Me quoque vicinis pereuntem gentibus inquit,
Munivit Stilico totam cum Scotus Hiernem
Movit & infesto spumavit remige Thetis.
Illius effectum curis, ne bella timerem
Scotica; nec Pictum tremeres ne littore toto
Prospicerem dubiis venientem Saxona ventis.
He was general to Theodosius.
CASTRVM EXPLORATORVM.
Now called Old Carlisle; a mile off Wigton, upon an eminence: the fairest show of foundations I ever yet saw: one might almost draw an intire plan of it, and of every dwelling. The castrum was double-ditched, 500 foot from south-east to north-west, 400 the other way: the wall has been dug up to the foundations; but the hollow where it stood on the edge of the rampart appears quite round, and the track of all the streets and buildings obvious. A street of forty foot wide quite round the inside of the wall. From the north-east entrance two Roman roads depart; one full north, as far as we could see, paved with coggles; on each side of it are the square plots of houses: the other road marches north-east, paved in like manner; it passes over two great moors, and there it is very apparent: we travelled along it to Carlisle. I saw a group of barrows near it. Many antiquities have been found at Old Carlisle, and inscriptions; one on the side of a house a mile off Wigton, as Mr. Gilpin told me: others are at Ilkirk.
There are several springs all round the bottom of the hill, and quarries; and an extensive prospect, especially toward the sea-shore. Some coal-works in our journey from Cockermouth hither. I doubt not but the Romans had knowledge of this subterraneous treasure, though they neglected it, because there was wood enough in their time: but Solinus mentions it among the wonders of Britain, that they burnt globos saxeos into ashes. I saw a silver Antoninus Pius found here; reverse, rector orbis.