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medieval antiquities.
 

Lancashire; the head engraved with a demi figure of St. Catherine; xir. cent.

Silver  betrothal ring,  with hands conjoined; xiv. or xv. cent.; found in the

churchyard at Exton, Hants.—Gimmal ring,  formed of four  hoops of base

metal,  interlaced, found in a marl pit near Leyland.—Flexible ring of very

fine  work, composed of numerous diminutive links hinged  together,  and

attached to a collet  in  which a gem of conical shape is  set; this ring was

described as Venetian, it may be possibly, however, of Indian workmanship.—

Miss Ffarington, Chorley, Lancashire.

  Gold ring,  with a miniature  portrait of King William III.—T.  Lloyd

Barwick Baker, Esq.

  A small ring brooch, set with sapphires and carbuncles, and  inscribed with

the following characters, of which no satisfactory explanation has been given:—

I. M—I o—vi.  It was  found in  1858  among the pebbles in a stream in the

parish  of Sydling, Dorset.   One of the gems is wanting; the red and violet

colored stones appear to have been placed alternately.  This brooch is figured

Arch.  Journ., vol. xvi.,  p. 181.—A ring of very pure gold, found at a  depth

of 7  or 8 ft. at Dorchester.   The head is formed with a cruciform ornament of

open work.  Weight, 45 grains.—A remarkable gold ring, with representations

of the  five wounds of our Lord, chased upon the hoop and originally enameled.

—The Rev. C. W. Bingham, Bingham's Melcombe, Dorset.

   A pendant ornament of silver  gilt, set with a large amethyst en  cabochon,

lately  found  at Oakhurst  near  Oswestry,  and now  in  possession of  Mr.

Venables, of  Oakhurst, by whose kind permission it  was sent to the Museum.

It measures nearly 11 in. in diameter, and J in. in thickness, including the

gem with the  collet in which it is  set.   Around this  last is  engraved a

radiated bordure with  roses and cinquefoils at intervals, and on the under

side of the ornament is engraved a figure of St. John the Evangelist, holding

a  chalice.  At the  upper margin traces of solder appear, where probably a

loop or ring was attached as a means of suspension.  This relic is doubtless a

monile or pendant, intended  to be hung on a crucifix or shrine, and  is closely

Bimilar to the monilia represented in the Book of Benefactors to St. Alban's

Abbey, Cott. MS. Nero, D. VII.  It may have enclosed a relic or an Agnus

Dei.—The Rev. D. R. Thomas, Selattyn, Salop.



   A remarkable pendant ornament, presented to Queen Elizabeth by Matthew

Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury.  It is an  intaglio on agate, representing

Vulcan forging the armour of Achilles;  Venus and Cupid stand near the anvil.

The reverse of the gem, which is convex on both sides, is plain;  the dimensions

are 1J in. by 1 in.;  it is mounted in a rim of gold with a loop for suspension.

The intaglio is of fine cinquecento work.  With this  jewel has been preserved

a round ivory box, an admirable specimen of skill in turning, ornamented with

a large full-blown English rose on the lid,  and another on the bottom, the

petals on the latter expanded and wrought with extreme delicacy; the box is

formed with interlaced work like the sides of a basket.  In this receptacle, doubt¬

less, the gift was presented to the Queen;  it is accompanied by a writing on

parchment, setting forth the nature of the agate, the virtues attributed to it by

Pliny  and Dioscorides, the etymology of the name, &c. This parchment, curiously

contrived so as to fold up  and  fit into the box, is an exquisite  specimen of

ealigraphy, and  exemplifies various kinds of writing used  at the period;  it

displays also  a miniature of Elizabeth, and a representation of St. George,

surrounded by the Garter, with the following inscription: —