are preserved in Mr. C. Roach Smith's Museum of London Antiquities, Catalogue, p. 103.
By Mr. Evelyn P. Shirley, M.P. — A diminutive ring-brooch of gold of the XlVth century, found near the ruins of Donaghmoyne or Mannin Castle, in Ulster, the ancient head of the Barony of Farney. It was presented to Mr. Shirley by the Rev. R. Tottenham. The inscription upon one side of this little ornament has not been explained: it appears to read as follows — (
symbol characters) (Greek characters) The first stroke after the cross may not be intended for a letter, it is an upright line without any transverse strokes or seraphs. The second letter is very obscure; it may be an H, but it is formed like an F combined with an F inverted. The P has a mark of abbreviation seemingly for PER. The weight of the brooch is rather more than 18 grains. The accompanying woodcut has been kindly contributed by Mr. Shirley.[1] He has given the curious legend of the foundation of Mannin Castle, about A.D. 1200, in his "Account of the Territory of Farney," pp. 153, 193.
By Mr. James Yates. — A specimen of the red earthen-ware bottle, called a Costrell. It was found lately in making an embankment by the river Waveney, and in the parish of Geldestone in Norfolk, several feet below the surface. Its long neck has been broken off. It exactly agrees with the description of this kind of vessel which is given by Mr. Chaffers in the Journal of the British Archaeological Association, vol. v. p. 28. It was used by travellers to carry beer, wine, or other liquids, and is shown in mediaeval sculptures and paintings, worn by the side of the traveller.[2] One side has been cut and a little flattened by the knife, so that the bottle may rest more firmly on that side. The other side is marked with a spiral line. It will not stand upright, the bottom of the costrell being round like a Florence flask. A good specimen, larger than this, found in Berkshire, is in the British Museum.
By the Rev. John Byron. — Several decorative pavement tiles, found at Thornton Abbey, Lincolnshire. They are of a class of which the best existing examples probably are to be seen in Ely Cathedral ; the tiles are not rectangular, as is usually the case, but of various forms, so as to com- pose geometrical designs. The tiles are faced with various colours and glazed ; ornaments are slightly impressed upon the surface, but there is no design according to the usual mode of manufacture, produced by a stamp,
- ↑ See representations of gold ring brooches found in England, in this Journal, vol. iii. p. 77, where may be found remarks on ornaments of this description. These diminutive brooches occur of other forms. See one of gold in form of the letter A, bearing a curious inscription. Journal of the Archaeol. Assoc, vol. i. p. 334.
- ↑ See Ducange, v. Costrelli. A document in the Monasticon mentions "Costrellos—plenos cervisise." Monast. Ang. tom. ii. p. 550. The Promptorium Parvulorum gives the term "Costred, or Costrelle, grete botelle (in another MS. Costret, or hotel). Onopherum, aristophorum." Mr. Albert Way, in his note on this word, supposes "Costrell to have been a small wooden barrel, so called because it might be carried at the side, such as is carried by a labourer as his provision for the day, still termed a costril in the Craven dialect." Mr. Way cites the use of the word by Chaucer, "Legend of Hyperniestre," where mention occurs of a costrell, tilled with a narcotic, to be used as poison.
appears in drawings in Saxon or ante-Norman MSS., for example in the MS. of Csedmon, Arcæologia, vol. xxiv. pl. 94, &c. See also Mr. Akennan's Remarks on the weapons of the Anglo-Saxons, Archæologia, vol. xxxiv, p. 1 82.
