Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/496

 334 ROMAN OCCUPATION IN BRITAIN. were found at Watermore. The district called the " Querns," to the west of the town, is also in Chesterton Tything, and at that spot is the Roman Amphitheatre, perfect in form, and still presenting slight traces of the gradini. The measure- ments are, from east to west, 148 feet ; from north to south, 134 feet; width of entrance, 28 feet; the mounds are 20 feet high. The portions of the curious floor still preserved in the cellar of a house adjoining the pavement No. 2, is similar to one engraved and described in " Le Pitture Antiche delle grotte di Roma," by Pietro Santi Bartoli and Francesco Bartoli, published at Rome in 1706, which was found near the Porta Capena, in the remains of a building believed to have been the piscina publica for the aqua Appia, the very one mentioned by Cicero when writing to his brother Quintus : " Romse, et maxime Appia ad Martis mira proluvies, crassi- pedis ambulatio ablata, horti, tabernae plurima3, magna vis aquae usque ad piscinam publicam." The subject there re- presented is the espousals of Neptune and Amphitrite. The fragment at Cirencester contains a figure mounted on a dolphin, a sea-horse, marine monsters, and various kinds of fish. In the grounds of Miss Master, at the Abbey, Cirencester, are preserved parts of two very large capitals of the composite order, the acanthus leaves are very boldly cut, as are the parts of a human bust introduced in the volutes. A series of beautiful bronze armillse, found in some of the excavations, are also preserved at Cirencester, with a variety of other objects. As soon as the season is more suited for further explora- tions, it is very desirable that the gentlemen who have been so successful in the recent works should resume their opera- tions, as no doubt many relics of great interest still remain beneath the surface. CHARLES TUCKER. We. beg to express our hearty thanks to the several parties at Cirencester who have so obligingly rendered assistance and information in our inquiries, and particularly to Mr. C. Newmarch and Mr. Huckraan, for the loan of the plate from which our illustration is taken ; and we hope that the public also will give these gentlemen due su])[)ort in their very spirited undertaking of the valuable volume, devoted to an illustrated description of the antiquities of Corinium, now preparing for the press.