CLXXXI. ROGER GALE "TO THE REVD. DR. STUKELEY, AT STAMFORD, IN LINCOLNSHIRE."—H. F. ST. J. Dear Sir, it. Lond., July the 11th, 1730. What I promist you in my last, in relation to my Lord Chancellor, I shall faithfully perform whenever occasion requires Waite is ordered to be restored to his former imployment upon a vacancy. I am obliged to you for the draught of the Hebrew coin you sent me. Selden takes notice of it, Lib. ii. de Jure Naturali Gentium secundum Hebræos., cap vi. Both he & Spanheim think it to be inferioris avi; the former that it has been even the work of a Christian, from a crosse, as he takes it to be, at the end of the word Mosheh, which yours exhibits as an A upon the collar of the head. In my mind it cannot be read Messiah unctus, that word terminating in h, not a. The interpretation of the reverse is Non erunt tibi Dii alieni coram me. The Jews, after their return from Babylon, were so prodigiously afraid of idolatry that they would not suffer the least representation of any human figure, as is plain from Josephus, & were cautious in that respect, even to ridiculousnesse; so that I cannot think this was coined under the Asmonean kings-perhaps Herod might strike it, who was not so scrupulous as his predecessors. I am dear Doctor, Your most faithfull friend & obliged humble servant, R. GALE. Lord Pembroke talks of staying still some weeks in town, but I shall watch his motions. CLXXXII. A LETTER FROM MR. WISE" CONCERNING AN OLD GREEK MEDALL.-H. C. Trin. Coll., Oxon, Sept. 3rd, 1731. Sir, I beg leave once more to give you the trouble of a query upon an odd coin that was lately putt into my hands, & which, S Rev. Francis Wise was a learned antiquary, Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford, and assistant in the Bodleian Library. He held a living in Oxfordshire, was keeper of the archives of the University, and Radcliffe Librarian. He published" Annales Ælfridi Magni,” “Inquiries concerning the first inhabitants of Europe," and "Observations on the fabulous times." Born 1695; died 1767.-Beeton, p. 1099. I believe, will afford matter of speculation to the learned. It is an ancient Greek coin, perhaps 17 or 18 hundred years old, as near as I can guesse from the fabrick of it. The letters are not so fair as could be wished, but I can read it no otherwise (and I have viewed it in all lights) than ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΧΟΣΤΙΔΟΡΟΥ a name that, I believe, is not to be mett with in any author, Greek or Latin. I once imagined it might be the Persian word Chosroes, which is sometimes wrote Chosdroes, made Greek, & I believe a king of that name is found as high as Trajan's time. The monogramme, whether of Paros or any other place, or the coat armour, as it seems, on the reverse, give me no manner of light into the affair. I wish you could recollect whether you had ever seen any such coin in any cabinet, or whether any author has given one like it? for I would, if possible, get soine satisfaction in the point. In the meantime, I beg that you would not communicate a copy of this draught to any one, for beside that it is very rudely done, I am willing that it should be first made publick in my own book, which is now in the presse. My situation in this place, under a perpetual hurry of busynesse of different sorts, & at such a distance from the learned in this study (for here is no one person that can give me the least assistance in any difficulty), renders my work extreamly troublesome, & makes me frequently wish that fortune would bring some of the curious in this way, to Oxford, that I might enjoy their conversation, if but for one day. I am sure I can desire none more beneficially than yours, & that would be more communicative; & I am not without hopes that your busynesse may call you this way next summer; nothing should be wanting in me to make the journey agreeable to you, & among other things I could entertain you with the site of an old Roman town, & that, I believe, no inconsiderable one, not yett taken notice of by Camden, Plott, or any one else, which, perhaps, may help to clear up some of the stations, it being 16 miles from this place, & 15 from Warwick. I have seen several pieces of silver & brasse coins found there of different emperors, from Trajan down to Theodosius. After begging pardon for the trouble of this, I am, good Sir, Yours, &c., FRAN. WISE. CLXXXIII. A LETTER FROM SIR JOHN CLERK, CONCERNING THE EARL OF PEMBROKE'S DRAWINGS OF HIS STATUES, AND A MEDAL OF FAUSTINA THE YOUNGER.-H. C. Dear Sir, Edenbr. Sept. 22, 1732. I had the last post the favor of yours with one inclosed from my Lord Pembroke, likewise the draught of a copper coin found at Perith, for which I return you my gratefull acknowledgements. I was much diverted to see my Lord Pembroke's direction to me, 'To chief Baron Clerk.' His letter & manner of writing convinced me that the severall accounts at the foot of each figure in his book of statues are truly his own. It seems he has there sett down his notion of each piece, & has obliged the etcher or engraver to make it, as he wrote it, part of the copper plate. I was surprised at first to find some things asserted so dogmatically in this book, & in such a manner as did not become the publisher, but now the matter is explained. Your coin is exceeding curious; I never saw any such before, though I believe it to be antique. My notion about it is, that it has been struck, or rather cast, in Britain. The head of Faustina & epigraphe is from another coin of the same size. She affected to be called Filia Augusti Pii, in severall inscriptions, chiefly because it carryed an insinuation, that the empire was hers more than her husband's. As to the reverse, it is very singular: 8: P:Q:R: OPTIMO: PRINC: as it comes to be applyed to a woman, but otherways it is very common. You will find it on severall coins, but on none of this size, except one of Licinius. Possibly it may be a sarcasm upon an imperious woman, & perhaps onely a kindly blunder, the head being intended as a compliment to her, & the reverse to Marcus Aurelius. The figure is a woman, with a modius cum spicis' in her right hand, to denote plenty in her left is a horse's head, which probably has been an ornament above the rostrum of a ship. Such kind • The coin of Faustina here mentioned was probably either false altogether or a genuine coin altered in imitation of one of Trajan.-J. E. Or relicks of a Cornucopia, for it is not very plain.-R. G. of decorations were common, & hence, if I mistake not, Virgil, lib. x° [209] says:— Hunc vehit immanis Triton, et cærula conchâ The Spaniards about Cadiz, in ancient times, used to call some sorts of ships they made use of Equi, & such, 'tis probable, carryed the figure of a horse on their prow, & if this was fact your coin might have been of Spanish original, though I am willing rather to think it British; but I take my leave, & am, dear Sir, Your most faithfull humble servant, The legends upon this medal are as underneath : FAVSTINA : AVG : PII: AVG: FIL: COS: V:P:P: SPQR: OPTIMO : PRIN : This medall is but of the II. copper. J. CLERK. CLXXXIV. THE FOLLOWING IS THE CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH OF THE FIRST OF FOUR LETTERS WRITTEN BY MR. BELL TO ROGER GALE, WHICH IS OMITTED IN THE ARCHEOLOGIA, VOL. VI., 133."-H. C. I wish I could give you a certain account when my little affair will be published, but it depends too much upon the diligence of the engravers to ascertain the time. Mr. Kirkhall does not use me well, but I hope to get it compleated by Christmasse entirely. All the historical part is finisht & transcribed, except some of the tributary kings, whose æras, I confesse, do puzzle me much. Should not our countreyman C'unobelin be placed among them? His head does not indeed appear on the reverse of any medal of Augustus, but the head of Augustus, is found on coins attributed to Cunobelin. I am, Sir, Yrs., &c., B. BELL Mr. Bell's four Letters were On the Horologia of the Ancients," and were written between the months of June and November, 1735. These, with Mr. Gale's answers, are printed in the Vol. vi. of the "Archæologia," where it is said that they were read at a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries, December 14, 1780. CLXXXV. ROGER GALE TO DR. STUKELEY.-H. F. ST. J. Lond., Aug. the 21st, 1735. Dear Doctor, I am much in your debt. I have nothing to plead in my defence but hott weather, & want of matter for your entertainment. I want a silver Carausius very much-I wish I had known of Dr. Middleton's, & beg of you, if you meet with one of that sort, to secure it for me. I happened upon one t'other day of copper that will give Dr. Kennedy no little uneasynesse at his return; the legend round the head is IMP: C: M: CARAUS : very fair.9 The M is upon none of his medals I ever saw, nor upon those published by Mezzabarba or Banduri. This some ignorant people would think a very trifle, but you know the value of so minute a singularity. Mr. Drake read the account you gave him of Carr-dike before our Society at the Mitre, with great pleasure; he had made some good additions to it about York, where he is better acquainted than you are, but all in confirmation of your scheme, which I suppose he has imparted to you in return for what you sent him. I hope ere long to have a compleat account of the inscription on lead, IMP: DOMIT., &c. I have now seen several times the fine silver plate found in Northumberland," & have gott a most accurate drawing of it. If you are desirous I shall send you a description, & my thoughts of it. What has hitherto been published is extreamly erroneous. Was not the triple head upon the seal of Parson Philip, of Hoggisthorp, rather a grosse & foolish representation of the Trinity than of Janus, for I dont remember I have seen a Janus triceps? I wish Roger dont give you so much of his company as to make it tiresome to you. Pray let him know I received his letter, &, the weather now being pretty moderate, expect to hear he has had good sport. I am, with all services to yourself & lady, dear Doctor, Your most faithfull humble servant, ROGER GALE. Coins of Carausius reading IMP CM are rare, but several are known with various reverses.-J. E. |