It was, nevertheless, somewhat
ungracious to thank him for his book, and at the same time to point out
an important error in it, for which, however, he was in no way
responsible.
J. PAYNE COLLIER.
Kensington, Jan. 28. 1850.
* * * * *
CATACOMBS AND BONE-HOUSES.
Without attempting to answer the queries of MR. GATTY, (No. 11. p. 171.)
I venture to send a note on the subject. I believe it will generally be
found that the local tradition makes such collections of bones to be
"the grisly gleanings of some battlefield." One of the most noteworthy
collections of this kind that I have seen is contained in the crypt of
Hythe Church, Kent, where a vast quantity of bones are piled up with
great regularity, and preserved with much care. According to a written
statement suspended in the crypt, they are the relics of Britons and
Saxons slain in a battle fought on the beach in the sixth century; the
local tradition is nearly to the same effect, but of course is of little
value, as it has most likely arisen from or been conformed to this
"written chronicle;" both writing and tradition must indeed be regarded
with distrust.
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