Archæology .

ARCH ? OLOGY .

THE BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION . THE clean , quiet , thriving , and historically finned town of ¦ Newbury has just been put into an agreeable state of excitement by the visit of the British Arch . eologieal Association . Here , on Monday , began their annual congress , which is to be limited exclusively to thc antiquities of Berkshire—" a virgin mine" as the

, , Earl of Carnarvon aptly expressed it , for their labours , for in truth there is scarcely any English county which abounds more in interesting relics of the past than it , and yet strange enough scarcely anything has been clone by antiquarians to bring them to light . The programme of the week's operations embraces a treat of a very recherche character , and is ample enough to satisfy the

appetite of the most insatiable archaeologist . On Monday , there was a grand inauguration meeting at the . Mansion House , which had been fitted up with medieval furniture , and ornamented with many valuable pictures by Vandyke , Lely , and other celebrated authors , chiefly lent by Col . Vernon , M . P ., rare specimens of ancient armour , swords , and muskets , and other remarkable memorials of past centuriesThe whole elite of the

neihbour-. g hood attended , and thc fair sex almost outnumbering their lords and masters . The Earl of Carnarvon , who presided , delivered an eloquent and powerful address , evincing a truly astonishing amount of knowledge with regard to the antiquities of the county , and nearly exhausted the whole subject ; but he unfortunately

committed the mistake , too common , alas , even among experienced orators , of extending it over nearly two hours ; three quarters ought to have been the outside . However , it was a most successful effort and tends to strengthen thc opinion entertained by many as to the versatility of his talent , and the prospect he has of some clay playing an - important part in public life . Tlie Bishop of Oxford , who followed the earl eulogised the

essay in most glowing terms , and entered into a warm defence of Areh-cology . At a quarter past six o'clock there was a Hililed'hote in a marquee at the Pelican , attended by both their lordships , and afterwards a meeting at the Mansion House for reading papers , and for discussion . Mr . Pettigrew discoursed on the history and contiguities of Wiltshire , and Mr . James Heywood , i-. r . M . P ., read a curious paper by Mr . Halliwell on the celebrated

" Jack of Newbury , '' who was a broad cloth weaver in thc town in thc reign of Henry VIII ., whom , with Queen Katharine , he entertained here with great splendour . It is also said that he fought at Flodden Field , at thc bead of one hundred of his workmen , clothed and equipped at his own expense , but all this may he apocryphal . Since Monday , the practice has been to start on an excursion to cli / fereii _ places of interest in thc neighbourhood , to return to dinner at half-past six , and to hold a meeting at tlie . Mansion House about two hours afterwards . The cavalcade has a ,

very pretty effect as it leaves the town , consisting as it docs ol many vehicles of every imaginable description , preceded by equestrians . The excursionists have already visited the fields oi the two battles fought here during the parliamentary wars , several fine specimens of Norman churches , Shaw House , thc beautiful Elizabethan mansion where Charles I . rested on his westward

journeys ( Mr . H . It . Eyre , thc proprietor , provided for them a splendid luncheon ) . Doddiugton Castle where Chaucer was born and it is said died , the mounds in the Countess of Craven's park , and the Roman statuary at Silehcster . 'They had yet many other places to see—Highclere Castle , the beautiful seat of the Earl of Carnarvon , and Beading , the Vide of the AA'hite Horse , & c , & e . I should mention that a very interesting paper w-as read by Mr . Petti

grew- , to show that Sir Robert Dudley , the Earl of Leicester , was wholly innocent of having been a party to the murder of his wife Amy Robsart , as Ashiiiolin has asserted , and as Sir Walter Scott , on his authority , has graphically pictured in " Kcnilworth . " Tlie eminent antiquarian Mr . Thomas 'Wri ght expressed his entire concurrence in the opinion expressed by-Mr . Pettigrew , as did also some other members , but Mr . Bhmdell stoutl

y contended for the accuracy of Sir Walter ' s fiction , and enthusiastically espoused the cause of the injured wife , much to the deli ght of his fair listeners , who did not seem disposed to believe thatthc great Northern Wizard could be wrong , or that Leicester be right . Mr . Idanchd ingeniously contrived to soften down these striking differences , by supposing that Leicester ' s innocence mi ght be consistent with his for ' deathbut this

wishing poor Amys , uid not appear fo be acceptable to either side , ancl probably , if there was not already too much other work for thc stietins , this vexatu tpicestio mi ght have well occupied thc remainder of the week , so determinedl y did each side adhere to their opinions ,

The Wroxeter Excavations .

THE WROXETER EXCAVATIONS .

. Di / iuxc , the last fortnight considerable progress has been made in the discoveries at Wroxcter . An elegantly formed vase or urn , made of [ Jpchurch pottery , has been dug up almost iu an entire state . It is more than ten inches high , ami thirty-one inches in circumference , and stands upon a fiat base only four inches wide , ft contained , besides the common soil with which it was filled , a single iron nail , and some bones , not human . It is not likely to

have been used for funeral purposes , as the Romans did not allow burying within their city walls . It is very satisfactory . to find au article of pottery so nearly entire as this is , for hitherto almost only fragments have been met with . Two very fine antlers of a red deer have also been dug up , nearly two feet in length , ancl one of which measured eight and a half inches in circumference at the base . It is curious that one

of these had been cut with a saw , and the other had been hacked , with an axe , or perhaps with such a tool as the little adze mentioned in a former communication ; for the cut does not look straight like that of an axe , but somewhat curved . The number of pieces of bone and horn found fashioned on a lathe , ancl having the marks of a saw or other tool upon them , is quite extraordinary , unless there was somewhat very near no artificer in bone , and

probably a turner . A very pretty yellow brass bracelet , quite entire , lias just been brought from Wroxcter . It is very elegantly twisted , and the two ends fasten with a small hook and eye . It must have belonged to a lady , as it will easily fit a lady ' s wrist , but is too small for that of a gentleman . " Another portion of a wide column has also been brought to light .

It is two . feet eight inches in diameter , and one foot ten inches iu height , with the usual hole or mark ofthe " Louis" at each end . Upwards of two hundred feet of subterranean wall have also been laid bare within a few days . One wall has been traced running eastwards from thc square building ivhich of late has been supposed to have been a market place . Another wall , sixty-one feet long , has been seen to run parallel with the south side of the quadrangle above mentioned . A broad road or street has also been laid bare a little to the south ofthe wall just described .

INTERESTING- DISCOVERIES IN APETHORPE PARK . IN' the spring of the present year , some workmen were employed in digging a drain in Apethorpe Park , a few hundred yards south of the seat , of the Earl of AVestmoreland , ivhen it ivas found that they were throwing out some Roman mortar . This circumstance induced his lordship , who ( with Mr . Blashfield , of Stamford ) happened to be presentto ive orders for thc excavation of the pasture

, g laud in the vicinity , and in a short time a hypocaust was bared , ancl subsequently tessellated pavements , baths , various rooms , and a great extent of stone walls showing the "herring bone" work . His lordship being desirous of personally watching the progress ofthe excavations , caused them to be stopped on his sojourning in town during the season , having , previous to his departure , given orders for the strict preservation of those remains of antiquity that

had been found . . Lord Westmoreland has recently returned to Apethorpe , and on the men being again employed to excavate the site of the Roman villa , they soon exposed to view another beautiful tessellated pavement , a drawing of ivhich was taken hy Lady Westmoreland on Friday last . Walls extending about 120 yards from north to south have now been bared , and although sufficient progress ha : ;

not yet been made with the excavations to show the general ground plan ofthe building , the discoveries prove it to be tlie site of a Roman structure of very considerable extent—probably the hunting- seat of a family the head of which held an important post at the neighbouring station of Castor , the Durobriva . ol' Autonine ' s Itinerary . The labours ofthe workmen , for some time after the discovery

was made , were directed in baring the hypocaust and adjacent chambers . The concrete door over the former was destroyed , but all thc pillars that supported it remained : these range in rows from east to west and north to south , there being five in that number of rows eastward of two thick pillars of the same height , and four in each of three rows on thc flue side . The pike ( consisting of tiles cemented together ) are eiht inches the

g square , cap and base tile of each pillar being larger . Thc pillars are 1 ( 1 inches high , and that distance apart . The floor is of concrete , and whan found ivas covered with black sooty matter . Thc " herring bone " stone wall near thc flue is red from the effects of fire . A flue , tile , quite perfect , was found here : it is 14 inches long , 7 wide , and 4 . deep : it has a wavy ornament , probably made with a comb like instrument , It is conjectured that these files were used for pass-