The Cirencester Excursion. 



151 



were employed ; but there was no reason for that theory. In fact, 

 in old histories they read of actual eye-witnesses who had seen the 

 remains of stone seats. The circus was outside the city wall, which 

 would run near where the railway was now, for in a garden the other 

 side of the railway and in the workhouse garden fragments of the 

 wall or bank remained. Thus three out of four sides of the city 

 wall could be traced, but the remaining side could not be found. 



A member remarked that it was not a quarry, which was evident 

 from the fact that the banks had been raised, which would not occur 

 in quarrying. 



Another member observed that this amphitheatre was not unlike 

 the one at Dorchester, though it was more rugged. 



Professor Church said that could be accounted for by the nature 

 of the soil. Its symmetrical nature and enormous size were proofs 

 of its genuineness. 



Another member said Dorchester was undoubtedly the finest in 

 the country, but next to Dorchester he did not know of a better than 

 the circus at Cirencester. The seats were probably on the turf, as 

 the sports were held in the summer time. 



The party then wound its way through the picturesque grounds 

 of Mr. Lawrence, to the Tetbury-road, and from thence to the King's 

 Head Hotel, where in the assembly room, luncheon had been pro- 

 vided by Miss Baker, to which upwards of forty sat down, under 

 the presidency of Mr. A. L. Goddard. 



On the conclusion of the repast, 



The President said that this was the last occasion on which the 

 Society would meet together for the present year, and he thought it 

 necessary to say a few words before they parted. They had done him 

 the honour to elect him as president for this meeting, but, conscious 

 of his inability to do justice to it, he had felt some reluctance in 

 accepting the important position. But as it was pressed upon him, 

 and as he felt great interest in the Society, he readily undertook the 

 duties of the office. The duties of that office had now come to 

 an end, and he hoped the meeting had been a successful one. 

 The places they had visited had been interesting to all of them. They 

 visited some fine churches on Wednesday, most of which had been re- 



