כתר prince, for in all our Lexions, OBrien's excepted, we find coron, crun, fleafg, cruineacan, fynonimous for a crown; and I cannot help thinking that Catir was a fictitious name, from the Hebrew or Perfian Kater or Keter, for both Vashti and Esther, were crowned with Keter Malcuth, that is, the crown or diadem, or enfign of the kingdom, the Citaris and fillet on it. Both the vulgate and LXX, turn these words diadema; and fome will have Ceter in Efther, to be but the fame word from whence Citaris was firft made. However, the Hebrew compared with the profane writers, fays Selden, juftifies clearly that there was a crown of gold, as well as a fillet for a royal enfign in Perfia. Aifon or afun in Irish, properly fignifies any royal enfign as a fcepter, or staff of dignity, (in Arabic Afa). Ex. Gr. foidis dino an tuafal Jacop Jofeph oirnindte agus afun in a laimh. 1. flat in a laimh, (Leabhar breacht) i. e. Straightway the noble Jacob fent his fon Jofeph properly arrayed, and with a staff of dignity in his hand: Here afun is explained by flat, a rod, a fceptre; and this word in Hebrew, fignifies to govern. Saobhath is another Irish word for a Druid's Rod, from the Hebrew fhebet, which implies Virga, fceptrum tribus. שבט PLATE PLATE VI, FIG. I, AND 2. are of Gold. THE center pieces or handles are folid, and the ends terminate in cups. Fig. 1. weighs three ounces eighteen penny-weights, and is in the College Museum. Fig. 2. weighed ten ounces, and was fold to a goldfmith, who informs me he had melted down feveral of this form; one weighed fixteen ounces: he found fome, the handle of which were of filver chafed with plated gold. Fig. 3. and 4. are alfo of gold, but differ from the first in having the circular ends flat, and the handles or bow parts ornamented. Thefe are evidently fibula: the circular heads paffed through the button holes and lay flat on the body, and the chafed or ornamented part was turned to the eye. In the Archæologia of the London fociety, Vol. II, are drawings of two of the larger inftruments, varying in the form of the cups, which of one, are perfectly hemifpherical. The late Bishop Pococke, prefented thefe drawings to the Society, &c. by his memoir, we find he thought thought these alfo were a fpecies of fibula. I am of opinion, Mr. Simon, (author of the effay on the Irish coins) judged right, in thinking they were used in the religious ceremonics of the Irish Druids. I think they were pateræ one of a moft delicate conftruction, Fig. 7. was fent to me fince the former were engraved : this, from its make, could not have been a fibula; it weighs exactly two guineas; was found in a bog on the estate of James Cuffe, Efq; of the county of Mayo, and is now in the poffeffion of Judge Hellen; hitherto, nothing fimilar to thefe instruments, has been reprefented or defcribed in any book of antiquities. Fig. 5. was drawn from an urn of baked earth, and of very rude workmansbip; it was found near Baalnamolt, on the mountains between Clonmell and Capoquin, under a fmall tumulus, with the mouth downwards, covering fome black earth stained by the burnt ashes of the corps, and part of the jaw bone and skull of a youth not burnt: it was prefented to me by the Rev. Mr. Ryan, parish priest of Baalnamolt, aud is now in the museum of Trinity College. The Irish MSS. mention, that in times of Paganifm, the dead bodies of Princes and Druids were burnt, but that thofe of chiefs and generals, were buried with their arms, &c. So that like the antient Etrufcans, the Irifh ufed both modes of burial at the fame time. Fig. 6. Is a drawing from a vase of brafs; it was found in a bog twelve feet deep, near the ruins of Grey Abbey, in the Ardes of the county of Down, *P. Bonarota. Epift. Tho. Coke, page 35. on |