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attempt to start on the quest； for his entry； written
in very faint and almost illegible uncial； is； 〃I
ceased from my going； the gods being against me。
KaIlikrates to his son。〃
Between these two ancient writingsthe second of
which was inscribed upside down and was so faint and
worn that； had it not been for the transcript of it
executed by Vincey； I should scarcely have been able
to read it； since； owing to its having been written on
that portion of the tile which had； in the course of
ages； undergone the most handling； it was nearly
rubbed outwas the bold； modern…looking signature of
one Lionel Vincey； 〃AEtate sua 17；〃 which was written
thereon； I think； by Leo's grandfather。 To the right
of this were the initials 〃J。 B。 V。；〃 and below came a
variety of Greek signatures； in uncial and cursive
character； and what appeared to be some carelessly
executed repetitions of the sentence 〃to my son；〃
showing that the relic was religiously passed on from
generation to generation。
The next legible thing after the Greek signatures was
the word 〃ROMAE； A。U。C。；〃 showing…that the family had
now migrated to Rome。 Unfortunately； however； with the
exception of its termination （cvi） the date of their
settlement there is forever lost； for just where it
had been placed a piece of the potsherd is broken
away。
Then followed twelve Latin signatures； jotted about
here and there； wherever there was a space upon the
tile suitable to their inscription。 These signatures；
with three exceptions only； ended with the name
〃Vindex〃 or 〃the Avenger；〃 which seems to have been
adopted by the family after its migration to Rome as a
kind of equivalent to the Grecian 〃Tisisthenes；〃 which
also means an avenger。 Ultimately； as might be
expected； this Latin cognomen of Vindex was
transformed first into De Vincey； and then into the
plain； modern Vincey。 It is very curious to observe
how the idea of revenge； inspired by an Egyptian
before the time of Christ； is thus； as it were；
embalmed in an English family name。
A few of the Roman names inscribed upon the sherd I
have actually since found mentioned in history and
other records。 They were； if I remember right；
MVSSIVS。 VINDEX
SEX。 VARIVS。 MARVLLVS
C。 FVFIDIVS。 C。 F。 VINDEX
and
LABERIA POMPEIANA。 CONIVX。 MACRINI。 VINDICIS
the last being； of course； the name of a Roman lady。
The following list； however； comprises all the Latin
names upon。 the sherd：
C。 CAECILIVS VINDEX
M。 AIMILIVS VINDEX
SEX。 VARIVS。 MARVLLVS
Q。 SOSIVS PRISCVS SENECIO VINDEX
L。 VALERIVS COMINIVS VINDEX
SEX。 OTACILIVS。 M。 F。
L ATTIVS。 VINDEX
MVSSIVS VINDEX
C。 FVFIDIVS。 C。 F。 VINDEX
LICINIVS FAVSTVS
LAVERIA POMPEIANA CONIVX MACRINI VINDICIS
MANILIA LVCILLA CONIVX MARVLLI VINDICIS
After the Roman names there is evidently a gap of very
many centuries。 Nobody will ever know now what was the
history of the relic during those dark ages； or how it
came to have been preserved in the family。 My poor
friend Vincey had； it will be remembered； told me that
his Roman ancestors finally settled in Lombardy； and；
when Charlemagne invaded it； returned with him across
the Alps； and made their home in Brittany； whence they
crossed to England in the reign of Edward the
Confessor。 How he knew this I am not aware； for there
is no reference to Lombardy or Charlemagne upon the
tile； though； as will presently be seen； there is a
reference to Brittany。 To continue： the next entries
on the sherd； if I may except a long splash either of
blood or red coloring matter of some sort； consist of
two crosses drawn in red pigment； and probably
representing Crusaders' swords； and a rather neat
monogram （〃D。 V。〃） in scarlet and blue； perhaps
executed by that same Dorothea Vincey who wrote； or
rather painted； the doggerel couplet。 To the left of
this； scribed in faint blue； were the initials A。V。；
and after them a date； 1300。
Then came what was perhaps as curious an entry as
anything upon this extraordinary relic of the past。 It
is executed in black…letter； written over…the crosses
or Crusaders' swords； and dated fourteen hundred and
forty…five。 As the best plan will be to allow it to
speak for itself； I here give the black…letter
facsimile； together with the original Latin without
the contractions； from which it will be seen that the
writer was a fair medieval Latinist。 Also we
discovered what is still more curious； an English
version of the black…letter Latin。 This； also written
in black…letter； we found inscribed on a second
parchment that was in the coffer； apparently somewhat
older in date than that on which was inscribed the
mediaeval Latin translation of the uncial Greek。
Expanded Version of the Black…Letter Inscription。
〃ISTA reliquia est valde misticum et myrificum opus；
quod majores mei ex Armorica； scilicet Britannia
Minore； secum convehebant； et quidam sanctus clericus
semper patri meo in manu ferebat quod penitus illud
destrueret； affirmans quod esset ab ipso Sathana
conflatum prestigiosa et dyabolica arte； quare pater
mens confregit illud in duos partes； quas quidem ego
Johannes de Vinceto salvas servavi et adaptavi sicut
apparet die lune proximo post festum beate Marie
Virginis anni gratie MCCCCXLV。〃
Modernized Version of the Black…Letter Translation。
〃THYS rellike ys a ryghte mistycall worke and a
marvaylous； ye whyche myne aunceteres aforetyme dyd
conveigh hider with them from Armoryke which ys to
seien Britaine ye Lesse and a certayne holye clerke
should allweyes beare my fadir on honde that he owghte
uttirly for to frusshe ye same； affyrmynge that yt was
fourmed and conflatyd of Sathanas hym selfe by arte
magike and dyvellysshe wherefore my fadir dyd take ye
same and tobrast yt yn tweye； but I； John de Vincey；
dyd save whool ye tweye partes therof and topeecyd
them togydder agayne soe as yee se； on this daye
mondaye next folIowynge after ye feeste of Seynte
Marye ye Blessed Vyrgyne yn ye yeere of Salvacioun
fowertene hundreth and fyve and fowerti。〃
The next and； save one； last entry was Elizabethan；
and dated 1564； 〃A most strange historie； and one that
did cost my father his life； for in seekynge for the
place upon the east coast of Africa； his pinnace was
sunk by a Portuguese galleon off Lorenzo Marquez； and
he himself perished。John Vincey。〃
Then came the last entry； apparently； to judge by the
style of writing； made by some representative of the
family in the middle of the eighteenth century。 It was
a misquotation of the well…known lines in Hamlet； and
ran thus： 〃There are more things in Heaven and earth
than are dreamt of in your philosophy； Horatio。〃
And now there remained but one more document to be
examinednamely； the ancient black…letter translation
into mediaeval Latin of the uncial inscription on the
sherd。 As will be seen； this translation was executed
and subscribed in the year 1495； by a certain 〃learned
man；〃 Edmundus de Prato （Edmund Pratt） by name；
licentiate in Canon Law； of Exeter College； Oxford；
who had actually been a pupil of Gr