Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 8.djvu/512

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io s. vm. NOV. so, mi.

narrow pair of stairs (not unlike the ' t'le- gant ladder ' that led to the family crib of Colman's Irish cow-doctor, Mr. Looney Macwoulter)."

In January, 1820, was issued the first number of The London Magazine,in the pages of which the immortal essays of Elia were to appear. This was published by Baldwin, Cradock & Joy. The same month saw also the birth of another London Magazine, pub- lished by Gold & Northouse, at No. 19, Great Russell Street, Covent Garden. The first volumes of both publications lie open before me as I write, and are of a similar size (one has, in fact, a matter of 44 pages more than the other) : the title, The London Magazine, is in both cases in the same type.

This issue of Gold's must have been of interest to Lamb. if only by reason of its originating next door, from the very shop that was once the resting-place of his Beau- mont and Fletcher folio. And Lamb was not troubled by the noise of the printing of his neighbours' London : this was done by Joyce Gold at 103, Shoe Lane.*

In the number of Baldwin's London for March, 1821, appeared Lamb's ' Chapter on Ears,' with its " When therefore I say I have no ear, you will understand me to mean for music." Gold's London for the same month contained an appreciative article ' On the Writings of Charles Lamb,' in which mention is made of that " most musical, most melan- choly " tale, ' Rosamund Gray.'

As it is probable that many readers of ' N. & Q.' have never seen Gold's London, it cannot fail to interest them to know that in the above - mentioned issue for March, 1821, occur the following words of prophecy :

"The writings of Charles Lamb have hitherto escaped popularity, from the excessive modesty that pervades them. But his fame, though of slow growth, is eventually of certain attainment, and is built, like the palace in Scripture, on the unshaken rock of ages."

Mary Lamb must have thought well of her next-door neighbours after March, 1821.

J. ROGERS REES.

THE ROUNDEL STONE.

A CORRESPONDENCE of no little interest appeared in The Scotsman of 18, 26, and 30 March, 2, 17, and 18 April last, as to this

Sister' (1812), the authorship of which has been erroneously attributed to Mary Lamb. " Mrs. Gold, Shoe Lane," figures in its list of subscribers.
 * Here Gold had printed the little ' Poems, by a

remarkable sculptured ancient Scotch mono- lith. The suggestion of its meaning is due to " Miles," who sent the account to this paper. But, as he says, it records a national event, it becomes of far more than local interest ; in fact, it would be the oldest sculptured historical stone monument we possess.

The stone is in the grounds of the Smith Institute, Stirling, and is of red sandstone, 10 feet 6 inches long, 5 feet 3 inches broad, and 1 foot thick. It was found at Green- loaning, South Perthshire, in 1822. " Miles" has discovered that on it is sculptured a representation of the celebrated battle of Mons Grampius, at Ardoch, on the banks of the Naig, which falls into the Allan Water, which is about two miles from Greenloaning, in A.D. 84, when Agricola finally and utterly defeated Galgacus and his Caledonians, by which decisive battle Roman Britain was permanently secured from the Picts. " Miles " says the stone was reared to a Roman officer to, I understand, Aulus- Atticus, commander of a cohort, who there died.

It represents four stages of the conflict : 1. Action of Caledonian chariots with Roman cavalry. 2. Attack by Caledonians on Roman, British, and Belgic auxiliaries, and on the Roman flank and rear. 3. Pursuit of Caledonians by Roman cavalry, and death of Atticus. 4. Roman legions in front of camp, and defeat and flight of Caledonians, pursued by Roman cavalry.

" Miles " further finds in different parts of the stone heads of Agricola, Galgacus,. Domitian, Boadicea, et alii ; also a bridge over the Naig, a wild boar, two Roman camps, Caledonian standard ; sun-face E.. and W. at top, facing S. to indicate the battle began at midday ; sun-face at bottom* facing E., denoting the close of the battle at even.

If only a portion of these details are dis- coverable, it is clearly a most remarkable, valuable, and almost umque British his- torical stone monument.

I have recentlyreceived an excellent photo- graph of this stone, and it appears to me there- is substantial ground for some at least, if not all, of " Miles's " startling conclusions. By the aid of a powerful glass, in a good morning light, I discovered some, but not all, of the figures indicated.

1. At the top of the stone are the letters

PYRODA.

2. Below this is a cross supporting a