The brass equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, now in the area of the Capitol, was found in a vineyard, just by the Scala Santa, at Saint John's Lateran, where it lay neglected for many years upon the ground, till Pope Sixtus IV. (soon after the year 1470) set it upon a handsome marble pedestal, with an inscription, in the open place before the Lateran church; and there it remained till the Pontificate of Paul III. who, about 1538, caused it to be removed to the place where it now stands, on a pedestal adorned by the hand of Michael Angelo; the marble whereof it is made having been brought from the remains of Trajan's Forum. These particulars are related by Flaminius Vacca the sculptor; and he further adds, that as the statue was found in the ground belonging to the Lateran church, the members of the same went to law with the people of Rome about it; and he intimates, this suit was not determined in his time; but that he had heard the gentlemen of the church made a solemn demand of it in writing every year.

The brass equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, now in the area of the Capitol, was found in a vineyard, near the Scala Santa, at Saint John's Lateran, where it lay neglected for many years upon the ground, till Pope Sixtus iv. (soon after the year 1470) set it upon a handsome pedestal, with an inscription, in the open place before the Lateran church; and there it remained till the Pontificate of Paul iii. who, about 1538, caused it to be removed to the place where it now stands, on a pedestal adorned by the hand of Michael Angelo: The marble whereof it is made having been brought from the Remains of Trajan's Forum. These particulars are related by Flaminius Vacca the sculptor; and he further adds, that as the statue was found in the ground belonging to the Lateran church, the members of the same went to law with the people of Rome about it; and he intimates this suit was not determined in his time; but that he had heard the gentlemen of the church made a demand of it, in writing, every year.

The measure of the walls of antient Rome, is a point whereupon antiquaries have widely disagreed. The passage in Pliny's Nat. Hist. lib. iii. c. 5. to which they all refer, stands thus. “Moenia ejus collegere ambitu, Impp. Censs.que Vespasianis, anno “conditae dcccxxvi, passus xiii.m.cc.” Lipsius adds another x, and makes the circuit ten miles larger: But this insertion has with very good reason been rejected by the succeeding critics.

The measure of the walls of antient Rome is a point where-upon antiquaries have widely disagreed. The passage in Pliny's Nat. Hist. lib. iii. c. 5. to which they all refer, stands thus: “Moenia ejus collegere ambitu, Impp. Censs. que Vespasianis, anno conditae DCCCXXVI, passus XIII. M.CC.” Lipsius adds another x, and makes the circuit ten miles larger: but this insertion has, with very good reason, been rejected by the succeeding critics.

I have lately seen a collection of Drawings, without doubt, the finest in Europe, for the method and number of rare designs; nor is the price, considering the true value, at all too much. Mr. Envoy is of the same opinion, and has desired me to let an abstract of my catalogue, which I am making with all exactness, be copied out, to send to my Lord President.—I send an abstract with this post, as I have done to Mr. Topham.——

I have lately seen a collection of Drawings, without doubt, the finest in Europe, for the method and number of rare designs; nor is the price, considering the true value, at all too much. Mr. Envoy is of the same opinion, and has desired me to let an abstract of my catalogue, which I am making with all exactness, be copied out, to send to my Lord President. I send an abstract with this post, as I have done to Mr. Topham.

Mr. Wray informed the Society, that Mr. Mackinlay, in a letter to the Earl of Morton, dated Rome, January 9th, 1761, gives an account, that in September last, a Venus, of most exquisite workmanship, was dug up in the Mons Coelius, near the Clivus Scauri, at Rome. It is in the possession of the Marquis Carnovallia, who gave fifty scudi to the workmen, their full demand, on the half of the value, according to agreement; though it is worth some thousands. It is full six feet high, in the same attitude as the Venus of Medicis, with this difference, that she holds her right hand before her breast and her left supports a light drapery before.

Mr. Wray informed the Society, that Mr. Mackinlay, in a letter to the Earl of Morton, dated Rome, January 9th, 1761, gives an account, that in September last, a Venus of most exquisite workmanship, was dug up in the Mons Coelius, near the Clivo Scauri, at Rome. It Is in the possession of the Marquis Carnovallia, who gave fifty Scudi to the workmen, their full demand, on the half of the value, according to agreement; though it is worth some thousands. It is full six feet high, in the same attitude of the Venus de Medicis, with this difference, that the holds her right hand before her breast, and her left supports a light drapery before. On the base, which is of one piece with the statue, and quite entire, is the following inscription.

—— And now, Sir, let me thank you for putting me upon looking into my history, “Anglia Judaica,” as I am so vain to call it. It gave me an opportunity of making, what I think a curious discovery, relating to a piece of Roman antiquity found in London. I happened to cast my eye on page the 4th, where mention is made of the Roman brick that was found about seventy years since in Mark Lane. You know very well that the Basso Relievo that is upon it has been thought, by all Antiquaries, to represent the story of “Sampson, and the foxes with firebrands.” Mr. Waller and others are of that opinion; and, to salve the matter, suppose the Jews were in Britain in the time of the Romans, and that they brought them acquainted with the story. As Mr. Waller was a man of note, I was obliged to take notice of his fancy, to prove the antiquity of the Jews in England; but declared I could not build much upon it at the time of my composing that page, but that the Basso Relievo related to Sampson.

——And now, Sir, let me thank you for putting me upon looking into my history, “Anglia Judaica,” as I am so vain to call it: It gave me an opportunity of making, what I think a curious discovery, relating to a piece of Roman antiquity found in London. I happened to cast my eye on page the 4th, where mention is made of the Roman brick that was found about seventy years since in Mark Lane.

As an enquiry into the original of any useful art practised in this kingdom seems to be one of the objects of our institution, I shall beg leave to lay before you some short remarks I have made on the antiquity of our Brick Building, which I am the rather induced to do, as it is a subject which has never been considered, as I know of, by any of our writers on architecture or antiquities.

As an enquiry into the original of any useful art, practised in this kingdom, seems to be one of the objects of our institution, I shall beg leave to lay before you some short remarks I have made on the antiquity of our Brick Building, which I am the rather induced to do, as it it is a subject which has never been considered, as I know of, by any of our writers on architecture or antiquities.

As the Workmen (May 4, 1756) were digging up part of the old Foundation of the Black Swan Inn, in Holborn, they met with a stone, which was strongly cemented with bricks, chalk, and other stones, like those they call ragg stones, that it was with great difficulty the pick-ax could make any impression or separate them. This stone was at the bottom of a great pile of this rubbish, if I may so call it, and was about eighteen inches long, but accidentally broke in the middle by some blow of the pick-ax, nine inches broad, and four inches thick, and thereon now stand these Arabic numerals cut into the stone, in the form and manner here described, as near as I could imitate the same; some of which are about one inch ¾, and some about two inches tall; and under them there are the Roman numerals xii, the meaning of which I will not at present even guess at.

As the workmen (May 4, 1756) were digging up part of the old foundation of the Black Swan Inn, in Holborn, they met with a stone, which was so strongly cemented with bricks, chalk, and other stones, like those they call ragg stones, that it was with great difficulty the pick-ax could make any impression, or separate them. This stone was at the bottom of a great pile of this rubbish, if I may so call it, and was about eighteen inches long, (but accidentally broke in the middle by some blow of the pick-ax) nine inches broad, and four inches thick, and thereon now stand these Arabic numerals cut into the stone, in the form and manner here described as near as I could imitate the same; some of which are about one inch ¾, and some about two inches tall; and under them there are the Roman numerals XII, the meaning of which, I will not at present even guess at.

Saint Peter's church in the East, Oxõn, was founded by Saint Grymbald a Monk, about 814 years since, viz. Anno Christi DCCCLXXXVI. according to the most credible account we can find recorded in the annals of our English nation. This Saint Grymbald was a person of a sharp wit and immense knowledge, and therefore was by King Alfred (deservedly surnamed the Great, on a double respect, both for his noble atchievments in martial affairs, and his assiduous promotion of learning) elected one of the first professors of divinity in this most flourishing university of Oxon.

Saint Peter's church in the East, Oxo˜n, was founded by Saint Grymbald, a Monk, about 814 years since, viz. anno Christi DCCCLXXXVI. according to the most credible account we find recorded in the annals of our English nation. This Saint Grymbald was a person of a sharp wit and immense knowledge, and therefore was by King Alfred (deservedly surnamed the Great, on a double respect, both for his noble atchievments in martial affairs, and his assiduous promotion of learning) elected one of the first professors of divinity in this most flourishing university of Oxon.

At Lord Pembroke's seat at Wilton, there is a very antient altar of Bacchus, of more consequence than vulgarly imagined. The inscription, which ends in a circle round it (for so Mr. Cowdry describes it, p. 116.) runs thus

At Lord Pembroke's seat at Wilton, there is a very antient altar of Bacchus, of more consequence than vulgarly imagined. The inscription, which ends in a circle round it (for so Mr. Cowdry describes it, p. 116.) runs thus:

This marble and inscription are unquestionably very old, as I judge both from the form of the letters, and there being no appearance of the four last invented letters of the Greek Alphabet.

There is a well-known and curious piece of gold in the Bodleian library, of which I must here take some notice, though it be not properly a coin. It has been no less than four times engraved; first by Dr. Plot, then in Camden, after that by Sir Andrew Fountaine (by which means it obtains an alliance with this work), and lastly by Mr. Wise. And all the gentlemen concerned, to whom I may add Mr. Thwaites, have respectively given their opinions of it, but are so discordant among themselves, that there is indeed great room, and great occasion, for a Moderator, to compose differences between them, and, if one may be so happy, to give the true explication of it.

There is a well-known and curious piece of gold in the Bodleian library, of which I must here take some notice, though it be not properly a coin. It has been no less than four times engraved; first by Dr. Plot, then in Camden, after that by Sir Andrew Fountaine, and lastly by Mr. Wise. And all the gentlemen concerned, to whom I may add Mr. Thwaites, have respectively given their opinions of it, but are so discordant among themselves, that there is indeed great room, and great occasion for a Moderator to compose differences between them, and, if one may be so happy, to give the true explication of it.