breadth was as 3 to 2. Now, for the cross streets, I conceive one to
have been that of St. Martin’s lane from Aldersgate continued downward
to Paul’s wharf; the next was from Aldermanbury and Bow-lane, to
Queenhithe: the other, Walbroke to Dowgate, or Watergate, being the
outfall of the rivulet; boundary of the eastern wall of the original
city, as in in the time of Mandubrace. The street which accompanied the
western wall, on the inside Ludgate, is quite absorbed by houses at
present.
There might then have been many lesser cross streets both ways, of
which we cannot now take any account, our purpose being to consider it
only in the great; but there are many collateral indications of the
justness of our assignment: it would be a trifling minuteness to push
conjectures farther, than to observe the gate on the south side was at
Queen-hithe.
Thus we see a great conformity between old London and Cunobeline’s
_Cæsaromagus_, especially as to the general distribution and design;
the four gates of the sides corresponding to different streets
obliquely.
Afterwards, when the Romans became possessed of the island, and
made the great roads across the kingdom, three of them had respect
to this metropolis, but none went precisely through it; and such
was often their method. The Watling-street, from Chester to Dover,
came by Tyburn, crossed the Thames at Stanegate, by Lambeth, and
so to Shooters’ hill: this is crossed at Tyburn by another equally
strait, but unnoticed by any writer, reaching across the kingdom from
Chichester to Dunwich in Suffolk: I call it _via Iceniana_: it goes
by Old-street north of the city, and is the high road of Essex to
Colchester; but, when the Romans found it useful to enlarge this city
by a new wall, they made a branch to proceed from St. Giles’s, which we
call Holborn, and so built a gate at Newgate, and continued the road to
Cheapside.
A third road is the Hermen-street from the sea-side in Sussex to
Scotland: it went by Bishops-gate, but on the eastern and outside
of the city, till its enlargement; and that enlargement was done
by Constantine the Great, or by his mother the empress Helena, our
country-woman: and we may well credit the reports of the Britons
concerning this matter. Then it acquired the title of _Londinium
Augusta_: then it was that the Tower was built; an _armamentarium_, as
the castle of Colchester, of the same manner and model of building,
Roman brick and stone; a chapel with a semicircular window, as
Colchester, and dedicated to St. Helena. This in after-times; but in
regard to the age we are treating on, that of Cæsar and our aboriginal
Britons, it is a just enquiry, after we have given the plan of
primitive London of the _Novantes_, Where may we suppose their temple
to have been? for assuredly we must pronounce, that, whenever the
ancients built a city, they certainly took care to erect a temple for
divine worship.
In answer to this enquiry, we are to reflect, that the Britons
were under the ecclesiastic regimen of the Druids, who were of the
patriarchal religion, the religion indeed of ABRAHAM: for they came
from him. We find in sacred writ, wherever he removed from one country
to another, “there builded he an altar to Jehovah, and invoked in
the name of Jehovah,” who sometimes personally appeared to him:
consequently we must infer _Jehovah_ to be the Messiah, or Son of God,
in an angelic form.
Other times ABRAHAM removed into a country abounding with groves of
oak; sometimes he planted a grove of oak for religious purposes, as a
temple. All these things the Druids did; they built such open temples
as the great patriarch; they used oak-groves, or planted oak-groves as
temples: we cannot say that Jehovah appeared personally to them; yet we
may well think they were sometimes vouchsafed the spirit of prophecy,
and particularly in regard to Messiah, who they knew was to be born of
a virgin, and likewise was to be born at the winter solstice, whence
their famous misleto solemnity.
Moreover, at Chartres in France, which was the place of the principal
meeting of the Gaulish Druids, there is now a magnificent church, built
upon the spot where then was that most celebrated open temple: for the
Druids very easily passed over into christianity; the transition was
but natural. This church is dedicated to the Mother of God, as they
there style the virgin Mary: there is under it a chapel cut in the
rock, with a flight of stairs descending to it: on the door of the
frontispiece is this inscription in Latin,
“To the Virgin who bears the Child.”
I apprehend this to be analogous to the caves of Mithras in Persia; for
_Mithras_ is Mediator, or Messiah; and they say there, that Mithras
was born in such a rocky cave; and they worship him therein. Both the
ancient Persians and the Druids, who were of the same patriarchal
religion, had the same notion of the Messiah to be born in the rocky
stable at Bethlehem.
We have many instances of Druid men and women endowed with the spirit
of prophecy. I shall mention but one, out of Josephus, Antiq. xviii.
The Jewish Agrippa fell into the displeasure of Tiberius, who put
him in bonds. As he stood leaning against a tree before the palace,
an owl perched upon that tree: a German Druid, one of the emperor’s
guards, spoke to him to be of good cheer, for he should be released
from those bonds, and arrive at great dignity and power; but bid him
remember, that when he saw that bird again, he should live but five
days. All this came to pass: he was made king by Caligula; St. Paul
preached before him: Josephus speaks of his death, agreeable to the
prediction. But concerning the Druids, I have before now opened my mind
largely, in some papers read at the Antiquarian Society; wherein I
have sufficiently vindicated them from the imputation of paganism and
idolatry.
As to the temple belonging to the city of _Trinobantum_, or London,
we may be assured, they erected no temple within the city. When the
Romans became masters here, they built a temple of their own form, to
Diana, where now St. Paul’s stands: they placed it in the open space,
then the _forum_; but the British temple, appropriate to the city, was
upon the open rising ground to the west, where now is Knave’s-acre.
The name of the place both gives a very good foundation to my opinion,
and also at the same time acquaints us with the particular form of the
temple: for the Druids, as I have shown, had three kinds of temples,
of the patriarchal mode. 1. The round, or circular work of upright
stones, innumerable to be seen. 2. The serpentine temple, or a snake
transmitted through a circle; as those of Abury and Shap. 3. The alate,
or winged temple, composed of a circle and wings: and this was the sort
of temple here placed; of which the name of _Knaves-acre_ is a sure
memorial. This was made only of mounds of earth, in Latin _agger_,
thrown out of the ditch camp-fashion: this word is corrupted into
_acre_. The word _knave_ is oriental, _canaph_, volavit; the _Kneph_
of the Egyptians; by which they meant the Deity, in the most ancient
times, before idolatry prevailed.
The form of our alate temple here exactly corresponds with that now to
be seen on Navestock common, Epping forest; which name of _Navestock_
preserves its memorial, meaning the sacred tree by the alate temple: it
is composed of mounds of earth and ditch; as ours was at Knaves-acre.
Observe, the word _agger_ remains at Edgeware, the _Suellanacis_ of
our king Casvelhan, uncle to Mandubrace: it is the Roman road called
Watling-street. Egham by Stanes acknowledges the like derivation, being
upon the _via Trinobantica_ at Stanes, the _Ad Pontes_ of the Romans.
Many more like instances I could give.
These sort of temples were properly dedicated to the Divine Spirit, the
author of motion, which moved upon the face of the new-created matter,
as Moses writes, and were more particularly assigned to the religious
festivity celebrated at the summer solstice, when the pigeon was the
first and peculiar sacrifice of the season. I shall not speak more
about them here: but besides this temple, the Britons had a magnificent
_cursus_, or place for sports and races on foot, in chariots, on
horseback, when they celebrated their public sacrifices and religious
observances on the solstices and equinoxes.
These _cursus_’s were likewise made of mounds of earth thrown up in
two parallel lines: such a one is that at Leicester in the meadow
near the river; it is called _Rawdikes_, from the ancient name of the
city, _Ratæ_, capital of the _Coritani_; such another there is, called
_Dyke-hills_, in the meadow of Dorchester, Oxfordshire, where the Tame
and the Isis unite; _Dobuni_.
Exactly such another, belonging to our _Trinobantum_, is that we call
_Long-acre_, or _agger_; which, we may be confident, was originally
two parallel banks, the whole length of that street, and breadth: it
has the same gentle sweep, or curve, as those other _cursus_’s: it
then commanded a beautiful prospect over the present Covent-garden to
the Thames, and an extensive view, both upward and downward, of the
river, and into Surrey. The banks were designed for the spectators, and
admirably well adapted to the purpose.
So that we may justly conclude, Knave’s-acre was the proper temple to
the city of _Trinobantum_, and Long-acre their solemn place of races,
accompanying the religious celebrations of the ancient citizens here,
in the time of Cæsar. Long-acre is 1400 English feet in length, which
is exactly 800 Druid cubits, two furlongs of the east, two _stadia_.
Give me leave to mention my fancy or conjecture of the founder of this
alate temple and _cursus_, viz. ELI, father of Immanuence, and of
Casvelhan: there was his _tumulus_ on Windmill-street edge, at the end
of Piccadilly: a windmill was erected on it in after-times. From it
descends the street called Hedge-lane, from _agger_, the _tumulus_. I
suppose the name of _Piccadilly_ may be from its elevation, a Hybrid
word composed from _peak cad Eli_, the _tumulus ducis Eli_. _Cad_ is a
common name of the Welsh kings.
Westminster, in Druid times, was a great wood, called afterward
Thorney-isle, where they celebrated the autumnal Panegyre. Mr. Denman,
a brass-founder, told me of three brass Celts dug up very low in the
foundation of the Sanctuary at Westminster, which he melted; they were
of whitish metal: also two more of the like, dug up in the bottom of
the Thames, on digging the foundation of Westminster bridge, which he
melted.
I shall only add a few observations, more than what is already done,
concerning the plan of the oldest city of London. Where now is St.
Paul’s was the _forum_, or market-place, comprehending the square
_area_ between Cheapside, the Old ’Change, Watling-street, and where
now is the west end of St. Paul’s. The highest end of the city was the
north-west corner, guarded by a steep precipice, where Madan-lane is,
which imports as much. The north side of the city had a deep ditch,
always filled with water from the morass of Moorfields and Smeethfield,
now Smithfield. From hence the name of Lade-lane; for _lade_, in Saxon,
is an artificial ditch, or drain: and this discharges the vulgar
opinion of Ludgate taking its name from the river Flete, as if _porta
flumentana_. Now we may well assert Dowgate to be truly such, the
water-gate.
Our Saxon ancestors had some remembrance of the enlargement of London
walls, by their naming of Aldgate, and Aldersgate, as sensible of the
priority of one in date. It was A. D. 450, that they beat the Scots
at Stamford, which is but little more than 100 years from the time of
Constantine the Great, when these walls were built, and the title of
_Londinium Augusta_ commenced. That the city-walls were made by the
empress Helena, is strongly confirmed by the history of the recovery of
Britain to the Roman empire by Constantius Chlorus: for Asclepiodotus
his general fought the Britons under the dominion of Allectus, under
the old walls of London, at Walbrook, then the eastern boundary
of the city, as historians particularly recite; and we may easily
believe Cornhill to have been originally without the city, where the
waggons stood that brought it. The historians likewise tell us, that
the first palace of the British kings was in the south-west corner
of the city, where afterwards Baynard’s castle stood, which likewise
became a palace of our kings, before Bridewell was built: but when
the empress Helena built the walls of the enlarged city, which walls
for the most part now remain, the palace was then the present tower.
Lastly, I apprehend, the oldest city which we are describing was walled
about; for I cannot allow the Britons to be any wise inferior to the
Gauls in art, either military or civil. When the city was enlarged and
incompassed with new walls, the three roads beyond the east gate were
converted into streets, as at present, Threadneedle-street, Cornhill
and Lombard-street; as well as the Roman road, Gracechurch-street.
ITER BOREALE.
In the year 1725, I travelled over the western and northern parts of
England, in company of Mr. Roger Gale, a gentleman well known to the
learned world; as his father, Dr. Thomas Gale, dean of York. I was
requested, by some lovers of antiquity, to transcribe those notes
which I wrote day by day during our journey; and though I had visited
several of the places, through which we passed, in my former journeys,
yet a second view (especially in company of a person so well versed in
antiquities) gave me an opportunity of making some farther remarks,
which I flatter myself may be of use to those who are fond of studying
the antiquities of our own country.
* * * * *
I shall begin with Dunstable, the MAGIOVINIVM of the Romans. Many large
brass coins, and many silver, are found in ploughing the fields here,
and when digging in the ruins of the old priory by the church: I got a
Nero of Corinthian brass, and a Faustina. The downs here are but a rib
or narrow ridge of chalk; or northward is sand or clay.
Madan castle is circular, perhaps oval: the space within is a fine
plain: the _vallum_ is small, and the ditch much smaller; so that I am
persuaded it was made rather for spectacle than defence. Tethill castle
is a little further westward, a strong little camp upon one of the many
north-west precipices of chalk exceeding steep: a village underneath,
and springs of water: it is a double camp, both square; in one a round
keep, or large _tumulus_ ditched about, which shows it is a Saxon work.
The prospect all along the steep northern sides of the Chiltern hills
is lovely; the Icening-street goes at the bottom; it is corn-field for
the most part. These hills are all steep westward and northward.
Brick hill, or more properly Brink hill, stands on a very high sandy
hill, steep north-west: the Watling-street, just before it arrives
here, winds a little eastward, to avoid a deep valley, and passes above
it.
Stone begins beyond Brick hill; and we enter a country of long-extended
ridges, with large valleys and rivulets at bottom.
DAVENTRY.
The country here, which is probably the highest in England, is a quarry
of reddish stone, in small _strata_; the uppermost very full of shells,
especially _belemnites_. The air must needs be exceeding good, as in
the centre of England; the soil is a reddish clay. This is a neat
pleasant town, well situate: two springs of the Avon run close by it.
Eastward the great hill whereon is Borough-hill camp: a very pretty
spring arises in the inner ditch, probably the highest in England; it
is on the north-east side, which way the hill declines. This camp is
on that end of the hill which it fills up, and conforms to its shape;
double ditched, but toward the entrance the ditches separate, and meet
at the entrance obliquely, after a manner I have not seen elsewhere.
All round the mid-way of the hill it is boggy and springy: the whole
hill is stone. Upon it are many more works of great compass; I suppose,
some later camps of the Danes, Saxons, or Britons against them: there
seem to have been some entrenchments round that part of Daventry town
where the church stands: the inner ditch of the first-mentioned camp is
very broad, and the _vallum_ proportionable. Spellwell is the name of
the spring on Borough hill; it looks blue: they say it is good for sore
eyes, and is a great dryer.
* * * * *
It is a stony and clayey soil all the way from Daventry to Warwick: the
country is open and full of corn-fields. The river divides countries of
different nature; for on the other side it is a very good sort of large
rocks: the country is very woody.
PRAESIDIVM. +Warwick.+
There seem to be signs of a camp on the east side of the river,
over-against the castle, in a close where is an old chapel now become
a barn: a spring riles a little above it: if so, then this was the
garrison before the Romans built the city on the west side. Warwick is
a very neat and beautiful town; many fine houses and public buildings
of good stone, dug up at hand. The old castle is very perfect, and a
noble seat: many fine pictures of the Greville family, and others,
particularly an original of Sir Philip Sidney: the whole length of
the place is one suite of rooms very magnificent; one wainscotted
with cedar: they all look over the river. One may see here much of
the ancient manner of fortification: their methods of defence, two
gates, two portcullices at the entrance; with hole to drop down poles,
and an immense strength of stone-work: before the towers at the gates
are iron hooks fastened into the wall, which they told us were for
hanging wool-sacks on in a siege: a tower in the corner of each wing,
very high; that at the corner next the river they call Cæsar’s tower,
made of three circular segments; that at the corner next the town is
twelve-angled, called Guy’s tower: the keep is very high, now made
with a circular walk to the top. At the priory, in two galleries
which seem to be part of the first building, are some paintings on
glass, of religious stories. The chapel at Guy’s cliff is double,
having two arches within, that divide its length into two ailes or
chapels. Under the castle-walls, by the river side, upon the rock grows
much liver-wort, thriving in so agreeable a place. I observed the
lowermost rocks are perpetually dripping, which gathering together in
a channel underneath, makes a small rivulet. This seems to indicate,
that fountains are the effect of exudation from the most elevated
protuberances into some internal cavity; which though by drops only,
yet the sum amounts to enough to make a spring run perpetually; as
the alembic distills the vapors. Now the tops of the hills are kept
always moist by the natural ascent of the water below. I know nothing
against this doctrine, but springs arising in very large quantity from
narrow apexes, and where no other higher ground is near, if any such
springs there be: but we want sufficient number of instances and _data_
to determine this great question. People since the creation have been
very negligent, or very injudicious, in making observations for this
purpose. This is not an useless inquiry; for if we found out Nature’s
method in this affair, it would assist in making artificial springs, or
finding out natural ones, to the great enrichment of barren lands, and
watering all in a dry season; water being the universal instrument of
all increase and nutrition.
Warwick bridge has twelve arches. The _potamogeiton majus_ grows in
the river; a large yellow flower, tripetalous, with an apple like the
Egyptian _lotus_.
COVENTRY.
Dr. Philemon Holland, who translated Camden’s _Britannia_, is buried in
the choir of Trinity church. In the window is a piece of painted glass
of Leofric earl of Chester, lord of this place, and Godiva his wife:
he holds a charter in his hand with this writing, _I Luryche for love
of thee grawnte Covet̄re tol fre._ Stichell, a mile south of Coventry,
has its name from the clays. The road here is paved very broad for a
great length. St. Michael’s church is a very stately and magnificent
building: the spire is very fine, and the highest of any I have seen
for its base, but built of a mouldering stone. Over-against it is the
town-house, a large stone building, and old, like a church: a very old
wooden chair there, said to be that wherein king John was crowned;
much old rusty armour; pictures of several kings of England, and other
benefactors; and many inscriptions, Latin and English, relating to
them. A vintner bought some ground north of St. Michael’s, and built
a house upon it: he dug up great ruins of the old convent, and many
coffins, and among the rest (as they say) that of Leofric and Godiva.
This is a very large and populous city, but narrow irregular streets;
and the houses chiefly of wood, and very old, hanging over the streets.
The gates are many and stately: no doubt the walls were answerable, but
now demolished for the most part, after the rebellion: in some places,
where parcels are left, it is very thick, and so strong, that they only
undermined it, and threw it down flat; as particularly in the meadows
north of St. Michael’s, where it passed over the brook by an arch.
Between that and the church stood the priory, founded by Leofric before
the Conquest: some old walls of it remain. Here have been many elegant
brasses in the churches, but broke up. The famous Cross is of a pretty
model, but of perishing stone. The basis of St. Michael’s steeple is
but twelve yards from outside to outside of the buttresses. Every road
hence is paved with a broad high-raised causeway, from every gate a
mile.
Griff coal-works here, forty ells deep, of vast compass. No sort of
fossils found in them. _Griff_, from _grave_, _grooff_, digging. The
soil sandy from Coventry hither, then black earth. The coal-mine
runs from Coventry to Tamworth in a line: here are such breaches
that intercept the _strata_, and such trapping and dipping as in
Somersetshire: the fissures, upon breaking the track and parallelism of
the _strata_, make them diverge generally. Great old toads are often
found in the solid coal, leaving a cavity of their own shape. They draw
away the water from the mines by an invention originally of the earl of
Worcester, improved by Captain Savery and others: it works with a vast
power from the atmosphere pressing into a receiver exhausted of air, by
vapor, and then condensed. I saw the ruined chapel of Nuneaton. Many
religious houses thereabouts, and remains of camps, castles, &c. and
nothing else can make amends for the badness of the roads.
MANDVESSEDVM.
Dugdale says, divers Roman coins of brass and silver have been found
here. It stands on the river Anker. The first syllable of the name
remains, _Man_-castle or ’cester. At Oldbury a square fort of thirty
acres, with very high rampires, situate on an eminence: this, no doubt,
was a camp: to the north of it have been found frequently flint axes of
the old Britons, about four inches and a half broad, ground to an edge:
there are no flints within forty miles of the place. Either our maps
are wrong, or the Roman road goes very much winding, perhaps to avoid
the great Arduen forest. The name of this forest left in divers places,
Weston in Arden, Henly in Arden, Ardbury, &c.