Quot sperat generos, quotque puella nurus.
Sic placeat superis, ut conjuge gaudeat uno,
Et semper natis gaudeat illa tribus.
We may conclude, that if she had been of age sufficient to be converted by St. Paul, she would about this time have been too old to have children, and be accounted beautiful. But times and all circumstances conspire sufficiently to make her the daughter of Cogidunus.
Famous was the contest between Neptune and Minerva in naming the city of Athens, which they referred to the umpire of Apollo: he, to avoid the odium of appearing partial on either side, left it to the decision of mortal men, as Varro tells us: howsoever, these two deities are happily reconciled in a joint partnership of the dedication of this temple. The antiquaries are still at variance about the ancient name of this city. Therefore, Sir, that I may not be wholly an unworthy fellow-traveller, passibus etsi longe inequalibus, I shall venture, if Minerva is not averse, to offer my thoughts towards a recovery of the Roman denomination of Chichester, which appears plainly to have been an eminent and early station: though the journey of Antoninus reaches it not, yet it would be strange if Ravennas should have passed it by, who is very particular in this part of the island.
I observe the river this city stands upon is called Lavant. There are three towns synonymous higher up, East, West, and Middle Lavant; whence I think we may conclude, that the true and original name of the river was Antona, not an uncommon appellative of such in the Celtic dialect: Mr. Baxter, voce Anderida, calls it Ant. Likewise a town called Hampnet stands upon it, which seems some corruption of Antona. Now there are two rivers of this name falling into the southern ocean; that which we spoke of lately, the Itchin, running by Trausantum; and this we are upon: therefore it appears natural and necessary that they should some way or other be distinguished from one another: the former Trausantum, Mr. Baxter, voce Antona, says signifies the farther Antona; and in this same sense, but in a later manner, Ninius calls it Trahannon; as our monk Ravennas, Onna, by a softer pronunciation. Our river then must be the hither or nearer Antona, however actually distinguished; which we must find out. Looking into that author generally called Anonymus, though I suppose his true name is Ravennas, as born there, (it being at that time the method of the ecclesiastics to take the sirname of their native towns) he thus mentions some cities hereabouts: Caleba Atrebatum, Anderesio, Miba, Mantantonis.Mutuantonis, Lemanis, Dubris, &c. Now I imagine Mutuantonis is the place here sought for. TAB. LXXXI.This author probably transcribed these names from inspection of a map, sometimes casting his eye along a road, sometimes a river, sea-coast or the like, and sometimes per saltum: when he has been reciting many names of cities in the inland parts as far as Corinium Dobunorum, or Cirencester, he returns to the south-east part of the island, and begins a new period, as above. Directly in his way to the sea-coasts is Caleba, or Farnham, as I shall show in proper place: next is Anderida; which cannot be this place, for the reason you brought out of Henry of Huntingdon: no doubt it is somewhere upon the Sussex coast; but its particular site I shall not take upon me now to determine. Miba is with good reason thought to be Midhurst; then very naturally follows Mutuantonis, our Chichester: hence he takes his route eastward towards Lemanis, Dubris, &c. in Kent. In short, the evidence is this: the author is plainly describing these parts; and where should Mutuantonis stand, but upon the river Antona? and it does not appear, that any other river hereabouts is so called; or, if it did, Anderida may very well thither be referred, which cannot possibly to this place. I take the name of lavant, or mutuant, to be synonymous words in the British language, to distinguish it, as we said, from trausant;, for llafar signifies sonorous, loquax; and mwth is citus, velox; either of which, prefixed to Antona, describe this rapid or noisy river; and in effect we find it remarkably so. Dr. Holland in his notes at the bottom of Mr. Camden expresly observes, that this river, though sometimes quite dry, at others, and that very often in the midst of summer, is so full as to run very violently: this, no doubt, is owing to its rise in the neighbouring high grounds to the north; for from them it must needs fall with an impetuous torrent. Further, it may possibly be derived from the British llai minor, signifying the lesser Antona, from its short course; the consonant v, or f which is its equivalent, being interposed euphoniæ gratia: or if Mr. Baxter’s correction of Mantantonis be thought just, then it signifies the mouth of the river Antona; and Chichester now stands very near its inlet into the sea, and formerly nearer. What way soever we take it, it seems reasonable to conclude this is the place. Though it was not properly a sea-port town, yet it is plainly near enough for the establishment of the collegium fabrorum here; and the vast plenty of wood from the adjoining forest favoured their work, whether of timber or the forge. Since this inscription, there was found a Mosaic pavement in Mrs. Downes’s garden; and when that was pulled in pieces as usual, a brass coin was discovered under it of Nero and Drusus Cæs. on one side, represented on horseback; on the other, C. Cæsar Divi aug. pron. aug. p. m. tr. p. IIII. pp. which no doubt was there deposited to show the æra of that work.
A little way out of the city northward, we passed by a Roman camp, called Brill, I suppose Bury hill, in Ogilby’s maps called Beauty’s bank: the Roman road called Stone-street causeway, goes directly north-east from hence through this country, and by Darking church-yard in Surrey; TAB. LXXXII.then falls into the Hermen-street at Woodcote.
St. Roc’s hill is a fine elevation, with a spacious circular camp on the top, of a round form, a castrum æstivum, belonging to Mantantonis. Here is a foundation of a chapel, or a beacon, perhaps both: the reader may gather an idea of the view here from TAB. XLIII.[plate 43]. At Midhurst is a fine old seat called Cowdrey, belonging to the Browns viscount Montacute: it stands in a valley incompassed with lawns, hills and woods, thrown into a park, the river running underneath. It is a large house of stone, consisting of one court: the hall is cieled of Irish oak after the ancient manner; Mida.the walls painted with architecture by Roberti, the statues by Goupé, the stair-case by Pelegrini: the room at the end of the hall is of Holbein’s painting, where that famous old artist has described the exploits of Henry VIII. before Bulloign, Calais, his landing at Portsmouth, his magnificent entry into London, &c. In the other rooms are many excellent pictures of the ancestors of the family, and other history-painting of Holbein’s, relating to their actions in war. The whole circuit of rooms above stairs are stately and well furnished, adorned with many pictures: there is a long gallery with the twelve apostles as big as the life; another very neat one, wainscotted with Norway oak, where are many ancient whole-length pictures of the family in their proper habits, which is a very elegant notion: there are four history pieces; two copies of Raphael’s marriage of Cupid and Psyche; several old religious and military paintings from Battle-abbey. The road to Midhurst to us appeared Roman, and therefore strengthens the supposition of its being Mida.
St. Roc’s hill is upon the chalky down running east and west: north of it to Farnham it is sandy, full of erica; but the valleys are rich, warm and woody. The heaths between Farnham and Godalmin are full of barrows. Ferndon hill in the way to Godalmin is very steep northwards, and of an hour’s descent; which you rise to insensibly: it runs east and west.
Calleva Atrebatum.