suis antro conditus ipse latet. 

 Ad solitos veniunt silvestria numina fontes, 

 Et relevant multo pectora sicca mero."* 



Fasti Bk. iii., v. 300, &c. 



The deity presiding over the fountain of course took nothing 

 by the sacrifice, the priests and perhaps the neighbouring shep- 

 herds, decked out in festive attire, partook of the dainties pro- 

 vided. The good things were not thrown into the fountain ! 



The circumstance that large stones, taken from the masonry 

 of the walls were thrown upon the contents of the well, which, 

 for many centuries, had effectually concealed the treasure be- 

 neath — baffling, even, the curiosity of an antiquary as zealous as 

 the learned Horsley — is favourable to the supposition of a hasty 

 rather than of a gradual deposit. 



* " Hither comes King Numa, and sacrifices a sheep to the fountain ; he 

 then places for the gods cups full of fragrant wine ; and with his train lies 

 hid, concealing himself in a grotto. The forest gods come to their accustomed 

 streams, and refresh their parched spirits with copious draughts of wine." 



