Kennedy, John, M. D.

, a native of Scotland, who resided some time in Smyrna, and died at an advanced age, Jan. 26, 1760, is recorded as an antiquary of some abilities, although we know very little of his history. He had a collection of about 200 pictures, amongst which were two heads of himself by Keysing; he had also a very valuable collection of Greek and Latin coins, which, with the pictures, were sold by auction in 1760. Amongst the Roman coins were 256 of Carausius, 9 of them silver, and 89 of Alectus; these coins of Carausius and Alectus were purchased by P. C. Webb, esq. the 256 for 70l. and thp 8$ for 16l. 10s. They were afterwards bought by Dr. Hunter, who added to the number very considerably. Dr. Kennedy, in his “Dissertation on the Coins of Carausius,” as-, serted, that Oriuna was that emperor’s guardian goddess. Dr. Stukeley, in his “Palæographia Britannica, No. III, 1752,” 4to, affirmed she was his wife; to which Dr. Kennedy replied in “Farther Observations,” &c. 1756, 4to and, upon his antagonist’s supporting his opinion in his “History of Carausius,” 1757 59, he abused him in a sixpenny 4to letter.

“Oriuna, on the medals of Carausius,” says Mr. Waipole, in his preface to Historic Doubts, “used to pass for the Moon; of late years it is become a doubt whether she was not his consort. It is of little importance whether she was moon or empress; but how little must we know of those times, when those land-marks to certainty, royal names, do not serve evn that purpose In the cabinet of the king of France are several coins of sovereigns whose country cannot be guessed at.” ²