parterres about the fountain stand four Greek statues very intire,
bigger than the life, of most admirable art: they are dressed in
matron-like robes, or outer garments, in most comely folds, yet cut
so exquisitely, that the folds of the inner drapery appear, and the
whole shape of the body, as if transparent: they cannot be sufficiently
commended. Between them and the house on the south side, is that
celebrated statue of Cicero intire, with his _sudarium_ in his right,
and a scroll in his left hand: the sight of the eyes is cut hollow. I
could not possibly excuse my self half a quarter of an hour’s serious
view of this master-piece, frequently going round it: where so much
seeming simplicity of the carver, has called forth all the fire of that
divine genius that could make statues hear, as this artist has made
them speak, and left an eternal monument of contention between him and
the great orator: it grieved me to think it should stand a day longer
in the open air. Answering to this on the left, is another statue of
more robust shape and workmanship: his left hand holds a scroll, his
right is laid in a passionate manner upon his breast: if sinewy muscles
denote one that worked on the anvil, it may possibly be Demosthenes.
The two next that correspond beyond the fountain, are Scipio Africanus
and Asiaticus, in an heroic dress. Beyond, on each side the steps
going down to the lower garden, are two _colossi_, Fabius Maximus the
cunctator, and Archimides with a square in his hand. At each end of
this cross-walk, or terrace, which terminates the middle or principal
one, is built a handsome stone-work with niches and pediment supported
with pilasters, contrived on purpose to receive other pieces: in that
on the left hand, or north side, is the tomb of the famous Germanicus,
adorned with carving of bas-relief: upon it two admirable busts of
him and Agrippina his wife. Between these upon the tomb stands an
altar-like pedestal with a small and ancient statue of Jupiter sitting.
In the pediment over the arch is a curious piece of marble, whereon
is raised the upper part of a man with his arms and hands extended,
and the impression likewise of a foot: this I suppose the original
standard of the Greek measure. Upon the _apex_ of the pediment is a
fine statue of Apollo with the right arm naked, the other covered with
a mantle: below the hips it ends in a _terminus_; so that it is an
_Hermapollon_. In two niches here, are two large and curious trunks,
as fine as the loquacious Pasquin or Marforio at Rome. Upon the two
outermost pilasters are two other beautiful trunks. At the corner of
this terrace is an altar. At the other end of this cross walk, under
the stone-work is a marble chair with an inscription on the back of
it, denoting that it belonged to the high-priest of Isis, as said;
for it is obliterated: it is remarkably easy to sit on: the sides are
embossed with winged _sphynges_. On each side of it are two sitting
fragments. Upon the top of this stone-work is a very large and curious
Greek statue of Pallas, coloss proportion, naked arms, a plumed helmet
on her head, the Gorgonian _Ægis_ on her breast: the very marble is not
without its terror.
We shall now pass through the house. The hall is a fine lofty room: in
the niches are several statues; a Greek lady with her arms folded under
the drapery, which with that of the under garment are perfectly seen
through the robe; Caius Marius in a senatorial habit; Cupid asleep,
leaning on his torch: M. Antony, a naked figure; all these as big as
the life: over the chimney-piece, a little Hercules tearing the lion;
seven bustos, an excellent one of Pindar; one said to be of Olympias,
I fancied it Lucretia. By the great stairs, painted in _fresco_ by Sir
James Thornhill, two bustos, one of the Grecian Venus. In niches upon
the stairs, six statues as big as the life: Diana in a hunting-habit,
a tuck’d-up coat, buskins of skins; a lady in Greek drapery; the Venus
de Medicis; Paris with a mantle, the Phrygian bonnet, and odd stockings
of the Dacian mode; (this is a statue of great antiquity;) a nymph
with a long flowing garment tied under the breast, a fine turn of the
body; a man, the right shoulder naked. In the little dining-room, over
the chimney, an antique marble vase. In the green-house I saw these
following: a Flora, the upper part lost; most inimitable drapery to
show the naked, like the celebrated one at Rome: a coloss head of
Apollo, from the collar bone to the crown of the head three foot; the
body is said to lie among many more under Arundel house in London: the
trunk of Camilla, both arms: a young Bacchus.
[Sidenote: +Towcester+ Roman.]
Towcester is a pretty town, of Roman antiquity: through it in a strait
line runs the Watling-street. Edward the elder built the mount called
Berry hill when he fortified the town against the Danes. Roman coins
have been oft found at this place.[34] The inhabitants here, both old
and young, are very busy in a silken manufacture, and making of lace.
This town has been ditched about on the west side; every where else
guarded by the rivers.
[Sidenote: +Buckingham.+]
From hence we went through spacious woods to Buckingham. There was a
castle before the Conquest, but now scarce to be known. The church is
well built, particularly the chancel: they showed us a place called St.
Rumbald’s shrine, where his coffin was taken up. St. John Baptist’s
chapel, built, as said, by archbishop Becket, is now a free school.
From this place we travelled upon a Roman road.
[Sidenote: +Alauna.+]
[Sidenote: TAB. V. VI. 2d Vol.]
Entering Oxfordshire, we saw on our right the park called Caversfield,
which antiquaries say was the place where Allectus slew Carausius.
This is near Bicester, which I visited big with expectation of finding
somewhat considerable from a conflux of towns’ names that promised
much. I observed Lawnton hard by, which seemed to confirm Mr.
Baxter’s conjecture of Alauna hereabouts. Chesterton, Aldchester, and
Wandlebury, were specious marks for enquiry; but I find they all depend
upon Aldchester, where was the undoubted Alauna of Ravennas, mentioned
thus in that valuable author. Next to London, Tamese, Branavis, Alauna;
of all which I shall give an account in this journey.
[Illustration: 5·2ᵈ. _Prospect of Aldchester near Bicester._ Alauna.
_Stukeley delin._ _E. Kirkall sculp._]
[Illustration: 6·2ᵈ. +Alavna.+
_Stukeley del._ _E. Kirkall sculp._]
[Sidenote: +Akeman-street.+]
South of Bicester about a mile, two Roman roads cross one another
at right angles, in the middle of a large and beautiful meadow; the
Akeman-street running east and west, and another directly north and
south: the first comes out of Buckinghamshire, I imagine from Fenny
Stratford through Winslow; passes by here at Longford, over Bicester
river, under the north side of Gravenhall hill; so proceeds by
Aldchester, Kirklington, to Woodstock park, and so to Cirencester: the
other crosses it at Aldchester, running directly through the middle of
the city; then through the southern meadow belonging to Wandlebury,
where it is visible enough to a nice eye, the grass being poor, and
much abates of the verdure for its whole breadth: then entering a
pasture, it is very plain, being elevated into a ridge of a hundred
foot breadth, and two little ditches all along the sides: it leaves
Marton on the east and Fencot, making fords over the brooks, paved
with great broad stones its whole breadth; then proceeds the length
of Ottmore, a spacious level, marsh or meadow, two or three miles
together, where its ridge is plain, though broken by many sloughs; then
through Beckly by the park wall; then under Shotover hill, and so, I
suppose, passes the Thames at Sandford below Oxford. Northward from
Alauna it proceeds through the northern meadow belonging to Chesterton
and Bicester, where the stones it is composed of may be seen in the
little ditches they have dug upon each side; then it enters the lane,
and goes on the west side of Bicester town, at some little distance,
and strait forwards on the east of Caverfield park by Stretton Audley,
where many Roman coins have been found; and so to Radley by Buckingham,
being now the great high road between the two towns, of which we may
say, in the poet’s words,
_Scilicet hæc ævi stravit longinqua vetustas,
Heu nimis ex vero nunc ea strata jacent!_
The city called now Aldchester is a parcel of ploughed field, on the
south side of the Akeman way, a mile at least south of Bicester:
it stands in the middle of the meadow, which is very level, more
especially stretching itself north and south of the city. I know not
whether the ground which is the site of the city be naturally higher,
or raised by the ruins and rubbish thereof: but, if any, this deserves
to be called _urbs pratensis_. I can scarce believe that this meadow
was so subject to inundations as now, at the time of setting the city
here; and I never observed the like position elsewhere, when there is
higher ground near enough: it may be thought rather a city of pleasure
than strength. A very little way off to the east is Gravenhall hill, a
copped hill curiously covered with wood and hedge-rows: beyond it is
Berry hill, or vulgarly the Brill, guarded at top with one of their
camps. A little brook comes from Chesterton, a mile off, and runs on
the south side of the city; for between that and the Akeman way is it
placed. When I came upon the spot, I soon found it by the prodigious
blackness and richness of the earth, as they were ploughing; and
this shows it to have been once in a very flourishing condition and
populous; for the fund of nitrous particles and animal salts lodged
in this earth are inexhaustible. The site of this city is a common,
belonging to the inhabitants of Wandlebury, and every one has a
certain little portion of it to plough up; whence we may well imagine
the land is racked to the last extremity, and no great care taken in
the management of it: yet it bears very good crops of wheat. As I
traversed the spot, at every step I saw pieces of pots and vessels,
of all sorts of coloured earth,[35] red, green, and some perfectly
of blue clay, that came from Aynhoe: I picked up several parcels,
thinking to have carried them away, till I perceived them strown
very thick over the whole field, together with bits of bricks of all
sorts: the husbandmen told me they frequently break their ploughs
against foundations of hewn stone and brick; and we saw upon the spot
many paving stones with a smooth face, and laid in a very good bed
of gravel, till they draw them all up by degrees, when the plough
chances to go a little deeper than ordinary. Infinite numbers of coins
have been found, and dispersed over the adjacent villages without
any regard; and after a shower of rain now, they say, sometimes they
find them: I got two or three of Tetricus jun. &c. A good while ago,
they dug up a glass urn full of ashes, laid in a cavity cut out of a
stone: I went to see the stone, used as a pig-trough, at Wandlebury,
in which office it has served ever since Dr. Plot’s time; for I find
he mentions it, page 329: it is squarish, the cavity is roundish, nine
inches deep, and a foot diameter; but the urn was broke and lost. I
heard likewise, by enquiry, that they have found brass images, _lares_,
and all sorts of antiquities, which I encouraged them to preserve for
the future. This city was fenced with a bank and ditch quite round:
it is a square of one thousand foot each side, standing upon the four
cardinal points: the _vallum_ and ditch are sufficiently visible,
though both have met with equal change; the _vallum_, from the plough,
which levels it to a certain quantity every year; and the inundation of
the meadow raises the ditch: these are most easily discernible at the
corners, for there they are still pretty perfect, and so notoriously,
that the country people tell you in those places were four towers to
defend the city. This little brook, that runs on the southern ditch,
encompassed the city quite round originally: the track of the way that
passes the city in the middle from south to north, is still very high
raised, and another street crossed it the contrary way in the middle,
and so went eastward, meeting the Akeman in its way to Langford: these
were the two principal streets, and doubtless there were others; and
great foundations are known to be all around in the meadows, especially
northward and eastward upon both sides the Akeman. On the west side of
the city, a little distance from the ditch, is an artificial hill in
the very middle of the meadow which they call the Castle hill, and is
full of Roman bricks, stone, and foundations. I attentively considered
this place: the circuit of it is very plain and definable; it was a
square of two hundred foot: I guess it originally to have been some
considerable building in the middle of an _area_, or court; whether a
_pretorium_, or a temple, might probably be ascertained upon digging:
the edge of the _area_ is very distinct upon the meadow, by the
difference in the colour of the grass, the one gray, the other green;
but the main body of the building reached not so far, but lies in a
great heap of rubbish, much elevated, and of much less extent: before
it, to the south, has been another _area_, paved with a bed of gravel,
at least above a hundred foot broad: I doubt not but a curious person,
that will be at the expence of digging this plot, would find it
well worth his while. This is the sum of what I observed at the place:
whether the present name be Alcester, as retaining any thing of the
Latin, or Aldcester, signifying the old city, I dispute not; but think
it has no manner of relation to Allectus that slew the brave Carausius.
The name of Akeman way I am fit to think a vulgar error, as commonly
imagined from going to the Bath:[36] more probably it is _ag maen_,
the stony _agger_, or ridge; this is confirmed by the people calling
the other road too, that goes north and south, by the same name,
Akeman-street. There has been a religious house at Bicester near the
church, a priory of St. Eadburg, founded by Gilbert Basset. This town
is famous for excellent malt liquor, of a delicate taste and colour.
[Illustration: 7·2ᵈ. _Prospect of Tame._ +Tamese.+ _14 Sept. 1724._
_Stukeley delin._ _E. Kirkall Sculp._]
[Sidenote: +Bury-hill+ Ro. _camp_.]
From hence we journeyed by Aynhoe, where is a vein of stiff clay,
exceeding blue: at Souldern is a curious barrow, neatly turned like a
bell, small and high; I believe it Celtic. Then climbing for a long
while together, we ascended Bury hill, a village upon the highest
copped mountain in the country: it is vulgarly called the Brill, as Mr.
Camden takes notice: this has a vast prospect over Bernwood, Ottmore,
and the whole country, bounded only by the superior Chiltern, seven
miles off, which hence has a most notable aspect, and ends insensibly
at the eastern and western horizon, diminishing regularly all the way:
at the top of the Brill, by the church, I saw parcels of the old Roman
camp, which has been modernised with additional bastions in the civil
wars. Before the Conquest, here was a palace of Edward the Confessor.
Much Roman coin has been found hereabout.
[Sidenote: +Tamese.+]
[Sidenote: TAB. VII. 2d Vol.]
Below here, two or three miles off, stands Tamese, now Tame, upon the
side of a meadow; a pleasant town, consisting of one long and broad
street, running north-east and south-west: behind lie the smiling
arable fields: it is almost encompassed with rivulets. This was called
a _burg_ in the time of Edward the elder, anno 921, who besieged the
Danes here, and took the burg, or castle. I saw infinite quantities
of the _cornu ammonis_, a foot and half or two foot diameter, laid in
the roads among rubble stone to mend them: all the quarries hereabouts
abound with them of all dimensions. Here is a fine large church in form
of a cross: in it many brasses and old monuments: some I transcribed.
_Thome de Grey filii Roberti dni. de Grey Retherfeld militis obiit anno
dni. millesimo_ ccc. Another thus.
O certyn deth that now hast overthrowe
Richard Quatremayns squier and Sibil his wyf that ly her now full
lowe
That with rial prinses of councel was true and wise famed
To Richard duke of Yorke and after with his sone king Edward IIII
named
That founded in the chyrche of Tame a chantrye six pore men and a
fraternity
In the worship of St. Christofere to be relieved in perpetuitye
They that of their almys for their sowles a _pater noster_ and
_ave_ devoutly wul seye
Of holy fadurs is granted them pardun of days xl alway.
Which Richard and Sibil out of this world passed in the yer of our lord
M. cccclx. upon their sowles jhu have mercy amen. Another thus.
_Orate pro animabus Galfredi Dormer mercatoris Stapile ville Calis &
Margere & Alicie uxoris ejus qui quidem Galfridus ob. 9 Mar. 1502.
quorum_ _animabus propicietur deus amen._ There are the images of
twenty-five children upon this stone.
John lord Williams of Tame baronet, baron of Tame, ob. 14 Oct. 1559.
Here lyeth Sir John Clerk of Northweston knight which tuke Lovys of
Orleance duke of Longuevill and marquis of Rotelin prysoner at the
journy of Bomy by Tyrvain the xvi day of August in the v yer of the
reign of the noble and victorious king Henry viii. which John decesed
the v day of April 1539.
There is an abbot (I suppose) in stone in the church wall of the south
transept within side: near the church are the ruins of a priory built
by Alexander bishop of Lincoln. At Notely, not far off, is another. A
pot of Roman money was found at Sherburn in this neighbourhood last
year.
[Sidenote: +Islip.+]
Islip is memorable for the birth of Edward the Confessor. The font
which stood in the king’s chapel, as still called, where he was
baptised, is removed: but that font in Dr. Plot seems not of such
antiquity. There are some remains of an ancient palace.
[Sidenote: +Oxford.+]