A Roman altar in the vicinity of Bywell was, during the ‘troublesome times’ of 1715, put to a use little contemplated either by the ancients or moderns. It was employed as the post-office of the non-juring gentry of the district. The parties, wishing to keep up a correspondence with each other, arranged to deposit their communications in a hollow of the altar. In the gray of the morning little girls clad in green, and trained to the task, approached the stone with a dancing step, and, having got the letters, retired with antic gestures. So well did they perform their part that they were mistaken for fairies, and the object of their visits was not discovered for a long time afterwards. The stone was known by the name of the Fairy stone. [Sidenote: CORBRIDGE LANX.] But the greatest curiosity which has been discovered at CORSTOPITUM, is the silver _lanx_, or dish, which is represented on the next page. A piece of plate so massive, is of rare occurrence in the stations of the North. It is in the possession of the duke of Northumberland. There is an accurate cast of it in the Newcastle Museum of Antiquities. [Illustration: Corbridge Lanx] 'It was found (says Mr. Robert Cay, in a letter of 4th March 1734) near Corbridge, by some ignorant poor people who have cut off the feet in such a vile barbarous manner, that they have broke two holes through the table, and a small piece off one of the corners too.' It is 19½ inches long, and 15 broad; it weighs about 150 ounces. The rim of the plate rises nearly an inch above the interior. The figures have been punched into form. Gale’s conjecture as to its use is probably the correct one. ‘This is big enough (he says) to contain the _exta_ of a sheep, or other small victims, which seems to me to be the likeliest employment for it, and that it was one of these sacrificing utensils that Virgil calls _Lances_: Lancibus et pandis fumantia reddimus exta.’ The principal figures on the plate are probably, those of Diana, Minerva, Juno, Vesta, and Apollo. On the left side of the design is Diana, armed with a bow and arrow. Below her feet is an urn with water flowing from it; in front of her, is an altar with an offering, of a globular form, upon it, and below the altar, is a dog of the greyhound species, looking up to the goddess. The next figure is Minerva. She wears a helmet, and her breast is adorned with the Gorgon’s head. A spear is in her left hand. The thumb and first two fingers of her right hand are uplifted, as if in the act of bestowing a benediction. The next figure is supposed to be Juno, though no symbol is given by which she can be decisively distinguished. Her right hand is uplifted in a manner similar to Minerva’s. At her feet lies a dead buck.