SUN-DIALS AND THEIR MOTTOES. 
3 
by the Roman writer Vitruvius in his ‘ Architecture,’ which was 
probably written in the first century. Most of these classical dials 
showed the unequal hours, that is to say, the day and night were 
each divided into twelve, the day hours being long in Summer 
and short in Winter; at the same time the mathematicians quite 
understood that the division into hours at the time of the equinox, 
W'hen the day and night were equal, was the scientific w r ay of 
dividing the day, and two or three ancient dials exist which show 
these hours only. 
Probably the art of dialling was never completely lost during 
the dark ages which followed the decay of Rome, but no dials are 
known to exist which belong to that period. 
The earliest dated Saxon dial in this country stands in the 
churchyard of Bewcastle in Cumberland ; it is on a cross the shaft 
of which still remains with inscriptions on it recording that it 
was a sign of victory put up in the first year of King Ecgfrith, 
that is, a.d. 670. Prom that date we have had an unbroken 
succession of dials and dial-makers until the present day. 
I wish, however, this evening to tell you something about 
portable and pocket dials, of which I have brought several examples 
to show you; and if there is time I should like to mention a few 
sun-dial mottoes. 
There is no doubt that the first time-recorder that men used 
when travelling was their own shadow. Palladius, in his 
'‘Be re rusticdj written in the fifth century, gives a table of the 
