Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 3.djvu/394

364 English Templars' churches—for being wholly of Romanesque architecture, and for the octagonal exterior of its nave, the shortness of its choir, and for a low apsidal east end. On its interior walls paintings are still visible, as also on some girders in a building near it, which was probably the Knights' refectory—the paintings there being representations of warriors on horseback in armour of the 13th century.

The ancient city-gateways, and the machinery for working their drawbridges and herses or portcullises, were shewn by the Commandant of the garrison, who also, in a tour of the fortifications, pointed out what he conceived to have been the direction of the Roman walls, and of those erected in the 10th century, as depicted in a plan previously exhibited by him.

The Society likewise visited the Museum of Roman and Mediæval Antiquities found in Lorraine, with the Public Library, containing several interesting MSS. and a classified collection of coins in glass cases—the unusual facility of access to which drew forth much approbation.

In addition to its promenades in the city, the Society, under the intelligent guidance of the Vicomte de Cussy, made one day an excursion to the site of 's victory before mentioned, as also to the Roman aqueduct at Jouy, and a castle at Preny, remarkable for a triangular keep of unequal sides, with a tower which formerly contained a warning-bell called "Mande Guerre," and for having its outer walls embellished with a large Lorraine cross in relief, and some rustic-work the protuberances of which represent half-imbedded cannon-balls.

At the last sitting at Metz—which was held in the Prefecture—communications were made on Church-Music by the Baron de Roisin: on the Templars of Lorraine and their above-described church, with reference to an octagonal Templars' church at Rome: on the art of Lock-making, illustrated by several hundred drawings, some of which demonstrated that the principle of Bramah's lock was not unknown in ancient Egypt: and a few extracts, by the writer of this sketch, from the Harleian MSS. relative to Metz during the early middle-ages.

Some elementary books for the propagation of Archæology in the public schools and mechanics' institutes of Lorraine—together with a notification that the Council of the Society had appropriated 3500 francs towards the restoration of divers edifices in that province—were then presented by M. de Caumont to the Préfét, who, expressing his thanks and promising all his influence towards the furtherance of the Society's laudable objects, thereupon closed the session with an invitation to inspect a collection of pictures and enamels which at once evinced his good taste and liberality.

Early on the following day the Society embarked for Trèves, where they met with so magnificent a reception that I shall not describe it, fearing to be deemed guilty of exaggeration. Nor shall I speak of the so well-known monuments at Trèves, except as to the novel light thrown on some of them by late investigations; or mention its minor antiquities, except to point out a few in places not always accessible to individual strangers.

The large brick building hitherto called "the Palace of Constantine," has been proved to be a basilica or hall of justice; and, although now