Mr. Sharp exhibited an ancient British coin of one of the sons of Comius, differing from any that have hitherto been pub lished. It is of gold, weighing 814 grs. Obverse, COM. F. on a sunk tablet; above and below a ring ornament. Reverse, a horseman galloping to the right, wielding a sword; behind, a star; in the exergue a legend, apparently VIR. It differs from other specimens of the same module, in having the ring-ornaments on the obverse, and an exergual line on the reverse.

Mr. Williams exhibited a handsome volume, containing electrotypes of large brass Roman coins executed by himself, and presenting exact facsimiles of a number of fine specimens of that magnificent series. The volume forms part of a set destined to comprise about 1,600 coins.

A communication was read from Mr. Rolfe, offering the loan of some plates of Kentish tokens-carefully etched by himself to the Society, which was thankfully accepted.

M. de Koehne, of St. Petersburgh, communicated some remarks on the system at present pursued in cataloguing coins for sale, in which he advocated giving fuller descriptions of the coins, and distributing them into smaller lots.

Mr. Williams read a paper "On Chinese Knife-money," by Mr. W. B. Dickinson, of Leamington, in which, after pointing out that personal ornaments or bullion have in all countries been used as a medium of exchange before the introduction of a coined currency, the author suggested that the perforated copper coinage of the GENT. MAG. VOL. CCXI.

currency. The taou, or knife-money, of the earliest Chinese dynasties is in the form of a short knife, with a perforation in the circular handle for suspension; and it was possible that as the knives became of more general use for currency, the blades were gradually diminished in size, until merely the rounded ends were left, in form like the present Chinese "cash."

Mr. Poole communicated an account of a coin from the Cyrenaica, presented to the British Museum by Mr. Crowe, Her Majesty's Vice-Consul at Ben Ghazee. On the obverse is the silphium plant, common on the coins of Cyrene, Barca, and Hesperides; and on the reverse a gazelle, to the left, in front the silphium plant; above the fruit of the silphium, in the field, K. K., the whole within a square depression. From the style of the coin Mr. Poole considers it to date about B.C. 450, and suggests that the letters K. K. probably designate the words KOINON KYPANAION; a suggestion which is strengthened by the circumstance that a Cyrenian didrachin of the period before the Ptolemies, with the legend KOIN. KYPA, has been published by Sestini.

The word KOINON is known to indicate a community, and would seem to prove that at the time of these coins being struck the republic had already been established in the Cyrenaica, as the use of this word would hardly have originated under a kingly government. The last King of Cyrene was Arcesilaus IV., whose victory in the chariot-race at the Pythian Games is recorded by Pindar. There is, however, no historical record of the existence of a republic before B.C. 401; but if the 4 F

may be our own opinion after examining the weight of evidence on both sides, we see that in the opinion of learned and accurate scholars there seems to be no doubt that Christianity was preached in this island by some of the apostles.

"What, then, is the earliest testimony we have of Roman and British historians, and of the Welsh Triads ? And first the Triads, or Welsh records. The Triads inform us that Bran, the father of Caradog, the famous Caractacus, was detained at Rome a hostage for seven years, though his son was set at liberty. Bran is said to have been a bard, and his family is reckoned among the three holy families of the Isle of Britain,-and it is said that he brought the faith of Christ into this island from Rome. According to Tacitus, it was about A.D. 51 that the British captives arrived at Rome; and it was about two or three years later that St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans was written, or, according to Dr. Wordsworth's computation, seven years afterwards, or A.D. 58. In that Epistle the Apostle sends his salutation to many converts in the city of Rome; and in the Epistle to the Philippians he speaks of the saints of Cæsar's household.' We see, therefore, that Bran, when a hostage at Rome, might have had opportunity of learning the doctrines of Christianity. The Genealogy of the Saints of the Isle of Britain' (says Mr. Williams) agrees with the Triads in attributing the first introduction of Christianity to Bran. 'Bran was the first who brought Christian faith to this country. The three sovereigns of the Isle of Britain who conferred blessings were,-Bran, the blessed son of Llyr Llediath, who first brought the faith of Christ to the nation of the Cymry from Rome, where he had been a hostage for his son Caradog, whom the Romans had taken captive atter he was betrayed by treachery; the second, Lleirwg, the son of Coel, who was the son of St. Cyllin, surnamed Llewer Mawr, who made the first church at Llandaff, and that was the first in the Isle of Britain, and who bestowed the privilege of country and nation, and judgment and validity of oath, upon those who should be of the faith of Christ; the third, Cadwaladr the Blessed, who granted the privilege of his land and all his property to the faithful who fled from the infidel Saxons and the unbrotherly men who wished to slay them.' (Triad 33.)

"For these interesting documents, says Mr. Williams, we are indebted to the Bards, whose duty, according to the Moelmutian laws, was to keep an authentic

record respecting privileges, customs, families, pedigrees of nobility by honourable marriages, heroic actions, and everything of superior excellence of county and clan. (Myn. Arch., vol. iii., Laws of Dynwal Molmud.) The Genealogy of the Saints' meutions the names of four Christian missionaries who accompanied Bran on his return to his native country, viz, Ilid, Cyndar, and his son Mawan, who are styled Men of Israel,' and Arwystli Hen, a man of Italy.' Arwystli is supposed to be the same person with Aristobulus, spoken of in St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, xvi. 10. The formation of the name from the Greek (says Mr. Williams) would be in perfect accordance with the analogy of the Welsh language. But what adds the greatest support to the hypothesis is the fact that, in the Greek Menology, Aristobulus is said to have been ordained by St. Paul as a bishop for the Britons. In this case the Greeks and Welsh are witnesses wholly independent of each other. Dorotheus in his 'Synopsis' likewise affirms that Aristobulus was made bishop in Britain.

"The Triads intimate that the family of Bran in general embraced Christianity, for they speak of it as one of the three holy families of the Isle of Britain. It is probable, says Mr. Williams, that this happened at Rome. We learn from one of the Triads that the whole royal family was carried captive thither. A son and daughter of Caradog are ranked among the saints. His daughter Eurgain, or Eigen, is recorded as the first female saint among the Britons, and her conversion seems to have been contemporary with the first introduction of Christianity into the island. She is said to have formed a college of twelve religious persons, which was called after her name, and she is also said to have been married to a noble Roman.

"Let us see now what the Roman historians tell us. We have observed that there must have been several native Britons at Rome during the time that St. Paul and St. Peter were resident in that city. Bishop Stillingfleet and other writers have supposed that among the converts to Christianity then living at Rome, was one of high rank, viz., the wife of Aulus Plautius, the first governor of a Roman province in Britain, and the general whose arms had so much contributed to the conquest of this island. This is the account which Tacitus gives of this person :-'Pomponia Græcina, an illustrious lady, the wife of Aulus Plautius, (who, upon his return from Britain, had been honoured with an ovation,) being accused of having

embraced a foreign superstition, her trial was committed to her husband. He, according to the ancient institutions of Rome, having made solemn enquiry in the presence of her relations respecting any charges affecting her life and reputation, pronounced her innocent. After this, Pomponia's life was protracted through a long course of melancholy years.' (Tacitus, Annals, lib. xiii. c. 32.) It is believed that what Tacitus here described as a 'foreign superstition,' was Christianity, which Pomponia had embraced. At the time St. Paul was a prisoner in Rome, Pomponia Græcina must have been living in that capital. There was also another female, then resident in Rome, who is commemorated by the Roman poet Martial, and declared to have been a Briton by birth, and celebrated for her wit and beauty. It appears also from the poet that she was married to a person named Pudens. These have been supposed to be the persons whose names are mentioned by St. Paul in his second Epistle to Timothy. At the time St. Paul wrote this Epistle, Martial was between thirty and forty years of age, A.D. 67. It is no unreasonable conjecture to suppose that by the instrumentality of these persons the light of Christianity may also have been brought into this island. These agreements and coincidences between Welsh tradition and Roman history, borne out as they are by ecclesiastical history, and confirmed by Scriptural allusion, afford a very strong proof of the early growth and subsequent extension of Christianity in our island."

After treating in detail of the Culdees, the Irish missionaries, the early conver sion of Cornwall and the north of England, and enumerating many Cornish oratories Welsh inscriptions, and Saxon crosses, representations of which were exhibited, the rev. gentleman concluded thus:

"We have seen that the inscriptions, crosses, and oratories of Cornwall and Wales bear testimony to the existence of a Church in this country, quite distinct from that of the Saxon, founded by St. Augustine, and much anterior to it. We find remains of churches in Scotland and Ireland which bear no affinity with the Saxon and Norman, and confirming the testimony of history that these were entirely independent branches of the Church Catholic, and owe their foundation to a period antecedent also to the mission of Augustine. The vestiges of the labours of Scottish and Irish missionaries are very discernible, and it is a singular fact that while medieval buildings have superseded the works of the Saxon missionaries in the south of England, the north and west still bear distinct traces of their early evangelizers. The united testimony of history, inscriptions, and sculptured fragments to the early planting of the Church in this island, not to mention the manuscripts of the fifth and succeeding centuries, which still remain, is such as to give the liveliest satisfaction, not only to the archæologist, but to every one jealous of the honour of his country."

Oct. 10. The annual meeting was held at Amersham. The weather was fine, and the proceedings commenced with an excursion to the Old Manor House, Chenies, now the residence of F. Rickards, Esq. The party were hospitably welcomed by the owner, and proceeded to inspect the mansion. Of the quadrangle of which it originally consisted, only one wing now remains. The west side is in ruins, and on the north side the foundations only can now be discerned. The excursionists were entertained at lunch at the residence of the Rev. Lord Wriothesley Russell, Rector of Chenics. His Lordship was from home, but his son supplied his place

with the greatest courtesy. The party paid a short visit to Chenies Church, and then returned to Amersham, where the more formal business of the day com menced.

A museum had been formed, and was exhibited in the Town-hall, comprising a great number of interesting objects. The hall was hung with brass rubbings, and the upper end was adorned with a variety of specimens of ancient armour. Among the articles exhibited was a valuable collection of ancient deeds, selected by the Rev. W. Drake from the family archives at Shardeloes. These included the great seal of Henry VI., (affixed to