73·2d. Roman Monuments found at Elenborough now in the house of Humphry Senhouse Esqr.
Stukeley delin.
Sturt sc
COCKERMOUTH.
At this place they manufacture cotton yarn for candlewicks. It owes its name to the river Cocker, here emptying itself into the Derwent. The castle belonging to the dukes of Somerset stands in the angle of union, and very pleasantly: the valley is rich ground: it was a stately building, and strong in the old manner; but now they daily pull it down for the sake of its materials. They report that the earth of the vallum on the outside the walls was fetched from Ireland, whence no venomous creature can pass over it. A fine vault here, which they call the Chapel.
OLENACVM. Elenborough.
Going toward this Roman station, we passed the river Derwent, and over a moor not far from the sea, where are coal-mines. Elenborough is a little village on the river Elen, the daughter of a great Roman city, which has produced a copious and instructive harvest of antiquities; as may be seen in Mr. Camden, p. 826. I quote Dr. Gibson’s first edition; for his second does disgrace this most excellent author, by mixing the notes with his masterly text. Here that great genius of old Britain, with Sir Robert Cotton, was entertained by the ancestor of the present possessor, Humphrey Senhouse, esq; who inherits a true love for these studies. His seat is on the other side the river: the walls of the house are incrusted over,[TAB. LXIII.] as we may say, with inscriptions, carvings, and bas reliefs, taken from the ruins of the Roman city. The first cohort of the Dalmatians, the first cohort of the Spaniards, and the first cohort of the Bœtasians, here kept garrison; as appears by the inscriptions.
TAB. [LXX.] [LXXI.]That noble altar now at Sir James Lowther’s, at Whitehaven, belongs to this place; the grandest yet seen in Britain: it is five foot and a half high: on the back, VOLANTI VIVAS import a sacred wish for the prosperity of his friend Volantius, hoping to see him again. Mr. Gale has observed several of this sort in Gruter.
In the wall of Mr. Senhouse’s dwelling is a curiosity seldom to be met with; a very large stone, whereon a man on horseback is designed to be carved, but left unfinished: it is a pleasure to see only the sketch of a Roman artist; and we are not to suspect these works here are so barbarous as our authors make them, for want of proper skill in drawing.