The sixth line has lost at the beginning the letters COLLE; but so much remains of the word, as makes it to have been indubitably, when intire, COLLEGIVM; and the following letters are an abbreviation of FABRORVM.

These colleges of artificers were very ancient at Rome, as ancient as their second king Numa Pompilius, if we may believe Plutarch (in vit. Numæ) who tells us, that the people were divided by him into what we at this day call Companies of Tradesmen, and mentions the Τέκτονες or Fabri among them; though Floras (lib. i. cap. 6.) says, that Populus Romanus a Servio Tullio relatus suit in Censum, digestus in Classes, Curiis atque Collegiis distributus. But as the power of the Romans extended itself, it carried the arts of that great people along with it, and improved the nations that it subdued, by civilizing, and teaching them the use of whatever was necessary or advantageous among their conquerors; from which most wise and generous disposition, among other beneficial institutions, we find these Collegia to have been established in every part of the empire, from the frequent mention of them in the inscriptions collected by Gruter, Spon, and other antiquaries.

Several sorts of workmen were included under the name of Fabri, particularly all those that were concerned in any kind of building; whence we meet with the Fabri Ferrarii, Lignarii, Tignarii, Materiarii, Navales, and others: the last named may have been the authors of dedicating this temple to Neptune, having so near a relation to the sea, from which the city of Chichester is at so small a distance, that perhaps that arm of it which still comes up within two miles of its walls, might formerly have washed them. The rest of the fraternity might very well pay the same devotion to Minerva, the Goddess of all arts and sciences, and patroness of the Dædalian profession.

As no less than five letters are wanting at the beginning of the sixth line, there cannot be fewer lost at the beginning of the seventh, where the stone is more broke away than above; so that probably there were six when it was perfect. What we have left of them is only the top of an S: I will not therefore take upon me to affirm any thing as to the reading of them, which is so intirely defaced: perhaps it was A. SACR. S. a sacris sunt; perhaps it was HONOR. S. Honorati sunt: as to the former, we find these Collegia had their Sacerdotes; therefore Qui a sacris sunt, which is found in inscriptions, (vid. Grut. Corp. xxix. 8. cxxi. i. dcxxxii. i.) would be no improper term to express them; or it might have been SACER. S. sacerdotes sunt, since we find such mentioned in the following inscriptions. Spon. Miscell. Erud. Antiq. p. 58.

MAVORTI SACRVM

HOC SIGNVM

RESTIT _ _ _ _ _

COLL. FABR. ARI

CINORVM ANTIQVISS.

VETVSTATE