Archceologia. 895 



Richard ; a broken scepfcre is supported on the left arm, and an 

 extremely elegant awmoniere is suspended to the girdle. After this 

 discovery the explorations were continued, and other objects of 

 interest were brought to light, by far the most important of which 

 was a leaden coffin, which there can be.no doubt was that of John 

 of Lancaster, Duke of Beaufort, the brother of our Henry V., and 

 Regent of Prance under Henry VI. This had evidently been ori- 

 ginally enclosed in a strong coffin of oak. The bones of the great 

 duke were found inside undisturbed ; the body had been embalmed 

 with some aromatic substances, the nature of which could not be 

 satisfactorily ascertained, except that mercury had entered largely 

 into them. Drops of mercury which fell from it almost formed a 

 stream. The hair of the head was found perfectly preserved. The 

 hands were crossed over the abdomen. On the breast lay a cross 

 formed by a fillet of a stuff which resembled silk, or fine linen. 

 It was the only object of art found with the body. The Abbe 

 Cochet deserves the greatest praise for the skill and energy he has 

 displayed in carrying out these interesting explorations. 



The city of Hereford ought to feel flattered in its character for 

 antiquarian interest, for it appears that the three great archaeological 

 institutions, the British Archaeological Association, the Archaeo- 

 logical Institute, and the Cambrian Archaeological Association, had 

 each, unknown to the other, chosen Hereford for its place of meeting 

 next year. The Cambrian Association, having been the first to 

 publish its choice, remains in possession, and will hold its meeting 

 in Hereford in the month of August, 1867. The Archaeological 

 Institute is understood to have changed its place of meeting to 

 Hull. The British Archaeological Association has resolved upon 

 holding its meeting next year at Ludlow, and has elected for its 

 president Sir Charles H. Rouse Boughton, of Downton Hall, near 

 that town. Its week of meeting is to be that beginning on Monday, 

 July 29, and ending on Saturday, August 3. No town in England 

 could, by the beauty of its scenery, and by the multitude of objects 

 of antiquarian interest scattered in and round it, offer so many 

 attractions to the archaeologist as Ludlow. 



A correspondent at Norham has sent us a drawing of an ancient 

 sword which was found protruding from alluvial deposit, on the 

 Tweed banks, near that place, after a severe flood, some feet below 

 the surface of the land. The blade, he informs us, iS thirty-two 

 inches long ; it tapers gradually to a point, and the handle is formed 

 by two lunette cross-bars, the convex sides turned towards each 

 other. It is a very rare type, but Mr. Roach Smith, in his well- 

 known Museum of London antiquities, had one closely resembling 

 it, which was found in the bed of the Thames. He considered it as 

 belonging to a date not older than the thirteenth century, but 

 perhaps even a little later, and this opinion is probably correct. 



The excavations at Silchester, on the site of the Roman town 

 (Calleva), have been carried on with vigour during the summer and 

 autumn, at the expense of the Duke of Wellington, and under the 

 direction of the Rev. J. Gr. Joyce, and are becoming every day more 

 interesting. Lines of streets have been already traced, and houses 



