The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-14 00:00:00

Archaeological Association.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the members of
this association was held on Wednesday evening—
Mr. Syer Curving in the chair. Numerous objects
of interest were exhibited by Mr. earning from his
own collection, and which he had obtained from
other sources, and among which were the following:
—A Roman tile, found in the wall of Berkeley
Church, Gloucestershire, stamped with the letters
DECL. VI., indicating that the tile was made by
the 10th cohort of the sixth legion ; part of a Roman
water course, stamped ivith the letter C E A, from
the Picts wall ; a fetter lock, found at Winchester,
and a key found in the cathedral of that city ; the
statuette of a minstrel of the 16th century, carved
in alabaster; crutch handles of walking sticks of coral
and amber, from Lord Bostock's collection ; a stick
handle of impressed horn, of the time of Charles 11.,
and another made from vine twig, in the form of a
grotesque head with glass eyes, of the time of George
I. Malacca canes, it is said, were the favourite
walking sticks of the period, and the handles had
originally been attached to such cases. Some discus-
sion took place on the objects exhibited, in which
Mr. T. Wright, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Gordon Hills, the
chairman, and other members joined. With respect
to the finding of Roman tiles in the walls of Berke-
ley Church, it was observed that it was a common
practice of the architects in medieval times to use
bricks from the walls of Roman buildings, or other
materials that were convenient, and that in several
of our cathedrals Roman tiles are found. The abbey
of St. Albans was particularly named as an instance
of the free use of Roman tiles in its structure.
A brick from one of the porcelain towers of Nan-
kin was exhibited by Mr. Power. The brick re-
sembled a tile bent at right angles, and one surface
was covered with white glaze ; the object of mak-
ing the brick in such a shape having evidently
been to save the use of the more costly
porcelain, by merely using it as a casing, the inte-
rior having been filled with coarser material. It
was mentioned by Mr. Cuming that all the porcelain
towns of China were built in the 16th century.

A short paper, contributed by Mr. Pettigrew, was
read by Mr. GORDON HILLS, giving an account of
some ornamental devices found in Bradford Church,
Wiltshire, of the dates of the 11th and 12th cen-
turies. Drawings of the objects were exhibited,
some of which represented interlaced patterns, re-
specting the origin of which a discussion took place.
Similar designs, it was said, are to be found in many
parts of Galway, from which circumstance and from
the general character-of some of the buildings in that
part of Ireland, one of the speakers inferred there
had been an early settlement of the Spaniards there.
Houses are to be seen with open courts surrounded
by arcades quite in the Spanish style. Mr. T.
Wright, however, expressed the opinion that there
are no genuine traces in Ireland of the Spaniards
having settled in that country.
Mr. ROBERTS read a paper which had been sent to
be read at the recent congress of the association at
Ipswich, giving an index of MSS. relating to the
antiquities of Suffolk. Another paper of no gene-
ral interest was read, and the meeting adjourned to
the 26th inet.

01111 v—"s

HER lIAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, April 13.
The Queen, with her Royal Highness Princess
Louise, went out driving yesterday afternoon, at-
tended by Lady Churchill, and walked and drove
in the grounds this morning.
Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice also went
out driving.
Her Royal Highness Princess Helena rode in the
Home Park.

Their Royal Highnesses Prince Alfred and Prin-
cess Helena went to London last evening, attended
by Lady Caroline Barrington, Lieutenant-Colonel
Du Plat, and Dr. Bernhardt, and honoured the per-
formance of the Sacred Harmonic Society, Exeter
Hall, with their presence, and returned to Windsor
shortly before 12 o'clock.

Foreign Courts,
ST. PETERSBURG, April 6.
The Emperor will leave St. Petersburg about the
end of April, and will meet the Empress at Baden
at the commencement of May. His Majesty will
not remain absent from St. Petersburg for any
lengthened period, as his presence. in the capital is
more than ever necessary for the solution of various
important questions which are now pending. In
the absence of the Sovereign a sort of regency will
be formed for the conduct of affairs, and will be
presided over by the Grand Duke Constantine.
A telegram from Nice announces that the health
of the Empress and her children are now satisfactory.
The Hereditary Grand Duke is now.recovering fronl
the rheumatic affection from which he had suffered.
BERLIN, April 11.
The Queen of Prussia and the Crown Prince,
who have visited Weimar to be present at the con-
firmation of her Majesty's niece, the Princess Maria,
have now returned to Berlin.

The first stone of the national monument to per-
petuate the memory of the campaign against Den-
mark last year will be laid by the King on Tuesday,
the 18th inst. The Koningsplatze in front of the
Brandenburg Gate has been selected for the site.
His Majesty has issued the subjoined Cabinet order
on the subject :—" In pursuance of my order of
Dec. 18, 1864, by which I decided that monu-
ments should be erected at Berlin, Duppel, and
Alsen, as a token of the thanks which I and the
country owe to all those who crowned Prussia's
arms with new laurels in the glorious campaign of
the past year, I hereby order that the first stones
of these national monuments shall be laid at
Berlin on April 18, at Duppel on April 21, and on
the Island of Alsen on April 22 of the present year.
I charge the Ministry of State with the publication
of this order.—WlLLum.—Berlin. April 8, 1865."

THE COURT.—Her Majesty, accompanied by the
junior members of the royal family, and attended by the
ladies and gentlemen of the Court, is expected to leave
Windsor Castle on or about Thursday, the 20th inst., and
proceed to Osborne, where the Queen will reside for a for
weeks. It is not anticipated that the King of the Belgians
will accompany her Majesty.

The Duke and Duchess of Manchester have left
town for Kimbolton Castle, Hunts. The noble duke and
duchess are expected to pay several visits before they re-
turn to town for the season the week after next.

The Marquis of Bute has left the St. George's
Hotel.

Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston have left
Cambridge House for Brocket Hall, Herts.

Lady de Lisle and Dudley has left the St.
George's Hotel.

We understand that the marriage of Lady
Gwendolena Anson, sister of the Earl of Lichfield, and Mr.
O'Shee, is to take place on the 19th inst.

Count Wimpffen has left the Austrian Embassy
for Germany, on leave of absence for two months. •
The Right Hon. Sir. George Grey, Bart., M.P.,
has gone to Falloden, his seat in Northumberland, . for the
Easter recess.