A Roman Pavements lately found near Warminster defcribed. 221 count given by Pliny, lib. xxxvi. cap. 25, where the different kinds of pavements in ufe among the Romans are accurately defcribed. The fame writer takes notice of a very curious work of this kind conftructed by Sofus at Pergamus, in which the artist had depicted, in little tiles of various colours, the relicks of an entertainment, as if it had been overturned on the floor. There was al fo the figure of a pigeon drinking, Mr. URBAN, Warminfier, Dec. 18. VERY beautiful Roman pavement has lately been difcovered near this town. The elegance and variety of thofe parts already explored, fome of which are reprefented by the drawings annexed, cannot fail to engage the attention of many of your readers. Sorry I am to inform them, that great part of it is already deftroved, through the curiofity of the neighbouring virtuofi, who have broken up and carried away the ref-which, he fays, was executed in fo adferæ of which it is compofed. Pit Mead, a large watered meadow two miles to the Eait of this town, is inerfected from Weft to Eaft by the river Willy, on the South fide of which, at about twenty yards diftance, is the feat of these curiofities. Half a mile off, on the other fide of the river, exactly oppofite, are two hills, the fummits of which are very deeply intrenched, and are fuppofed by fome to have been Roman en campments. The most confpicuous of thefe is called Battlesbury, on which a quantity of parched corn was found, fome tears ago, curiously preferved under ground in a fort of flone trough. The perfon to whom this difcovery has been talfely attributed in the news-papers calls it "the remains of a Roman villa and although no very large ftones, nor any that appear to have been wrought or hewn out for building, have been found, yet it is difficult to conceive that fuch nice and delicate workmanship should have been lavished on the floor of atent, or any flight building intended only for a temporary refidence: the great extent of the pavement likewife makes gainft this fuppofition. Add to this, that on the fame ifing, at about forty yards distance, are great heaps of rub bith; on digging into which, the foundations of buildings were, difcovered, and in another pait a fmooth floor of artificial ftone, the extent of which is not yet afcertained. In thefe refearches, broken pieces of earthen ware of various colours and fhapes, a bit of glafs of an unusual thick nefs, bones of different animals widely feattered, many iron nails, and quantities of charcoal, have been found. One coin only (probably belonging to the fecond Claudius) has hitherto been difcovered, which is fo much impaired that nothing can be gathered from it. The cement is very strong, and of two colours, black and red, both full of little broken thells, correfponding with the ac GENT. MAC. March, 1787. mirable a manner, that even the shadow of the pigeon's head was reprefented in the water. What particular deity or perfon is meant to be reprefented by the female figure, thofe who are better verfed in antiquity may perhaps determine. As neither of the compartments are entire, I conjecture, from her inclining attitude, as well as the fituation of the hare fitting among rocks, which is not exactly under her feet, that there might have been other figures in the piece. The figure of the female is graceful and elegant, and the drapery exprefied in a very eafy and flowing manner. The colours and fhades are thrown in very beautifully, fo as to have the effect of a good painting. The teffelæ ufed for forming the figure are all very mall, and fome of thein minutely fo; particularly the black, in which the outline of the figure is delineated. The colours of the flones are reds of various thades, black, brown, pale yellow, and white. The figure of the hare is in its na tural colours, light brown and white, and most admirably and naturally expreffed; the rock work compofed of reds of different fhades and black. The braid under it is compofed of red, black, and white. The pavement to which it joins is of various colours, red, white, yellow, and black. Another pavement, 56 feet long, 3 feet 9 inches wide, was perfectly entire and complete, but has fince been almoft all taken away. The teffelæ are about the fize of common dice, and were black, brown, red, yellow, and white, and formed eight different ftripes, which ran regularly in the braid through the whole length of the pavement. The white diamonds in the midft of the braid give a lively appearance to the whole. A third pavement here was very beautiful and curious, but fo impers fect that no regular defign could be traced 222 Defcription of the Plates of the prefent Month. traced out. Being only two or three inches under the furface, it had probably been trodden to pieces by the cattle. ported by fome of the neighbours to 'ebbe and flowe as the fea.' Thefe quaint rhymes follow the above defcription: You neighbour-fcorners, holy-prowd, Many rifing grounds and heaps of rubbish are feen in other parts of this field. Some of the coarfe large tefferæ were found on a heap, at a confiderable diftance; and there is reafon to suppose that fimilar difcoveries might be made on fearching them. There are also two large barrows at the Eaft end of the meadow: one of thefe was cut through a few days ago, from the center of which was taken a large urn, of a rude shape, full of burnt bones intermixed with earth. But this is more probably a Bring from Lymington, through Lyndtifh than a Roman antiquity, The Verlucio of the Romans is fuppofed by Camden to have been fituated at or near Warminster; an opinion which these discoveries will probably confirm. Yours, &c. W. Mr. URBAN, Dec. 12. SEND you a drawing (plate II. fig. 1.) of a picturefque rock, which forms a striking object to travellers on the great turnpike road from Exeter to Truro and Falmouth. It slands between Bodmyn and Michell, in the county of Cornwall, and is the more fingular, as it rifes in the midst of a very, extenfive plain. I fhould fuppofe the middle of the rock to be about thirty feet high; but, as I have not measured it, I am by 'no means certain. I can find no account of it either in Camden or Borlafe; but it feems likely that the parish (Roche) has taken its name from it. On turning over Carew's Survey of Cornwall, I fince find the following ac count, p. 138, which I fend in that author's own ftyle and spelling: After we have quitted Reftormel, Roche becomes our next place of fojourne, though hardly inviting with, promife of any better entertainment than the name carries written in his forehead-to wit, a huge, high, and fteepe rock, feated in a playne, girded ⚫ on either fide with (as it were) two fubftitutes, and meritorious, no doubt, for the hermite who dwelt on the top thereof, were it but in regard of fuch an uneafie climing to his cell and chappell, a part of whofe naturall wals is wrought out of the rock itself. Neere the foote of Roche there lyeth a rock, levell with the ground above, and hollow downwards, with a winding depth, which contayneth water, re Or have wee fooles with lyers met ? P.S. In anfwer to Guibert's queries, the memorial of Rufus ftands near Minftead, and within view of the road lead hurft, to Salisbury. I believe there are no remains exifting of the chapel-mentioned by Leland (not Camden): but there is a large intrenchment, called Malwood Caftie, near the spot. J. P. A. THE Mr. URBAN, Hay, Breconfb. Dec. 28. HE drawing herein enclofed, (fig. 2, 3,) is an exact reprefentation of a copper inftrument, found about three feet below the furface of the ground (where it had probably lain fome centuries) by a labourer employed in repairing the turnpike road leading from this town to the city of Hereford, and about a mile and a half from hence. It is about twice as large as the figures, and weighs a pound. There is a mall loop on one fide of it, at A, which may have ferved to faften it to a handle. The fmall end is hollowed in a femicircular form, like a fcoop, on both fides, as far as B, where it is little more than an inch thick. The partition between the hollow fides in the middle is about a quarter of an inch thick. If it be a battle-axe, it is difficult to comprehend how it was ufed. Perhaps, fhould it be deemed worthy of notice in your Magazine, it may induce fome of your ingenious correfpondents, through that channel, to explain the ufe of it, and, if a weapon, to whom belonging, to what nation, Danish, British, &c. Antique Stone Coffin found in Canterbury Cathedral. The Dimenfions. Cavity of the head Breadth of the shoulders Breadth at the feet Length within from shoulder to feet From out to out Depth of the coffin I have no doubt (though fome imagine this cannot be flip's grave, as ftone coffins were of much earlier date, and therefore then out of ufe) that this curious coffin contains the remains of Archbishop Iflip, who died in 1366, and according to Somner was buried in the middle of the body at the upper end, inclining to the north fide, under a fair comb of marble, which was afterwards removed and placed between two pillars, where it remained till taken down last week. The bones had been disturbed, the skull much broken, and lying upon the breast, but the teeth nearly perfect. On the fouth fide of the nave, between two pillars, under a large raifed tomb, were found the remains of Archbishop Wittelfey, who died in the year 1374. He was buried in the folid foundation, cut out partly in the fhape of a coffin; the skeleton was entire the body had been lain in wood afhes; a leaden feal of a papal bull was found near the hand, and is now in the pofleffion of the Rev. Dr. Berkeley, our Vice-dean; a copy of which is given in plate II. fig. 5. Yours, &c. ANTIQUARIUS. Mr. URBAN, Hampshire, March 5. THE compiler of the Effay on Go vernment confidered the will of God as the highest of all appeals, and a fufficiently cogent reafon for man's conformity to the rules neceffary to fociety, inftituted and ordained by the Creator, for the welfare, the happiness, the tudi Movia, and existence of mankind. Uti 223 refulting in fome way from the command of another. That we should not be obliged to do what is right, to prac tice virtue, or obey the commands of God, unless we ourselves are to gain or lofe fomething by it. Such are the Archdeacon's very words, in his gad page. The opinions of fome other philofophers have been different: oderunt peccare boni virtutis amore, mali formidine pæna. One would not indeed have look. ed for a folution of moral obligation in the ufual infeription on the public cage or ftocks," Fear God, and Honour the King." Our bleffed Saviour has declared the greatest rule or command in the law to be the love of God with all our heart, and the fecond, the love of our neighbour. Saint Paul confeffes, that although he fhould give his body to be burnt, yet, if he were without charity, he would be nothing worth. All our hearts affure us, that the love of God, of our neighbours, and charity, are quite different things from fear of punithment, or hope of reward, in this or a future ftate. The Effayift dared not to rush in where angels fear to tread. The application of the principle, on which he has endeavoured to explain the origin and progrels of fociety, to the difcuffion and explanation of moral obligation, he must allow to be the Archdeacon's own effort, however fuccefsful, who did not meet with that application in the Effay. As fome perfon has taken upon him to affure me, in your last Magazine, that the author of the Principles of Moral and Political Philofophy never faw the pamphlet of which he is fupposed to have made fo unfair a ufe, and as the author has declared likewife in his preface, that the infertions of the notes which he took were commonly without the name of the author, I profefs myfelf convinced, that, if the Archdeacon has feen it, he has, with the rest of the world, forgotten it, or that he has only feen fuch extracts from it as were pub lifhed by the Conftitutional Society, or contained in the reviews of that pamphlet, and has forgotten them likewife. The comparison of the following re ferences and extracts (to lay nothing of their general agreement in order) may, I hope, afford a juftification for me in thinking the concurrence of principles or opinions, contained in the two publi cations, to be fomewhat extraordinary The |