Roman. Antiquities at Lydney Park. By the late Rev. W.
H. Bathurst. With Notes, by C. W. King. (Lougmans.)—This is a very interesting memoir of a remarkable group of Roman remains. Lydney lies near the bank of the Severn, between Caerleon (Isca Silurum) and Gloucester (Glevurn), and has yielded a fine series of antiquities to the exploring zeal of the Bathurst family. Had nothing been found but a villa, a temple, abundance of coins, and the familiar yet varied objects in metal, pottery, bone, glass, rind jot, which char- acterise all Roman stations in Britain, this memoir of the Lydnoy dis- coveries would not have claimed special attention. But there is cer- tainly at least one feature of this antique Gloucestershire dwelling-house and fano which demands notice. One of the floors of the temple bears a tessellated inscription, in which a certain Flavius Senilis dedicates the rebuilt edifice " Deo Maximo." Tito deity intended appears to have been one of local origin and celebrity, whose name occurs in somewhat varying forms on three metal tablets, two being of bronze and the third of lead. Nodons, Nucleus, or 'Nodens seems to have been the object of the Lydney worshippers' devotion. We must refer our readers to the volume before us for the several conjectures of its author and editor as to the character and relationships of Deus Nodens, yet we cannot but hesitate before accepting for ourselves all the original but hazardous restorations and interpretations of Mr. C. W. King. We ought to mention that the volume before us is illustrated by thirty - one plates, of moderate artistio merit, yet giving perfectly adequate renderings of a large number of tessellated pavements, carvings, in- scriptions, bronzes, and miscellaneous instruments and implements in bone and iron. A map of the district in which Lydney Park is situated, included in the illustrations, shows the Roman stations about the Severn. An excellent list of Roman coins found at Lydney, drawn up by the late Miss Charlotte Bathurst over seventy years ago, occupies more than fifty pages, four of which are devoted to Carousing and Alleetus. An index to the whole volume would have added .greatly to its utility.
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