Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 5.djvu/208

160 Roman ring of gold, with eleven facets externally, but circular within, was found near the Roman "Stone street," not far from Norwich.

A very elegant gold ring was brought for examination by Mr. Whincopp, having recently been added to his valuable collection of personal ornaments of the middle ages. It is formed in imitation of two bands or ribands twined together, one inscribed on the outside, fauns departir—the other on the inner side, a nul autre.

Mr. Winter Jones has communicated further information, which will interest some of our readers, regarding the Dutch "palimpsest" sepulchral brass, discovered in West Lavington church, Wilts, by the Rev. Edward Wilton, and described in the last volume of the Archaeological Journals. Through the kindness of Mr. Lardner, careful enquiries were made by Mr. J. Van Lennep, of Amsterdam, to ascertain the locality of Westmonstre, where the brass of John Dauntesay had originally formed a memorial of some religious endowment. After long research, no trace of the name appearing in the indexes of works regarding the ecclesiastical antiquities of Holland, Mr. Van Lennep has most kindly supplied the following particulars:—

"In the city of Middleburgh, in Walcheren, province of Zeeland, there were three churches, one of them connected with the abbey, and dedicated to the Virgin and St. Nicholas, the second built by Count Floris V. at the close of the thirteenth century, dedicated to St. Peter, and connected with a college or monastery (monster) of canons: it was called East, or Nord-monster. The third was dedicated to St. Martin, and, having also a chapter of canons, was called West-monster. This church appears from charters given by Van Mieris, to have been founded by Count William III., whose sister Philippa espoused Edward III. king of England. There was thus a near relation and intercourse between the English and Zeelanders in the fourteenth century, which might lead to a supposition that during that time, on some restoration or changes in the church of West-monstre, the plate might have been sold or sent to England. The occasion of its removal cannot have been after the destruction of that fabric, which took place in 1575, the materials, iron, brass-work, and bells, being sold by order of the magistrates for the sum of f. 1820, whilst the English inscription bears a previous date, 1559.

"I have found in several Dutch works on commercial matters that the merchants of Holland and Zeeland were accustomed to send the brass and iron they bought in Sweden or Norway to Bruges, and to barter it for other merchandise. The prevalent notion that England imported brass plate from Flanders may thus appear to be confirmed.

"The 'heijleghe Gheest meesters' named in the inscription were the deacons of the congregation of the Holy Ghost. The 'gilde van sinte Cornelis,' confrèrie or fellowship of St. Cornelius, was that of the