A letter was communicated by the President and Council of the Society of Antiquaries, from Mr. Dawson Turner, dated Yarmouth, November 30, informing them that the projectors of a railroad from Yarmouth to Diss, intended to apply to Parliament for power to demolish portions of Burgh Castle, the Garianonum of the Romans, and expressing the hope of its proprietor, that the Society would assist in the preservation of this, the most perfect specimen of a Roman castrum-hibernum, now in existence. Copies of letters were also communicated which had been addressed by Mr. Carlisle, the Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries, to Mr. Hudson Gurney, and to Mr. Ferrier, of Burgh Castle, requesting them to take into consideration the means necessary for preventing its demolition.
Another letter on the same subject, dated December 16, with a plan of Burgh Castle and its vicinity, was communicated from Mr. Charles J. Palmer, of Great Yarmouth, through Mr. King, stating that although the first proposed line, which would have passed through the castle, has been abandoned, the new line is so close to its south-western angle, that he would suggest the propriety of bringing the subject under the notice of Lords Dalhousie and Aberdeen. Upon these several statements, Dr. Bromet was requested to enquire as to the probability of any alteration of either of the above-named lines, so as not to endanger Burgh Castle, and to report thereon at a future meeting.
Dr. Bromet communicated a drawing and part of a letter from the Rev. C. Parkin, of Lenham, in Kent, stating that having erected a stage for the purpose of taking a nearer view of the painting in his church, than that exhibited at Canterbury, (described in the Journal, vol. i. page 270,) he found that the object in the hand of the horn-blowing imp, which was there called a soul, is a small trefoil-shaped figure: and, speaking of the rosary, he says that only four ave beads appear between each of the eight pater-nosters, except in one case, in which there are five. He also says that the inscription seems to have been only one word in the old English character; that it is the left hand of the Virgin which is raised in the attitude of blessing; and that something apparently meant for a net is spread over the devil's scale, as if to prevent the escape of the soul in it. With reference to these details, Dr. Bromet remarked, that ancient rosaries consisted of fifty ave, and five pater-noster beads; and suggested that the trefoil-like figure was meant to represent a bag of money.
A letter was read from the Rev. H. Longueville Jones, of Manchester, suggesting to the Committee that Archæological Societies should be established in all important localities, and strongly recommending the counties of Salop and Chester, as having peculiar claims. He recommends also a survey of the present condition of all monastic and castellated remains in the British dominions, beginning with Kent; and that this survey should comprehend, 1st, Architectural admeasurements and delineations; 2ndly, an enumeration of all chartularies, and other MS. documents connected with them; and 3rdly, the names of their several possessors. He further suggests an application to competent authority, that in each of the Crown-castles
