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 A HISTORY OF LEICESTERSHIRE fragments of a moulded capital and base of a smaller column, and a large weather-worn stone, circular moulded in one part, are also to be seen there. In 1888 the remains of two walls were discovered in the churchyard of St. Nicholas. One ran at right-angles north and south, about 8 ft. from the buttress supporting the tower at the east end of the north aisle of the church, and about 4 ft. 4 in. below the surface. The bottom of the wall was not reached at 8 ft. to 1 2 ft. from the surface. The other block of masonry, 3 ft. 4 in. away, lay edgewise, and had apparently fallen. The coins found at this time were a second brass of Licinius (A.D. 30724) and a third brass of Delmatius (A.D. 335). Both wall and roof tiles were among the debris. 30 In 1898 an interesting discovery was made in digging some cellars in St. Nicholas Street, about fifty yards from St. Nicholas' Church, of two pavements. These have fortunately been preserved and remain in situ. The larger appears to be a square of about 14 ft. Its great peculiarity is that as far as the main divisions go it is a duplicate in design of the pavement in Jewry Wall Street (plate I), being composed of nine octagonal panels with, it seems, a border similar in design to that of the floor just named. The centre panel, instead of geometrical ornaments as in the others, has the image of a peacock, within a circle of elaborate braidwork, standing with tail displayed, a rare representation of this bird. The head, neck, and legs are of blue-grey tesserae, the tail is red, dark brown, and yellow, with blue- grey eyes. The other panels, as mentioned, are filled with bold geometrical forms which are coarser than those of the Jewry Wall Street example. Both floors may well be the work of the same hand (plate III.) The smaller pave- ment near this elaborate one has a simple diagonal pattern in white on a grey ground with white and grey borders, beyond which are traces of red tesserae. Another portion has a grey ground diapered with white crosses and apparently with bounding lines of brick tesserae. All these fragments are perhaps part of the pavement of a corridor. 21 At the same time were found some Roman coins, principally bronze, in bad condition, with small pieces of tiles, and potsherds of various wares, mixed with bones, oyster shells, and various other refuse. Part of a silver denarius of Severus Alexander (A.D. 227235) and a small brass of Victorinus (A.D. 265-7) were a ^ so found on the same site. 33 Nichols 33 mentions 'a plain Roman pavement' found at the Recruiting Sergeant Inn, St. Nicholas Street, at a depth of 8 ft. from the surface, ' of a lightish close grain, friable, and by the side of it a thick wall built with very hard stone like that of the Jewry wall, and in a direct line with it.' About forty yards off in the same direction this wall was apparently used for the foun- dation of a house by the churchyard side on the south-west of the church. Another wall ran towards the west at right-angles with the first. 84 In 1839 a pavement was found in the street leading from St. Nicholas Street to Talbot Lane, 26 and further foundations of buildings were said to have been discovered near the church. 28 In 1889 a fragment of tesselated floor was found, but was covered up before it could be inspected. 27 " Leic. Arch. Soc. vii, 17. " Ibid, viii, 375 ; Journ. Brit. Arch. Soc. (new ser.), iv, 289. " Leic. Arch. Soc. viii, 375 ; Assoc. Arch. Soc. xxiv, xcix ; Haverfield, Antij. xxxiv, 234. " Hist. Leic. i, 12. * Nichols, Hist. Leic. i, 12. K O. S. xxxi ; Fox, Arch. Journ. xlvi, 62. ** Leic. Arch. Soc. ii, 207. " Journ. Brit. Arch. Assoc. vii, 285 (1900). 188