Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-10-26
Remarkable Discovery in England.


ter from Ar. }. p Ashton, agent of the contractors
for the iron work of the bridge crossing the Mersey,
at Runcorn, Lancashire, giving an account Of the
discovery of human body in most excellent state
OF preservation which must have lain in the rest of
death for ], 400 years. We add the account given
by Mr.. Ashton:
The discovery was made in the following man.
ner: On the 9th of August, while sinking one of
our caissons an obstacle was met with which defed
the pressure exercised ty our sinking apparatus
Divers were sent down, who, on removing quantl-
ty Ct sand from about the base of the caissOns,
ported the obstacle to be large log Of wood. By
help OF strong crane, and after removing the pres
sure from the caisson, We were enabled to draw 1t
up to the staging, and found it to be not log of
wood as the divers, misled by its general attrided
state had reported, but large coffin shaped box OF
great strength, measuring about eight feet by three
The wood had become impregnated with oxide OF
iron from the red sandstone, which had made it as
hard as iron ITSELF so that it was with the greatest
difficulty that we were enabled to pry open the lid
The inside, which was roughly hewn to the shape
of q human body, with large additional space at
the head, was lined with grcyish bituminons sub
stance, and contained the body of a man in most
wonderful state of preservation. 1t is attired IN
the dress of wealthy Roman citizen, the tunic and
toga both white, embroidered with purple ana GOLD
threads, the toga fastened with handsome gold
ibula The straps of the buskins are studded with
little golden bosses. Attached to the glrdle are
tablet and goden-hilted stylus. The tout ensean'
Ole, in fact while not glariDg is rich and tasteful
The body though in civil dress, appears to be
that of legionary officer, large military cloak is
swathed round it. and by its side short sword (he
famous Roman "grandium with its belt javelin
| and vnea such centuriops used to discipline
among the Iaen) fine onyx siguet ring, bearing
the letters S. p Q: R., and figure of wolf is on
| the finger. This conjecture to be the symbol Of
authority, dele gated by the Roman Senate, or the
then regniDg Emperor to the bearer. The sword
and belt also bears the initials s. P. Q. E. The
head of the vinea is shaped into rude resemblance
of Roman eagle.
The body has been embalned in SO skillful man.
ner as to preserve after this lapse Of time, the
features totally distinct but is excessively fragile,
! crunibng at touch in fact it has only been pre-
served from total destruction by mantle and by
Quantity of a crypty gamc plant allied to common
| equisetrm which is packed round it, keeping it
steady and immovabie in the coffin.
forbear giving more detailed account, and will
proceed to mention briefly the contents of the space
above the head Of the corpse. A quantity OF the
equsetum lii:e herb sussains unlnjured an amphora
of coarse r:henware, with yellow vItteous glaze
The handles and neck are broken off, and inside it
! is placed-a!so with packing-a beautifully execut
| ed cincrary urn of red Samian ware, Containing
ashes and small roll ofveum covered with char
ac.crs, which am unable to decipher, but believe
to be Saxon Sprinkled through the scroll,
however lind the Roman name 20. Sulpicius
Piso," the initials IS. P. @. R." the words
''legatus," "crematio,' "manes," "lares," and a
few others. This scroll therefore imagine to hold
the key to the enigma presented, by the many
:,nomao' is appearances l Lave described and ALI
! about TO describe.
In the amphora, beneath the urn, are numbe,
Of ornaments of gold and silver such as were worn
by sax females drank, and among them is kline
ofrudc !ocket containing long tress Of glossy yellow
hair. The ornaments appear to be Set, if they
had belonged to one person, and this fact, coupled
with tie presence of the hair, leads me to suppose
the ashes contained in the urn to be thuse Of ths
/ owner, both of them and the Aaif. -.-..-
The Amptora also contains small packet o.
coins, nearly hundred in number, Of hich forty
three are gold and of the regns OF the Roman e,n
perors, Honorus, dating A. D. 40, few OF Hadri-
an, Ahtonius, one Severus, with earlier dates. INT
remaining coins are silver, probably Saxon, bu
owing to their mutitated and teaced condition ar
unable to say positively. On one only is iat'
| visible, viz: 465.
+ From these dates as well Us from the Saxon orns
ments, am inclined to refer the remains to abJu
the date of the first arrival Of the Saxons in Britain
The corpse may be that of one Of tie last eissarie
of Rome to this island, history speaks Of nj
political intercourse between Rome and our slan,
at that time he may nave been connected with
. religious, not g civil mission. The ashes surms
20 be those of a Saxon female. But how shall W
account for the presence Of the remains Of Roman
/, and Saxon in common torb2 More s,sang
! still is The embalmus of the Roman and the erem
ton Of The Saxon The position oftha Gotten in til
bed Of be river IS also strange; but an ererturne
boat ant, the shifting sands account for this Pos
sioy tn Scroll fo"ud in the Urn may give an expla
nation ST shis. and till this has been deciphered "
must be content to remain in the dark.
| Chief Justice fancy,
l. All She old jursts of the Jas: century arc drof
ping of rapidly In England, Lyndhurst has gon
at ripe old age within the past year. In Wash
inst IN, the 18th Of October, died Roger Brook
'ian"y, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. II
deaf has removed another Of the famous coteu
/ porsries of the birth Of American independeoe,
who for SO many years has been the chief interprt
i ter OF the constitution which was adopted twelV
yea rs after he was born. 1t might also be said .
hiui what Grattan declared Of the Irish nation
th"it he had watched beside its cradle and folowe
ITS hearse. Chief j istlce fancy was not only
e; eat man, but eminent and en- honest Christia
+ Justice. His death is loss to the world. 1t is
/ and proper that ~nen such men die some rccor
ST.. build be made Of their lives. From a review v
+ ,i:' d in the New York Herald of the life and tn
litical and judicial course of the late Chief Ju
| tic We learn the following:
/ Judge fancy was born IN Calvert county, Mar,
L la ID on the 17th of March, 1T77 He was d.
{ SC ,nded from an English Roman Cathoick fanil
VT ernigrated to Maryland in the seventeenth Gel
/ Jury. Judge fancy received bis education in Dic
iso Q College,, Pennsylvania, where he graduate
\ in T795. He commenced the, study of the law
An nspolis in 1896, and was admitted to the bar {
Maryland in 1899, beginning to practice in h
nat i've county, from which he was elected to IL
Assembly, and in 1901 removed to Frederick
4 1o1 u he was elected State Senator, and upon n
tiri ,g from that Office, in 1892, he removed to Ba
tim ore, which CITY he made his place of actual re
! idr nee until MIS- decease. In 1927 be had game
4 su n reputation as lawyer that he was elected
the Office OF Attorney General Of the State.
In 1881 he was appointed by President Jackse
i Al scrney General Of the United States The Sci
at at this tse vas opposed to Jackson and rain ;,
! to ..nnirm the a tmant Of Cana.,