Page:VCH Leicestershire 1.djvu/260

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A HISTORY OF LEICESTERSHIRE Bond Street. 96 In the Leicester Museum there are also an octagonal glass vessel with two handles containing human bones, a hexagonal one (plate IX) and a square one ; the two latter closed with leaden caps, and were associated with burials. Miscellaneous Antiquities. Opposite the Arcade in High Street there was found in 1904 a ring with a gold bezel representing Rome as a female figure, which is said to be of the first century. 98 In 1873 a silver ring set with an engraved cornelian stone was found in Silver Street, and is now in the Leicester Museum. The bronze articles which have been found from time to time in Leicester consist of a considerable quantity of fibulae, bracelets, pins, toilet implements, rings, spoons, sty/i, and steelyards. Occa- sionally ornaments or pendants with traces of enamel have been discovered. In 1858 a bust of bronze 3 in. high and somewhat corroded was found ; it probably represents a faun or young satyr, the features being semi-African, with flat nose and round face. 97 With it was a bulla, also in bronze, the shape of a heart, attached to a chain with long narrow links. In 1898 a bronze boss or ornament in the shape of a grotesque mask was found at Newarke Bridge. 98 (These are all in the Leicester Museum.) The figure of ' Apollo or Jupiter ' found on the site of the villa at the Cherry Orchard is noted elsewhere. 99 An eagle's head in bronze was found on the site of the Royal Arcade in High Street, 100 and a small bronze cross 2 in. long with a coin of Valens (A.D. 36478) in Belgrave Gate. 101 A finger-ring of bronze of the key type was discovered in Blackfriars Street. 103 The iron framework and chain of a large bucket, said to be Roman, were found at a depth of 25 ft. when sinking a well in Southgate Street. 103 A bone spoon, now in the Leicester Museum, was found in Causeway Lane, 104 some bone discs in St. Nicholas Street, 106 and many bone pins have been found in different parts of the town. A quern of pudding stone was found in Butt Close Lane in i862. 106 A seal or stamp of blue lias was found in High Cross Street bearing a grotesque face and the inscription in two lines, c. PAL. GRACiLis, 107 which Hubner reads C[AIVS] PAL[FORIOS] GRAcius. 108 Coins have been found in considerable quantities in the town, separately and in hoards. 109 Burton records isolated finds made as early as 1622, dating from Vespasian (A.D. 70-9) to Antonine (A.D. 138 6 1). 110 In 1718 a hoard was discovered near the North Gate, in an earthenware pot capable of holding 3 pints or 2 quarts, and containing a considerable number of coins, first and third brass, dating from Titus (A.D. 7981) to Honorius (A.D. 395 423). U1 In 1730 600 brass coins were found, presumably together, ' near the town,' dating from Diocletian (A.D. 284-305) to Constantine Maximus (A.D. 3o6~37). lls In 1797 the Gentleman's Magazine records the find of many consular coins in the ploughed lands north-west of the town, 118 apparently all silver. A great number of coins were found near Bow Bridge 95 C. Roach Smith, llltu. Rom. Land. " Leu. Arch. Soc. ix, 225, 238. 97 Ibid, i, 2 14. M Rep. Com. Lelc. Mus. 99 Assoc. Arch. Sue. ix, p. cxviii ; Prof. Soc. Antiq. (Ser. 2), iv, 183-5. 100 Lelc. Arch. Soe. v, 169 ; vi, 1 13-14. "" Ibid, ii, 247. " Ibid, iv, 328. 01 Asset. Arch. Soe. xii, p. xli. M Lett. Arch. Soc. ii, 92. 1<s Ibid, ix, 175. 106 Leu. Arch. So:, ii, 178 ; v, 59. I07 Ibid, vi, 96. loe Hflbner, Corpus Inscrip. 09 Hollings, Lelc. Lit. and Phil. Soc. 364. uo Descr. of Lelc. '" Nichols, Hist. Lett, i, 4. 111 Camden, Brit, ii, 209 (ed. Gough) ; MS. Min. Soc. Antiq. ii, 200 ; Nichols, Hut. Lett, i, 4. 1U Gent. Mag. 1797, i, 203 ; Arch, liv, 494. 204