Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/66

 €hap. 11. OF- MANCHESTU 43 any human being, and could have been the remains only of a favourite bird. And fuch remains have been equally found in an urn at a place which I fhall hereafter (hew to have been the antient Cambodunum of Yorkfhire % the bones being extremely fmall and yet evidently entire* An urn fb filled is a Angular difcovery in itfelf, and is almoft the only one of the kind that has been made within the ifland. And fuch an aft of regard to a little favourite was never perhaps very conamon among a peo- ple, whofe general genius was too much fteeled to all the finer feelings of humanity by the regular philofbphy of a perverted patriothm, the regular practice of a rekmtleft heroifm, and the regular attendance upon fanguinary diverfions *. In the Ipring of 1 765 was found another fepulchral veflel at the fame extremity of the Field, though on the lower part of the declivity, and among the artificial foil that had b*6ft heaped upon the perpendicular face of the natural ground. It was dik covered about feven feet below the farface, at the bottdm of a Httle hole, the diameter of which was little more than that of the veflel, and which had been filled up again with the Shifted 5arth. There it refted on the rock, covered with a lid of the feme and placed within two other vefl'els of much coarfer. mate- rials, and containing a quantity of afhes. All were unwarily fra&ured before they were difcerned* but nearly the whole of the former was preferved. This is a fmall urn, and not quite equal in capacity to a quart, containing only fifty-four folid inches and an half within. This muft therefore have incloled merely the afhes of a child. The above-mentioned circumftances of attentive care demonftrate the aihes to have been the child of a confiderable officer in the garrifon. And I have pre- vioufly obferved, that the Romans in general, the common fbl- diers as well as the officers, had their wives and children along with them. This fepulchral veflel however is not formed in the ufual figure of an urn, but exaftly on the model of a modern bafon. Urns of fuch a configuration are a little uncommon, but have been difcovered at London, in Cornwall, and in other places. This is compofed of very fine clay, and is fimilar to, G % but