ocean, and Portland isle growing more and more distinct, till I came
to Bridport, a large town upon a little river. Ascending a high hill,
I found myself upon the great downs of chalk like those at Salisbury,
and, much to my surprize, infinitely fuller of Celtic barrows than your
lordship’s celebrated plains. What matters of that sort I discovered
shall be referred to another discourse. A little north of Bridport I
found the great Icening-street of the Romans going to Dorchester,
which I accompanied with no small pleasure. I imagine it goes a little
farther up the country than I had travelled, and hereabouts may
properly be said to begin, probably meeting the Foss at _Moridunum_.
The road from _Moridunum_ westward through Exeter I think ought not
to be denominated either from the one or the other, because
of a different direction, which with reasonable allowance I esteem
essential: but this road we are upon, which is the parallel and sister
to the Foss, from Seaton to Yarmouth in Norfolk, extends to the like
quantity of 250 Roman miles. In this place it is called the Ridge-way,
both as it rises in an artificial ridge, and as it takes a high ridge
all the way between here and Dorchester, having many valleys on both
sides. The composition of the road is wholly of flints gathered off the
lands, or taken from near the surface: these were laid in a fine bank,
and so covered with turf. As I road along I found it frequently makes
great curves to avoid passing over valleys, and industriously keeps
on the highest ground, and commands the prospect of the country every
where: it goes to Eggardon hill, as they tell me, north of Bridport;
and here I suppose is a camp, whence the whole hundred is denominated:
whether from this camp, or from this road, it is plain the old Latin
word is retained, _agger_; therefore _aggerdon_, as it ought to be
wrote, is the hill intrenched, or the down where the high road runs.
[Illustration: 76 Prospect of Lyme 21 Aug. 1723.
LONDINIS.
A. _Where the Duke of Monmouth Landed_
B. _Portland_
C. _The Peer._
_Stukeley del._]
[Illustration: 77 +Dvrnovaria+
_Aug. 22. 1723_
_Stukeley delin._]
[Illustration: 78 _Augˢᵗ: 22. 1723_
_Prospect of Dorchester from the Amphitheater._
_Stukeley Del._]
The Icening-street derives its name not from beginning, but ending,
at the Iceni, _via ad Icenos_. They say hereabouts it was cast up in
a night’s time by the devil, referring to a supernatural agent the
effect of Roman wisdom and industry. It enters the city of Dorchester
by the north of Winterburn at West-gate. In divers places they have
mended it where wore out, by a small slip of chalk and flints, with a
shameful and degenerate carelessness; so that we may well pronounce the
Romans worked with shovels, the moderns with tea-spoons: besides, it
is mostly inclosed and obstructed with perpetual gates across it, to
the great hindrance of travellers, to whom public ways ought to be laid
open and free; and the authors of such nusances may well be declared
sacrilegious. An endless fund of Celtic as well as Roman inquiries
hereabouts, and no where less regarded.
[Sidenote: +Durnovaria.+]
[Sidenote: TAB. LXXVII.]
[Sidenote: TAB. LXXVIII.]
Dorchester, the Roman _Durnovaria_, meaning the passage over the river,
is a good regular town, standing conformable to the four cardinal
points, with the river on its north side: it had four gates in the
middle of each side, was encompassed with a strong wall and ditch, if
not two; for so it seems, though now levelled into arable, to which
the inhabitants hereabout are extremely prone. On the west side great
part of the old Roman wall is standing, twelve foot thick, made of
rag-stone, laid side by side and obliquely, then covered over with
very strong mortar: the next course generally leans the contrary way:
now and then three horizontal ones for binding, for much flint is used
withal. I saw the foundation of it in a saw-pit laid upon the solid
chalk: it is yet twelve foot high, broke through and battered every
where, as if the sight of it was obnoxious: this is a strong manner
of building, and very expeditious. Much more of this wall remained
within memory. It would surprise one to think why the very ruins of
it should be pulled down, which must be done with great labour, and
frequently a mud wall erected in its place. The foundations appear
quite round the town; but eastward a street is built upon it, and
the ditch filled up: it is still called The Walls; for that way the
town is swelled out into a considerable village, with a church and
handsome tower, called Fordington, corruptly Farington. Here are three
churches in the town beside it. On the south and west side, without
the walls, a handsome walk of trees is planted, looking pleasantly
into the fields; but the sort of them being common sycamores, are
incommodious by harbouring flies. The winding of the river on the
north spoils the square of the town that way; and there is an _area_
of a castle, out of the ruins of which the grey friers built their
convent: but now all the works are wholly obliterated, religious and
military. The banks of the river here are steep, for the town stands
on high ground. Beyond the river are meadows and warm sandy lands; on
this side, the fine chalky downs, pleasant for riding, and profitable
in excellent grain. The air must needs be wholesome and pure, the
climate warm, and a sufficient distance from the sea; so that we need
not wonder if the Romans were fond of this place. The level of the old
city was much lower than the present; for antiquities, which are found
in great number, always lie deep. Some farmers were levelling another
great barrow; but the people of Fordington rose in arms and prevented
them with a laudable animosity. All this land is of the prince’s fee.
I took notice of a particularity in the stone they use here: it is
fetched from a quarry southward in the way to Weymouth; a flag-stone,
rising in large dimensions, but not very thick: the superfice of it is
curiously and regularly indented or waved, like a mat made of cables,
and that very regularly: it much resembles the face of the sands upon
the sea shore, just after the tide is gone off: it is very convenient
for paving, and those natural undulations prevent slipperiness, being
nevertheless level enough: they make fences for their grounds with it
in many places, setting them up edgewise in a pretty method. The Roman
money dug up here are called _dorn-pennies_, or king Dor’s money: the
reverend Mr. Place, living here, showed me a great collection of them.
Much _opus tessellatum_ has been found. As this town, so Wareham below
from its ford derives its name. In Lincolnshire we call them still
_warths_.
From Dorchester many Roman roads disperse themselves, beside the
Icening-street, passing directly over the meadows to Walton: one goes
by the amphitheatre southward to Weymouth; another by Poundbury,
Stretton, to Yeovil and Ischalis; another probably to Wareham.
[Sidenote: +Poundbury+ _a_ Ro. _Camp_.]
Poundbury, I am intirely persuaded, was a camp of Vespasian’s, when he
was busy hereabouts in the conquest of the _Belgæ_, therefore ancienter
than the adjacent Roman city: the situation, the bulk, and the manner
of it, so much resembling that by Ambsbury, engages me into that
sentiment: it stands half a mile west of Dorchester, upon the brink
of the river, which is very steep, in form square: the rampart high,
but the ditch inconsiderable, except at the angle by the river; the
reason is, because standing on high ground, they dug the earth clear
away before it, and threw it intirely into a _vallum_; so that its
height and steepness, wherein its strength consists, is the same as if
a regular ditch was made in level ground. The chief entrance was on
the south side: there seems likewise to have been an entrance next the
river, but made with great art; for a narrow path is drawn all along
between the edge of the precipice and the _vallum_, so that it was
absolutely impossible to force an entry that way: beside, I observe,
beyond the camp, for a long way, a small trench is cut upon the said
edge, which seems designed to prevent the ascent of cavalry, if they
should pass the river: the ground of the camp rises in the middle, as
was usual among the Romans in their choice. There is a _tumulus_ too,
which I imagine is Celtic, and extant before the camp was made: this
levelled a little might serve for the _prætorium_. A very good prospect
from hence all around. The name is taken from its inclosure as a pound;
for here they call a circle of stones round a _tumulus_, a pound.
[Sidenote: +Maiden Castle.+ _a_ Ro. _Camp_.]
The other camp, called Maiden Castle, was undoubtedly the _Æsiiva_ of
the Durnovarian garrison:[134] it is of a vast extent, and prodigiously
strong, apparently of much later date than the foregoing, its
manner savouring of inferior times of the empire: it has every where
a double ditch of extraordinary depth, and a double rampire, in some
places treble or more: it takes in the whole summit of a great hill:
within it seems as if two camps, a ditch and _vallum_ running across,
with each its entry of very perplexed work; several ditches with cross
entries lapping over one another, as we may well express it; especially
westward, where their number may be affirmed half a score. Certainly,
for healthful air and prospect, a most delightful place;
_Heic Veneris vario florentia serta decore,
Purpureo campos quæ pingit avena colore.
Hinc auræ dulces, hinc suavis spiritus agri._ +Virg.+
and, for sight of barrows, I believe not to be equalled in the
world; for they reach ten miles. What further remains to be said of
Dorchester, is the noble amphitheatre, of which your lordship first
gave me the hint; therefore most justly are you intitled to the
following description of it.
[Illustration: 61 VINDOMA. _4 Aug. 1722_
Peritura Moenia Stylo renovavit _Ger. Vander Gucht_.
_Stukeley Designavit._]
_Of the_ ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE _at_ Dorchester.
[Sidenote: TAB. LXI. XCVII.]
There was no kind of civil edifice, or public work, more frequent among
the Romans, in Italy or the conquered provinces, than such as related
to sports and games; for that brave and wise people both judged and
found that method well calculated to bring over the nations to their
own language and customs, being agreeable contrivances that seemed
rather pleasure and delight than compulsion. Such were theatres, circs,
amphitheatres, _stadia_, and the like. There were three amphitheatres
in the city of Rome; that of Vespasian, the Castrense, and of Statilius
Taurus: and, though we find them not so particularly taken notice of
elsewhere in historians, yet we behold the things themselves, whose
immense bulk and weighty materials have generally so long out-faced
time and weather. We may affirm, there was scarce any colony or free
city, of considerable note, in their extensive empire, that wanted
these places of public pastime; and scarce any province now, where
their footsteps at least are not visible, and many almost intire,
particularly what we are now treating upon, amphitheatres: yet I
believe it will appear a novelty to most people, when we shall talk of
such curious antiquities in Britain. But since this time twelve-months,
I have seen three, one at Silchester, another at Richborough castle
in Kent, and this at Dorchester in Dorsetshire. I have been told of
one with six tire of seats, three mile off Redruth in Cornwall. Sir
Christopher Wren is the first person that I know of who gave this hint
of inquiry, in discovering this, many years ago, in his journeys to
the isle of Portland, when he began to build St. Paul’s cathedral.
Great pity it is that he did not take an exact description of it at
that time, when in greater perfection, before the gallows were removed
hither by an unlucky humour of the sheriff; since when the parapet
at top is on that side much beaten down, by the trampling of men and
horses at executions; but especially because his great skill might have
done it exact justice, and by means of his pen it might have shared
in the duration of his works. In defect of such illustration, I hope
the reader will accept of my mean endeavours to preserve so valuable
a piece of architecture, which, notwithstanding the damage above
mentioned, and that the _area_ of it has been ploughed up these many
years, will still give a spectator a fine notion in the structures of
this sort abroad, deservedly the admiration of travellers; and will
present a person of understanding, the pleasure of observing the noble
and great genius of the Romans in every production of their hands. Nor
does the meanness of its materials debase, but rather inhance, its
value and its art; for, though less costly and lasting than stone and
marble, of which others are generally built, yet for the same reason
less liable to rapine, and the covetous humour of such as plunder them
for other uses: therefore I believe, in the main, it is as perfect as
most abroad, if not so alluring to the eye; whence we may suppose it
has so long escaped common observation, though close by a great town
and road.
An amphitheatre is properly a double theatre, or two theatres joined
together. A theatre is a semicircle wherein are the seats of the
spectators; the _apparatus_ of the actors, or scenes, filling up the
diameter before it. But if we would be more exact, we shall observe,
it is half as long again as the _radius_; for they cut off the fourth
part of a circle, then the rest became the form of their theatres.
Now two such as these joined together, throwing away the scenic part,
constituted an amphitheatre; taking its name from circular vision,
and because the seats were continued quite round, the faces of the
people being all directed to the centre of its excentricity: so its
use required, different from that of the theatre, where the company
look all one way toward the stage. But then, as Lipsius takes notice
in discoursing upon this topic, the lines, at the ends where they are
conjoined, must be drawn outward a little, approaching more to strait
lines, than it becomes a true oval, well expressed by Cassiodorus;
“for, (says he) the _area_ includes the figure of an egg, which affords
due space for combatants, and more advantage to spectators to see every
thing by its long curvity or relaxed circle.” These were not put in
practice at Rome till the end of the commonwealth, and appropriated to
the hunting and fighting of wild-beasts, to gladiators and the like;
and at last to sea engagements, represented in gallies floating upon
the water, which they introduced for that purpose. First of all, they
made them _pro tempore_ of timber, being two theatres, each fixed upon
a wonderful _axis_, and so contrived, that when they pleased they
could turn both together, with all the people on their seats, and
make an amphitheatre; of which Pliny, xxxv. 15. speaks with a note
of astonishment, as it really was. This was done by C. Curio, one of
Cæsar’s party. It is worth while to read the great naturalist’s descant
upon it. This I suppose gave occasion to the building of regular
amphitheatres, of which Cæsar made the first in the _Campus Martius_,
but of wood, when he was dictator. The first of stone was erected in
Augustus his time, by Statilius Taurus, in the place of the former,
which was the only one till Vespasian, whose work was the monstrous
_Colissæum_, but finished by his son Titus. This has afforded materials
for many public buildings in Rome, and still boasts its immense ruins,
as one of the greatest prodigies of the imperial city.
Vitruvius mentions nothing of amphitheatres; therefore he probably
published his book before that of Taurus was built: as for Cæsar’s,
it belonged not to masonry, being carpenter’s work; in which he was a
very great master, as in every thing else: so that we must form our
notions of these things from the works themselves, and the ruins that
time has spared. The parts of an amphitheatre are these: the _arena_
or space within, the scene of action; the _euripus_, or river that
generally encompassed the verge of it; the _podium_, or parapet at
bottom; the _itinera_, or _viæ_, which were the walks between certain
series of seats; the _ascensus_, steps or stairs; the _pulpita_ or
_tribunalia_, a sort of covered chair of state, where the emperor, his
legate, the prætor or chief magistrate of a city, sat; the _cathedræ_,
where the senators, foreign ambassadors, and great personages, sat;
the _gradus_, or common seats; the _præcinctiones_, which I suppose
balustrades; the _aditus_ or _vomitoria_, being the passages from the
stairs withinside to the seats, a metaphorical name, from the people
pouring themselves through them with violence; the _cunei_, which
were the space of seats comprehended between two of those passages,
so called from their wedge-like shape; the _porticus_, or galleries
within, partly for magnificence, and partly for convenience: all these
particulars are easily apprehended from inspection of schemes and
sections of these works in many authors. Some of them could not, others
need not to be in our work; therefore I shall occasionally enlarge
upon those pertinent to this subject, as they fall in our way in the
description.
[Illustration: 50 _The Geometrical Groundplot of the Roman Amphitheatre
at Dorchester_
_Aug. 22. 1723._
_Stukeley designʳ._]
[Sidenote: TAB. LXXVII.]
[Sidenote: TAB. LXXVIII.]
[Sidenote: TAB. L.]
[Sidenote: TAB. LIII.]
The amphitheatre at Dorchester is situate on a plain in the open
fields about a quarter of a mile (being just 300 of my paces) or 1500
foot south-west from the walls of the town, delicately ascending all
the way, close by the Roman road running from thence to Weymouth. The
vulgar call it Maumbury, but have no notion of its purpose, though
it is a common walk for the inhabitants, and the terrace at top is a
noted place of rendezvous, as affording a pleasant circular walk, and
a prospect of the town and wide plain of corn fields all around, much
boasted of by the inhabitants for most excellent grain. Westward of
the town we see the Roman camp called Poundbury, and southward the
most famous one Maiden castle, both before described. More southerly
all the hill-tops, as far as the eye reaches, are covered with an
incredible number of Celtic barrows. It stands upon the very edge of
that part of the fields which declines gently northward, or toward the
town, upon a chalk, and which without doubt at first was perfect down,
like that of Salisbury plain, or the neighbouring downs in the way to
Bridport. One may in fancy imagine the beauty of its prospect, and
the pleasantness of the walk hither upon that fine carpet, when all
was in its first perfection; but at present it is ploughed up to the
very skirt of the amphitheatre, both within and without: so foolishly
greedy are the country people of an inch of ground, that they have
levelled several barrows lately in the neighbourhood, which cost more
than the spot they covered will pay in fifty years. This work of ours
is raised of solid chalk upon the level, without any ditch about it. I
have endeavoured to delineate, as exactly as I could by mensuration,
the true and original ground-plot thereof, or architectonic design upon
which it is formed, from what is left by the injuries of age, of the
plough, of men and beasts; and that in its first and genuine scale the
Roman foot, which is about an eleventh part less than ours. The plate
Nᵒ 50, represents the amphitheatre as covered with the _subsellia_,
and as in its primitive perfection; for we may well suppose age has
diminished it on all dimensions: and in truth it requires a great
deal of thought and judgement to attempt to measure it. It is obvious
thence to observe, in the general, its conformity with other works of
this sort abroad, as far as its different materials will allow; and
the great judgement of the architect in varying his scheme thereto, so
as fully to answer the proposed end. It is to be noted that half this
work is above, and half below the surface of the ground, as visible in
a section; so that great part of the matter was dug out of the _cavea_
in the middle; for it is a solid bed of chalk, and the rest fetched
from elsewhere. I believe the method of building it, was to join solid
chalk cut square like stones, and that mortar made of burnt chalk was
run into the joints; and probably all the outside was neatly laid with
scantlings of the same, but with the natural turf on: so that it is not
much inferior in strength to those of stone, though infinitely less
expensive; but for use and convenience there is very little difference;
and as to beauty, as far as relates to the seats, and what was visible
on the inside, our work no doubt was very handsome, and even now is a
very pleasant sight. It is observed of most amphitheatres abroad, that
they are placed without the cities for wholesomness, and upon elevated
ground for benefit of the air, and perflation; a thing much recomended
for theatres in Vitruvius; as that of Bourdeaux, 400 paces without
the city. Besides, this is very artfully set upon the top of a plain,
declining to the north-east; whereby the rays of the sun, falling upon
the ground hereabouts, are thrown off to a distance by reflection, and
the upper end of the amphitheatre, for the major part of the day, has
the sun behind the spectators.
When you stand in the centre of the entrance, it opens itself with all
the grandeur that can be imagined: the jambs are wore away somewhat,
and the plough encroaches on its verge every year, especially the
cheeks below: never did I see corn growing, which of itself is an
agreeable sight, with so much indignation as in this noble concavity,
where once the _gens togata_, and majesty of imperial Rome, used to
show itself. The conjugate, or shortest diameter externally, is to the
longest as 4 to 5; that of the _area_ within, as 2 to 3: this is the
same proportion as of the amphitheatre at Lucca, which is 195 _brachia_
in length, 130 broad: a _brachium_ is about 23½ of our inches: it is 25
high. In ours therefore the two centres upon the transverse diameter,
or longest that form it, are 100 feet distant: the ends of the oval
are struck with a _radius_ of 60 feet set upon each of those centres.
The centres that describe the side-lines are formed by setting off 85
feet on each side the diameter, from the centre of excentricity. Thus
from these four centres only the whole is delineated, and that most
easily and naturally; whence I suspect Desgodetz, in laying down his
plot of the _Coliseum_, has without necessity employed no less than
eight centres, which is an operation of great perplexity: but still
we except the circle in the middle, which so remarkably distinguishes
this from all other works, and which gives so great a beauty to
the scheme: this is that artful contrivance supplying the place of
portico’s, stair-cases, _vomitoria_, and all the costly work in the
grander amphitheatres, for ready conveyance of the spectators in and
out to their proper places: it is described from the common centre of
the whole, and in the ground-plot is a true circle; but upon the place
becomes a walk of eight foot broad, gradually ascending, from the ends
upon the long diameter, to its highest elevation in the middle upon
the short diameter, where it reaches half-way up the whole series of
seats of the spectators, who marching hence distribute themselves
therein from all sides without hurry and tumult. On the top is a
terrace twelve feet broad at least, beside the parapet outwardly five
feet broad, four high. There are three ways leading up to this; at the
upper end of the work, over the cave, one; and one on each side upon
the shortest diameter, going from the elevated part of the circular
walk: horses very conveniently, several a-breast, may go upon this,
and frequently do, ascending by the ruin of the cave, but not on the
outward steep. The parapet is now three or four foot high, but much
ruined on that side next the gallows since last year, at an execution:
not only so, but I saw a mixen heap laid under it on that side; and
some vile fellow had been digging down part of the amphitheatre to lay
among it for compost. There is some enormity, if one examines this
work in mathematical strictness without proper judgement: because it
stands on a declivity, some parts of the out-side are higher
than others, not only as to the same side, but as to the same part
on different sides: the plain on which it stands, declines to the
north-east: hence the outer side of the work is higher there than in
other places; therefore in my sections and ground-plot I endeavour to
reduce it to a medium, and the measure which seems to have been the
primary intent of the architect.
[Illustration: 52 _A view of Dorchester Amphitheatre from the South
West._
_Stukeley Del. Aug. 1723._]
[Illustration: 53 _The Side View of Dorchester Amphitheater._
_Stukeley delin._]
[Illustration: 51 _A View of Dorchester Amphitheatre from the
Entrance._]
[Sidenote: TAB. LIII.]
[Sidenote: TAB. XLII. 2d Vol.]