The Ichnography.
Stukeley delin.
Sturt sc.
[TAB. LXV.]Riding under the gate where the Watling-street enters, I observed immediately two arches of Roman work. I was overjoyed at sight of so noble an antiquity, which has never been mentioned. It was a square of twenty foot within; for so far are they distant from each other, and of so much diameter: they are exactly of the same manner as those at Lincoln; the stones not quite so large, nor so good: the breadth is 2½ foot. On each side was a portal, of a lesser arch, and lower, for foot-passengers; for part of the arch is left, and people now alive remember them open quite through; though now both these, and part of the great arch, are taken up by little paltry shops: or, rather, the lesser ones are quite pulled down, and even the great ones are in the utmost danger of falling; for the occupants of those places cut away part of the bottom of the semicircle to enlarge their shops. The portals answered to the Rows (as they call them) so remarkable in this city, being portico’s quite through on both sides the streets, undoubtedly continued in a manner from the Roman times. It is admirable that these vast arches, made of stones of so large dimensions, and laid without mortar, can stand at all when their proper butment is destroyed: that which regards the city has a key-stone: in both, below the lowest stone of the arch, the two next courses downward project a little inward, in nature of imposts; and over the crown of the arches runs a course of projecting stones moulded a little, but coarsely: the stones are artfully, though rudely cut; to which it is owing that they are not fallen, as depending wholly on their own principles, and the manner of their masonry, or geometry. Here terminates the famous Watling-street, whose beginning in Dover valley I walked over in May last. The road is here preserved, going by the river side to Aldford.
The ancient subterraneous canals are perfect still; their outlets into the river under the city-walls are visible; and they say that they are so high, that a man may walk upright their whole length. Wherever they dig, they find subterraneous vaults and arches, and all manner of antiquities; many of which were collected by the late Mr. Prescot, prebend of the cathedral here, and now remain in the hands of his son.
The city is commodiously placed in an angle of the river, which washes and protects two sides of it. As I said, it is an oblong square, 600 paces one way, 400 the other; that is, 3000 feet by 2000. Two principal streets run its length at equal distances from the walls and each other: one may be called Principium, having the gates at each end; the other is Quintana: they are crossed in the middle by the via prætoria, where are the gates Decumana and Prætoria. Another principal street runs on each side it, equidistant from it, and the walls of the ends: these may be called strigæ. Other lesser streets, or hemistrigæ, subdivide some of the squares made by the principals. Thus must the original scheme be understood, when the military and civil citizens first founded and inhabited the place. The little difference now is caused by the cathedral and the castle: the castle, the seat of Hugh Lupus, count palatine, and his successors, is built, for the most part, beyond the limits of the Roman walls, in that angle next the flexure of the river; consisting of a great court, and keep, strongly walled, and fenced with a ditch: the city-wall carried still round without it. To the north of the castle is some small remnant of a nunnery. The meadow between the walls and the river here is called Rood-eye, from a cross there, the stump whereof remains: upon this they keep a horse-race. The city-walls are carefully repaired by the corporation, and make an agreeable walk quite round: they are founded intirely on the rock. The churches have every where, as in other places, deformed the streets, which are originally the most noble and spacious I have seen. The whole city has a descent every way from the centre. The castle is rendered strong as the nature of the place will allow of: here the earls called their courts of parliament, and administered all affairs of state and judicature with regality.
Last year, digging in the chapter-house, they found the bodies of some of the old earls palatine, wrapped up in leather sewed; but within that, they were laid in woolen, like what we call wadding: the bones are pretty perfect, but the flesh is gone. They showed us one, thought to be Randulf Demeschin, the last earl, laid in a stone coffin; a place left for his head: he lies on the right hand of Hugh Lupus, the first earl.
They have built a large handsome exchange over-against the front of the cathedral, with pillars of one stone. The city is not set precisely east and west, though pretty near it. The ancient Roman gate at the Watling-street was larger than the rest, because of the entrance of the Roman ways there from Condate, Bonium, and the greatest part of the kingdom; likewise for readier passage of the soldiers upon occasion, most requisite that way; two of the other gates being fenced by the river: therefore this extends in front to 80 foot. This city in Roman times must have appeared admirably beautiful, with such spacious streets: the tradesmens shops and houses I suppose then to have been next the piazza’s of the streets; the soldiers tenements backwards, with gardens into the squares, as it is at present. The river, which once washed the city-walls, is now thrown off to some considerable distance by salt-marshes: a dam too is made across it by the bridge, for the sake of the mill; and by other mismanagements it grows worse every day, so that ships cannot come up near the place; whence the only little trade they have accruing from the passage into Ireland, is in danger.
[TAB. LXVI.]I saw at Mr. Prescot’s the Roman altar of Flavius Longus: it is very intire, and very prettily ornamented. On the top where the discus usually is, is cut the head of a Genius within a garland: on one side is a Genius with a cornucopia; on the other, a flower-pot with leaves of brank-ursin. It was found under a house by east-gate. He has more fragments of antiquity; Roman bricks, square for paving, a foot each side ; some marked LEG. XX. V. two inches and an eighth high; some hollow bricks with a double cavity for hypocausts. He has likewise a curious statue of the god Mithras with the Phrygian bonnet, and a torch in his hands, standing cross-legged: it was found under a niche of the wall, between east-gate and the river. Some of the bricks are thus marked, LEG. XX. V. V. which demonstrates they mean the legio vicesima valeria victrix. The altar has a square pedestal of one stone, which it stood on: the back of the altar is carved with drapery, and a festoon. Along with it was found a little earthen pot like a lamp; a brass winged Genius, small; two brass fibula’s; all in Mr. Prescot’s possession: he has likewise a brass camp-kettle, with two rings, 21 Roman inches high, found near here. The other inscription, which his father had, of PRAESENGVNTA, is sent to Oxford. He has also a very large collection of coins, brass, silver, and gold, most found at Chester. A golden British bracelet weighing 19 guineas, found lately in Wales, was melted down by a goldsmith here.