contendit.
XXIII. Post hos primus erat Virius Lupus, qui Legati nomine gaudebat.
non huic multa præclara gesta adscribuntur, quippe cujus gloriam
intercepit invictissimus Severus, qui, fugatis celeritur hostibus,
murum Hadrianum, nunc ruinosum, ad summam ejus perfectionem reparavit;
&, si vixerat, proposuerat exstirpare barbaros, quibus erat infestus,
cum eorum nomine, ex hacce insula, sed obiit, manu Dei, apud Brigantes
in municipio Eboraco.
XXIV. Ejusque in locum subiit Alexander, qui orientis quasdam victorias
reportavit, in Edissa mortuus.
_Sicilia._
XXV. Successores habuit Legatos Lucilianum, M. Furium, N.
Philippum....................................................... qui si
defensionem terminorum ab ipsis observatam exceperimus, nil fere
egerunt.
XXVI. Post.............................................................
............................... _Desunt reliqua_.......................
FINIS.
An ACCOUNT of
RICHARD +OF+ CIRENCESTER,
MONK of WESTMINSTER,
And of his Works:
With his Ancient MAP of ROMAN BRITAIN,
And the +Itinerary+ thereof.
Read at the +Antiquarian Society+, March 18, 1756.
I.
_To the Right Honourable the Lord_ WILUGHBY _of_ Parham,
_President of the_ Antiquarian Society.
The love I had for my own country, in my younger days, prompted me
to visit many parts of it, and to refuse great offers made me to go
into foreign and fashionable tours. I was sensible we abounded at home
with extraordinary curiosities, and things remarkable, both in art and
nature; as well as most valuable antiquities in all kinds, most worthy
of our regard, and which it most became us to take cognisance of.
These considerations might perhaps induce me to be too hasty in
publishing my juvenile work in this kind of learning, _Itinerarium
Curiosum_, chiefly with a view to point out a way and method of
inquiry, and to render this study both useful and entertaining.
The more readily, therefore, I can excuse myself, in regard to
imperfections in that work, as I had not sight of our author’s
treatise, Richard of Cirencester, at that time absolutely unknown.
Since, then, I have had the good fortune to save this most invaluable
work of his, I could not refrain from contributing somewhat toward
giving an account of it, and of its author. I gladly address it to
your Lordship, who worthily preside over the Antiquarian Society. I am
sensible your Lordship is animated with a like spirit in favour of your
country, and of your country antiquities.
I propose therefore briefly to recite,
I. What memoirs we can recover, concerning our author and his writings,
with the occasion and manner of finding out and saving the manuscript.
II. I shall give an account of the map prefixed to the present
treatise, which I copied from that of our author; giving it the
advantage of the present geographical direction. I shall exhibit an
alphabetical index of all the places mentioned in it, with the modern
names annexed.
III. A transcript of his most curious Itinerary; with an alphabetical
index, all along aligning the present names of the places, according to
the best of my judgement. This is the last help we must expect, toward
finding out the Roman Names of places in Britain.
I. Let us inquire, who our Richard of Cirencester was: and it will be
regular to declare who he was not.
He has often been confounded with a Richard, a monk of Westminster, a
writer who lived a good deal after our author. This latter Richard was
a Devonshire man, cited by Risdon, in his description of that country;
by Antony Wood, from Pitse’s manuscript, p. 462; by Fuller, book I. in
his Worthies, p. 263; by Bale, V. 87; by bishop Tanner, who repeats
this; all erroneously.
My learned friend, the reverend Mr. Widmore, librarian to Westminster
Abbey, deserves public thanks for his inquiries, which he made at my
request. In perusing the Abbey rolls diligently, he finds, that he
was Richard, a monk of Westminster, admitted, in 1450, a member of
that religious foundation: that he continued there till 1472. The roll
beyond that time is defective.
But our author (Richard of Cirencester)’s name first appears on
the chamberlain’s list of the monks of Westminster, by the name
_Circestre_, in 1355. 30 Ed. III.
In 1387, he is witness in a parchment deed, by the name of _Richardo
Cirencestre confrater_.
1397, in the chamberlain’s list, mentioned again _R. Cirencester_.
1399, _Ric. Cirencestre_.
1400, he was in the Abbey infirmary, and died in that or the next year.
The place of his interment, questionless, is in the Abbey cloisters.
What is more particularly to be remarked, is this. In the year 1391,
14 R. II. he obtained a licence of the abbot, to go to Rome. This, no
doubt, he performed between that and the year 1397.
Thus bishop Nicolson, in his English historical library, p. 65. “Nor
have I any more to say, of _Richard of Chichester_ (he means our
_Cirencester_) than what John Pitts has told me, fol. 438, that he was
a monk of Westminster, A. D. 1348; that he travelled to most of the
libraries in England, and out of his collections thence, compiled a
notable history of this kingdom, from the coming in of the Saxons, down
to his own time.
“But it seems (says the bishop) he treated too of much higher times.”
Hence we gather an exact idea of our author’s genius; a lover of
learning, a lover of his country; which he studied to adorn. We learn
his indefatigable diligence, in search of what might contribute to
its history. He travelled all over England, to study in the monastic
libraries: his eager thirst prompted him to visit Rome; and he probably
spent some years there. But his chief attention was to the history of
his own country.
It will give you pleasure to read the original licence, still preserved
in the archives of the Abbey, as Mr. Widmore transcribed it, omitting
the contractions.
_E veteri scripto membranaceo, in Archivis Ecclesiæ Westmonasterii._
_Universis Sanctæ Matris Ecclesiæ filiis, ad quorum notitiam presentes
literæ pervenerint. Willielmus permissione divina Abbas Monasterii
beati Petri Westmonasterii juxta London, apostolicæ sedi immediate
subjecti, Salutem, in eo quem peperit uterus virginalis. Cum dilectus
nobis in Christo filius et commonachus noster, frater Ricardus de
Cirencestria, cum instantia nobis humiliter supplicaverit; quatenús
eidem limina Apostolorum et alia loca sacra in Urbe Romana, et in
partibus aliis transmarinis gratia, visitandi licentiam concedere
dignaremur. Nos verò prædicti fratris Ricardi devotionem considerantes,
deque ipsius fratris Ricardi morum honestate, vitæ puritate,
perfectaque ac sincera, religionis observantia, quibus hactenùs lucidè
insignitur; prout experimentaliter per triginta annos et ampliùs,
experti sumus, pleniùs confidentes; Universitati vestræ et vestrum
cuilibet notificamus, per præsentes: eidem filio nostro et commonacho,
ad dictam peregrinationem peragendam, in suorum augmentum meritorum,
Licensiam concessisse specialem. unde vestram caritatem benigniùs
imploramus, quatenùs huic testimonio nostro fidem indubiam adhibentes,
eidem filio nostro et commonacho, cum penes vestrum aliquem quicquam
habuerit faciendum, sinum pietatis largiùs aperientes, vestrum
auxilium, consilium, et favorem eidem, in Domino libenter volueritis
impertiri._
_In cujus rei testimonium, sigillum nostrum authenticum præsentibus
apposuimus. Datum apud Westmonasterium prædictum in festo sancti Thomæ
Apostoli, Anno Domini Millesimo trecentesimo nonagesimo primo._
_In dorso._
_Licentia Abbatis Westmonasterii concessa fratri Ricardo Circestre, de
peregrinatione ad Curiam Romanam._
The abbot here is William de Colcestre, created 1386. —— de Litlyngton
preceded him; in whose time our Richard was admitted into the Abbey,
above thirty years ago.
Observe we, in his chorography of Britain he is a little more
particular upon Cirencester; as a genius is naturally inclined to show
regard to the place of his nativity.
_Et cui reliquæ (urbes) nomen, laudemque debent, Corinum; urbs
perspicabilis: Opus, ut tradunt, Vespasiani Ducis._
Again, we may believe, Richard was of a good family, and had a fortune
of his own, to support the charge of travelling.
Hence we need not wonder to see the produce of his eager thirst in
learning. He was not content to write the transactions in his own
convent, or of those of his own time, but penetrated far and deep in
his researches: for we shall find, that he wrote the English history
to his own time; the Saxon history complete; above that, the British
history, from the time the Romans left us: and, to crown all, we learn
from the present work, now happily preserved, the completest account
of the Roman state of Britain, and of the most ancient inhabitants
thereof; and the geography thereof admirably depicted in a most
excellent map.
Such was this truly great man, Richard of Cirencester! What was his
family, name, and origin, we know not: but it was the fashion of the
ecclesiastics of those days, and so down to Henry the VIIIth’s time, to
take local names from the place of their nativity; probably, as more
honourable: for most of the names then were what we call _sobriquets_,
travelling names; a custom learnt from the expeditions into the Holy
Land; what we call _nick-names_: for instance, some were taken from
offices, as _pope_, _bishop_, _priest_, _deacon_; some from animals, as
_bull_, _doe_, _hog_, some from birds, as _bat_, _kite_, _peacock_;
some from fishes, as _salmon_, _herring_, _pike_; some diminutive names
of mere contempt, as _peasecod_, _scattergood_, _mist_, _farthing_; and
the very family-royal, the celebrated _Plantagenet_, means no more than
_broomstick_.
* * * * *
But, to leave this, we will recite what we find of our author’s works.
Thus Gerard John Vossius, _de historicis Latinis_, L. III. quarto, p.
532, englished: “About the year 1340, lived Richard of Cirencester, an
Englishman, monk of Westminster, Benedictine. He used much industry in
compiling the history of the Anglo-Saxons, in five books of _Chronica_:
that work begins from the arrival of Hengist the Saxon into Britain,
A. D. 448. thence, through a series of nine centuries, he ends at the
year 1348, 32 Ed. III. and this work is divided into two. The first
part begins,”
_Post primum Insulæ Brittaniæ regem_, &c. This is called by the author
_Speculum historiale_, and contains four books.
The other part is called _Anglo-Saxonum Chronicon_, L. V. is a
continuation of the former part, _Prudentiæ Veterum mos inolevit_—it
was John Stow’s, says a manuscript note of Joscelin, in a manuscript in
the Cotton library, _Nero_ C. iii. A manuscript of both parts is found
in the public library, Cambridge, among the manuscripts, fol. contains
pages 516, and four books; ends in 1066. (248.) in the catalogue of
manuscripts mentioned p. 168, Nᵒ 2304. (124.) It begins,
_Brittannia insularum optima_, &c. in the end (says Dr. James,
librarian in A.D. 1600.) are these words,
_Reges vero Saxonum Gulielmo Malmsburiensi et Henrico Huntendoniensi
permitto: quos de regibus Britonum tacere jubeo_, &c.
Vossius says, there is in Bennet-College library, Cambridge, a
manuscript _epitome Chronicorum_, which acknowledges our Richard for
its author, in the title.
There is in the Arundel library of the Royal Society, among the
manuscripts, p. 137, mentioned this. _Britonum, Anglorum et Saxonum
historia_, to the reign of Hen. III. said to be of this author.
Dr. Stanley, in his catalogue of the manuscripts in Bennet-College
library aforesaid, p. 22. G. VIII. mentions this. _Ricardi Cicestrii
Speculum historiale, vel Anglo-Saxonum Chronicon, ab anno 449. ad_ H.
III.
In the printed catalogue of manuscripts, p. 134. Nᵒ 1343. (66.)
_Epitome Chronicorum Angliæ_, L. 1, 2. _Epitome Chronicorum Ric. Cic.
Monachi Westmonasterii_.
There is a work of our Richard’s in the Lambeth library, among the
Wharton manuscripts, L. p. 59. and the late Dr. Richard Rawlinson
bought a manuscript of his, at Sir Joseph Jekyl’s sale; which is now at
Oxford.
Our author was not eminent solely in this kind of learning; but we find
likewise the traces of other works of his, in his clerical character.
Thus, in a volume of St. Jerom’s _ad Eugenium_, 19. 9. a manuscript in
Bennet-College library, is mention of _Tractatus mag. magistri Ricardi
Cirencestre, super symbolum majus et minus_.
There is likewise, in the library of Peterburgh, T. IV. a work of his,
_de Officiis Ecclesiasticis_, L. VII. begins _Officium ut_—This is
mentioned by William Wydeford, and attributed to our Richard, in his
determination against the trialogue of Wicliff, artic. 1. fol. 96.
likewise by Richard Wych, who says he flourished A. D. 1348.
Thus much we have to say concerning our author’s life and works. But
let us reflect on what Dr. Nicolson says, in reciting what he had wrote
of the Saxon history; adding, _but it seems, he treated too of much
higher times_. Here he must at least mean his British history, or that
from the time of the Romans; and perhaps that description of Roman
Britain, which we are now treating off: but what reasons were suggested
to him about it, we cannot guess; and in our manuscript we observe
it begins with p. xxii. as appears from a scrip I desired my friend
Bertram to send me, of the manner of the writing: therefore some other
work of our Richard’s was probably contained in those 22 pages.
However these matters may have been, we must justly admire our author’s
great capacity, in compiling the history of his country from first to
last, as far as he could gather it, from all the materials then to be
found in all the considerable libraries in England, and what he could
likewise find to his purpose in foreign parts. Whether he found our map
and manuscript in our monastic libraries at home, or in the Vatican,
or elsewhere abroad, we cannot determine: he himself gives us no other
light in the case, than that it was compiled from memoirs _a quodam
Duce Romano consignatis, et posteritati relictis_, which I am persuaded
is no other than Agricola, under Domitian.
But, above all, we have reason to congratulate ourselves, that the
present work of his is happily rescued from oblivion, and, most likely,
from an absolute destruction.
I shall now concisely recite the history of its discovery.
* * * * *
In the summer of 1747, June 11, whilst I lived at Stamford, I received
a letter from Charles Julius Bertram, professor of the English tongue
in the Royal Marine Academy of Copenhagen, a person unknown to me.
The letter was polite, full of compliments, as usual with foreigners,
expressing much candor and respect to me; being only acquainted with
some works of mine published: the letter was dated the year before; for
all that time he hesitated in sending it.
Soon after my receiving it, I sent a civil answer; which produced
another letter, with a prolix and elaborate Latin epistle inclosed,
from the famous Mr. Gramm, privy-counsellor and chief librarian to
his Danish Majesty; a learned gentleman, who had been in England, and
visited our universities. (Mr. Martin Folkes remembered him.) He was
Mr. Bertram’s great friend and patron.
I answered that letter, and it created a correspondence between us.
Among other matters, Mr. Bertram mentioned a manuscript, in a friend’s
hands, of Richard of Westminster, being a history of Roman Britain,
which he thought a great curiosity; and an ancient map of the island
annexed.
In November, that year, the Duke of Montagu, who was pleased to have
a favor for me, drew me from a beloved retirement, where I proposed
to spend the remainder of my life; therefore wondered the more,
how Mr. Bertram found me out: nor was I sollicitous about Richard
of Westminster, as he then called him, till I was presented to St.
George’s church, Queen-square. When I became fixed in London, I thought
it proper to cultivate my Copenhagen correspondence; and I received
another Latin Letter from Mr. Gramm; and soon after, an account of his
death, and a print of him in profile.
I now began to think of the manuscript, and desired some little extract
from it; then, an imitation of the hand-writing, which I showed to my
late friend Mr. Casley, keeper in the Cotton library, who immediately
pronounced it to be 400 years old.
I pressed Mr. Bertram to get the manuscript into his hands, if
possible; which at length, with some difficulty, he accomplished; and,
on my sollicitation, sent to me in letters a transcript of the whole;
and at last a copy of the map, he having an excellent hand in drawing.
Upon perusal, I seriously sollicited him to print it, as the greatest
treasure we now can boast of in this kind of learning. In the mean
time, I have here extracted some account of the Treatise, for your
present entertainment, as I gave it to Dr. Mead, and to my very worthy
friend Mr. Gray of Colchester, some time past, at their request.
_Ricardi monachi Westmonasteriensis commentariolum geographicum,
de situ Brittaniæ, et stationum quas in ea insula Romani
ædificaverunt._
Cap. I. Of the name and situation of the island.
Cap. II. Of the measure. He quotes Virgil, Agrippa, Marcianus, Livy,
Fabius Rusticus, Tacitus, Ptolemy, Cæsar, Mela, Bede.
Cap. III. Of the inhabitants; their origin: he mentions reports
of Hercules coming hither. Of their manners; chiefly from Cæsar’s
Commentaries. Of the military of the Britons; chiefly from Cæsar’s
Commentaries.
Cap. IV. Of the Druids authority and religion: in time of invasion all
the princes chose a Dictator to command: chiefly from Cæsar.
Cap. V. Of the fertility of Britain, its metals, &c.
Cap. VI. Of the division of the island into seven provinces; Britannia
Prima, Secunda, Flavia, Maxima, Valentia, and Vespasiana: these were
all under the Roman power. Caledonia is additional to the former, being
the north-west part of Scotland, the highlands, beyond Inverness. We
never had a true notion of the division of these provinces before, nor
that the Romans possessed all the country to Inverness.
* * * * *
This chapter is very long: but as to the matter of it, it is an
invaluable curiosity to the inquirers into Roman Britain. He gives us
an exact and copious chorography of the whole island; its boundaries,
rivers, mountains, promontories, roads, nations, cities, and towns,
in the time of the Romans. It is accompanied with an accurate map of
_faciei Romanæ_, as the author terms it.
He gives us more than a hundred names of cities, roads, people, and the
like; which till now were absolutely unknown to us: the whole is wrote
with great judgement, perspicuity, and conciseness, as by one that was
altogether master of his subject.
We have reason to believe, he copied some memoirs wrote even in Roman
times.
He speaks of the warlike nation of the _Senones_, who lived in Surrey:
they, under the conduct of Brennus, passed into Gaul, and over the
Alpes, and besieged Rome. _Romam fastu elatam, ista incursione vastatam
solo: et Rempublicam Romanam funditus evertissent; ni eam Dii ipsi,
more Nutricis, in sinu quasi gestare videbantur_, &c.
Again, speaking of Bath, _Thermæ, Aquæ solis quibus fontibus præsules
erant Apollinis et Minervæ Numina_.
Our author mentions no less than thirty-eight Roman stations, beyond
the farthest _vallum_ of Antoninus; and in England innumerable cities,
towns, roads, &c. altogether new to us; such as _Forum Dianæ_, a city
of the _Cassii_: _Cantiopolis_: _Colonia gemina Martia_: _Theodosia_:
_Victoria_: _Isinnis_ and _Argolicum_, cities in _Lincolnshire_: _ad
Selinam_: _in medio_: _ad aquas_: _ad alone_: _statio Trajectus_: _ad
vigesimum sc. lapidem_: _Bibracte_, a city not far from London: _ad
lapidem_: _ad decimum_: and very many more.
He mentions _Via Julia_: a triumphal arch in _Camulodunum_: rivers,
promontories, woods, mountains, lakes, bays, ports, founders of cities,
things and matters not named before in any monuments come to our hands.
In _Cornwall_, he speaks of _Herculis columnæ_, and _insula Herculea_:
he remarks, the country of Cornwall, abounding with metals, was
formerly frequented by the Phœnicians and Greeks, who fetched tin from
thence; and that the local names there retain a Phœnician and Greek
turn.
_De Caledonia_, he describes this highland part of Britain very
particularly; their towns, mountains, promontories, &c. he speaks
of the report of Ulysses coming thither, tossed by tempests, and
sacrificing on the shore. This is mentioned in Orpheus’s _Argonautics_.
He speaks too of altars on the sea shore, beyond Inverness, set up by
the Romans, as marks and bounds of their dominion.
Till now, Edenburgh had the honour of being thought the _Pterooton_, or
_castra alata_ of the Romans; but our author removes it far away to the
river Varar in Scotland.
In _Caledonia_, though never conquered by the Romans, he gives us many
names of people and towns.
* * * * *
Cap. VII. _Itinerarium Brittaniarum omnium._ Our author had been
upbraided, particularly by an eminent prelate, for turning his head
this way, and spending his time in studies of this kind; which he here
apologizes for: he shows the use of these studies, and the certainty of
things he recounts.
“As to the certainty (says he) of the names of people and towns
transmitted to us, we can no more doubt of them, than of the being of
other ancient nations, such as the Assyrians, Parthians, Sarmatians,
Celtiberians, &c. of the names of Judea, Italy, Gaul, Brittain, London,
and the like, which remain to this day, the same as formerly, monuments
of the truth of old history.
“As to the use (says he) we learn hence the veracity of the holy
Scriptures; that all mankind sprung from one root, not out of the earth
as mushrooms: that a variety must be sought for in all studies.
“Particularly, this study gives us a noble instance of the efficacy of
the preaching of the Gospel; which with amazing celerity quite beat
down Paganism, through this country, he is describing, as well as
through the whole world.
“Another use of the study, is assisting us in forming true schemes of
chronology.”
Then, to the point, he acquaints us, he “drew much of his materials _ex
fragmentis quibusdam a Duce quodam Romano consignatis, et posteritati
relictis, sequens collectum est Itinerarium. additis ex Ptolemeo et
aliunde nonnullis_.”
He says, there were ninety-two eminent cities in Britain, thirty-three
more famous than the rest; nine colonies of the Roman soldiers; ten
cities of _Latio jure donatæ_, twelve _Stipendiariæ_.
All these he recites particularly.
DIAPHRAGMATA, or ITERS.
He gives us the whole length and breadth of the island in miles; and
then presents us with no less than nineteen _Iters_, or journeys,
in all manner of directions, quite across the island; the names of
places, and distances between; in the manner of that celebrated antique
monument, called Antoninus’s Itinerary.
Very many of the names of places here, are intirely new to us: and as
to the whole, though it is unavoidable, that they must in some journeys
coincide with Antoninus’s Itinerary, yet it is not in the least copied
from thence: nay, our author never saw that monument: on the contrary,
his _Iters_ are all distinct things; more correct and particular,
and much better conducted than the others, and likewise fuller: they
exceedingly assist us in correcting that work, on which the learned
have from time to time bestowed so much pains.
It is very obvious, that this must be of an extraordinary use and
certainty in fixing places, and their names, in our _Brittania Romana_:
which hitherto, for the most part, was done by guess-work, and
etymology, and criticism.
* * * * *
Cap. VIII. _De insulis Brittanicis._
He begins with Ireland; and besides a map of it along with that of
Britain, he gives an accurate description of the country, people,
rivers, promontories, divisions, manners, mensuration; the fertility of
the land, origin of the inhabitants, _&c._
A very exact chorography of the nations and cities: