t the
stone passed through the roofs, shivering its timbers into a thousand
pieces; and crushing and mangling in a frightful manner the unhappy
soldiers who manned its different platforms. As those amongst them who
escaped rushed out from its broken fragments, the Scottish soldiers,
imitating the witticism of black Agnis at the siege of Dunbar, shouted
out that the English sow had farrowed. Crab now cast his chains and
grappling-hooks over the ruins of the machine, and, dragging it nearer
the walls, poured down his combustibles in such quantity, that it was
soon consumed to ashes. The complete failure in this land attack seems
to have cast a damp over the naval operations; and, although the ships
attempted to move on to the walls at flood-tide, they were driven back
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 Jaenbearht,
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
would seem, by the cross and pellets on the reverse, not older than the
reign of Henry III.

All Stephen's money is very scarce, and one or two types are exceedingly
rare. At a sale in London, in 1827, the penny of Stephen with the
horseman's mace, b