perly, as the Milliarium Aureum,* of Britain, from which the Romans began the measurement of their roads, as from a centre. This is stated to be confirmed by the exact coincidence which its distance bears with the neighbouring stations mentioned in Antonine's Itinerary." But Sir Christopher Wren was of opinion, as stated in the "Parentalia," that "by reason of its large foundation, it was rather some more considerable monument in the Forum; for, in the adjoining ground to the south, upon digging for cellars after the Great Fire, were discovered some tessellated pavements, and other extensive remains of Roman workmanship and buildings."+

It is evident, from the above particulars, that London Stone was in former ages of much greater magnitude, and held in far higher estimation than at present. It was probably mutilated after the Great Fire, when its large foundations' were seen. Strype, who appears to consider it as anterior to the Roman times,‡

*Milliarium Aureum fuit columna in capite fori Romani, sub Saturni æde, prope arcum Septimii, in quæ omnes Italiæ viæ incise finerunt, et a qua ad singulas portas mensuræ regionum currerunt. Plin. Lib. 111. Cap. v.

+ Parentalia, p. 265-6. "Probably this might in some degree have imitated the Milliarium Aureum at Constantinople, which was not in the form of a Pillar, as at Rome, but an eminent building; for under its roof, according to Cedrenus and Suidas, stood the statues of Constantine and Helena; Trajan ; an equestrian statue of Hadrian ; a statue of Fortune; and many other figures and decorations." Ibid.

"Survey," Vol. 1. edit. 1720; B. II. p. 194.

speaks thus," This Stone before the fire of Londou was much worn away, and as it were but a stump remaining. But it is now, for its preservation, cased over with a new stone handsomely wrought, cut hollow underneath, so as the old Stone may be seen, the new one being over it to shelter and defend the old venerable one.' The inclosing stone, which is shaped somewhat like a Roman altar, or pedestal, admits the ancient fragment, now not much larger than a bomb shell," to be seen through a large elliptical aperture in front, near the top.

66

When Strype wrote, London Stone stood on the south side of the street; but it was removed in December, 1742, to the opposite edge of the curb-stone on the north side. About the beginning of 1798, it underwent another removal: at that period, St. Swithin's Church was on the eve of undergoing a complete repair, and this venerable relic had, by some of the parishioners, been doomed to destruction as a nuisance; but it was saved by the praise-worthy interposition of Mr. Thomas Maiden, a printer in Sherbourn Lane, who prevailed on one of the parish officers to have it placed against the Church-wall, on the spot which it now occupies.

ROMAN ANTIQUITIES IN LOMBARD STREET.

In excavating the ground to make a new Sewer beneath Lombard Street and Birchin Lane, in the autumn and winter of 1785, numerous Roman Anti

* Strype's Stow, ut supra, p. 200.

quities were found, as coins, fragments of earthen ware, tessellated and other pavements, glass, &c. of which a very particular account, from communications by different gentlemen, has been printed in the eighth volume of the "Archæologia," from which the ensuing particulars have been derived. The sewer was commenced towards that end of Lombard Street next the Mansion House; and near Sherbourn Lane, at the depth of twelve feet, a Roman pavement was found,

composed of small irregular bricks, in length two inches, in breadth one and a half, mostly red, but some few black and white: they were strongly cemented with a yellowish mortar, and were laid in a thick bed of coarse mortar and stones.' The breadth of this pavement, from west to east, was about twenty feet; its length was not discovered. Between it and the Post Office, but on the north side of the sewer, was a wall constructed with the smaller-sized Roman bricks,' in which were two perpendicular flues ; the one semicircular, the other rectangular and oblong the height of the wall was ten feet, its length eighteen; the depth of the top of it from the surface, was also ten feet. Further on, opposite to the Post Office, was another wall, of the common kind, of Roman masonry; and near it, at the depth of nine feet, a pavement of thin flat tiles, each seventeen inches and 4-10ths in length, twelve inches and 3-10ths broad, and about three tenths of an inch in

* Would not this discovery imply, that the Romans introduced the use of Chimneys into Britain?

thickness.

Beyond this, about a foot lower, was another pavement, much decayed, chiefly composed of red bricks about an inch square, with a few black bricks, and some white stones, irregularly intermixed.

This pavement, as well as most of the others, was laid on three distinct beds of mortar: the lowest very coarse, about three inches thick, and mixed with large pebbles; the second, of fine mortar, very hard, and reddish in colour, from having been mixed with powdered brick; this was about one inch in thickness, and upon it the bricks were embedded in a fine white cement.'

- Many other fragments of walls and pavements were dug up in proceeding along Lombard-Street, together with burnt wood, and wood ashes, and many other things exhibiting marks of conflagration. Some of the walls were of rough stones, and others of chalk. Similar discoveries of walls and pavements were made in Birchin-Lane; together with one angle of a fine tessellated pavement, composed of black, red, green, and white squares, about a quarter of an inch in size, and forming a beautiful border the extent of this pavement was not ascertained, as its course appeared to run below the adjacent footway and houses.

:

Fragments of Roman pottery, or earthenware, were found in abundance throughout the whole extent of the excavation, as well as Roman coins, and pieces of glass urns, bottles, &c. with Roman keys, and horns and bones of different animals. The earthenware was of various colours, red, brown,

grey, white, black, &c. some glazed and some not. Many of the fragments were of the fine coral-coloured ware, called Samian, and these were mostly ornamented with figures on the outside: some were impressed with names and inscriptions on the rims. The centre compartment of one beautiful vessel of red earthenware, (of which the principal fragments were found,) represented a combat, partly of naked figures, opposed to each other, and to two horsemen : the attitudes were very spirited, and the whole design in a good taste. On other fragments were represented armed men, satyrs, hares, dogs, birds, foliage, a boar's head, and fancy ornaments of various descriptions. Many handles of jugs, and pieces of round shallow vessels of coarse clay, which seemed to have measured about a foot in diameter when entire, with broad rims, having a channel across them to pour off the contents, were also found: the latter appeared to have been worn by trituration, as if they had been used for grinding some substance.

The coins were of various descriptions, gold, sil ver, and brass. Among them was a beautiful gold coin of Galba, a Nero, and an Antoninus Pius; and a silver one of Alexander Severus. The others were brass ones of Claudius, Nerva, Vespasian, Dioclesian, Gallienus, Antonia, Constantinus, and Tetricus: nearly 300 of the two last Emperors were found together on one spot opposite to the end of St. Nicho, las Lane; the workmanship of which was extremely rude. These discoveries were all made within the depth of from nine to sixteen feet. In the more