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12li an engraving of the mansion accompanies this notice. Stereoscopic pictures of the house in which the painting was found, which was a noble specimen of a wood and plaster mansion of the Kith century, were handed round for inspection, having been kindly sent for that purpose by Dr. Gwynne, of Sandbach. To that gentleman, as also to Mr. Latham, and to the Officers of the Chester Mechanics' Institution, for the loan of the Cowper portrait, the thanks of the Society were cordially voted. Mr. Wynne Ffoulkes, Historic Secretary, exhibited a few bronze remains of the Celtic period, taken from a funereal urn in Carnarvon¬ shire, and explained their use to the meeting ; after which a vote of thanks was accorded to him as Chairman, and the meeting separated. The Society held its third monthly meeting for the session in the City News Room, St. Peter's Church-yard, on Monday evening, the 2nd of February. Despite the adverse raging of the elements,—for snow and sleet fell incessantly during the day, and indeed to the very hour of meeting,—there was still a goodly muster of the Members. The chair was occupied by C. T. W. Parry, Esq., who, in short but fitting terras, introduced the lecturer of the evening, W. Beamont, Esq. of Warrington. "Halton Castle and Rocksavage," were the subjects chosen by Mr. Beamont, and these were of course treated in his usually free and com¬ prehensive manner. Of the lecture itself,—which was, in effect, an enlargement of the highly interesting Paper read by that gentleman at the Society's Excursion to Halton in August, 1856,—it is unnecessary here to speak in detail, as Mr. Beamont has assented to its being printed at large in the present number of the Journal. Suffice it to say, that it omitted no one salient point of interest in the history of the Castle, from its first foundation by Nigel, Baron of Halton, during the earldom of Hugh Lupus, to the final dismantling of the fortress, at the close of the Civil War. Rocksavage, also, the once elegant seat of the Savages, Earls Rivers, came in for its fair share of attention at the hands of the lecturer ; who, to show the rapid progress of decay in that luckless mansion, exhibited a photograph, recently taken, of a low ruined wall, the only relic now existing of a house in which King James was once right royally entertained. The lecture was admirably composed, as might be expected from a gentleman of Mr. Beamont's antiquarian tastes, and was listened to with the most marked attention by a select and discriminating audience. The illustrations, which were upon an unusually large scale, embraced several views of Halton Castlo, in different stages of its existence,