without difficulty; whilst a last effort to enter the city by burning
the gate of St. Mary's was repulsed by the steward in person. It was
now near night-fall; and, foiled on every side, the English entirely
withdrew from the assault.

* * * * *


NUMISMATICS.


[Addison, in commenting on the Usefulness of Ancient Medals, says,
"A series of an Emperor's Coins is his life digested into Annals."
Who shall, therefore, gainsay the the utility of _A Numismatic Manual,
or Guide to the Study of Coins_. The author, Mr. John Y. Akerman,
does not intend his volume exclusively for the use of the experienced
medallist, so that much popular interest may be expected in its pages.
The title bespeaks its contents, but we quote a few brief extracts
relating to rare English coins.]


_Ecclesiastic Money_.--This money was coined by prelates prior to
the Norman Conquest. Of these there are pennies of Jænbearht,
archbishop of Canterbury, with the reverse of Offa, king of Mercia,
Aethileard, Wulfred, Ceolnoth, Plegmund, and Ethered. They are all
extremely rare, excepting those of Ceolnoth, which are not so rare as
the others. Besides these there are pennies of St. Martin, coined at
Lincoln, and St. Peter's pennies, struck at York, which are supposed to
be as old as the time of the Heptarchy. Those of St. Edmund, coined at
Bury, are prior to the Norman Conquest. The pennies of St. Paul are, it