These cursus’s were likewise made of mounds of earth thrown up in two parallel lines: such a one is that at Leicester in the meadow near the river; it is called Rawdikes, from the ancient name of the city, Ratæ, capital of the Coritani; such another there is, called Dyke-hills, in the meadow of Dorchester, Oxfordshire, where the Tame and the Isis unite; Dobuni.
Exactly such another, belonging to our Trinobantum, is that we call Long-acre, or agger; which, we may be confident, was originally two parallel banks, the whole length of that street, and breadth: it has the same gentle sweep, or curve, as those other cursus’s: it then commanded a beautiful prospect over the present Covent-garden to the Thames, and an extensive view, both upward and downward, of the river, and into Surrey. The banks were designed for the spectators, and admirably well adapted to the purpose.
So that we may justly conclude, Knave’s-acre was the proper temple to the city of Trinobantum, and Long-acre their solemn place of races, accompanying the religious celebrations of the ancient citizens here, in the time of Cæsar. Long-acre is 1400 English feet in length, which is exactly 800 Druid cubits, two furlongs of the east, two stadia.
Give me leave to mention my fancy or conjecture of the founder of this alate temple and cursus, viz. ELI, father of Immanuence, and of Casvelhan: there was his tumulus on Windmill-street edge, at the end of Piccadilly: a windmill was erected on it in after-times. From it descends the street called Hedge-lane, from agger, the tumulus. I suppose the name of Piccadilly may be from its elevation, a Hybrid word composed from peak cad Eli, the tumulus ducis Eli. Cad is a common name of the Welsh kings.
Westminster, in Druid times, was a great wood, called afterward Thorney-isle, where they celebrated the autumnal Panegyre. Mr. Denman, a brass-founder, told me of three brass Celts dug up very low in the foundation of the Sanctuary at Westminster, which he melted; they were of whitish metal: also two more of the like, dug up in the bottom of the Thames, on digging the foundation of Westminster bridge, which he melted.
I shall only add a few observations, more than what is already done, concerning the plan of the oldest city of London. Where now is St. Paul’s was the forum, or market-place, comprehending the square area between Cheapside, the Old ’Change, Watling-street, and where now is the west end of St. Paul’s. The highest end of the city was the north-west corner, guarded by a steep precipice, where Madan-lane is, which imports as much. The north side of the city had a deep ditch, always filled with water from the morass of Moorfields and Smeethfield, now Smithfield. From hence the name of Lade-lane; for lade, in Saxon, is an artificial ditch, or drain: and this discharges the vulgar opinion of Ludgate taking its name from the river Flete, as if porta flumentana. Now we may well assert Dowgate to be truly such, the water-gate.
Our Saxon ancestors had some remembrance of the enlargement of London walls, by their naming of Aldgate, and Aldersgate, as sensible of the priority of one in date. It was A. D. 450, that they beat the Scots at Stamford, which is but little more than 100 years from the time of Constantine the Great, when these walls were built, and the title of Londinium Augusta commenced. That the city-walls were made by the empress Helena, is strongly confirmed by the history of the recovery of Britain to the Roman empire by Constantius Chlorus: for Asclepiodotus his general fought the Britons under the dominion of Allectus, under the old walls of London, at Walbrook, then the eastern boundary of the city, as historians particularly recite; and we may easily believe Cornhill to have been originally without the city, where the waggons stood that brought it. The historians likewise tell us, that the first palace of the British kings was in the south-west corner of the city, where afterwards Baynard’s castle stood, which likewise became a palace of our kings, before Bridewell was built: but when the empress Helena built the walls of the enlarged city, which walls for the most part now remain, the palace was then the present tower. Lastly, I apprehend, the oldest city which we are describing was walled about; for I cannot allow the Britons to be any wise inferior to the Gauls in art, either military or civil. When the city was enlarged and incompassed with new walls, the three roads beyond the east gate were converted into streets, as at present, Threadneedle-street, Cornhill and Lombard-street; as well as the Roman road, Gracechurch-street.