88 



Coins found near Marlborough. 



them were some uninscribed British coins of very much alloyed gold, 

 brown in colour, of the type which originally had a coin of Philip of 

 Macedonia for its pattern, but which was so often and so ignorantly 

 copied and re-copied by the British artist, that it is extremely difficult 

 — indeed, without some of the intermediate specimens to help one, 

 impossible — to recognise the resemblance between the British pro- 

 duction and its original Greek type. The process, however, by 

 which the beautiful Greek coin of Philip became the extraordinary 

 jumble of dots and wheels which was struck in this island, is most 

 distinctly made out in Mr. Evans' admirable work on British coins. 

 In it you will find all that is at present known about Tasciovanus, 

 Epaticcus, and the other British princes whose names are only known 

 from their coins. It is possible the plough or the spade may again 

 turn up coins of hitherto unknown types, which may give us more 

 names of princes of this country, with whom we are at present un- 

 acquainted ; but, though the art of writing was evidently known 

 at that time to the inhabitants of these islands, it is, I fear, hope- 

 less to expect such wonderful discoveries as have rewarded the spade 

 of Layard, and the learning and patience of the lamented George 1 

 Smith, who have brought to light and read and translated the 

 contemporary history of the Assyrian Kings on the clay cylinders 

 and tablets, which we see in the British Museum. 



No doubt Tasciovanus, Cunobeline, and Epaticcus were highly j 

 civilized princes compared with their ancestors, whose dwellings we 

 inspected to-day, and whose tombs we hope to see to-morrow. But I 

 their history, if ever it was written, remains to be discovered. At j 

 any rate, let us hope that the Wilts Archseological Society will 

 succeed in obtaining for its collection in the Museum any future 

 memorials of them that may be discovered in this county, and that j 

 it will take the utmost care to bring together every coin and object 

 of antiquity, which may illustrate the history of past times, which 

 would otherwise be unknown to the antiquary and historian. 



