Volume 1

The gentleman's magazine library : being a classified collection of the chief contents of The gentleman's magazine from 1731 to 1868. Romano-British remains / edited by George Laurence Gomme.

Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The gentleman's magazine library : being a classified collection of the chief contents of The gentleman's magazine from 1731 to 1868. Romano-British remains / edited by George Laurence Gomme. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    / D (found on the site of the Roman cemetery at West Lodge) which had obviously formed part of the face of a sepulchral monument of considerable dimensions, such as we have found fragments of con- tiguous to the site of the wall of Roman London, and such as have been discovered more plentifully in France and in other parts of the Continent. To one of these superior tombs it is probable the Sphinx now in the Hospital (engraved in the Gentleman's Magazine for February, 1822, p. 107) appertained. [See Note 11.] This is the opinion of one of your most zealous antiquaries, the Rev. H. Jenkins, and I quite agree with him. So late as last July I saw a figure of a sphinx in stone at Lillebonne, on the Seine, which had been found with many other sculptures, chiefly of a sepulchral kind ; it is, however, inferior in workmanship to that at Colchester. The stone at West Lodge induced a hope that others would be found to complete, at least, the inscription. This anticipation has not yet been realized. The recent discoveries are mostly very similar to those made in former years. There is, however, an interesting exception, on which I offer a few remarks. It is that of an urn ornamented with figures, over some of which are inscriptions. “ This urn is about 9 inches in height, and about 6 inches in diameter at the mouth. It is filled with burnt human bones, which were carefully covered with an inverted vessel of the class known to archeologists by the term mortaria. Several other vessels stood around the urn. On one side of it are representations of stags, a hare, and a dog in chase. The other contains two different groups, one of which is composed of two men and a bear; the second of two gladiators. The first of these is evidently intended to represent a sport very closely allied to the modern pastime of dancing bears. The chief actor in the scene bears a concave buckler on his left arm, and holds in his right hand a whip with a long throng, which falls over the head of the animal, the distended jaws of which and up- turned head seem to show it is not altogether reconciled to its situa- tion. The other of the keepers, who is almost naked, approaches it with a stick in each hand to render assistance to his companion. Over the head of the man with the shield and whip is inscribed SECVNDVS MARIO. “ The second compartment is occupied by a scene between two gladiators—a secutor and a retiarius. The latter has been vanquished; he has dropped his trident, and is in the attitude of imploring mercy of the spectators. The former, armed with an helmet, oblong shield, and a sword, is advancing upon his conquered adversary to strike the final blow. The costume of the combatants is in correct keeping with the well-known equipments of the classes of gladiators to which they belong; and the details, worked with as much care as the material would admit, are evidently not wanting in fidelity. On the line of the head of the secutor is inscribed memn.n.sac. vim.; the
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