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 Appearance in the World is yet undecided by the Critics. Verſes of this Kind were called Leonine, but whence they derived that Appellation the learned Camden confeſſes himſelf ignorant, ſo that the Stile carries no certain Marks of its Age. I ſhall only obſerve farther on this Head, that the Characters are nearly of the ſame Form with thoſe on King Arthur’s Coffin, but whether from their Similitude we may venture to pronounce them of the ſame Date, I mull refer to the Deciſion of better Judges.

Our Inability to fix the Age of this Inſcription neceſſarily infers our Ignorance of its Author, with relation to whom many Controverſies may be ſtarted worthy of the moſt profound Learning, and moſt indefatigable Diligence.

The firſt Queſtion that naturally ariſes is, Whether he was a Briton or a Saxon? I had at firſt conceived ſome Hope, that in this Queſtion, in which not only the idle Curioſity of Virtuoſos, but the