logists of Essex. On the decease of Mr. Disney, in 1857, that lamented nobleman consented to become the President of the Society, a position for which he was so eminently qualified. To his researches the volume before us is indebted for a list of names of potters upon Samian ware, more extended than that formerly given in this Journal, vol. x. p. 233, and compiled from specimens brought to light in the course of the excavations made under his direction principally at Chesterford, and now preserved in the museum which he had founded at Audley End, an enduring memorial of his remarkable appreciation of national antiquities. From the same distinguished antiquary we find also here remarks on the sepulture of infants in Roman times, in the suggrundaria, or in spots adjacent to the walls of houses, under the drip of the eaves.

Dr. Duncan, whose investigation of the remains of Camulodunum we have already noticed at some length, resumes the subject in a later part of the volume, and records the discovery of a Roman cloaca in 1852, a work of unusual character as an example of constructive ingenuity. We must refer to the plan and illustrations which accompany his memoir, in which many interesting details will be found. The discovery of elaborate works of such enduring nature, for purposes which indicate no slight attention to the comforts or sanitary requirements of daily life, suggests how firm a tenure Roman dominion had acquired, and how strong must have been the motive, which we seem at a loss wholly to comprehend, that influenced the policy of the Empire in grasping with so pertinacious a hold the dominion of these remote islands of the Northern Ocean.

The attention of the Essex archæologists has, however, been given to other subjects connected with the history and remains of later periods, which claim our notice. Amongst these are mural paintings in the church of East Ham, described by Mr. Buckler; and the remarks on Round Churches in England, with especial reference to that at Little Maplestead, by the same author. Of the latter church, considered to be the latest in date, as compared with the three other examples noticed,-St. Sepulchre's, Cambridge, the Temple Church, London, and St. Sepulchre's, Northampton, a plan, from careful measurements, with a minute architectural description, is given. The original structure is assigned to the TransitionNorman Period; the general arrangements and proportions seem to recall those of the interesting Round Church, of which the site was revealed to view upon the Western Heights at Dovor, a few years since. The remains of that structure, of which no mention is made by Mr. Buckler, are interesting as marking in all probability the scene of the memorable interview between King John and Pandolf, the Legate of Pope Innocent III., in 1213. They were first disinterred, as it has been stated, under the direction of the late Dr. Dibdin, whilst preparing materials for a history of Dovor, and they were again cleared of debris by a member of our Society, Col. Fitzherbert Grant, in 1854, when some precautions were taken to ensure their preservation.

Amongst other architectural and miscellaneous contributions, to which the limits of this notice will not admit of our adverting in detail, are,-by the Rev. E. L. Cutts, an account of the remains of Coggeshall Abbey ; extracts from a MS. Diary by John Bufton of Coggeshall, in the time of James II. and William and Mary; also a short description of St. Nicholas' Church, Castle Hedingham, and of the memorials of the De Veres existing there. Mr. Almack gives some notes on the family of De Vere, with

extracts from the rich collection of documents relating to the county of Essex, in his possession.

To Mr. H. W. King, one of the Secretaries for the medieval period, the volume is indebted for notices of wills of inhabitants of Essex ;-of seals found in the county, or pertaining to it, one of them being a beautiful silver matrix of the seal of Robert le Archer, t. Edw. III.; another, the seal of Lucas de Tany, justice of the king's forests south of the Trent, in the same reign; also a notice of an early monumental brass, of life-size, supposed to be the memorial of Sir John Giffard, A. D. 1348, described by Salmon as existing in the church of Bowers Gifford, Essex. This effigy, unfortunately mutilated, had been given away by the churchwarden some years ago, when the church was rebuilt; it has recently been recovered through Mr. King's exertions and replaced in the church. A rubbing of this very curious brass was exhibited by Mr. King at one of our meetings in 1856, and it is noticed in this Journal, vol. xiii. p. 189. It will be seen by the woodcut that the costume presents several unusual features, and the figure may be of foreign execution. It was, however, probably produced by the same burin as the well-known brasses at Westley Waterless, Cambridgeshire, and the brass of Sir John D'Aubernoun, 1327, at Stoke Dabernon, Surrey. It is a good example of the jupon worn over mail, without brassarts or greaves of plate, such as occur in those examples, in both of which we find the cyclas, with other garments which do not appear in the effigy of Sir John Giffard. The shell-like épaulières deserve notice, and the curious genouillères, ornamented with the so-called English rose; also the sleeve of the hauketon, formed in longitudinal bands, possibly of quilted work; the bands appear likewise on the thighs. In both the examples before cited the fore-arm is protected apparently by plate.'

We avail ourselves with pleasure of the courtesy shown by the Council of the Essex Society, in enabling us to place before our readers a representation of this remarkable memorial, rescued through the praiseworthy intervention of Mr. King. We are also permitted to give the interesting illustrations which accompany Mr. Cutts' notice of the fine tomb, at Castle Hedingham, of John, Earl of Oxford, who died in 1539. They have been presented to the Society by Ashurst Majendie, Esq., possessor of the ancient residence of the De Veres; by his kindness the drawings, executed under his directions by Mr. Parish, of Colchester, were exhibited at one of our meetings in 1855, and they are noticed in this Journal, vol. xii. p. 181. This remarkable example of monumental sculpture, at a period when all traces of the Gothic style had disappeared, commemorating moreover so eminent a personage in the court of Henry VIII., might claim a more detailed notice than will be found in the Transactions of the Essex archæologists. The design and general character of the tomb are shown in the woodcuts, which represent the sculpture on its upper slab, and the north side. The tomb is of black marble, frequently described in documents as "touch," from a supposed resemblance to the lapis Lydius or touch-stone, used by goldsmiths. Weever, whose account of Funeral Monuments was published in 1631, says, under Castle Hedingham, p. 620, "Here lieth interred under a tombe of marble and Tuch, now ruinous, John de Vere, the fifth of that Christian name, Earle of Oxford, Lord Bulbeck, Samford,

This brass is figured and described in Mr. Haines' recently published Manual of Monumental Brasses, p. cliii.