friers, and if near a monastery, a cross set up in the room thereof.

"This tower in Barbican was near unto Aldersgate Street, which put me upon farther enquiry relating to its antiquity. I look upon it as a sufficient confirmation of its being a Roman building, that just against Jewin Street there stand two houses with the date of 1589, and that on the front of them are the figures of some old Roman coins, which I suppose might be found in digging the foundations for buildingof those houses, and I am apt to believe that the builder for his curiosity might cause moulds of the same to be made as large as the brims of a middle sized hat, and that the plaisterer took them off, and fixed them in the front, under the first story window.

Many more figures of the same kind were fixed up about the same year, viz. 1589, about which time much timber building was erected in and about London. Divers of which figures are still to be seen in the fronts of some houses, particularly in Oldbourne against Shew Lane, as also at the corner house (being the Queen's Head Tavern) of St. John's Lane, at the end of Peter Street, not to specify several houses besides, which I rather leave to the curiosity of others.

"And for a further confirmation of this my opinion, I desire you to be at the trouble of looking into Stow, as he is continued by A. Munday, about the building of Aldgate, where you will find the description of a Roman coin that was found in digging the foundation; which Mr. Martin Bond, one of the surveyors of that work, caused to be carved in stone, and fixed on either side of the gate eastward. This was done in the year 1607, when he laid the foundation stone. By which you may perceive that Mr. Bond took his hint from those done in plaister on the fronts of houses.

"In Aldersgate Street, likewise, just against St. Paul's Alley, in the front of a brick house is set in a nitch in the upper story of the house, (to be seen by all passengers,) the figure

of

of Fortitude in marble, but headless. And this I take to be very antique.

"Besides all this, I have observed in Bishopsgate Street, just against Widegate Alley, which leads to Spittle Fields, on the top of a brick house, (next to the house of Sir Paul Pindar, and inhabited in the year 1658, by Ferdinando, a Jew, who was supposed to be the king of Spain's factor,) the figure of Jupiter with an Eagle at his foot, set in a nitch as the former. I will not be positive, but in all likelyhood these are Roman figures, and perhaps digged up in the foundations of those houses.

66

Upon such occasions there have been several other antiquities of the old Romans found in the subterraneous parts of London as well as Rome, particularly great store of them when the city was rebuilt, many of which I have perused myself, having been found not only within the walls, but in the out-parts likewise.

"And here I must not forget to mention the honest industry of my old friend Mr. John Conyers, an Apothecary formerly living in Fleet Street, who made it his chief business to make curious observations, and to collect such antiquities as were daily found in and about London. His character is very well known, and therefore I will not attempt it. Yet this I must note, that he was at great expence in prosecuting his discoveries, and that he is remembered with respect by most of our antiquaries that are now living. It is this very gentleman that discovered the body of an elephant, as he was digging for gravel in a field near to the sign of Sir John Oldcastle in the Fields, not far from Battle Bridge, and near to the river of Wells, Fleet Ditch, which, though now dried up, was a considerable river in the time of the Romans. How this elephant came there? is the question. I know some will have it to have lain there ever since the Universal Deluge. For my own part I take it to have been brought over with many others by the Romans in the reign of Claudius the emperor, and conjecture (for a liberty of guessing may be indulged to me, as well as to others that maintain different hypothesis) that it was killed in some fight by a Britain.

For

For not far from the place where it was found, a British weapon made of a flint launce like unto the head of a spear, fastened into a shaft of a good length, which was a weapon. very common amongst the ancient Britains, was also dug up, they having not at that time the use of iron or brass, as the Romans had. This conjecture, perhaps, may seem odd to some; but I am satisfied myself, having often viewed this flint weapon, which was once in the possession of that generous patron of learning, the reverend and very worthy Dr. Charlett, master of University College, and is now preserved amongst the curious collections of Mr. John Kemp.

"This discovery was made in the presence of the aforesaid Mr. Conyers, and I remember that formerly many such bones were shewn for giants bones, particularly one in the church of Aldermanbury, which was hung in a chain on a pillar of the church; and such another was kept in St. Laurence's church, much of the same bigness. All which bones were publicly to be seen before the dreadful fire of London, as it appears to me from the Chronicles of Stow, Grafton, Munday, &c.

"I do not doubt but many bones of the like nature, as also the shanks, scalps, grinders, &c. were formerly preserved in such monasteries as stood near to the places where they were first digged up, and that after some time they were shewn to the common people as the relics of giants, such as those of St. Christopher, &c.

"At the other end of the old Roman way, which I mentioned at first to lead from the Tower, near the Thames, was another castle, which the Romans built as a watch tower, and is mentioned, if I mistake not, by Fitz-Stephen, and stood at the entrance of Black Friars into that part of the city. This tower when demolished was sufficient to provide materials, for building a noble and magnificent house for the friers, who met with such signal favours and encouragement, that part of the very wall of the city (which run in a direct line from Ludgate to the Thames) was removed for them, that part which then came to this castle being pulled down to make way for their settlement, and turned short to Fleet Ditch, as appears by the ruins at this time.

"Some

"Some years ago, on the south side of Ludgate was taken up out of the rubbish a Roman inscription *, that hath been taken notice of by some learned men, and not many years since on the left hand coming in at Ludgate, in the residentiary's yard of Saint Paul's, was discovered a Roman aqueduct close adjoining to the wall of this city. Such another was found after the fire by Mr. Span, an ancient citizen, in Holyday Yard, in Creed Lane, digging the foundations for a new building, and this was carried round a bath that was built in a round form with nitches at an equal distance for seats.

"At some small distance farther, on the left hand, at the west end of St. Paul's, over against St. Paul's College, in a vacant place, was discovered a potter's kiln, where were made several vessels of clay of a red colour, curiously glazed, which were of different shapes and sizes, as occasion should require them to be made use of in their sacrifices, and many times the potter's name was stamped at the bottom. This kiln was near to the temple where Diana was worshipped, that the people might be furnished with all sorts of vessels they had occasion for at the time when they made their sacrifices, There hath been a great quantity of the fragments digged up

*Whether London had the name of Augusta from Helena Augusta, mother of Constantine the Great, or from the residence of the Legio Secunda Augusta is not recorded; but that the Legion was certainly here is evident from the inscription alluded to, which was dug up in 1669,

at the west end of St. Paul's, of which I had several. And on the south side of the church, not only in former times, as we are informed by J. Stow, but of late days since the fire, at the first beginning to build St. Paul's Church, there were found several scalps of oxen, and a large quantity of boars tusks, with divers earthen vessels, especially patera, that were of different shapes.

Upon this occasion I must note by the way, that from the observations I have made, I gather that all the vessels made use of by the Romans in their sacrifices were generally made of red earth, and were glazed. But those of a larger size, as their platters, which received the blood of the beasts slain in sacrifice, were made of a coarser earth, but not red. Most of their urns also (according to their several forms and sizes) were made of another different sort of earth; though some are found made of glass, which, however, are not common. Others of the greatest rank had them made. of Porphiry stone, and some of copper enamelled with divers colours.

"The next place I shall take notice of, is the chamber of Diana, situated on the eminence of St. Paul's Wharf, within a great gate next Doctor's Commons, where are many fair tenements, which in the leases made by the dean and chapter, go by the name or title of Camera Dianæ, so denominated from a specious building, which, in the time of Henry II. stood where the houses are now erected.

"In this Camera, or arched and vaulted structure, full of intricate meanders, the same king Henry (as he is said to have done at Woodstock) kept that jewel of his heart, fair Rosamond, by the name of Diana, and it is from thence that this edifice was denominated.

[This in due deference to Stow, &c. might have been a Camera Dianæ, previously to the time when Henry II. kept here his concubine Rosamond; and his majesty, in allusion to the more ancient designation of the place, might have turned the compliment of Camera Dianæ in praise of his paramour.] "At this time (as is noted by How, in his continuation of Stow, p. 781) some ruins of it are remaining, and many

evident