Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/385

 ARCHAEOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE. 361 of the principal settlers, in his History of South Yorkshire, vol. i. p. 159. It appears very probable that the occurrence of this seal at Doncaster may thus he explained. iNIr. W. Ilylton Loiig-staffe, of Darlington, has forwarded a drawing of the object here represented, with the annexed remarks. " The brass framework shewn below was found at Yarm, co. Durham, in recent railway excavations, and is supposed to have belonged to the purse or alms-bag of a perambulating friar. With it were found many human bones, and a large number of small wooden beads, finely turned, which evidently composed rosaries. It is furnished with a ring at the top, either as a handle or for a staff to pass through to carry it over the back of the owner. The top, which turns round on a swivel and much resembles a scale beam, has rude letters seemingly of the sixteenth century inserted in lead. On one side is ave maria (monogram av) gacia ple, and on the other A DOMiNvS tecvm. The extreme rudeness of these inscriptions inclines me to think that they are of home manufacture, and that the large S of Dominus, which is in the centre like the monogram on the other side, had at first some other signification. The main part of the hoop has soli. DEO. HONOR. ET. GLORIA. cut in a very good style, and like the rest of the legends run with lead. The other part, which turns in the last, and when closed tits into it, has creatoren celi et terre et in prfvn. The lead has vanished in many places, but on the whole this curious relic is in fair preservation, and is I believe in the hands of the engineer of the Leeds and Tiiirsk line."