[48] In Kemble’s _Codex Diplomaticus_, No. 320, there is a late and meagre abstract of a grant of land by king Alfred ‘in loco qui dicitur Norðniwtune.’ Kemble puts this place in Wiltshire, but why may it not be the North Newton by Athelney? The orthography of the name would be not that of the original grant, but of the abridger’s time. Appendix F. [49] I am indebted for this suggestion to Sir Alexander Acland Hood. [50] To be quite exact, its lodging for the first five years is matter of inference from the fact that in 1698 it is described as being at Fairfield, without any indication of a change of ownership. One transfer however there must have been. The place of discovery made it the property of Sir Thomas Wrothe; and as Nathaniel Palmer was his mother’s brother, it is easy to understand the gift of the nephew to his uncle, who may have been a man of antiquarian tastes. We can also understand the desire of Nathaniel Palmer that this precious relic should go to Oxford, as he, with many others of his family, had been educated at the University, of which Alfred was the reputed founder. Appendix G. [51] Appendix A. [52] Appendix G. CHAPTER X GOLD RINGS CONTEMPORANEOUS The earliest recorded doubt as to the identity of the ÆLFRED of the Jewel with Alfred of Wessex was grounded upon the high artistic quality of the work[53]. It may therefore be illustrative if we advert to some other specimens of English jewellery belonging to those early times. One such has already been quoted above (p. 68), namely, the ‘enamelled ouche’ of Mr. Roach Smith, which is now in the British Museum. This is a piece of great beauty and high technical skill; and it has every appearance of belonging to these times, but there is nothing to fix its date more definitely. Happily, there are specimens of English jewellery of the ninth century which exclude this doubt. We have no less than three inscribed gold rings which certainly belonged to eminent contemporaries of Alfred, and two of them to members of his family circle; insomuch that we may say, with some confidence, that these two must have been familiar objects to his eye. THE RING OF ALHSTAN, WHO WAS BISHOP OF SHERBORNE FROM 824 TO 867.