The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-01-16

serving. J.
WAsHrNGToN D. C., January 10, 1851.
COINCIDENCE OR IMITATION The bit of
caustic humor given below appears in book
Of illustrated etchings by K. Dagley called
Deaths Doings, and was printed in Boston
IN ls2S, from the second London edition
with considerable additions" The copper
plates are followed by illustrations in poetry
and prose, by q variety of writers. Among
the designs is one entitled The Antiquary,"
and shows that it is liable to be surprised by
death in the midst ofhis valued relics. and
that while he is making a monumental rec
ord of antiquity, an epitaph may be prepar-
ing for himself. ln illustration. the design
er has written paper on Antiquarian re
searches. in which be admits the possibility
of introducing death as a consequence ofan-
tiquarian researches, but denies that anti
quarians die of chagrin. although several
causes mentioned might prove fatal. In
deed, he writes, had it been possible for
All dHil9 quarry 10 nave uitu VI CudsIlllr IL
must have occurred in the case below cited,
which we have extracted from the European
Magazine for March 1890 where a learned
professor is described as having been be-
trayed by hoax into a situation the most
mortifying and trying to the temper that
can be imagined"
II, av+rac. j. Tho foil lo,r;pr- A rcbaaolo,;c
al Anecdotc. I7s9-ii We hear that valua-
bic morsel of antiquity, containing Saxon
inscription commemorative of particulars
attending the death Of Hardyk7,iae. has been
discovered among the foundations of his
Palace of Remington Lane This memorial
is in Saxon characters, sculptured on white
marble which. though discolored by damps
is still in high and excellent preservation.
The curiosity before US, but fOran accident,
might have returned 10 its former obscurity,
An able and intelligent draucbtsman lucki-
" saw it in a window at a cutters shop on
the Surrey side of Blackfri ar's Bridge. 1t
was subsequently examined and authentica-
ted by the learned director of the AntiQuary
Society, and by him or his order was copied
and sent mo beautiful detrition, conciliating
frecke, or picturesque fissure, omitted 70
the Rev. and very acute Mr. Samuel Pegge.
He ex peditiously furnished an ample COM
ment upon it, which was lately read to the
general improvement of its auditors in Som
erset Place, when formal thanks were unan-
imOusly voted for so erudite a communica-
ton. Such. indeed. was the effect of this
discourse, that the personages present at its
recital ,as Lydgate observes of the fortunate
Trojans who beheld the csrbuncle that IL
Illuminated the Hall Of King Priamusl.
C. meryayled ech one.
Soche lyShte yspraBg out of thylk stone.
The inscription aforesaid is expressed
with that simple but magnetic brevity which
marks the performances of ancient times.
1t states in unaffected terms that HqrdyEnute
after drenching himself with horn Of wine,
stared about him, and died. Our Language,
however, will not DO complete justice to
those harmonious and significant words.
ueltbstqrlld or, as il should rather have been
written starude and s1celt. The sculpture of
the fatal horn itself, decorated with the
Danish raven, affords sufficient reason for
belief that the initiative arts. even at that
early period [lOi2l were net unsuccessfully
cultivated in England. The public Is now
waiting, with every mark of impatience, for
a plate representing this precious marble. as
Il - e.
ton Of il, in the next volume of the Socie-
ty's Archaeological Collections. But not
withstanding this venerable relic has passed
the ordeal of such well instructed and mlcro-
critics are TO be met with who either igno-
rantly or maliciously pronounce the whole
inscription. etc. to be the forgery Of some
modern was. They say tha; it was designed
ly left with the cutler as a trap Tor certain
antiquary. who deliberately and obligingly
walked into it-that its exhibition was ac-
companied with specious request from its
clandestine owner, that he might be assisted
by the learned, in ascertaining the quality
of the stone. and the true import of the mys-
tic characters upon 1t {; though he perfectly
knew that the substance containing these
letters. etc. was no other than a bit of broken
chimney piece. sa1onifed by himself in the
year 17s9. The same malignant junto like
wise disseminate report, that the capitals
in question are not engraved but couoded
by aquafortis, chemical invention poster
or to the reign Of Hordyt7aHte Nay. TO
such extremes do real OF affected predjudices
against genuine piece of Saxon literature
transport these scoffers, that they venture to
assert that all the captivating discolorations
on its surface are the mere effects ofrepeated
urinary spirnkles, which by degrees induced
mellow cast of antiquity over the whole
tablet They moreover declare that ipse doll
fubribo,or contrived to procure admission
for some of his associates on the very even
ing when the dissertation of Mr.. Pegge was
read bv 8 Pro Secretary, and thst these &C
complies are everywhere describing 1t 81 .
production Intentionally joculsr, and sdd