Learned Societies, etc.
The Society of Antiquaries
Vandalism in Egypt is deplored in London, but in the present circumstances we cannot throw stones. Rubbish-heaps are often romantic, and those of Fostât (Old Cairo) contain masses of mediæval pottery and other treasures well worth preserving; but the local authorities propose to create a new suburb by erecting workmen’s dwellings all over them. Systematic excavation cannot be hurried, and careful search might throw light on the origin of maiolica.
For the first time perhaps in its long history, the Society has devoted an ordinary meeting to the discussion of Ways and Means. The following are the principal alternatives: (i) To raise the subscription and invite donations; (ii) to extend the franchise and popularise the Society; and (iii) to economise further and lower the output. The argument that thousands are waiting to join in the work of the Society is not convincing; and as about ninety per cent. of the Fellows do not attend the meetings, the publications are their only tangible reward. If the standard is to be maintained, few would expect the same return for half the subscription they paid on joining, but to double the annual levy would be a drastic reform; yet the Society is further committed to field-work of considerable public interest. The rich we have always with us, but their presence is not felt so much here as in America.
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
During the last few weeks the restoration of the Lady Chapel of Worksop Priory has been in progress. It was a roofless ruin, retaining much fine thirteenth-century work. It is being re-roofed, the fallen portions rebuilt, and missing parts renewed in the style of the original building, the new work being made to resemble as nearly as may be what the old is believed to have been.
This on the face of it sounds reasonable enough, but experience has shown that in practice the result of such treatment is the reverse of satisfactory. It is exactly what the restorers of the last century did, and what people with any knowledge or love of old buildings deplore to-day, whenever it comes to their notice. It is just such a case as this which goes to the root of the matter in which the Society interests itself, and its customary ruling thereon may be stated in the following way:
1. The ruin should be subjected only to repairs needed for its upkeep.
2. If the site is absolutely necessary to the community for the purposes of its daily life, it has a right to use such ruins and even in extremity to demolish them.
3. Confronted by a similar necessity it may be justifiable to incorporate an old building in a new one. The danger in this case lies, however, in the fact that the desire to restore for the sake of restoration may outrun the actual need of a new building designed to fulfil some special purpose.
Having made this concession to a genuine demand, the Society still stands out against restoration. The new work should be good and in harmony with the old, but it should also be living architecture and not a study in dead style.
As Professor Lethaby expressed it, “Architecture is a current speech, it is not an art of classical quotation.”
But the Lady Chapel of Worksop Priory is actually being restored. So, though much more might be said, the case ends here, save for the thought that with better guidance different conclusions would have been reached.
The promoters of the scheme, having so far determined to make use of the ruin, might have asked the advice of a selected group representative of our best men—a group which should include within it one real authority versed in the building methods of the same period as that of the ruin, an acknowledged authority on modern architecture, a representative both of the Society of Antiquaries and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. To these one would add a local architect or builder conversant with the local conditions and material.
To such an advisory board would be committed the task of choosing an architect, whose plans would be submitted for approval before being recommended to the promoters.
The scheme may seem to savour too much of the ideal which has no part in actual life, yet it is worth consideration, for from it, one might say almost inevitably, good work must result.
As a matter of fact the Committee does comprise within itself the qualities of such an advisory board, but the above suggestion is made for those who may prefer, for one reason or another, to ask advice elsewhere.
The Egypt Exploration Fund
The work of this Society has two main branches: the first is the excavation of Egypt’s buried treasures and the publication of careful records of the finds; the second is the preservation and translation of the inscriptions, including papyri found in the course of excavation. The Society has already published hundreds of papyri, the most important being included in the Oxyrhynchus Papyri edited by Professors Grenfell and Hunt.
In a lecture given at the rooms of the Royal Society, Burlington House, on Friday, February 20th, on “The Historical Value of Greek Papyri,” Mr. H. Idris Bell, a member of the staff of the British Museum, gave a scholarly review of the work already done in the publication of papyri, both in this and in other countries, and laid stress on the necessity for further work in this direction. He pointed out that, although this country was holding its own in the matter of publication of fresh material, it was falling behind other countries in the work of comparing and computing results and the tabulation of the information thus obtained.
The lecturer said papyri help to correct the false perspective in which we see history. We tend to see it as a succession of dramatic events and of great personalities, and economic processes attain a precision and clearness which is not obvious to contemporaries. But this is not our attitude towards our own time, and documents show us that it was not that of our predecessors. Great events of history occur but seldom, and when they do they are recorded from the purely personal point of view. The historian cannot chronicle minor interests, but the papyri serve as the “acid test” of the objectivity of his narrative, and for this reason it is well that the student should supplement his reading of history by some study of documents, and for no department of ancient history have we a body of documentary evidence comparable to the papyri.
Papyri make us acquainted with the ordinary man, his style of living, his domestic relations, and his family life; it thus becomes possible to study the popular psychology of Græco-Roman Egypt, and so, by analogy, to some extent, the Græco-Roman world.
With regard to administration papyri show us the actual working, not the theory, of administration, and the two rarely exactly coincide. So too with law; the practice of the law usually differs from the theory of law, and papyri reveal the practice and show us the applied law.
Turning to religion, papyri mostly illustrate the popular attitude towards religion; there is not much on mystery cults, but they show the attitude of the individual towards the deity. It is also possible from them to trace the borrowings of Christianity from Paganism and to contrast the Christian and the pagan attitude.
The lecturer gave many interesting illustrations from papyri, including letters from parents to children and children to parents, letters of condolence, letters from men engaged upon business or war to their wives and families, which give a vivid picture of the life of the time.
Sir Frederic Kenyon, K.C.B., who was in the chair, in thanking the lecturer emphasised the importance of the study of papyri and the scope this branch of research opened for original work. Here is a vast field of labour, at present only superficially worked; the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; certainly they are indefatigable, but more workers are needed if the full value is to be extracted from these papyri. Other countries are alive to the importance of the work, but our own Universities are somewhat apathetic and need arousing.
The Royal Numismatic Society
At the monthly meeting of the Royal Numismatic Society on February 19th, Mr. Percy H. Webb exhibited a portion of a find of late Roman coins from Egypt. The find covered the period A.D. 298-313, Domitius Domitianus—Maximinus Daza, and was, said to have comprised nearly two bushels of coins. The coins which Mr. Webb had been able to examine belonged to the last five years of the period, and were of three rulers only, Galerius Maximian, Galeria Valeria, and Daza. The bulk of the coins were of the Alexandria mint, although Antioch, Cyzicus, and Nicomedia were also represented. The find presented a number of interesting features and afforded an interesting opportunity of testing M. Jules Maurice’s work, which it supported in every detail.
Mr. G. C. Brooke read a paper by Mr. R. C. Lockett on “The Coinage of Offa.” The most reasonable suggestion for the date of the beginning of the Mercian coinage was after the battle of Otford in 774, but it might be as late as the Council of Chelsea, 786. The mint was probably Canterbury, as seven of his moneyers struck coins for Coenwulf, and three of these worked for Eadberht, Cuthred, and Baldred. Coins bearing the name Eadberht were probably to be attributed to Eadberht, Bishop of London, 772-787. Another penny with the name hitherto not read satisfactorily should probably be attributed to Higberht, Bishop of Lichfield, who was made Archbishop in 787. Cynethrith’s coinage was evidently struck in Offa’s lifetime, either as a complimentary issue, or in a period of regency during Offa’s absence. A classification of the pennies of Offa was proposed, based on their affinity to the coinage of Jaenberht and Æthilheard.