MORBIVM,
Moresby, a mile north of Whitehaven. Here is a Roman castrum, notorious enough, at some distance, by its elevation above the plain of the field it stands in. This is one of the castles built at convenient intervals along this coast, to guard against the depredations of the Scots by sea: it lies upon a piece of high ground in a valley, bounded by higher all around, except seaward. Parton haven, where they are now making a new pier, is on one side; and a large creek, or little bay, on the other. The wall that stood on the edge of the vallum was just 400 foot square, as that at Elenborough. There is a great dry wall of stones now stands in its place, the stones taken originally from it: they are all squared: the stones of all the pastures, fences, and houses round about, and the stones of Mr. Brome’s house, and the churches, are most evidently taken thence; being of the Roman cut, as the inhabitants take notice, and wonder at it: they own the stone is of a different grit from that of the place.
The site of the Roman castle has been ploughed up. Many coins and urns found about the place; stones in great quantities still within the place: I saw one squarish, of a very large bulk. A reddish sort of slate to cover houses is dug here; they do not know of any such nearer than Scotland: such was the indefatigable labour of the Romans. There is no ditch about this castle; but the vallum is pretty high quite round. The church stands on the east side of it: in the church-yard is an ash-tree, that bends eastward fifty foot from the stem, by the force of the westerly winds continually pressing on it.
The new front of the hall is of an excellent model; I doubt not but it is from some of the admirable Inigo Jones’s designs: the inside is of the same relish. The Isle of Man is very clearly discerned from this place; and the Scotch coast quite to the mull of Galway: it is about thirty miles off.
In some pastures a little east of the place I saw a flat stone set upright by the road-side, and converted into a stile: it was a monument of some young Roman, but pretty much worn: he is robed with a toga, and holds a scroll in his right hand, to denote his being a scholar, perhaps a pleader, a disciple of the famous Papinian. I could not see to the bottom of it, where probably is an inscription. The man that rents the ground says it was found in the ditch, under the hedge, a little lower down.
At the next stile of the same pasture is another monumental stone of an old man; for such seems to be the head cut in the tympanum above. The inscription upon it is scarce legible: it was poorly cut at first, and has been thus long exposed with the face upwards; and because it is somewhat broader than the wall, and was apt to fall down, the man knocked off all one side of it: he has been courted with money and fair words to part with it, but in vain. Thus, as well as I can judge, the inscription should be read:
Dis Manibus sacrum Mertio Maximo, militum phractariorum equestori, stipendiorum decem, vixit triginta quinque annos.
There are evident signs of a Roman road from Morbium to Papcastle all the way, especially over the moor. The soil all along to the west of the Cumbrian hills, between them and the sea, is sandy, with rock underneath, sometimes lime-stone, sometimes of the red stone. Morbium, in the Notitia, is said to be the station of the numerus cataphractariorum; and the inscription above proves it.
There were six Roman castles against this western shore in Cumberland; a cohort in each took up half a legion to garrison: they are ten miles distant from each other; Mawborough, ten miles from Boulness; Elenborough; Morbium; another at Egremont; Maglove, Ravenglass. I suppose they were made by Stilico, who is celebrated for it in Claudian.
Me quoque vicinis pereuntem gentibus inquit,
Munivit Stilico totam cum Scotus Hiernem
Movit & infesto spumavit remige Thetis.
Illius effectum curis, ne bella timerem
Scotica; nec Pictum tremeres ne littore toto
Prospicerem dubiis venientem Saxona ventis.
He was general to Theodosius.