It has been stated, and documents brought forward to substantiate Ih'e
assertion, that the old regalia of England had -entirely disappeared in the
troublous times of Cromwell, and that a new set was made in the time off
Charles II. It appears, indeed, that the' Coronation of that monarch was
obliged to be delayed on: account of the absence of-lhese necessary S p ie s
belonging to the ceremony. . Some of the old jewels, however, appear to have
been recovered; and we can have Xttle. hesitation in considering óur Spoon as
having belonged to the ancient regalia,. There can,-of course,-be no doubt of
its antiquity; and S i s not at all probable that a n ‘article of this kipl^fhould
have been obtained from any other-source, r
Our initial letter is taien from a manuscript collection of Saints’®ïës,
written in the twelfth century (MS. Arundel, The figures represent
incidents, in the legend of |>t. C«sarii*& . According to this legend, |$Vas
a custom at Terracina in Italy, under the Roman Emperors^ for a young man
every year on the first of January to sacrifice himself-to" the’.gods as an expiatory
offering for the prosperity of his native townv ‘ Thé victim was jfe d ^ J l
and allowed every luxury of life for some .months before thelfaie^ day; Be
then sacrificed an anundytitik-Ms own hand to ApoUo,'and" afrerwards * armed
himself, mounted a fierce steed, and rode headlong dqwn.,a precipitou^J-Ock.
Oses’arius, happening-to be witness to this'custom, preached, against it, and'-pas
seized and carried before Leontius, who was-consul/thmi, by his exhortations
and God’s miraculous interference he^eonverted Ihe ;eons^;|q>t>o which H r
superior magistrate Luxuries ordered them both tO/bfe enclosed in a sack lid
thrown into thé sea. At the top of the letter we -see first, the victiip/pffermg
up the sacrifice, and then riding over the--precipice, while ^ Csesariu's is
looking on with pity. To the right Céesarius appears to be addre slnfiftKe
pagans. The figureslhT the lower part of the s%f£pf ^fhe letter probably ’
represent Cmsarius before Leontius. At/ti^-boi torn, ® mui 'of, Lu\uri;u-
are throwing the two Christians into the-sea, both .endes^ttb