[Excerpts from Zacharias Uffenbach's diary of his visit to Oxford in 1710 in the company of his brother Johann Friedrich Uffenbach] Also we saw a great urn, almost twice as big as the one
Olearius makes such a fuss about in his Mausolaeum,
which I saw at his house. This urn, as was stated on the label appended, was, "inventa juxta Sittingburne in agro Cantiano." It is also alleged: "Burtonus in annotationibus ad Antonini Itinerarium."
Farther on we saw the sword or dagger with which James I is said to have knighted the "Sir Line" of beef. When he came from Scotland and found the great roast loin of beef, which he had never tasted before, so much to his liking, he asked what the name of this joint was. Receiving the answer: "Line beef," he drew his sword and as though dubbing
a knight smote it three times with the weapon, saying: "This joint shall henceforth be deemed noble and be
called Sir Line beef." If this is the same sword then for the sake of the royal jest, it is certainly well worthy of
preservation. But such things are easily suspicious, as the wearing apparel and articles said to date from
old times generally are. For instance: in Gotha, if I
mistake not, they exhibit all the clothing and armour of Gustavus Adolphus. Although a note is appended on which it is stated that these are the gloves jerkin etc. of this king, some one of the same epoch ought really to be there too to take a solemn oath that they are
genuine, and not just announced as such and presented here in order to receive honour and admiration.