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there is not much chance, since the property has some time since been sold by Lord Mostyn. Some light may, however, be thrown on the fact by the Church Register or Churchwardens' Accounts, although these last in Wales have been much neglected, and left to rot and moulder in damp churches. Will the clergyman of the parish lend what help he can to

Your humble servant,

SIR PHILIP WARWICK.

AN INQUIRER?

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ARCH. CAMB.

SIR,-The following notice of Sir Philip Warwick occurs on the fly-leaves of a copy of his Memoires of the Reigne of K. Charles I, 1701. As his name occurs among the members for the Radnorshire boroughs (Arch. Camb., 3rd Series, vol. xii, p. 249), its publication may interest your readers.

R. W. B.

"Sr Philip Warwick, ye author of this Book, was born in ye city of Westm", being ye son of Thomas Warwick, organist of ye Abbey Church there, & he ye son of Thomas Warwick of ye city of Heref. Sr Phil. was educated in Eaton School, & was for a time chorister at Westmr. Afterwards he travailed into ffrance, & was much at Geneva, under ye instruccon & good counsel of Deodatus ye famous Divine; thence returning with many accomplishments into his native country, became Secretary to Bp. Juxon, Ld. Treasurer of England, & one of ye Clerks of ye Signet to K. Cha. I; and in 1640 was chosen Burgess of New Radnor to sit in yt unhappy Parlt yt began Nov. 3 ye same year; but perceiving soon after what desperate courses ye members thereof took, retired to his Maty & was with him at Oxon, & sat in the Parlt there 1643, having his lodgings in University Coll., & his counsel was then much relyed upon by his Maty. Afterwards he was one of ye Coms to treat with those appointed by Parlt for ye surrender of Oxford in 1646, and in 1648 he did attend on his Maty in his disconsolate condicon in ye Isle of Wight. In ye times of usurpation he was involved in ye same troubles as all Royallists were; but after his Maties Restauration, being then fix'd in ye Clerkship of ye Signet, he became Secretary to Tho. E. of Southampton, Ld Treas of England, & was knighted; in weh place he behaved himself so dextrously & acted so much yt he was usually called Sr Philip ye Treasurer. He hath written besides this Book another not yet printed, Of Government as examined by Scripture, Reason, & ye Law of ye Land, or true weights & measures between Sovereignty and Liberty. Fol."

On the opposite page, in a much later hand, is written:

"I will close this account with the inscription on a handsome monument which I have seen in the church of Chiselhurst in Kent:

"""Here lies

in expectation of a joyful resurrection through Jesus Christ, the only mortal part of Sir Philip Warwick, Knt., who departed this life the 15th day of Jany. 1682, in the 74 year of his age. He was an accepted servant of K. Charles 1st in all his extremities, and a faithful one to K. Charles 2nd. "Here also with his body lies that of his dear wife, Joan Fanshaw of Ware Park, a lady of sincere virtue and piety.""

Miscellaneous Notices.

THE POWYSLAND CLUB.-We are now in possession of the first volume of the Transactions of this Society, entitled Collections, Historical and Archæological, relating to Montgomeryshire, as well as the Report of its annual meeting, held at Welshpool on 10th October, 1868, under the presidency of the Earl of Powis. The papers contained in this volume, some of which have appeared in our own pages, will be found full of interest; and the flourishing condition of the club, which now numbers eighty-three members, has paid all its expenses, and still holds a balance in its treasurer's hands, is to ourselves a subject of great satisfaction. We earnestly hope that this, our eldest child, may have a long career of usefulness and prosperity.

THE JOURNAL OF THE KILKENNY ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY has altered its title, by which we find that it is now intended for the whole of Ireland, and that the operations of the Society are co-extensive. The later numbers of the series are rich in accounts of recent discoveries of oghams and of cromlechs.

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF NORTHERN ANTIQUARIES OF COPENHAGEN has just sent us the last numbers of its annals: a most interesting series full of records of good and serious archæological work. We are glad to find at the head of this Society the name of the present King of Denmark, Christian IX. His Majesty has in this respect followed the excellent example of his illustrious predecessor, so well known for his profound knowledge of, and his love for, national antiquities. The examples of enlightened patriotism thus set by the monarchs of Denmark, one of the most interesting countries of Europe, should not be lost on other sovereigns, and may well put to the blush the crowned despoilers who have fallen so ruthlessly on this gallant little nation, one of the worst used in Europe. Among the officers of the northern antiquaries we find M. Worsaae and M. Engelhardt, so well known for their works on northern antiquities; and we gladly avail ourselves of this opportunity to mention the late work of the latter of these two gentlemen on the discoveries made in peat-mosses, as one of the most valuable contributions to northern antiquities of our day. It is most copiously and admirably illustrated, and happy are they who possess it. We should do well to imitate its peculiar style of engraving; but as yet we have produced nothing to rival it in England. How rich the museum at Flensborg must have been before it was plundered by the German barbarians!

AN ACCOUNT OF THE OGHAM CHAMBER AT DRUMLOGHAN, COUNTY OF WATERFORD, by R. R. Brash, Esq., M.R.I.A., has been

presented to us by its author; and we hope to make some observations upon it at a future opportunity. It is well-illustrated in lithography.

AN ACCOUNT OF A SOUTERRAIN AT CURRAGHELY, COUNTY CORK, by the same indefatigable author, has laid us under an additional obligation.

ADDRESSES TO THE HISTORIC SOCIETY OF LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE, by the President, Joseph Mayer, Esq., F.S.A., have been received by us, and perused with vivid interest. They are rich in information, conveyed with great force and clearness of style. We wish heartily that space allowed of reprinting them textually in our pages: so graphic are they in what relates to the early populations of Britain, to the antiquities of America, to the "kitchen-middens" (a good Lancashire as well as northern word) and their archæological bearings, to the destruction of family muniments, etc., etc. It may not be known to all our members, but it ought to be, that Mr. Mayer, who is one of our own Association, has presented to the town of Liverpool his valuable museum of the Fausett collection of Anglo-Saxon remains, thus emulating the examples of the late W. Brown, Esq., who gave to the same town the Great Free Library, building and all; and also of the present Earl of Derby, who added to it rich collections of natural history and statuary. Fortunate is the community which is so much enriched by the patriotism and generosity of its freemen. Mr. Mayer has given to the parish of Bebington, on the Cheshire side of the Mersey, where he has his country residence, a free library of more than eleven thousand volumes, open to all, well used, and not abused, and supported entirely at his own expense.

PREPARATIONS OF THE COUNTY OF KENT TO RESIST THE SPANISH ARMADA, from the pen of Mr. Mayer, is a valuable contribution of curious local details, illustrative of the History of England.

VANDALISM AT TENBY.-We are sorry to find that the reign of bad taste fostered by the love of personal gain, is not yet over in the Queen of Welsh watering places for we learn by the Tenby Observer that it was necessary in October last to hold another meeting of persons opposed to the threatened destruction of the south-west gateway and part of the town walls. It was supposed that the evil spirit had been laid by a warning from the office of Woods and Forests concerning the right of property in the walls, but ignorance and barbarism are not so easily rebutted; and we shall gladly hear of the threatened destroyers falling into the hands of the Attorney-General. Under pretence of improving the approach to a slip of building-land lying just outside the walls, the owners of the property are ready to sacrifice one of the most valuable remains of medieval fortifications in Wales; and, perhaps in a similar spirit, would they sell the graves and coffins, bones and all, of their own fathers, could they find purchasers. The

really respectable inhabitants have set their faces against this cruel and needless mutilation, and we hope that they may yet succeed in preventing the evil.

EARLY REMAINS FOUND NEAR ABERGELAU.-We understand from a correspondent that numerous articles in bronze, and, we believe, in iron and copper also, have lately been found in the highlands above Abergelau, in Denbighshire. They comprise various kinds of vessels, apparently domestic, as well as fragments of military weapons and articles of house furniture. We hope to receive further details, and to be able to give some account of them to our readers.

ARCHBISHOP WILLIAMS'S LETTERS.-A correspondent, who is collecting materials for memoirs of Archbishop Williams, wishes to be assisted in his researches by any members of this Association whose attention may be turned in a similar direction. It is supposed that many letters may still be in existence, and a communication of them, for the purpose of publication, will be thankfully acknowledged. It is much to be wished that a view and plan of the Archbishop's house, still standing at Conway, may be published.

ANCIENT COPPER SMELTING, ANGLESEY.-We learn from a correspondent in Anglesey that some circular cakes of copper, the results of ancient smelting, probably Roman, have been lately found in Anglesey; and we hope to lay some account of them before our readers in a future number.

Reviews.

SKENE'S FOUR ANCIENT BOOKS OF WALES-2 vols., 8vo. WE had intended giving a lengthened review of this valuable work, one of the most important contributions to Celtic literature of the day; but such are the requirements for space in our Journal, made by archæological contributions, that it has become necessary to limit ourselves to a general notice. At the same time we have the less cause for regret at this circumstance, because Mr. Skene's book will almost, as a matter of course and necessity, find its place on the tables of all Celtic antiquaries and scholars, while a review of it, however ample it might be made in the ordinary course of things, could effect no more than a brief and, to some extent, an unsatisfactory outline. It may at once be stated, too, that some of the most important parts relating to the ethnology and language of the Picts were originally published in our own pages, and are, therefore, already in the possession of our members. One of the most remarkable features of the book in its present complete form is Mr. Skene's searching criticism of the texts of the four ancient books, in which he comments on the not very honest and withal the unsatisfactory manner, in which texts were "amended," "improved," and even vamped up, by a peculiar school of Celtic scholars during the latter part of the last century and the beginning of the present; and he even lays his finger, though he abstains from pushing it home, upon a certain plague spot of Glamorganshire origin, which threatened to do, and indeed has actually done, much injury to the knowledge of Welsh literature in general. We do no more than allude to the subject, because it may painfully affect certain reputations still flourishing, and which we have no wish to disturb.

A great point with the author is to collect and record whatever may throw light upon the early history of the Cymry of the North of England; and, to our mind, this is one of the most important matters he has treated of. We recommend all that portion of his first volume to the careful study of our readers. Another matter, which will be duly appreciated by the Association, is to be found in the text and translations of the four ancient books themselves, which fill up and complete the second volume.

Mr. Skene writes with great force and clearness of diction, and his style is such as to remove any sense of embarrassment from what might otherwise be a deep and obscure subject, relating, as it does, to ethnological and philological topics known only to a few, and far removed from the ken of otherwise well-informed students of our national antiquities.

Had this work been published in France, and had it been composed with similar diligence and learning on a subject of Gaulish archæology, he Institute would have rewarded its author with titles and recom

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