I HaveI have had pretty good Hap in adding to my Roman Curiosities, Two entire Urns, both of the Blewish-Grey Clay, but different Forms, with some of the burnt Bones, and Two other Vessels of the Red Clay, the lesser of them is almost in the Form of the Roman Simpulum or Guttus, and by the Narrowness of the Neck seems rather to have, been a kind of Lacrymatory, or Vessel for some kind of liquid Matter, rather than Ashes, the other was part of an Aqueduct, and is turn'd in the Form of a Scrue on the inside, and has a narrow Neck at one end, to put into the open end of the next, and several of these (each a Foot long and Four Inches broad) were found thus placed in the Roman Burying Place at York, by the River side, out of Boutham Bar, which our Learned Dean, Dr. Gale, tells me, signifies Burning in the British Language, and 'twas indisputably the Place the Romans made use of to that end, as appears by the great Number of Urns there frequently found, when they dig the Clay for Bricks, and that it continued the place of the Sepulture after that Custom of burning, (739) introduced in the tirannous Dictatorship of Scylla, was abolished, is Evident, by remarkable Hypogœum without any Urns in it, discovered the last Winter; 'twas large enough to contain Two or Three Corpses, and was paved with Bricks nigh Two Inches thick, Eight in breadth and letigth, being Æquilaterally Square, upon Which was second Pavement of the same Roman Bricks to cover the Seams of the Lower, and prevent, the working up Vermin. But those that cover’d the Vault were the most remarkable that ever I saw, being above Two Foot square, and of a proportionable thickness. I have also a Third Sort of Roman Bricks, which I discovered in my Survey of this Parish, in the Ruins of Kirkstall Abbey, Two Miles from Leeds which come the nighest those mentioned by being Eight Inches broad, and almost double the length. I have also Two Sorts of chequered Pavements, one of about Three Inches square, the other (of those found at Aldbrough) not above half or one fourth of an Inch, and of different Colours, &c. At the same time I took the Inscription below the Statue, of the Standard-beater of the Ninth Legion, which Dr. Fairfax happily rescued from the Ignorant Workmen; but the Dean of York (to whom I communicated it) able to give a better Comment upon it.

BURNT Bones found in a Roman Urn near Peckam in Surry, given me by the Learned Dr. Gale late Dean of Yorke, who presented the Rest, with the Pot they were found in, to the Royal Society.

FORFor the Cornelian Signets, see the Roman Antiquities. A very ancient and small Stone to be set in a Ring 1 h x, which I take to be the old Cypher for Jesus, the only Difficulty is in the later, which is S or C: But when I had the Honour (in Company of the Learned Dr. Gale) to be known to his Excellency Baron Spanheim, then Ambasador from the King of Prussia to K. William, I presently learned that x is very often used for S, not only upon some ancient Coins, but Marbles. A large Copper Oval with IHS, in modern Characters, with the Cross above and wounded Head and Nails below, the whole surrounded with Rays of Glory. But this seems rather designed to make Wafers for the Eucharist, or perhaps for the Impression upon certain Books. A Seal in a smaller Oval with the Portraiture of St Margaret inscribed in obsolete Characters Saunca Margaretta. It was an early Custom among the Christians to have the Names and Pictures of their Tutelar Saints cut upon their Signets. The Seal of the Gray-Friars at Bedford, tho' found at Ardington Nunnery in Yorkeshire: It is inscribed S. Communitatis: Frm: minor Bedfordi. (Don. D. Sam. Ibbetson Merc. Leod.) The Seal of the Prioress of Tuba, round the Virgin Mary with her Son is inscribed S (for Sigillum, as in the former) Helisadis porisse de Tuba. This, and the former are Oval, what follows are Circular. A large one of Copper with the Angel Gabriel, and the Salutation, ┼ Ave Maria Gracia plena, Dominus tecm tecum. Another with the Virgin and our Saviour with this Legend, ┼ Virgo Pudica Pia, nostri miserere Maria. These three were sold amongst old Metal, but preserved for me by Mr. Sam. Smith Bell-Founder at Yorke, with two lesser of later Dates, one hath the Duke of Yorke's Head with D Y under a Ducal Coronet. The other a Talbot upon a Wreath under a Viscount's. A small one but more ancient, hath Z between two Crosses, inscribed, Gurdon de Pontfrac: Sent me by the Reverend Mr. Lascels Lecturer at Pontfract. A Brass Seal Ring found at Kirkstal-Abbey, but seems not very ancient; it hath a Demi-Lion upon a Tower. Don. D. Jo. Rontree Alderm. Leod.

The Survey of the Rivers Ouse, Are and Calder, made by those sent from the Trinity-House at London, when the two later Rivers were made navigable. A Map of Yorkeshire in less than 2 ½ Inches. A Copy of the Prophetick Picture, concerning the Kings of England; the Original is carefully preserved in the Vatican; it was carried to Rome by one Thomson a Priest, about the Year 1626. My late pious Friend Dr. Fall, Præcentor of Yorke, saw it there, An. 1670, and by the Favour of Cardinal Howard procured a Copy of it, whence I took this. It is divided into eight Scenes: In the first, the Crosses are falling down from the Churches, and by the King is writ, A Thief; in the 2d they are re-erected by Queen Mary, by whose Picture is writ, God for the Woman: In the 3d the Church is on a Flame, and by Queen Elizabeth is writ, Persecution. By King James in the 4th, A Goer about, a Man killer, with Axes, &c. and some of the Romish Clergy laid dead. The preceding four are all crowned, but that of the 5th for King Charles I. is at a Distance from his Head, with Armies, &c. The 6th instead of a King hath a headless Trophy, Cannons, Swords, &c. The 7th hath a young Prince at Rest, with his Sword at a Distance: In the 8th are Crosses erected, the Triple-Crown, Cardinals Caps, Crosier-Staffs, &c. the later four have no Words annexed, nor do they now need any. A Drawing of Mr. Will. Kent's, an ingenious Artist now at Rome, where he won the Prize of Drawing this very Year, from all the Students in that Science, for which his Holiness presented him with two Silver Medals of his own Bust, with St. Luke on the Reverse: He was also the first of the English Nation who was admitted into the Great Duke of Tuscany's Academy of Artists, which is an Honour to his Native County of Yorke: This Curiosity was the Present of my worthy Friend Mr. Sam. Gale (Son of the late excellent Dean of Yorke) from whom the learned World impatiently expects the History of the Cathedral of Yorke, wherein he hath made considerable Progress.

The New Testament in 8vo. in two Columns, English and Latin; in the 1 Peter 2, it is rendred to the Kynge as to chefe heade. By the Smallness of the Latin Column it appears to be the Paris Edition, wherein Bishop Bonner, then a pretended Protestant, assisted Coverdale.