( *40 ) 
Upon thefe Suppofitions the true Reading would 
be MXV\ But fince the old Date is now deftroyed, 
and modern Fi^ es put in its Place* this mull re* 
main uncertain And I can’t but think, the former 
Chara&ers mi a have been very dark and obfcure, for 
the following Reafons. There is* as I am informed* 
, Tower over this Gate, of which a curious and 
learned Gentleman, who lives very near it has 
lately given fome Account, in a Treatife entitled, 
A Survey of the Cathedral Chureh of Worcefter. 
He fais, it is “ commonly called King John's 
« Tower, and laid by fome to be built by hitn j 
u but it was much more autient, having in the Front 
“ of it the Statues of King Edgar , and his two 
<c Queens, Ethelfleda and Ethelfrida ; and the 
“ Street it leads into, is called in feveral Writings 
“ Edgar-flreet” b . Could there be any Room for 
its being ever fuppofed to have been built by King, 
John, while this Date was plain and clear ? Or would 
the Author of the Survey have contented himfelf 
with only faying, it was much more antient \ when 
he could fo eafily have given us the Year, had he 
been fatisfied with the Reading? King Edgar had 
been a great Benefadfor to the cathedral Church at 
fVorcejler , and is faid to have given to it 3C0 Hides 
of Land c * which fome compute at fo many 100 
Acres, but my Lord Coke fais, an Hide contains no 
certain Number. Edgar died in 97 y, but his Queen * 
Ethelfrida furvived him feveral Years. And as it 
is not unufual, in Order to perpetuate the Memory 
a Dr. William Thomas. b Pag. 7. See UkewifefRezxnt’s Preface to 
Heming’* Chartularium, in the Frotitifpie.ee of ti'hich Treatife is a Draught 
of thofe three Figures. c Account of the Fijhops of Worcefter. JSy 
William Thomas. 
of 
