Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 11.djvu/457

 THE AECHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE. 393 curious MS. Poem in the Puljlic Library, attributed to LyJgate, who was a favourite of the Duke of Gloucester's, auJ being the Farewell of the Duchess after her condemnation to perpetual imprisonment, in 1141. Dr. MiLMAN, in convening tlic thniiks of the meeting to Mr. Ilardwick, urged him to undertake the publication of that curious poem, which has greater merit than most compositions of its period. At the appointed hour, the arrival of the Pkince Cossoiit was made known by the harmonious peals from St. Mary's Church, and shortly before twelve His Koyal Highness, attended by the Hon. Colonel Grey and Colonel Seymour, entered the Senate House. He was accompanied by the Vice-Chancellor, and was received with every mark of respect by the Presi- dent of the Institute, the Heads of Iluu.'^es, University officers and repre- sentatives in Parliament. The Pbince Alijekt took his seat at the right hand of the President, the Vice-Chancellor being at Lord Talbot's left. The Master of Cail'.s College, Dr. Guest, then delivered a Discourse on the four great Boundary Dykes of Cambridgeshire, and the probable dates of their construction. He had prepared, in illustration of this important subject of historical inquir}', a map indicating the supposed state of the south-eastern counties in British times, and showing the three fertile vales of Pewsey, the White Horse, and Aylesbury, the extensive tracts of forest, and the open ranges of chalk down. The Icknield Street was pointed out as the great highway across the chalk country between the fens and the woods. The dykes of Cambridgeshire were referred by Dr. Guest to the boundary lines of the British princes ; lie sought to trace their succession from the cursory notices of early historians, and from numismatic evidence. The Brent dyke he was disposed to assign to the period of the second great Belgic conquest, about B. c. 90, and the Pampisford dyke to about a. d. 30. The Fleam dyke and the Devil's Ditch are of a much later period, the former being probably the Anglo-Saxon limes of East Anglia in the wars of the seventh century, between the Mercians and the East Angles ; whilst the latter may be a Danish work of the close of the ninth century. Lord Talbot de Malahide rose to offer the thanks of the meeting to Dr. Guest. He was desirous to express, on behalf of the Archaeological Institute, the high sense of the honour graciously conferred upon the Society by the Prince Ciiaxcellor, in the special visit to Cambridge which he had been pleased to make, in order to participate in the proceedings of this meeting which had been favoured with his patronage. The members of the Institute retained a grateful remembrance of the part which his Royal Highness had taken in promoting their design, in conjunction with the Society of Arts, for the illustration of IMediasval Art, through the Exhibition opened in 1850. The patronage with which the Prince had favoured the Institute, in their visit to the University of which he is the head, would give a fresh stimulus and encouragement to their future exer- tions, and tend to establish in the minds of all the conviction that there was something in archaeology beyond the indulgence of a vain and frivolous curiosity. The Master of Trinity having then taken the Chair, as President of the Section of Architecture, the Rev. Professor Willis delivered an admirable discourse on the Collegiate and other Buildings in Cambridge. The vote of thanks having been proposed by Dr. Wiiewell, and seconded by Professor Sedgwick, was carried with more than ordinary enthusiasm. The Prince, after personally expressing to Dr. Guest and