Tod Law, Northumberland, which, says the Toot-hill, four miles from Epping, Essex. Titterstone Clee-hill, Salop. Tolton-hill, n. Alderminster, Worcestershire. Tetbury, Gloucestershire Todneth-hills, Montgomeryshire. Tadlow, Cambridgeshire. Tutnall, near Tardybig, Warwickhsire Toton, 6 miles S.W. of Nottingham Totteridge, near High Wycombe, Bucks. Toot-Baldon, Oxfordshire, 5 m. from Oxford. Tuddenham, Suffolk. Sout-hill, Bedfordshire. Sout-hill, Cornwall. Dodderhall, Bucks. Dodenhall, Warwickshire. Many others might be adduced if space permitted. In numerous instances the worship of Belenus and Teut was united on these Toot-hills, which accounts for Helburyhill being close to our Toot-hill at Worcester; and Mr. Bowles mentions a well in honor of Belenus, or the Sun, at Tottenham, Middlesex, and also at Sulgrave, Northamptonshire, where he says is the sacred well and the consecrated mound. But, besides these Toot-hills, Mr. Toland informs us, in his curious "History of the Druids,"-"On the tops of mountains and other eminences in Ireland, in Wales, in Scotland, in the Scottish Islands, and in the Isle of Man, where things have been least disordered or displaced by the frequency of inhabitants, or want of better ground for cultivation, there are great heaps of stones, like the MERCURIAL heaps of the Greeks." These heaps he proceeds to inform us were called Carns, and consecrated to the worship of Beal, or the Sun, where various "devotional rounds were performed in times of heathenism, and which are yet continued in many places of the Scottish Highlands." It was from these Carns, and the Toot-hills, and Belenian eminences, that the grand sacred Fires of the Bel-tine flamed thrice a year, at three of the great festivals of the Druids, in honor of Beal, or the Sun; viz., on the eve of May-day, Midsummer-eve, and the eve of the 1st of November. The following extracts from Toland, whom I think you have not quoted, will place this in a clear light, and conclude my, perhaps, too tedious communication. "On May-eve the Druids made prodigious fires on those Carns, which being every one, as we said, in sight of some other, could not but afford a glorious show over a whole nation. These fires were in honor of Beal, or Bealan, latinized by the Roman authors into Belenus, by which name the Gauls and their colonies understood the Sun: and, therefore, to this hour the first day of May is by the Ab-original Irish called La-Bealtine, or the day of Belen's fire. I remember one of those Carns on Fav hill, within some miles of Londonderry, known by no other name but that of Bealtine, facing another such Carn on the top of Inch-hill." "May-day is likewise called La Bealtine by the Highlanders of Scotland, who are no contemptible part of the Celtic mer, when there was an equal opportunity for it. "As to this fire-worship, which, by the way, prevailed over all the world, the Celtic nations kindled other fires on Midsummer-eve, which are still continued by the Roman Catholics of Ireland; making them in all their grounds, and carrying flaming brands about their corn-fields. This they do likewise all over France, and in some of the Scottish Isles. These Midsummer fires and sacrifices were to obtain a blessing on the fruits of the earth, now becoming ready for gathering; as those of the first of May, that they might prosperously grow: and those of the last of October were a thanksgiving for finishing their harvest. But in all of them regard was also had to the several de grees of increase and decrease in the heat of the Sun." "To return to our Carn fires, it was customary for the lord of the place, or his son, or some other person of distinction, to take the entrails of the sacrificed animal in his hands, and, walking bare foot over the coals thrice, after the flames had ceased, to carry them strait to the Druid, who waited in a whole skin at the altar. If the noblemen escaped harmless, it was reckoned a good omen, and welcomed with loud acclamations; but if he received any hurt, it was deemed unlucky both to the community and himself. Thus I have seen the people running and leaping through the St. John's fires in Ireland, and not only proud of passing unsinged, but, as if it were some kind of lustration, thinking themselves in a special manner blest by this ceremony, of whose original nevertheless they were wholly ignorant in their imperfect imitation of it." That these rites, sacred to Apollo or the Sun, were observed even in Italy, the following quotation from Dryden's Virgil shows: "O patron of Soracte's high abodes, Phœbus, the ruling pow'r among the gods! Burn on thy HEAP, and to thy glory shine: Toland remarks, that “we do not read indeed in our Irish books what preservative against fire was used by those who ran barefoot over the burning coals of the Carns; and, to be sure, they would have the common people piously believe they used none. Yet that they really did, no iess than the famous fire-eater whom I lately saw making so great a figure in London, men of penetration and uncorrupted judgments will never question. But we are not merely left to our judgments, for the fact is sufficiently attested by that prodigy of knowledge, and perpetual opposer of superstition, Marcus Varro, who, as Servius on the above cited passage of Virgil affirms, described the very ointment of which the HIRPINS made use, besmearing their feet with it, when they walked through the fire." I remain, &c., EDWIN LEES. ROMAN REMAINS NEAR EASTCHEAP. [To Mr. Hone.] City, June 10, 1831. Sir,-Claiming the privilege of a "Constant Reader," I venture to intrude upon your notice a few remarks relative to the relics of antiquity said to have been discovered on the city side of the Thames, during the progress of the excavations for the great sewer, in the neighbourhood of 'he New London Bridge. I believe I may state, without exaggeration, that upwards of half a peck of Roman coins have been sold by the workmen, to persons who have been assured that they were dug up on this interesting spot. Now, Sir, you may be assured that, in all, not more than a dozen Roman coins have been found on this side of the water, and those which were discovered were so much corroded that, with the exception of two, the portraits and legends could scarcely be distinguished. I am also well convinced that none have been found here posterior to the time Nerva. The following is a brief list of the principal relics which have been turned up during the last six months : On the site of Crooked-lane, about ten yards south-east of the spot on which the parsonage house stood, a quantity of Roman pavement of the rudest description. About seven yards south of the east end of St. Michael's church, a large brass coin of Nerva (sestertius), very much cor. roded. Under the east end of the church, two coins in sound brass; one of Nero, the other of Vespasian, and both in tolerable preservation. On the site of the houses, just pulled down, on the north side of Eastcheap, two large brass coins, much corroded; one of these bore the head of Domitian, but the legend was obliterated; the impression of the other was totally destroyed. On the south side of Eastcheap, a small Roman lamp of earthenware, a copper ring of rude workmanship, and a dish of gray earth. The two latter are in my possession. I have also two small lachrymatories of glass, which were dug up on the site of Crooked-lane. There was a vase discovered on the following day, and numerous fragments of Roman pottery and glass, especially of the fine Samian ware, but only two or three specimens of the latter have been found entire. I am induced to trouble you with this, because I am aware that gross impositions have been practised upon many whose brains bear no proportion to the depth of their pockets. One gentleman, last week (a member of a learned society too!) purchased a lid of a grape jar from a scoundrel who assured him that he had dug it up with other Roman pottery. This gentleman returned with the precious relic on the following day, but could not identify the fellow of whom he had bought it. One more instance and I have done; a few months since a gentleman actually gave two guineas for a halfpenny of William III., to a laborer employed in excavating. The thing may appear incredible, and requires explanation: the date of the coin (the date !) was, I believe, 1696, but the top of the 6 had been worn away, so that the figures made 1096. As a confirmation of what I have said respecting the state of the coins found on the city side of the water, I enclose a specimen of one which I saw dug up, though even this is in a more perfect state than the greater part of them. I am, Sir, &c., A. [The coin which accompanied this communication is a Vespasian, inscried on the re verse" AUGUSTI." It is very much corroded, especially at the edge, which, in great part, is reduced to the thinness of writing paper.] If this were a review, large extracts might be taken from the very amusing "Legends and Stories of Ireland, by Samuel Lover, R. H. A., with etchings by the Author, 1831;" but the Year Book, abiding by its purpose, and in fairness to Mr. Lover's merry-making little volume, ventures only upon copying one of his six etchings, and the article belonging to it, as a specimen of the appearance and habits of a large class of characters, of both sexes, in the Irish metropolis.-" I promise," says Mr. Lover," and give al! fastidious persons fair warning, that if a picture from low life be not according to their taste, they can leave it unread, rather than blame me for too much fidelity in my outline. So here goes at a scena, as the Italians say,:"-And here follows Mr. Llover's "scena," preceded, as the reader sees, by the engraving of the principal performer-one of many that may be seen and heard in public, at this season of the year, in Dublin. "MY NEW PITTAYATEES!" [Enter Katty, with a gray cloak, a dirty cap, and a black eye; a sieve of potatoes on her head, and a "thrifle o' sper'ts" in it. Katty meanders down Patrick-street.] Katty. "My new Pittayatees!-Mya-new Pittayatees!-My new" Kat. Throth its himself indeed. Sal. And what is it he done? Kat. Och he ruined me with his-New pittayatees"—with his goins-an -the owld thing, my dear Sal. Throwin' up his little finger, I suppose?" ?* Kat. Yis, my darlint: he kem home th' other night, blazin' blind dhrunk, cryin' out- "New pittay-a-tees!". roarin' and bawlin', that you'd think he'd rise the roof aff o' the house. "Bad look attind you; bad cess to you, you pot-wallopin' varmint," says he, (maynin' me, it you plaze); "wait till I ketch you, you sthrap, and it's I'll give you your fill iv”– New pittayalees! your fill iv a lickin', if ever you got it," says hc. So with that, I knew the villian was mulvathered; let alone the heavy fut o' the miscrayint an the stairs, that a child might know he was done for" My new pittayatees!"—Throth he was done to a turn, like a mutton kidney. Sal. Musha! God help you, Katty. Kat. Oh, wait till you hear the ind o' my "New pittayatees!". -o' my throubles, and it's then you'll open your "My new pittayatees!" Sal. Oh, bud I pity you. eyes Kat. Oh wait-wait, my jewel-wait till you hear what became o'- "My new pittayatees!"wait till I tell you the ind iv it. Where did I lave aff? Oh aye, at the stairs. Well, as he was comin' up stairs, (knowin' how it 'id be,) I thought it best to take care o' my New pittayatees!" -to take care o' myself; so with that, I put the bowlt on the door, betune me and danger, and kep' listenin' at the keyhole; and sure enough, what should I hear, but New pittayatees!". but the vagabone gropin' his way round the cruked turn in the stair, and tumblin' afther, into the hole in the flure an the landin'; and whin he come to himself, he gev a thunderin' thump at the door. Who's there?" says I: says he"New pittayatees !”. --"let me in," says he, "you vagabone," (swarein' by what I would'nt mintion,) or by this and that, I'll massacray you," says he, "within an inch o'- -“New pittayatees!”—within an inch o' your life," says he. "Mikee, darlint," says I, sootherin' him Sal. Why would you call sitch a 'tarnal vagabone, darlint? Kat. My jew'l, did'nt I tell you I thought it best to soother him with a"New pittayatee!". with a tindher word: so says I, "Mikee, you villain, you're disguised," says I, "you're disguised, dear." "You lie," says he, " you impudent sthrap, I'm not disguised; but, if I'm disguised itself," says he, " I'll make you know the differ," says he. Oh! I thought the life id lave me, when I heerd him say the word; and with that I put my hand an- "My new pittayatees!"- -an the latch of the door, to purvint it from slippin'; and he ups and he gives a wicked kick at the door, and says he, "If you don't let me in this minit," says he, "I'll be the death o' your "New pittayatees!"o' yourself and your dirty breed," says he. Think o' that, Sally, dear, t' abuse my relations. Sal. Oh, the ruffin. Kat. Dirty breed, indeed! By my sowkins, they're as good as his any day in the year, and was never behoulden to -" New pittayatees!"- to go a beggin' to the mendicity for their dirty New pittayatees !"- -their dirty washin's o' pots, and sarvants' lavins, and dogs' bones, all as one as that cruck'd disciple of his mother's cousin's sisther, the ould dhrunken asperseand, as she is. Sal. No, in troth, Katty dear. Kat. Well, where was I? Oh, aye, I left off at- "New pittayatees !”I left off at my dirty breed. Well, at the word "dirty breed," I knew full well the bad dhrop was up in him, and faith it's soon and suddint he made me sinsible av it, for the first word he said was"New pittayatees !"- -the first word he said was to put his shouldher to the door, and in he bursted the door, fallin' down in the middle o' the flure, cryin' out"New pittayatees!"-cryin' out, “bad luck attind you," says he; "how dar you refuse to lit me into my own house, you sthrap," says he, "agin the law o' the land," says he, scramblin' up on his pins agin, as well as he could; and, as he was risin', says I" New pittaytees !"says I to him (screeching out loud, that the neighbours in the flure below might hear me), "Mikee, my darlint," says I. Keep the pace, you vagabone," says he; and with that, he hits me a lick av a "New pittayatee!"- -a lick av a stick he had in his hand, and down I fell |