The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-03 00:00:00

FRANCE.

BOURSE, August 2, Two o'clock.—The monthly
settlement for railways, foreign stock, and miscel-
laneous shares is taking place. Conditions for con-
tinuation remain easy. After a deport of 7c., Ita-
lian Fives are now at par, as also Credit Mobilier
after a deport of 45c. The report on Comptoir
d'Escompte shares has varied from lf. 75c. to 2f.
25c., on Orleans from 75c. to 25c., and of lf. on
Northern shares. The market is weaker with lower
quotations. Threes have fallen to 69f., a loss of
l7ic. ; Italian Fives have declined 32ic., at 49f.
10c.; Credit Mobilier 6f. 25c., at 332 f. 50c. ; Spa-
nish Mobilier, 5f., at 217 f. 50c. ; Credit Foncier
and Comptoir d'Escompte also Of., at 1,365 f. and
732 f. 50c. A slight decline is likewise quoted on
railway shares. 'the cours de compensation have been
fixed as follows :--Italian Fives, 49f. 20c. ; Turkish
Fives, 30f. 50c. ; Mexican Sixes, 12f. ; Orleans,
880 f. ; Lyons, 880 f. ; Northern, 1,145 f. ; Eastern
035 f. ; Western, 5651. ; Southern, 550 f. ; Austrian,
445 f. ; Lombard, 370 f. ; Saragossa, 90f. ; Paris
Gas, 1,550 f. ; Immobiliere, 160 f.; and Suez Canal,
280 f.

- - --
Three o'clock.—The market closed as follows :

1 per Gents —
Do. end month —

Bank Shares —
Italian Loan —
Do. end month 4B 'JO

3 per Cents. —
Do. end month 69

Credit Mobilier ...
Do. end month ... 326 25

Mexican Loan —
Do. Bonds
Spanish Throes -
Home Debt -
Deferred -

Credit Poncier —
Do. end month 1365

'AXS.

.....___
For Account.
Orleans
Northern lllO
Lyons and Mediterranean B7B 75
Southern —
Western —
Eastern
Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard 3G7 50
North of Spain —
S aragos: a —
Boman.. —

THE 13R1TISII ARCILEOLOGICAL ASSO

CIATION.

LUDLOW, Friday.

The proceedings of last night's meeting for dis
cussion and the reading of papers were the most in•

wresting of the week. The promised paper on
Comus" drew together a large attendance at the
Assembly Rooms, and there was an interesting com-
munication respecting some recent archmological
discoveries in the neighbourhood. Mr. Thomas
Wright, presided.

Dir. Gm:pox HILLS read a communication, which
he had just received from Mr. Jackman, of Leint-

wardinc, respecting an important discovery in an
arcl)a3)logical point of view that had been made in
some fields at Broadwood Hall, Creighton, near
Leintwardine. There had been some draining and
well-sinking going en there, and the workmen in
sinking one of these wells had come upon a mass of
spear heads, some being very perfect, and others
oxydised and welded together by the effects of wet.

- _
Some of these masses weighed as much as one cw'

A jar was also found, but unfortunately was broken;
some of the fragments, however, were saved. These
remains were found at a depth of 71t. from the sur-
face. There were 3ft. or 4ft. of soil, and the rest
was clay, except some gravel on which the spear
heads were lying. The writer said it appeared to
him that the place was originally a morass, and
that animals had been entrapped in it, for a great
number of bones of animals were found, and among
them quantities of teeth, apparently of large ani-
mal., probably some of them horses' teeth.
The CHAIRMAN (Mr. Wright) said no doubt this
was a discovery of considerable interest. The re-
mains were of the nature of many others found in
other parts of the kingdom. It was a fact of consi-
derable importance that they had found a piece of
pottery, and they would be able on examination to
ascertain the date of its manufacture.

The Rev. W. PERTON gave a highly interesting
description of an ancient and originally Saxon
church at Stottesdon, near Cleobury Mortimer,
which was illustrated by admirable drawings. The
font was the finest specimen extant of a Norman
font, with bold carvings upon it. Some coats of
arms in the windows were referred to in one of the
Harleian MS. In 1810 the church was restored,
when the beautiful rood screen was pulled clown,
and most of it used for firewood, and a three story
pagoda was built for the parson and clerk, but a
few fragments of the original rood screen had been
rescued, from which he hoped to be able to restore
the whole.
Mr. DILLON CROKER read a paper on Milton's
" Masque of Comus," which was performed in
Ludlow Castle in 1831. Aft:T reviewing the origin
of this form of entertainment, of which " Comu-s"
may be considered the most important, he
glanced at the literary history of the work of Mil-
ton, tracing in certain passages of it a likeness to
the writings of Chaucer, Spenser (in his " Faerie
Queen"), Shakspere (notably in the " Tempest"),
and other authors; and in the plot a striking resem-
blance to a scarce old phy by George Peele, called
" The Old Wives' Tale" (1515). The incidents
were so similar that he thought there was
much reason to believe that the old drama
!nay have furnished Milton with the idea
and plan of " Comus." Again, from Fletcher's
" Faithful Shepherdess," and from Browne's
" Inner Temple Masque," it was thought Milton
might have taken some hints. But to whatever
extent Milton might have been indebted, either to
the ancient writers or to those of his own time, it
could not be questioned that be had interwoven
many new allusions and refined sentiments. The
story, for which Oldys was the earliest known
authority, was that Lord Brackly-, then aged 12
(who performed the part of the elder brother, and
who was the eldest surviving son of the Earl of

Bridgwater), accompanied by the Hon. Thomas

Egerton (who enacted the second brother), with
their sister, the Lady Alice (who could not have
been at that time more than 13, and who acted the

ady), were on their way to Ludlow from the house

of some relatives in Herefordshire, when they rested
on their journey and were benighted in Hayward
Forest, and the incident (Lady Alice having been

even lost for a short time) furnished, it was thought,
the subject of " Comus," at the Michael►r..as festi-
vity which was acted in the great hall of the castle,
the occasio❑ being the installation of the earl as pre-

sident over the march of Wales, to which office he
was nominated. The early edition, a small quarto
of 35 pp., was simply entitled "A Masque presented
at Ludlow Castle, 1634, on I\lichaeltnasse Night,
before the Right Honourable John Earl of Bridge-
water,.neount Brackley, Lord President of Wales,

and one of his Majesty's Most Honorable Privie
Counsell, &c., London. Printed for Humphrey
Robinso❑ at the since of the Three Pidgeons in '
Paul's Churchyard, 1637." The names of the
principal actors appear at the end of this edition•
The songs were set to music by Mr. Henry
Lawes, gentleman, of the King's chapel, and a son
of Mr. Thomas Lawes, a vicar choral of Salisbury
cathedral. The Lady Alice, who excelled in sing-
ing, was a pupil of Lawes ; she was allotted the
Song of Echo. Lawes performed, the part of the
Attendant Spirit, and undertook the general ma-
nagement of the masque. It is not known who
were the original representatives of the parts of
Comus and Sabrina. The masque did not bear
Milton's name until 1645. Between 1637 and 1797
as many as 27 editions have been enumerated, and
it is presumed that others existed. Entertainments
of this kind having been discouraged, " Comus" was
the delight of comparatively few until 1738, when
it was produced at Drury-lane Theatre, divided into
three acts, and adapted to the stage, by Dr. Dalton,
prebendary of Worcester, Lawes' music being re-
jected, and new accompaniments composed for the
occasion by Dr. Arne. It was subsequently (1773)
reduced into two acts by George Colman and per-
formed at Covent-garden ; since which period it
has been repeatedly presented on the stage, and
was revived as recently as two years ago at Drury-
lane. In 1750 it was acted and published for the
benefit of Milton's granddaughter, who kept a
chandler's shop, an occasional prologue being
written by Dr. Johnson, and spoken by Garrick.

It was surmised that Milton produced Comus'
under his father's roof, at Horton, near Coln-

, in Buckinghamshire (Milton was then 26
of age). The poet went to reside at Horton
after leaving Cambridge, his father having retired
there on a competent fortune, and holding his house
under the Earl of Bridgwater. There was no evi-
dence to prove that Milton was ever present at
Ludlow Castle during the representation of his
work, though it was thought that the general
theme of Milton's poem was chosen to rebuke
the excesses of ti.e inhabitants of that town. It
was not known whether Milton had witnessed the
masque that created a sensation in the early part
of the year in which his own was produced ; al-
though, as he occasionally made journeys to London
to improve his study of music, and his friend, Henry
Lawes, was engaged to furnish the music both to
Shirley and Carew's masques, which, according to
Whitelock, excelled any music that before that time
had been held in England, it was considered probable
that Milton, at any rate, might have attended some
rehearsals of the Inns of Court entertainments. He
then referred his hearers to David Masson's "Life

brool

of Milton," and to Mr. Thomas's Wright's " Lud-
low Sketches" for information on all known parti-
culars of Milton and his works, and wound up his
Paper with a poetical peroration from the work
under consideration.

Mr. COCKING read some interesting remarks on

the remains of the Austin Friars at Ludlow, which
were accidentally discovered when digging on the
site of the present cattle market in 1861. At that
time Mr. Cocking was Mayor of Ludlow, and for-
tunately being an arcb2e)logist, the accidental open.
ing of some of the foundations attracted his atten-
tion ; a subscription was got up, and the whole of

the foundations were uncovered, and having been
accurately measured and drawn were again covered
over, and the cattle market is now carried on over
part of their site. At that time the existence of any
such buildings was forgotten, though there was a
street close to called Friars lane. The different offices

were all clearly traced—the friary, with the tower,

nave, aisle, chancel, and apartments of friars and
servants' refectory, &c. The basis of a stone pulpit
with two or three stone steps was found, but in a
situation IN here it could not have existed originally.

Other fragments of stone masonry were also found,
all of which are now stored up in the cattle market.

Very few bones were discovered ; but two skeletons
were dug up and reinterred. history showed this
friary to have been in existence in the 13th century.
It was dissolved in 1538. The inventory taken at
its dissolution showed that the friary could not have
been a wealthy one.
A few remarks were offered by the CHAIRMAN
and Mr. HILLS, who had visited the spot when the
foundations were laid open.
To-day the excursion programme was a very
lengthened one. The excursionists set out in nu-
merous carriages from Ludlow as early as nine
o'clock, and would not return before seven or eight
o'clock. The first object visited was Aston Church,
and some ancient tumuli not far off. Leinthall-
Stark's Church was then passed, and the church
described by the Rev. W. Williams. The party
next proceeded to Wigmore Castle, abbey, and
grange. This retired and out of the world spot was
once, no doubt, a place of some importance. The
castle was given to Mortimer, who came from Nor-
mandy with the Conqueror. The priory was
founded by one of his heirs about 1179. Only a
small portion of the ancient castle remains.
EdWard 111. was entertained here on his journey to
Wales. From Wigmore to Downton Castle, the
seat of Mr. A. Boughton Knight, was the next stage.
This is a modern residence, built at the close of the
last century. The scenery around is very beautiful.
Mr. Knight entertained the party to luncheon, after
which they were to visit other places on their way
back to Ludlow.

MARKET S.---T his day.

COVENT GARDEN.

FRUlT—Apples, 4s Od to Gs Od per bushel ; grapes, as
Od to 68 Od ; cherries, 4d to 9s; pine apples, 3s to 6s per lb;
strawberries, 6d to 2s per lb; lemons, 8s to 12e; oranges,
8s to 14s per 100.
VEGETABLES—Artichokes, 2s Od to 4s ; beet, is to 26 ;
cabbage, is Od to 2s ; cauliflowers, as to 5s per dozen ;
asparagus, is 6d to 6s ; celery, is to 2s Od ; horseradish,
3s to 5s per bundle; carrots, 6d to 8d per bunch ; herbs,
2d to 4d; leeks, Od to Od; mint, 3d to Gd per bunch ;
parsley, 2d to 4d ; turnips, 4d to 8d per bunch ; endive 2s
Od to 3s ; lettuces, is to is Gd per score ; onions, 4s to 5s ;
spinach, 2s to 3s per bushel; cucumbers, Gd to is 6d each ;
potatoes, 80s to 180 s per ton.

NEWPORT.
Per 81b. by the carcase).
Beef as 4d to 4s 8d Veal ...... 4s Od to 48 8d
Mutton 3s 8d to 4s 8,1 I Pork ...... 38 8d to 4s lid
Lamb

Per 81b. by the carcase.
Beef 3s 2d to 4s 8d I Lamb 4s Oil to 5s 0,
Mutto❑ ... 3s 8d to 4s 81 I Pork
Veal