Pannier Alley.

N an interesting Paper, "The Tradition of London Stone," by Mr. H. C. Coote, the learned author of "The Romans of Britain," is an incidental reference to a much earlier mention of another "stone" in London, evidently also of public notoriety. The passage is quoted from "Codex Diplomaticus," No. cccxvi., dated A.D. 889, which contains a grant by King Alfred to Werefrith, Bishop of Worcester, of "in Lundonia unam curtem, quae verbo tenus ad antiquum petrosum aedificium, id est, ad Hwaetmundes stane a ciuibus appellatur, a strata publica usque in murum eiusdem ciuitatis, cuius longitudo est perticarum xxvi. et latitudo," &c.

Mr. Coote's purpose in quoting this passage is to support his position that in the first year of King Richard I., when Henry Fitz-Aylwin

is described as "de Londone Stane," no reference is made to the well-known stone in Cannon Street, but to a stone house or mansion so distinguished, in which he lived. "For the word 'stone,' in its secondary sense, meant a stone house;" and the passage above copied from the charter of A.D. 889, is quoted as an earlier example of this secondary use of the word "stone" as for a stone house. May not, however, the "antiquum petrosum aedificium' of the earlier charter be any ancient stone monument—a pillar, a pyramid, or erection of any kind; a monolith even? If so, what is the meaning of the vernacular name, of the ancient stone, quoted in the charter ?

In Devonshire, a large basket, such as in other parts of England is called a "hamper," is scarcely known otherwise than as a "maund." Will not this help to interpret the name "Hwaetmundes stane" as "Wheatmaund's-stone?" and was this already ancient in Pannier Alley, Newgate Street? This stone an antecessor of the sculptured stone

stone, with its figure of a man or boy sitting upon a pannier or maund, and the date 1688, is as well known as "London Stone" itself, and has been often engraved. See, for example, "Hone's Every-Day Book," ii. 1135. Moreover, the "curtis" of the grant seems to include a larger piece of land than is accounted for by supposing it to have been a house; and is described as having the usages, rights, and appliances of a public market, which are included in the grant of it to the Bishop. The charter continues "... et intro urnam et trutinam ad mensurandum in emendo siue uendendo ad usum, siue ad necessitatem propriam et liberam omnimodis habeat;" but while tolls of sales,

after the Fire, in order to transmit, to our end of the millennium, the tradition of the "antiquum petrosum ædificium," or wheatmaund's-stone, which marked the pitching place of cereal produce, or the ancient mealmarket a market-cross, in fact? Or is there any other trace of ancient interests of the Bishops of Worcester in Newgate Market, or of any of their possessions in London that may otherwise have been the subject of the grant? THOMAS KERSLAKE.

Bristol.

matter will be found in the Appendices to the bookthe Chronological Tables of Architectural Examples, and of the Irish Annals; and that the book is rendered all the more valuable by a careful and well classified index.

Memories of Troublous Times, by Emma Marshall (Seeley & Co.), is one of those half real and half fictitious autobiographies of which "The Diary of the Lady Willoughby was the earliest and perhaps

the best example. The scene of the events which it records is laid in the neighbourhood of Gloucester in the time of the Civil War: the book is partly based on the contents of a genuine biography of an actually existing lady in the seventeenth century. Readers will find that it illustrates the habits and manners and customs of those times, in which many good and noble men, and women too, took contrary sides, and when families were divided against their nearest and dearest relatives. The illustrations (careful etchings) of Gloucester Cathedral, the Grey Friars, the Village Church by the Sea, the old Cross and West Gate of Gloucester, Matson House, &c., add materially to the interest and value of the book.

Mr. Thomas Sangster, churchwarden of St. Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield, has lately published a brief history of that ancient fabric, in the form of a small brochure, and as an appeal for funds for the repair and preservation of the edifice. The church of St. Bartholomew the Great is one of the oldest in London, and one especially dear to antiquaries; it would, therefore, be a great pity that it should be allowed to fall into a state of decay through want of funds for its sustenance. The little book can be procured from its author, in Long Lane, Smithfield.

The Reader's Handbook, by E. C. Brewer, LL.D., (Chatto & Windus, 1880, 2nd edition), is one of those handy reference volumes without which the scholar and the man of letters, in whatever direction his studies may carry him, will be sure to find much that is as useful as new. It is a perfect repertory and storehouse of information on subjects of the most miscellaneous kind, allusions, references, stories, characters, plots of standard plays and novels, and indeed omnia scibilia. Dr. Brewer deserves the greatest credit for the persevering labour which he has spent upon the work a work alike of years and of love. The only wonder is to us to see how little of the whole range of curiosa he has failed to record, and how he has contrived to condense so much and such multifarious matter into so small a compass.

Gordon," by Mr. John Latham; "On a Gold Ring of Phahaspes, with Remarks by Mr. Percy Gardner," by Mr. A. W. Franks, F.R. S.; and "On the Early History of the City of Ardea," by Mr. John H. Parker, C.B. The last-named Paper, in Mr. Parker's absence, was read by the Secretary. Among the articles of interest exhibited were the above-mentioned gold ring of Phahaspes and other Oriental rings of gold and bronze, sundry morions, coats of mail, and helmets, found in Africa, illustrative of the first Paper; a curious old lock and iron spearheads, from Oystermouth Castle; some Lincolnshire relics, consisting of pottery, swords, &c., by Mr. Streatfeild; and a drawing of a "martel de fer" lately found at Wolvesey Palace, Winchester, and forwarded to the Society by the Rev. Dr. Ridding, Head Master of Winchester School.

era.

June 10.-Mr. A. W. Franks, late Director of the Society, in the Chair.-Lord Ashburnham exhibited a fine manuscript of the Gospels, which is believed to date from the Carlovingian The volume, which was shown under a glass case in the centre of the room, is of the quarto size. Its covers are richly ornamented with goldsmith's work, probably of as early a date as the eighth century, and inlaid with emeralds, sapphires, pearls, and other precious stones, the interstices being filled with figures of the Cross, angels, saints, and beasts. These are finer and larger on the upper side than on the reverse, and, as was explained in an elaborate Paper read by Mr. Alexander Nesbitt, were of the German type rather than either Italian or French, and certainly were not Byzantine. It was probable, he said, that some of the ornamentation was executed by members of the Irish Missionary Church in Germany. He thought that the reverse and plainer side of the volume as it now stood was the older, belonging to the Carlovingian period, and that the front had been added at a more recent period. Indeed, some of the work of restoration of the volume bore the date A.D. 1594. He stated that in its perfect condition it had been inlaid with enamel, and studded with upwards of forty emeralds, carbuncles, &c.-Mr. E. M. Thompson followed with a brief Paper on the interior of the volume, which he was not inclined to assign to an earlier period than the latter half of the tenth century, for reasons which he stated in full. The volume consists of 224 pages, containing the four Gospels, all illuminated to a slight degree with capital letters, &c., but plain when compared with many existing specimens of the same date. The manuscript itself is very clean and perfect, and in a first-rate state. It was given about A. D. 980 to a convent on the banks of the Lake of Constance. It was there carried in solemn procession at the annual festival and on other great occasions; and it was bought from Mr. Boore by the late Lord Ashburnham. Some photographs showing the elaborate detail of the ornamentation of the covers were handed round the room, and the reading of the two Papers gave rise to an animated discussion, after which votes of thanks were passed to Lord Ashburnham and to Messrs Nesbitt and Thompson. It was announced that the Earl of Ashburnham, the Dean of Norwich, Mr. Wilfrid Cripps, and three other gentlemen had been elected Fellows of the Society; and