Helmdon Mantle Tree Infcription, &fc. 1 43

pe&ed ever fmce the time that I faw the Colchefter one. You give it ADoi. Mo. 133 ; I read M#L33 ; the fame chifel work dimi- niihing the ft, and cutting off the horns of the L, which was for C, fo that the date ftands 1433. Who don't believe, go look, and give their opinion." Advice laconic, which, as lhall be prefently fhewn, has been duly followed by one incredulous gentleman. On an attentive review of the plates, publifhed in the Philofo- phical Tranfaftions, I thought I faw fufficient grounds to believe that another hundred years ought to be added to the date of the infcription ; if fo, there is a choice of four centuries in decyphering this curious relic of former times, it being ftill a moot point whe- ther this character, vexatiflimus, be it placed in the firft or third panel, were designed by the carver to mark or i, or 2, or 4, or 5, though I am inclined to hope it will not be much longer a dubious matter. In my paper which has had the honour to be fubmitted to the confideration of the Society, I intimated that Mr. North, in his letter to the earl of Morton, had ventured to predicl, that if the original piece of wood at Helmdon Parfonage, which has been a very fphinx ever fince it was propounded by Dr.Wallis, remains undefaced, it would be hereafter expounded in a manner different from that avowed by the learned profeffor ; and I have now the fa- tisfaction to acquaint the Society that it does remain undefaced. For this article of intelligence we are obliged to our indefati- gable Director, who being apprized that the Mantle-Tree was ex- tant, took a journey into Northamptonshire for the purpofe of fur- veying it. His report mall be delivered in his own words, accom- panied with a fac iimile of all the numeral characters, and of a part of the letters, the remainder not being within his view from a caufc which he has affigned. " In the modernization of a room (writes Mr. Gough) originally 20 feet by i z, now divided into a drawing-room and book-clofet, the