Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/296

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216 NOTICES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS. by au eugraving, giving the elevations of the churches of Magor, Roggiett, Gweruesney, Caldicott, Caerwent, and Llangwm, is well arranged, and must prove interesting and instructive to students of cburcli architecture. Tlie medieval historian will find much to interest him in the second portion of Mr. ^Morgan's •' Historical and Traditional Notices of Owain Glyndwr ;" while, at the same time, the value of this communication is considerably diminished by the almost total absence of reference to the authorities from whence it is culled. The vexata qucestio of " the site of the last battle of Caractacus " is next introduced, for the perusal of those who desire to verify early British history ; and the Breidden Hill, between Shrewsbury and Welch Pool, is assigned as the most probable spot. In the " Corre- spondence," at the close of the number, is inserted a letter relative to a tumulus called Banc Benisel, near Kidwelly, in Caermarthenshire, in which a gigantic human skeleton, deposited in a somewhat peculiar cist, was discovered. The cranium was depressed or flat in front, which led the Avriter to conclude that this tumulus was the grave of Sawyl Benisel, said to have been an early British king, Benisel meaning— •' flat-headed." The Correspondence is preceded by an important communication from the learned author of "the Literature of the Kjmiry," relative to some early Welsh poems, with respect to Avhich he announces a change of opinion since writing that work, and identifies Cocholyn, a hero mentioned in a poem, entitled " Marwnad Corroy ab Dairy," which he considers as old as the time of Taliesin, with Cuichelm Quichelm, or Kichelm, mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a.d. G14. Some valuable observations on early inscribed and carved stones in Wales, by the indefatigable and able antiquary, Mr. Westwood, illustrated by two engravings, — one of the stone of Brancuf, the other of the cross of Grutne, — completes the number, which afl"ords a good sample of the publications of this Society. They have already commenced their sixth volume (the second of the New Series), now in the course of publication. Their other five volumes furnish abundant evidence of their industry and success, and contain very valuable historical and antiquarian matter. We may notice especially the Observations on the stone of St. Cadvan, at Towyn," as not by any means the least important, the joint production of Mr. J. 0. Westwood and the Rev. John Williams, of Llanyniowddy. (Vol. i.. New Series, p. 90.) " The stone of St. Cadvan " has been engraved both by Bishop Gibson and Pennant, but so inaccurately, that it is not to be wondered at that it has never yet been deciphered. At the meeting of the Cambrian Archaeo- logical Association, held in 1848, at Caernarvon, casts of the four sides of this stone were presented to the musemu by W. W. E. Wynne, Esq. These have enabled Mr. Westwood to present the readers of this journal with representations of the inscriptions, which have been reduced from the originals with the greatest care, by means of the camera lucida. The stone itself is about seven feet long, and about ten inches wide, on the two widest sides, the other two sides being considerably narrower. This paper is accompanied by an engraving, showing the inscriptions on the four sides of the stone. On the side marked A in the engraving, Mr. Westwood deciphers - CUNGEN CELEn X (See Woodcuts.) On that marked B. 1- tengrug c (?) i malte (d) gu adgan m a ? . . . tr (or a)