The whole of this enquiry rests on too slender data to enable us to form any very decided opinion as to the symbolical character of the relic-for it is a mere matter of conjecture as to its having a symbolical character at all. As a specimen however of gold working of the ninth century the gem is an object of much interest, independently of its connection with our great and glorious king, and suggests many questions concerning the art of the goldsmith, as it was practised by our forefathers a thousand years ago.

Although this subject labours under great obscurity from the want of historical notices, yet a few passages are found in our old chroniclers and other writers which help us to form some definite ideas.

In the first place, it is conjectured that jewels in gold and silver were not only wrought with great elegance, but formed an article of contraband trade among the English even earlier than the reign of king Alfred. This inference seems justly to flow from a letter of Charlemagne to Offa king of Mercia, which, as Offa died in 795, must be referred to a date at least not later than that year. In this letter we find the following passage: "Concerning the strangers, who, for the love of God, and the salvation of their souls, wish to repair to the thresholds of the blessed apostles [i. e. to go on pilgrimage to Rome,] let them travel in peace without any trouble; nevertheless, if any are found among them not in the service of religion, but in the pursuit of gain, let them pay the established duties at the proper places." As such pilgrims could not very well conceal about their persons merchandise of a more bulky kind, it is thought that trinkets of the precious metals and stones of different sorts, were the articles which these pilgrims tried to smuggle. Moreover, if this be correct, such trinkets must have been wrought in England, and it even appears that the English jewellers, at this early period, were well known over all Europe.' We find among the Canons of Egbert archbishop of York, written about A. D. 750, a prohibition to Christians against imitating the manners of the Jews or partaking of their feasts; which seems to prove that Jews were settled in the north of England so early as the middle of the eighth century: and we know that the Jews, wherever they have attained a footing, have carried with (1) Macpherson's Annals of Commerce, i, 248.

them the trade in jewellery, gold and silver ornaments, and other such luxuries, because they have been excluded by the laws from almost every other occupation.

King Alfred kept up, in the latter part of his life, a yearly communication with Rome; and, as we learn from Asser, he corresponded with Abel, patriarch of Jerusalem, who sent him several valuable oriental commodities. His embassy to the Christians in India is mentioned, not only by Malmesbury and other authorities of the next age, but by the contemporary compiler of the Saxon Chronicle, who says that bishop Swithelm made his way to St Thomas and returned in safety. Malmesbury gives Sighelm as the name of the adventurous bishop of Sherborne, and relates that he brought back from India aromatic liquors and splendid jewels; some of the latter, Malmesbury says, were still remaining in the treasury of his church when he wrote in the twelfth century. Sighelm is stated to have left England in the year 883, and to have gone in the first instance to Rome, from which he probably sailed up the Mediterranean to Alexandria, and then made his way by Bassora to the Malabar coast, where it is certain that a colony of Syrian Christians who regarded St Thomas as their apostle, were settled from a very early period. Asser relates that he received on one occasion as a present from Alfred a robe of silk and as much incense as a strong man could carry these precious commodities must have been obtained from the East." Macpherson, in his Annals of Commerce, thinks it also not impossible that mines of the precious metals may have been wrought at this time in England, and part of the produce exported, although the existence of such mines in the island is unnoticed by any historian since the beginning of the Roman dominion, with the exception of Bede. It is certain that large sums in gold and silver were raised in the country on different occasions, and much coin or bullion repeatedly carried out of it; and it appears difficult to comprehend whence all this wealth could be obtained with so few manufactures and so little exportable produce of any kind. The early eminence of the Anglo-Saxons in the art of working gold and silver may be taken as another presumption that, whencesoever procured, there was no want of these metals in the island. We have undoubted proof,' says Mr Macpherson, that the English jewellers and workers of gold and (2) Pictorial History of England, vol. i, p. 266.

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silver were eminent in their professions, and that probably as early as the beginning of the seventh century. So great was the demand for highly-finished trinkets of gold and silver, that the most capital artists of Germany resorted to England; and moreover, the most precious specimens of foreign workmanship were imported by the merchants.' On the other hand, articles in gold and silver seem to have been the chief description of manufactured goods exported from England in this period."

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(3) Macpherson, i, 290.

(4) Pict. Hist. of England, i, 269.

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VII.

THE DANES:

1. THEIR ORIGIN.-2. THEIR WARLIKE DEEDS AND CHARACTER

3. THEIR RELIGION-4. THEIR POLITY.-5. THEIR LOVE AND

MODE OF WAR. 6. THEIR MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND OCCU

PATIONS.-7. THEIR ARTS AND LANGuage.

1. The original of this extraordinary race is said to be of the very highest antiquity.' The Danes, Goths, Scythians or Getæ,for so they are variously denominated, are offshoots of that great primitive stock, which migrating westward, settled in the Scandinavian peninsula or in the Cimbrian chersonese (Jutland); and called this region Danemarck, from Dan, their first king. Another branch passed over from the coast of Asia Minor to the islands, and thence expatiated over the western continent. "By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations." GEN. x, 5. That the former branch originated from Northern Asia, there is a further proof, that the Danes, before they became known by this name, were called Cimbri; from the resemblance of which word to Cimmerian, we cannot doubt but that they sprang from the Cimmerian Scythians, whom the ancients place to the north of the Euxine and Caspian Seas.

2. But, not to dilate upon antiquarian ethnography-though this piratical nation was known to their Southern enemies by the

(1) Hoc autem regnum est primum et vetustissimum regnum mundi. PET. OLAUS.