of considerable interest. About a mile from the
town is one of the most perfect of the round towers of Ireland, 93 ft.
high and 50 in circumference at the base. It stands in the grounds of
Steeple, a neighbouring seat, where is also the "Witches' Stone," a
prehistoric monument. A battle was fought near Antrim between the
English and Irish in the reign of Edward III.; and in 1642 a naval
engagement took place on Lough Neagh, for Viscount Massereene and
Ferrard (who founded Antrim Castle in 1662) had a right to maintain a
fighting fleet on the lough. On the 7th of June 1798 there was a smart
action in the town between the king's troops and a large body of rebels,
in which the latter were defeated, and Lord O'Neill mortally wounded.
Before the Union Antrim returned two members to parliament by virtue of
letters patent granted in 1666 by Charles II. There are manufactures of
paper, linen, and woollen cloth. The government is in the hands of town
commissioners.

ANTRUSTION, the name of the members of the bodyguard or military
household of the Merovingian kings. The word, of which the formation has
been variously explained, is derived from the O.H.Germ. _trost_,
comfort, aid, fidelity, trust, through the latinized form _trustis_. Our
information about the antrustions is derived from one of the _formulae_
of Marculfus (i. 18, ed. Zeumer, p. 55) and from various provisions of
the Salic law (see du Cange, _Glossarium, s._ "trustis"). Any one
desiring to enter the body of Antrustions had to present himself armed
at the royal palace, and there, with his hands in those of the king,
take a special oath or _trustis_ and _fidelitas_, in addition to the
oath of fidelity sworn by every subject at the king's accession. This
done, he was considered to be _in truste dominica_ and bound to the
discharge of all the services this involved. In return for these, the
antrustion enjoyed certain valuable advantages, as being specially
entitled to the royal assistance and protection; his _wergeld_ is three
times that of an ordinary Frank; the slayer of a Frank paid compensation
of 200 _solidi_, that of an antrustion had to find 600. The antrustion
was always of Frankish descent, and only in certain exceptional cases
were Gallo-Romans admitted into the king's bodyguard. These Gallo-Romans
then took the name of _convivae regis_, and the _wergeld_ of 300
_solidi_ was three times that of a _homo romanus_. The antrustions,
belonging as they did t