The Dinner. 



133 



their very rudeness ; he had the opinion of noted archaeologists that 

 some of the urns are the rudest they had ever seen, they were 

 such as any child might form with its hands out of clay or other 

 plastic material. He recommended attention to the drawings sent 

 by Mr. Richmond, and also one by Lawrence, dated Devizes, Sep- 

 tember 9th, 1787, which was a very small but interesting specimen 

 of that period of the artist's life ; also to some very valuable coins 

 and medals, kindly lent by Mrs. Kenrick; and to an interesting 

 collection of models of celebrated diamonds, by Mr. Gregory, of 

 London. 



This concluded the morning' meeting : and then the President and 

 officers of the Society, headed by the Mayor and Corporation in 

 their robes of office, and preceded by the mace, &c, formally walked 

 in procession to the new Museum and Library, when the President 

 duly unlocked the door, and followed by the whole body of archaeo- 

 logists, visited every portion of the premises, which called forth loud 

 marks of approbation, and the Museum and Library were declared 

 open. 



The treasures here collected engrossed the attention of many of 

 the visitors for the rest of the afternoon : others, reserving the 

 Museum for another opportunity, pleasantly employed the interval 

 before dinner by inspecting some of the more noteworthy objects in 

 the town : some visiting the fine old churches of St. John and 

 St. Mary ; others, the admirable collection of British birds at Mr. 

 TugwelPs; and others, the magnificent geological collection of Mr. 

 Cunnington : though nearly all found opportunity to wander over 

 " The Devizes Castle," and its beautiful grounds, which were most 

 hospitably thrown open to their inspection by Mr. Leach. 



THE DINNER 



took place at the Bear Hotel, at five o'clock, at which about seventy 

 of the members and their friends were present. After the usual 

 loyal toasts, the President, in proposing the health of the Bishop 

 and Clergy, referred to the pilgrimage to Pontigny, and pointed 

 out that the Saint honoured there was in A.D. 1200 both a diemi- 

 tary and a priest of a town near Devizes. St. Edmund was rector of 

 vol. xv. — no. xliv. p 



