He gives us more than a hundred names of cities, roads, people, and the like; which till now were absolutely unknown to us: the whole is wrote with great judgement, perspicuity, and conciseness, as by one that was altogether master of his subject.
We have reason to believe, he copied some memoirs wrote even in Roman times.
He speaks of the warlike nation of the Senones, who lived in Surrey: they, under the conduct of Brennus, passed into Gaul, and over the Alpes, and besieged Rome. Romam fastu elatam, ista incursione vastatam solo: et Rempublicam Romanam funditus evertissent; ni eam Dii ipsi, more Nutricis, in sinu quasi gestare videbantur, &c.
Again, speaking of Bath, Thermæ, Aquæ solis quibus fontibus præsules erant Apollinis et Minervæ Numina.
Our author mentions no less than thirty-eight Roman stations, beyond the farthest vallum of Antoninus; and in England innumerable cities, towns, roads, &c. altogether new to us; such as Forum Dianæ, a city of the Cassii: Cantiopolis: Colonia gemina Martia: Theodosia: Victoria: Isinnis and Argolicum, cities in Lincolnshire: ad Selinam: in medio: ad aquas: ad alone: statio Trajectus: ad vigesimum sc. lapidem: Bibracte, a city not far from London: ad lapidem: ad decimum: and very many more.
He mentions Via Julia: a triumphal arch in Camulodunum: rivers, promontories, woods, mountains, lakes, bays, ports, founders of cities, things and matters not named before in any monuments come to our hands.
In Cornwall, he speaks of Herculis columnæ, and insula Herculea: he remarks, the country of Cornwall, abounding with metals, was formerly frequented by the Phœnicians and Greeks, who fetched tin from thence; and that the local names there retain a Phœnician and Greek turn.
De Caledonia, he describes this highland part of Britain very particularly; their towns, mountains, promontories, &c. he speaks of the report of Ulysses coming thither, tossed by tempests, and sacrificing on the shore. This is mentioned in Orpheus’s Argonautics.
He speaks too of altars on the sea shore, beyond Inverness, set up by the Romans, as marks and bounds of their dominion.
Till now, Edenburgh had the honour of being thought the Pterooton, or castra alata of the Romans; but our author removes it far away to the river Varar in Scotland.