prince, for in all our Lexions, OBrien's excepted, we find coron, crun, fleafg, cruineacan, fynonimous for a crown; and I cannot help thinking that Catir was a fictitious name, from the Hebrew or Persian Kater or Keter, for both Vashti and Esther, were crowned with Keter Malcuth, that is, the crown or diadem, or enfign of the kingdom, the Citaris and fillet on it. Both the vulgate and LXX, turn these words diadema; and fome will have Ceter in Efther, to be but the fame word from whence Citaris was first made. However, the Hebrew compared with the profane writers, fays Selden, juftifies clearly that there was a crown of gold, as well as a fillet for a royal enfign in Perfia. Aifon or afun in Irish, properly fignifies any royal enfign as a fcepter, or staff of dignity, (in Arabic Afa). Ex. Gr. foidis dino an tuafal Jacop Jofeph oirnindte agus afun in a laimh. 1. flat in a laimh, (Leabhar breacht) i. e. Straightway the noble Jacob fent his fon Joseph properly arrayed, and with a staff of dignity in his hand: Here afun is explained by flat, a rod, a fceptre; and this word in Hebrew, fignifies to govern. Saobhath is another Irifh word for a Druid Rod, from the Hebrew Virga, fceptrum tribus.

fhebet, which implie

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piece of antiquity, and would unavoidably have been melted down, had it not been preferved by Joseph Comerford Efq; a curious gentleman, defcended from a younger brother of Comerford, of the county of Stafford, who attended king John in his expedition into Ireland.

Another close crown of gold fimilar to this, I am informed, was found fome years ago, on the estate of Mr. Stafford. A cow plunging in a bog, trod on the crown, and piercing it with her hoof, carried the crown on her leg into the gentleman's farm yard. The balls of this crown were not chafed, but raised almost globular, like thofe represented on our Viscounts Coronet's. Mr. Selden remarks, "that teftimonies are not clear enough in credit, that tell us Dunvallo Mulmutius, king of the old Britons, and the old kings of Scotland, even from Fergus the first, wore golden crowns; but it feems from old British monies, that the diadem or fillet perhaps of pearl, alfo was worn by king Cunobelin."

OFlaherty in Ogygia, page 46; fays, the antient kings of Ireland, from whom Fergus defcended, wore golden crowns; that the Irish name of fuch crown was Aifion, and afterwards Coroin; and he particularly mentions a gold crown of king Catir, who reigned A. D. 174. Now Aision in Etrufcan, is the name of the golden crown placed on the heads of the dead princes. Corona aurea nobiliores defuncti ornabantur, (Gori.) D afun in Hebrew is death, mors, exitium; & aifion, in Irish, is also a relick; as, aifiona na naomh, holy relicks; aisfline, a shroud. I believe O'Flaherty has mistaken the diadem of the dead for that of the living prince,

H 2

אסון

prince, for in all our Lexions, OBrien's excep we find coron, crun, fleafg, cruineacan, fynonim for a crown; and I cannot help thinking that C was a fictitious name, from the Hebrew or Per Kater or Keter, for both Vahti and Eft! were crowned with Keter Malcuth, that is, crown or diadem, or enfign of the kingdom, Citaris and fillet on it. Both the vulgate and LX turn these words diadema; and fome will have Ce in Efther, to be but the fame word from whe Citaris was first made. However, the Hebrew cc pared with the profane writers, fays Seld justifies clearly that there was a crown of gold, well as a fillet for a royal enfign in Perfia. Ai or afun in Irish, properly fignifies any royal enfi as a fcepter, or staff of dignity, (in Arabic Afa). I Gr. foidis dino an tuafal Jacop Jofeph oirnindte ag asun in a laimh. 1. flat in a laimh, (Leabhar breach i. e. Straightway the noble Jacob fent his fon Jose properly arrayed, and with a staff of dignity in 1 hand: Here afun is explained by flat, a rod, fceptre; and this word in Hebrew, fignifies to g vern. Saobhath is another Irish word for a Druid Rod, from the Hebrew a fhebet, which impli Virga, fceptrum tribus.

שבט

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PLA TE VI.

FIG. I, AND 2, are of Gold,

three ounces

THE center pieces or handles are folid, and the ends terminate in cups. Fig. 1. weighs the College Museum. Fig. 2. weighed ten ounces, eighteen penny-weights, and is in and was fold to a goldfmith, who informs me he had melted down feveral of this form; one weighed fixteen ounces: he found fome, the handle of which were of filver chafed with plated gold. Fig. 3. and 4. are alfo of gold, but differ from the first in having the circular ends flat, and the handles or bow parts ornamented. These are evidently fibula: the circular heads paffed through the button holes and lay flat on the body, and the chafed or ornamented part was turned to the eye. In the Archæologia of the London fociety, Vol. II, are drawings of two of the larger inftruments, varying in the form of the cups, which of one, are perfectly hemispherical. The late Bishop Pococke, prefented thefe drawings to the Society, &c. by his memoir, we find he

thought

thought these alfo were a fpecies of fibula. I am of opinion, Mr. Simon, (author of the effay on the Irish coins) judged right, in thinking they were used in the religious ceremonics of the Irish Druids. I think they were pateræ: one of a most delicate conftruction, Fig. 7. was fent to me fince the former were engraved : this, from its make, could not have been a fibula; it weighs exactly two guineas; was found in a bog on the estate of James Cuffe, Efq; of the county of Mayo, and is now in the poffeffion of Judge Hellen: hitherto, nothing fimilar to thefe inftruments, has been represented or defcribed in any book of antiquities.

Fig. 5. was drawn from an urn of baked earth, and of very rude workmansbip; it was found near Baalnamolt, on the mountains between Clonmell and Capoquin, under a small tumulus, with the mouth downwards, covering fome black earth ftained by the burnt afhes of the corps, and part of the jaw bone and skull of a youth not burnt: it was prefented to me by the Rev. Mr. Ryan, parish priest of Baalnamolt, aud is now in the museum of Trinity College. The Irish MSS. mention, that in times of Paganifm, the dead bodies of Princes and Druids were burnt, but that thofe of chiefs and generals, were buried with their arms, &c. So that like the antient Etrufcans,* the Irish ufed both modes of burial at the fame time.

Fig. 6. Is a drawing from a vafe of brafs; it was found in a bog twelve feet deep, near the ruins of Grey Abbey, in the Ardes of the county of Down,

*P. Bonarota. Epift. Tho. Coke, page 35.

on