know that a very ancient golden collar was lately found in the village of Stanton, Staffordshire, which is about three miles north of Ashbourne.
A labourer digging up a field, which had not been ploughed or dug up in the memory of man, turned up the collar, which, being curled up at the time, sprang up, and the labourer taking it for a snake, struck it out of his way with his spade: the next morning it was discovered not to be a snake. Unfortunately the blow had broken off a small piece at one end. The collar is now in the possession of the person with whom the curate of Stanton lodges. The description given to me is, that it is about two feet long, and formed of three pieces of gold twined together, and, with the above exception, in a very good state of preservation.
I hear that there is a similar collar in the British Museum, that was found in Ireland, but none that was found in England; and that the authorities of the Museum have been informed of this collar, but have taken no steps to obtain possession of it.
S. G. C.
[Our correspondent is under an erroneous impression as to gold torques not being found in England. Several are figured in the Archæologia, and we have some reason to believe that the torque now described, and of which we should be glad to receive any farther particulars, resembles one which formed part of the celebrated Polden find described by Mr. Harford in the fourteenth volume of the Archæologia, and figured at p. 90.; and also that found at Boyton in Suffolk in 1835, and engraved in the Archæologia, vol. xxvi. p. 471.—Ed.]
Queries.
PICTURES IN HAMPTON COURT PALACE.
There are two or three of these concerning which I should be obliged to any reader of your publication who would satisfy my Queries.
No. 119., "The Battle of Forty," by P. Snayers. This seems a kind of combat à outrance of knights armés de pied en cap. Where can I find any account or detail of it?