Hauing taken some occasion to speake here and there in this treatise
of antiquities, it shall not be amis to deale yet more in this
chapter, with some of them apart, & by themselues, whereby the secure
authoritie of the Romans ouer this Iland maie in some cases more
manifestlie appeare. For such was their possession of this Iland on
this side of the Tine, that they held not one or two, or a few places
onelie vnder their subiection, but all the whole countrie from east to
west, from the Tine to the British sea, so that there was no region
void of their gouernance: notwithstanding that vntill the death of
Lucius, and extinction of his issue, they did permit the successors of
Lud and Cimbaline to reigne and rule amongest them, though vnder a
certeine tribute, as else-where I haue declared. The chéefe cause that
vrgeth me to speake of antiquities, is the paines that I haue taken to
gather great numbers of them togither, intending (if euer my
Chronologie shall happen to come abroad) to set downe the liuelie
portraitures of euerie emperour ingrauen in the same: also the faces
of Pompeie, Crassus, the seuen kings of the Romans, Cicero, and
diuerse other, which I haue prouided readie for the purpose, beside
the monuments and liuelie images of sundrie philosophers, and kings of
this Iland, since the time of Edward the Confessor. Wherof although
presentlie I want a few, yet I doo not doubt but to obteine them all,
if friendship at the leastwise procured for monie shall be able to
preuaile. But as it hath doone hitherto, so the charges to be emploied
vpon these brasen or copper images, will hereafter put by the
impression of that treatise: whereby it maie come to passe, that long
trauell shall soone proue to be spent in vaine, and much cost come to
verie small successe. Whereof yet I force not greatlie, sith by this
means I haue reaped some commoditie vnto my selfe, by searching of the
histories, which often minister store of examples readie to be vsed in
my function, as occasion shall mooue me. But to procéed with my
purpose.
Before the comming of the Romans, there was a kind of copper monie
currant here in Britaine, as Cæsar confesseth in the fift booke of his
Commentaries, but I find not of what maner it was. Hereto he addeth a
report of certeine rings, of a proportionate weight, which they vsed
in his time, in stead likewise of monie. But as hitherto it hath not
bene my lucke (I saie) to haue the certeine view of anie of these, so
after the comming of the Romans, they inforced vs to abandon our owne,
and receiue such imperiall monies or coines, as for the paiment of
their legions was dailie brought ouer vnto them. What coines the
Romans had, it is easie to be knowne, and from time to time much of it
is found in manie places of this Iland, as well of gold and siluer, as
of copper, brasse, and other mettall, much like stéele, almost of
euerie emperour. So that I account it no rare thing to haue of the
Roman coine, albeit that it still represent an image of our
captiuitie, and maie be a good admonition for vs, to take heed how we
yéeld our selues to the regiment of strangers. Of the store of these
monies, found vpon the Kentish coast, I haue alreadie made mention in
the description of Richborow, and chapter of Iles adiacent vnto the
British Albion, and there shewed also how simple fishermen haue had
plentie of them, and that the conies in making profers and holes to
bréed in, haue scraped them out of the ground in verie great
abundance. In speaking also of S. Albans, in the chapter of townes and
villages, I haue not omitted to tell what plentie of these coines haue
bene gathered there: wherfore I shall not néed here to repeat the same
againe. Howbeit this is certeine, that the most part of all these
antiquities, to be found within the land, & distant from the shore,
are to be gotten either in the ruines of ancient cities and townes
decaied, or in inclosed burrowes, where their legions accustomed
sometime to winter, as by experience is dailie confirmed. What store
hath béene séene of them in the citie of London, which they called
Augusta, of the legion that soiourned there, & likewise in Yorke named
also Victrix, of the legion Victoria, or Altera Roma (because of the
beautie and fine building of the same) I my selfe can partlie
witnesse, that haue séene, & often had of them, if better testimonie
were wanting. The like I maie affirme of Colchester, where those of
Claudius, Adrian, Traian, Vespasian, and other, are oftentimes plowed
vp, or found by other means: also of Cantorburie, Andredeschester (now
decaied) Rochester, then called Durobreuum, Winchester, and diuerse
other beyond the Thames, which for breuitie sake I doo passe ouer in
silence. Onlie the chiefe of all and where most are found in deed, is
néere vnto Carleon and Cairgwent in Southwales, about Kenchester,
thrée miles aboue Hereford, Aldborow, Ancaster, Bramdon, Dodington,
where a spurre and péece of a chaine of gold were found in king Henrie
the eight his daies, besides much of the said Roman coine, Binchester,
Camalet, Lacocke vpon Auon, and Lincolne, Dorchester, Warwike, and
Chester, where they are often had in verie great abundance. It seemeth
that Ancaster hath beene a great thing, for manie square & colored
pauements, vaults, and arches are yet found, and often laid open by
such as dig and plow in the fields about the same. And amongst these,
one Vresbie or Rosebie, a plowman, did ere vp not long since a stone
like a trough, couered with another stone, wherein was great foison of
the aforesaid coines. The like also was séene not yet fortie yeares
agone about Grantham. But in king Henrie the eight his daies, an
husbandman had far better lucke at Harleston, two miles from the
aforesaid place, where he found not onelie great plentie of this
coine, but also an huge brasse pot, and therein a large helmet of pure
gold, richlie fretted with pearle, and set with all kind of costlie
stones: he tooke vp also chaines much like vnto beads of siluer, all
which, as being (if a man might ghesse anie certeintie by their
beautie) not likelie to be long hidden, he presented to quéene
Katharine then lieng at Peterborow, and therewithall a few ancient
rolles of parchment written long agone, though so defaced with
mouldinesse, and rotten for age, that no man could well hold them in
his hand without falling into péeces, much lesse read them by reason
of their blindnesse.
In the beginning of the same kings daies also at Killeie a man found
as he eared, an arming girdle, harnessed with pure gold, and a great
massie pomell with a crosse hilt for a sword of the same mettall,
beside studs and harnesse for spurs, and the huge long spurs of like
stuffe, whereof one doctor Ruthall got a part into his hands. The
boroughs or buries, wherof I spake before, were certeine plots of
ground, wherin the Romane souldiers did vse to lie when they kept in
the open fields as chosen places, from whence they might haue easie
accesse vnto their aduersaries, if anie outrage were wrought or
rebellion mooued against them. And as these were the vsuall aboads for
those able legions that serued dailie in the wars, so had they other
certeine habitations for the old and forworne souldiers, whereby
diuerse cities grew in time to be replenished with Romane colonies, as
Cairleon, Colchester, Chester, and such other, of which, Colchester
bare the name of Colonia long time, and wherein A. Plautius builded a
temple vnto the goddesse of Victorie (after the departure of Claudius)
which Tacitus calleth "Aram sempiternæ dominationis," a perpetuall
monument of that our British seruitude. But to returne vnto our
borowes, they were generallie walled about with stone wals, and so
large in compasse that some did conteine thirtie, fourtie, three
score, or eightie acres of ground within their limits: they had also
diuerse gates or ports vnto each of them, and of these not a few
remaine to be seene in our time, as one for example not far from great
Chesterford in Essex, néere to the limits of Cambridgshire, which I
haue often viewed, and wherein the compasse of the verie wall with the
places where the gates stood is easie to be discerned: the like also
is to be séene at a place within two miles south of Burton, called the
Borow hils. In these therefore and such like, and likewise at
Euolsburg, now S. Neots, or S. Needs, and sundrie other places,
especiallie vpon the shore and coasts of Kent, as Douer, Rie, Romneie,
Lid, &c: is much of their coine also to be found, and some péeces or
other are dailie taken vp, which they call Borow pence, Dwarfs monie,
Hegs pence, Feirie groats, Jewes monie, & by other foolish names not
woorthie to be remembred. At the comming of the Saxons, the Britons
vsed these holds as rescues for their cattell in the daie and night,
when their enimies were abroad; the like also did the Saxons against
the Danes, by which occasions (and now and then by carieng of their
stones to helpe forward other buildings néere at hand) manie of them
were throwne downe and defaced, which otherwise might haue continued
for a longer time, and so your honour would saie, if you should happen
to peruse the thickenesse and maner of building of those said wals and
borowes. It is not long since a siluer saucer of verie ancient making
was found néere to Saffron Walden, in the open field among the
[Sidenote: Sterbirie a place where an armie hath lien.]
Sterbirie hils, and eared vp by a plough, but of such massie
greatnesse, that it weighed better than twentie ounces, as I haue
heard reported. But if I should stand in these things vntill I had
said all that might be spoken of them, both by experience and
testimonie of Leland in his Commentaries of Britaine, and the report
of diuerse yet liuing, I might make a greater chapter than would be
either conuenient or profitable to the reader: wherefore so much
onelie shall serue the turne for this time as I haue said alreadie of
antiquities found within our Iland, especiallie of coine, whereof I
purposed chiefelie to intreat.