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THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
for the purpose of the main drainage. He pointed out that the inscription upon
the face of it was as clear as it could possibly be, and he mentioned that it must
have been brought to Colchester, because there was no stone there. It was
probably accidentally turned over, and in process of time got covered with a con-
siderable depth of earth. Alluding to the Roman wall, Mr. Acland observed that
the first century mortar, with which the wall was built, was as solid as stone and
harder than any stone in the wall itself. The Roman Sphynx, dug up in Lexden
Road, was next described, and Mr. Acland said that whenever in Colchester
they came across unbroken ground there they found traces of the interments, and
inside the walls they discovered abundant signs of the Roman occupation. Mr.
Acland closed by conveying an invitation from Mr. Joslin to inspect his private
collection of Roman antiquities, which was one of the finest in England.
The President having thanked Mr. Acland for his address, the party proceeded
under the guidance of Dr. Laver to Holy Trinity Church, to view the burial-place
of Dr. Gilberd. He was buried in the vault under the chancel, but the tablet
above it, originally erected by Ambrose and Wm. Gilberd, "in token of brotherly
love," was taken down some years ago, during some alterations, and Dr. Laver
explained that he entered the church just as the workmen were carting it away
in a wheelbarrow, as rubbish, and had he been a few minutes later it would have
disappeared. He had it carried back again and placed in the north aisle, and thus
secured from destruction the most valuable monument in Colchester. Dr. Laver
called attention to several interesting features of the church itself, the tower of
which was believed to date back certainly to Saxon times, if not further.
Leaving the church the visitors crossed Trinity Street to "Tymperleys," or
"Tympornell's," the ancient house of Gilberd, which is now occupied by Mr.
Carrington Francis, who, Dr. Laver explained, was in ill-health, and unable to
welcome the company in person. Dr. Laver added that there was nothing special
to see in the house—which was unquestionably Gilberd's—except the quaint and
narrow staircase. There was a tradition that Queen Elizabeth visited her physician
when he resided here.
The gateway of St. John's Abbey and St. Botolph's Priory were next visited,
Dr. Laver making a few appropriate remarks at each place. The Priory, he
pointed out, like so many of the churches and other old buildings in this part of the
country, was largely composed of Roman materials. Professor Freeman once said
that the bricks about Colchester came from the kiln in the 11ith century, but if
that was so he asked how a good many of them got to have mortar on them ? If
Freeman's theory were correct, then those daubs of mortar must have been put on
to deceive the antiquary. Mr. W. Gill, of Colchester, in spite of the falling rain,
took a successful photograph of the party, standing in front of the fine Norman
gateway.
Luncheon was served shortly afterwards in the large assembly room of the
"Red Lion Hotel." Lord Rayleigh presided, supported by the Mayor of
Colchester, and the President.
Mr. Fitch, in a few appropriate words, expressed the pleasure felt by all present
in having Lord Rayleigh and so many distinguished scientists and physicists
amongst them. He spoke in the highest terms of Lord Rayleigh's many services
to science, and called upon his lordship to say a few words with reference to Dr.
Gilberd and the gathering of that day.
Lord Rayleigh replied in a brief and genial speech, but explained that he had
not sufficient knowledge of the subject to discourse at any length upon the life of
Dr. Gilberd, whose career and work would be dealt with by Prof. Thompson more