Though many of the antiquities of Britain have been so accurately described and illustrated by the learned of our nation, that we have as large and valuable a treasure of this kind as any of our neighbours; yet, in so vast a field, it is impossible but some things must have slipped by unregarded, or have been but transiently mentioned; a nearer and more particular view of which, as well as a further enquiry into their origin, I presume, would not be altogether unacceptable; so that what at first might seem to have had but a slender foundation, would become settled upon the immoveable basis of Reason and Truth.

The passage of Julius Caesar over the river Thames to attack the famous Cassivellaun, and the army of Britons under his command, who were drawn up on the opposite bank to hinder his crossing there, is a matter of so great antiquity, that, though it has been in general well attested by several historians, yet, as to the particular place where this remarkable event happened, there have been various opinions and conjectures; which for brevity omitting, I shall endeavour to set this affair in as clear a light as possible, by laying before you the most authentic evidences.

By the statute 17 Edward IV, 1477, lt was provided, “ That “ whereas divers fairs be holden and kept in this realm, some “ by prescription, allowed before justices in Eyre, and some by “ the grant of our Lord the King that now is, and some by the “ grants of his predecessors; and to every of the same fairs, is of “ right pertaining a court of Pypowders, to minister in the same “ due justice in this behalf, in which court it hath been at all “ times accustomed that every person coming to the said fairs “ should have lawful remedy of all manner of contracts, trespasses, covenants, debts and other deeds, made or done within “ any of the same fairs, during the time of the same fair, and “ within the jurisdiction of the same, and to be tried by merchants “ being of the same fair; which courts at this day be misused By “ the stewards, under-stewards, bailiffs, commissioners and other ministers, holding and governing the said courts of the said “ fairs, for their private profit, holding pleas by plaints, as well “ of contracts, debts, trespasses, and other feats, done and com- “ mitted out of the time of the said fair, or jurisdiction of the “ same, whereof, in truth, they have no jurisdiction surmising the “ same debts, trespasses, &c. to be done within the time of the “ said fair, and within the jurisdiction of the same: where, of “ truth, they were not so; and some time by the device of evil- “ disposed people, several suits be feigned, and trouble them to “ whom they bear evil will, to the intent that they for lucre “ may have favourable inquests of those that came to the said fairs “ where they take their actions: And whereas divers persons “ coming to the said fairs be grievously vexed and troubled by “ feigned actions, and also by actions of debt, trespass, deeds, and “ contracts, made and committed out of the time of the said fair, “ or the jurisdiction of the same, contrary to equity and good “ conference; whereby the Lords of the fairs do lose great profit “ by the not coming of divers merchants to fairs, which by this “ occasion do abstain, and also the commons be unserved of such “ stuff and merchandise, which otherwise would come to the “ said fairs,” &c.—Then comes the enacting clause, that the plaintiff shall swear, that the cause in declaration happened in the time of the fair, &c.

Thys bylle intentyd mead the viii day of Aprille in the thridde yer of Kyng Edward the fowrte betwyn Thomas Peers and John Scheelyng Ballyffs of Donewych and John Strawnge of Brampton Esquyer, Wetnessyth that the sayd John Strawnge grauntyth be these presents to been oon of the Burgeys for Donewych at the P'lement to been holdyn at Westmr the xxix day of the sayd monyth of Aprille ffor the qwhech qwehdyr it holde longe tyme or schortt or gwhedye it fortune to been p'rogott the sayd John Strawnge grauntyth no more to takyn for hys wagys then a Cade of full Heryng tho’ to been dyliv˜id be Xitenmasse next comyng In Wetnysse heroff eythyr partt to others Indentur interchawngubilly her selys han sett day and yer above sayd.

Gratulor tibi ex animo, Willielme dilectissime, tibi omnia procedere rectè, atque ex voto; praecipuè vero Almam Matrem Academiam tuo merito concessisse, quod rarentèr tironibus contingit, et σχολαςικὸν et χαριςικὸν de tuâ munificientiâ. Praeclara sanè et egregia de tuâ indole atque ingenio mecum sperant omnes tui: tu etiam ipse, modò fueris ausus, profectus dabis quos non expectas. In isto certò lumine omnia clariùs videbis. quàm in nostro angulo. Confido tamen neque te olim nostrae amicitiae et puerilis institutionis poeniturum. Subit mihi, ex occasione hâc, communicare tecum quod nuperrimè legenti occurrit de voce βροτὸς, atque etiam βϱότος, quae posterior vox emortuum sanguinem, sive tabum significat. Satis scio tibi nondum excidisse, quod saepiùs à me audieras; linguam scilicet Romanorum constare ferè ex obsoletis Graecis vocabulis. Quod igitur postero tempore communi Graecorum dialecto βροτὸς efferebatur, illud olim μορτὸς fuerat, unde et Latinis, sive adjectivum, sive malis participium, mortuus. Si unde illud nôrim quaeras, praestò est Alexandrinus Ammonius, qui eruditissimè in Aristotelis logicam commentatus est. In libellum ωερὶ ἑρμηνείας haec habet: : quod est, condidimus urbes nos mortales. Graecis autem scriptoribus Graecus poëta Callimachus, cujus Hymni in deos adhuc exstant, ὁ Κυρηναῖος, à patriâ Cyrene dicitur.

Reve'nt piere en Dieu, et tresch' ami. Nous vous mercions entierement de ce que nous avons entendu q'vous estes si bien et si naturelment porte dev's nous, en p'ant Dieux p'r nous et p'r n're exploit; et sumes tout certiens q' p'r cause de vous devoutes p'eres et dautres, Dieu nous a en toutes nos besoignes be’ vueliz aide; de quoi nous sumes a touz jo's tenuz de lui grazier, en p'ant que v're part ancy vieullietz faire en continuant dev's nous come devant ces heures avetz fait, de quoi nous nous tenons g'n'ment tenuz a vous.

On the trace of the great Roman military way from York to Manchester, in the township of Saddleworth, within the county of York, and diocese of Chester, at a place called Castleshaw, are the remains of a double camp, or station, of a Roman form, as will appear from the following representation of it:

In Smith's edition of Bede's Ecclesiastical history of England, p. 96. are the following words: “Attamen in Campodono, “ ubi tunc etiam villa regia erat, fecit (Paulinus) basilicam, quam “ postmodum pagani, à quibus Aeduini rex occisus, cum tota “ eadem villa succenderunt.” This Campodonum Camden, and others on his authority, have thought was the same as the Cambodunum mentioned in the second Iter of Antonine, which they have placed at Castle Hill near Almonbury, in the West-Riding of Yorkshire.

The drawing I now lay before you, contains a Roman inscription on a rock, situated at a place called Shawk Quarries, near Rose Castle in Cumberland, which has hitherto been overlooked by all our antiquaries, even by my famous predecessor Bishop Nicholson, though so near to his own mansion, and within his own manor of Dalston: I read it thus

Since my last, I have not had an occasion of seeing old Taylor; but he is still alive and well, and I hope soon to have an opportunity of visiting him, when I shall take care to have the fullest account of him, I can possibly obtain.

Je trouve un plaisir sensible à rechercher l' origine des arts et des sciences, et à suivre les progrès qu'ils ont fait successivement dans les tems de la plus haute antiquité. Je les vois naissans et commeau berceau en Egipte; je les considere dès là portés en Grèce, ou ils montent insensiblement au plus haut degré de perfection.

Qui veritatis indagandae studio ea quae de Mercurio vetustas prodidit, diligentius animo volvit, is non modo Gallorum deum, verum etiam, nisi me fallit animus, primum hujus gentis ducem reperiet; quem Galli ut suum heroem, suum ducem, quinimo suum Herculem, caeteris gentibus opposuerunt, utpote non minus strenuum et facundum. Etenim gentium conductores. quae late per terras et maria immensa dispersae, in heroum, imo deorum immortalium numero veteribus fuisse positos, antiqua suadent historiarum monumenta, De Gallis quis dubitet, reliquarum imitatos consuetudinem, primum suum ducem, quisquis ille demum fuerit, eo honoris dignitatisque evexisse, ut reliquis gentium conductoribus aemulum facerent, Hunc esse Herculem ilium Ogmium, de quo, praeter Lucianum, nemo veterum aliquid memoriae prodidit, nova via slabilire decrevi; et circa hunc proavorum nostrorum deum, ea, que vel lectione veterum, vel propria meditatione assecutus sum, paucis expediam.

Having had some conversation with your Lordship last summer with regard to Caerphyli (or Sengenneth Castle), and having afterwards travelled very much, at my leisure, round the sea coast of Wales, I take the liberty of troubling you with such observations as have occurred to me in relation to these venerable ruins, of which there is such a profusion in the principality.

It seems at present generally received among the learned, that the principality of Wales supplies very few remains of Roman antiquities. Some of the inscriptions collected by Camden have scarcely been admitted as genuine by succeeding antiquaries. Upon considering, however, that the second Augustan legion had indisputably their head-quarters at Caerleon in Monmouthshire; that there were other Roman stations (as Maridunum, Luentium, and Segontium) in the more remote parts of the country; and that the eleventh and twelfth Iter in the Itinerary of Antoninus skirted the North and East sides of it; I was hence persuaded, that the intermediate provinces might afford more traces of the Romans than have hitherto been observed; and a late tour through Wales gave me an opportunity of making some enquiries relative to this subject. Little new may, perhaps, be expected after such distinguished writers as Leland, Camden, and the ingenious author of the Archaeologia. But as the former only proposed an Itinerary through the country; as it does not appear that Camden visited every part himself; and as Lhwyd sometimes depended on the relations of others; sufficient scope yet remains for the researches of the inquisitive. As, therefore, these researches formed one principal object of my tour, I esteem myself obliged to communicate the fruits of them to the judgment of this learned Society; and have endeavoured to merit their indulgence, by confining myself to a mere narration of facts.

In the parish of Ardmore, and county of Waterford, in Ireland, there is a round tower built of hewn stone, upwards of one hundred feet high, and forty-five feet in circumference at the base; the door is fifteen feet from the ground; the roof is pyramidal, being of stone, very well cut, and closely joined together, and well plaistered within side, from top to bottom, as clean and white as if newly done. The whole fabric is divided into four unequal beltings or stories, with a window to each; having four windows in the upper story. On the top is a kind of cross.

The drawing, or rather sketch, I now lay before you, was made from a Roman altar lately dug up in the vicar's garden at Brough on the Sands in Cumberland, which is supposed to have been the Axelodunum of the Notitia, but certainly was a Roman station, close adjoining on Severus's wall.

It is of a course red stone, adorned only with plain mouldings, as represented in the sketch. The inscription is complete, but the letters very rude and meanly cut, though very legible, consisting but of two words, viz.

which certainly stands for Belatucadro, and is, I think, the fifth inscription which has been discovered in Great Britain addressed to this Local Deity, for such I am inclined to pronounce it with Camden and Gale; or at least another name for Apollo, with Dr. Ward, and not a cognomen of Mars, or another appellation of him as has been conjectured.

Yours, dated at London, April 9th, 1692, came to my hands about ten days after; since that time, I have been using my best endeavours for obtaining a satisfactory answer to your queries: if that which I now send you be not such as I desired, and, it may be, you expected, it is none of my fault: for I not only visited sundry of those antiquities (to the number of six or seven), concerning which you desire to be informed; but also employed the assistance of my friends, whereof some were going from this place to other parts of the country, and others live at a distance. I have been waiting all this time for an account of their diligence; and albeit I have not heard as yet from all those persons to whom I wrote and spoke for information, yet I thought it not fit to delay the giving you a return any longer, lest you should apprehend, either that your letter had miscarried, or that I had neglected the contents of it.

The culture of the vine in England having been lately under contemplation; I thought it might be worth while, and by no means mal à propos, to examine minutely into the cultivation of it more antiently amongst us; and I here beg leave to present you with the result of my enquiries, as a testimony of that inviolable regard I have so long entertained for your undeserved friendship.

Yours of the 11th of July, inclosing an antient Greek inscription, and honouring me with a request of its explication, came not to my hands till the other week in the country; and as it is now vacation, I am just about setting out on a tour through the west of Scotland. This hurry allows not the leisure requisite to investigate the dark parts of the inscription; but I will chearfully give you my conjecture at first sight.

This deed, which is copied from a fine Chartulary in Sir Edward Dering's library, is curious both for the instrument itself, and the seal. It was perused by our famous Kentish antiquary Mr. John Philipot, who tells us, in his account of Wickam-Brews, that, “in the twentieth year of “Wil- “ liam the Conqueror, Odo, bishop of Baion, and earl of Kent, held this place of the gift of his half brother, which was “that prince; and Trendley Park, adjoining there, was a composition between the archbishop and this man, for certain land “of the said archbishop, to be inclosed, and included within the “said park at Trendley: which signifies thus much unto us, “that Woodstock, which boasts itself to be the first inclosed “park of England, was not so ancient as this at Trendley.”