Architecture And Archæology.

with naive and aisles , two transepts , chancel without aisles ; and lady chapel . This I attribute to the time of Joybcrtus , who first appears as Abbot in 1198 , aud died 1216 ; or of Humbert who succeeded him , at which time the abbey became of greater importance , ancl the parent of other abbeys . The south greater transept has one aisle , and an arcade or cloister . Iu thc aisle is a cooi-al piscina , and

probably the base of an altar : the mortices for the parelosc are in the shafts;—a chapel also in an adjoining part . Ou the west side of this transept are remains of an altar , with part of the stone in tha arcading over it cut aniiy , irpparently for the head of a crucifix or statue . There arc two corbels or brackets for relics , or for saints' statues . There is a drain from tho centre archway . Thc south transept is remarkable

for tho evident arrangement made with the view of preserving the chapter-house beyond , —the transept required a stronger wall than its aisle , and the main iv . tll has cither been added to or cut away so as not to interfere ivith the other side , and tho arrangement of the arches and angle is peculiar and unique . The chapter-house is the only remaining portion of the structures commenced , as I

conclude , by Roger de Montgomery . But , whatever tho foundation may have been , it was , as now existing , never designed by the same architect . It is a very beautiful specimen of the Semi-Normal or Transitional period , which prevailed generally from 1151 to 1187 . There is no record whatever as yet discovered by ivhich wc can ascertain the benefactor or designer of this part of thc abbey . It must

have been in thc abbacy of Humbald or Peter do Leja . The latter was promoted from St . David ' s in 1176 . The walling is very elaborately ornamented with thc interlaced a-rcadhigwhich has by some been supposed to have caused thc invention of the pointed arch . He called attention to the building of thc Early English church over these ornamented walls , in order to retain and preserve them . A fireplace

has been inserted in the south wall at a much later date . Tho whole of these buildings have been vaulted . The ruins have been very badly used at different times . A Mr . Moore , writing iu 1787 , says that many years ago great part of the abbey was pulled doivn to build some houses , and only four years since one of thc clustered pillars of the church was nearly levelled , ancl a cart was waiting to take it

away . To thc credit of Sir Watlun Williams Wynne bo it said , that he , as well as the present Sir Watkin . put a stop to these depredations . A seal of the abbey was said to have been found at the church of Clnn in 1760 . Several views have been published in Grose , Beauties of England and Wales , Phillips , and Eyton . There is a popular belief of a subterranean passage to Bnildw-as , of course without

foundation , as was tho case at Ufton Court and other places seen at the last congress . In thc garden , at the cast of thc church is a heap of stones : amongst them is a very beautiful incised tracing of Early English undercutmouldings , on a capital of a shaft , illustrating the subject of architectural drawings ivhich has been occupying considerable attention lately . Others of thc party went to Pitchford Hall , and others

again , deterred by thc aspect of the weather , ivhich turned out showery , took a shorter excursion to the Wroxeter excavations , the site of the ancient Roman city of Uriconium , and inspected the large collection of Roman remains from there , and which arc deposited in a museum of the Shropshire md North Wales Natural History and Antiqiiarinii Society ,.. this town . The collection is one of the most interesting

ever got together , and additions are being constantly made to it . The last article that was brought to the museum ( and which was dug up last Thursday week ) is a massive iron signet-ring . Tho metal of course is much corroded , but the stone in the centre is perfect . It represents a fawn escaping from a shell . Other finger rings of metal—some ivell preserved—are in the collection , besides broken fibula ; , spoons , and other articles '

ofu . se and ornament in bronze and silver ! among them thc beam of a steelyard . In articles of female ornament there is a large collection of hair pins , chiefly of bone , in a perfect state of preservation , and tivo ornamental Rair combs , bracelets , glass beads , bone buttons and bodkins , and a pair of bronze " tweezers for eradicating superfluous hairs . One of the most curious of the articles '' picked , up in the recent excavations at Wroxeter , is a stone medicine stamp used by somefamous doctor , who practised thclie . ihii"

j art on thc Tlriconians . The inscription on thc stamp found at Wroxeter is very perfect , and is as follows : — "TB CL DIALBA AD OMNE VM _ 0 EX 0 . " Thc abbreviations are thus filled up — " Tiherii Glaudii Medici Dialibannm ail ocuic vilium ocidonrm etc ovo . Reduced into English thc incription reads thus : —The dialibannm of Tiberius Claudius , tho physician for all complaints of the eyes , to he used with

an egg . The coins found at Uriconium and deposited in the museum arc very numerous ; among them are coins of 'Vespasian ,. Trajan , Alexander Scverus , Constantino thc Great , Constantino IL , "Valeiitiiiian , Claudius , Coiistanopolis , Marcus-Aurclius , & c . Articles in iron and glass ( thc latter broken , the former rusted ) au iron horse ' s bita spear headknives

, , , , axe heads , articles in lead , keys ,-whetstone , & c ., arc amongst the treasures secured , besides a large collection of ITpchtirch pottery and Samian ware . The human remains include some deformed skulls , a thigh bone ivhich had been fractured and set again , and the skeleton of a very young infiuit . Of other bones are those of tho wild boar , ox , dog , red deer , and horse .

The excursionists did not return until seven o ' clock , and at half-past eight they met at the Town-hall , for the readingof papers , & c . The President , Mr . Botfiekl , M . P ., reported to tho meetingthat they had had a most successful excursion , and statctl what papers had . been read . Mr . PcftigrewE . B . S . F . S . A . thenin tho absence of tho

, , , , Rev . Mr . Eyton , read his paper " On thc Castles of Shropshire and its Borders . " The writer expressed his conviction that castle-building ivas not the particular genius of the Normans , as some people imagined , nor wero these castles ] iroperly called " feudal : " their existence was rather a sympton of weakness and internal dissension than of strength . Tlio chronicles recorded but one Saxon fortress , Ethelfreda ' sv

Shropshire Castle , as it was called , which was built in the 13 th century . The site of this cat-tie ivas still to be observed - —a mound at Oldbury , or Oldborough , in the vicinity of Biicigcnorth . Earl Roger de Montgomery founded a castle at Shrewsbury—the fourth Doomsday Castle . Thc paper ivas listened to with deep attention throughout , and a cordial resolution of thanks votedto the writer . It was also announcedin reply to an enquirythat it would be

, , published liy the Association . On AVedncsday , despite thc heavy rain which came down without ceasing till thc afternoon , a large party assembled at the railway station for tho excursion to Toug Church and Castle , Shiflhal Church , and Lilleshall Abbey . Tho intention to visit Boscobel House and the Royal Oak was abandoned on account of the weather , as the party left the

train at Albri ghton . At Tong a paper ivas read by Mr . Hormaii Fisher on thc church and its monuments ; and a discussion took place , in which thc Rev . Mr . Petit , Mr . Davis , Mr . Roberts , Mr . Cordon Hills , and Mr . Blanche , took part . Tho visitors afterwards proceeded to Decker-Hill , where the President entertained them most hospitably . The main party then proceeded to Sliiffnal Church , ( the

interesting iiomts of which wore , described m a paper read by the Rev . Mr . Petit , ) and returned thence by railway ; but the most adventurous members went ou to Lilleshall Abbey , and did not return in time for thc evening meeting . At the general meeting three papers of interest were read . Tho first one ivas by the Rev . 0 . H . Hartshorne , on "Powisland and Poivis Castle , " ivhich comprised a history , in brief , of the principality of AVales . Mr . Hartshorne described the

castle and its surroundings with much eloquence and vigour , and mentioned ivith due honour thc distinguished names of its possessors , and of those related to thc Earl of Powis . The next paper was read liy Mr . E . Lcvien , of the department of manuscripts in tho Bristish Museum , " On the Shrewsbury Book . " This remarkable ancl beautiful MS ., now in the museum , which was presented by the Earl of

Shrcwbury to Margaret of Aiijou , the Queen of Henry VI ., was described by Mr . Lcvien with much minuteness .. He observed that illuminated manuscipts frequently derive special value , as they contain the portraits of tho distinguished donors ; and in the " Book of Shrewsbury" there arc portraits of the Queen to whom it was given and a portrait also of the King . Thc third paper ivas on Boscobel House and the escape of