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The Military Antiquities of the Romans in North Britain, and particularly their ancient System of Caftrametation, illuftrated from Veftiges of the Camps of Agricola exifting there: Hence his March from South into North Britain is in fome Degree traced. Comprehending alfo a Treatife, wherein the ancient Geography of that Part of the Ifland is rectified, chiefly from the Lights furnished by Richard of Cirencester. Together with a Defcription of the Wall of Antoninus Pius, commonly called Grime's Dyke. To which is added, an Appendix, containing detached Pieces. The Whole being accompanied with Maps of the Country, and Plans of the Camps and Stations, &c. By the late William Roy, F. R. S. F. S. A. Major-General of bis Majefty's Forces, Deputy Quarter-Mafter-General, and Colonel of the Thirtieth Regiment of Foot. Folio. 51. 5s. Boards. White. 1793.

HOUH this fplendid publication, which does honour to

the state of the arts in this country, bears a title thus extenfive, it is nevertheless confined to the northern parts of this ifland; and indeed, with one or two exceptions, to Scotland only, where the Roman camps are more entire than in the more cultivated regions. Amid fome conjectures rather overftrained on the fituation of fome Roman towns, or forts, mentioned by ancient writers, and a vifible want of erudition, in abfcribing almost all the Roman camps in Scotlandto Agricola, while the invafions of Lollius Urbicus, Severus, &c. are forgotten; the author has nevertheless difplayed great industry, and no mean talents. The Society of Antiquaries deferve great praises for the publication of this work, which being that of a man highly accomplished in military fcience, and executed with confiderable labour and fkill, cannot but be confidered as an acquifition both to the geographer and the antiquarian.

It confifts of a prefatory introduction, ftating the circumftances that gave rife to the undertaking, the objects the author had in view from it, and the order in which he designs to treat his fubjects. Of the firft it is merely fuggefted, that an inquiry into antiquity is one of the most natural fubjects of human curiofity, and that it is no lefs confiftent with the order of things, that the inquiries of an individual fhould be more immediately directed in the line of his own profeflion. Hence general Roy's predilection for the military antiquities of his native country, a fubject, which, as applying to the means of its defence, may be faid to poffefs a degree of importance not always annexed to the labours of the antiquary.

In his map, genera! Roy has placed the Horefii in Angus, inftead of Fife, and has given us a fitious town Alateroa, a name ridiculously derived from an infcription Matribus Alaterais, as if these Mutres (probably the German divinities of a German legion) had any connectoin with the name of the town. See many Mures in Gruter's and other codedions of infcriptions.

C. R. N. AR. (XI.) Jane, 1794.

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The nature of a country, he obferves, will always, in a great degree, determine the principles upon which every war there muft be conducted. In the courte of many years a moraffy country may be drained; one that was originally covered with wood may be laid open; or an open country may be afterward enclosed: yet while the ranges of mountains, the long extended vallies, and remarkable rivers, continue the fame, the reafons of war cannot eflentially change. Hence it will appear evident, that what, with regard to fituation, was an advantageous post when the Romans were carrying on their military operations in Britain, muft, in all effential refpects, continue to be a good one now; proper allowances being made for the difference of arms, and other changes which have - taken place between the two periods.

..It is from reflections of this fort that military men, when they perceive the veftiges of ancient Roman works, are natuurally led to endeavour to find out the reafons by which that people were guided in conducting their wars; and as far as thefe are found to agree with the general principles depending on the local fituation of the country, and with the particular circumftances related in history, they thereby attempt to trace the movements of the Roman armies.'

The public monuments of Roman grandeur which exift in the prefent day, our author obferves, have refifted the injuries of time through the folidity of their conftruction, and the great du-' rability of the materials of which they were originally compofed. But although the cafe be otherwife with regard to their military works, which, as may be fuppofed, were formed of much flighter materials, no part of their vaft empire, not even Italy, furnishes fo ftriking a variety of thefe remains as are to be found in Britain, many of them too in an exceedingly perfect ftate. Of thefe military works the author diftinguishes two kinds; first, the caftra fativa, or field redoubts, now found in a more entire flate from their having been originally conftructed of more durable materials, and calculated for the maintenance of a garrifon; fecondly, entrenchments of a flighter and more temporary nature, thrown up for occafional defence only, when the Roman army, which fometimes confifted of 30,000 or 40,000 men, found them neceflary to their fafety during a stay of only a few days, or, on fome occafions, of a fingle night only. The former are very evident, and go under the general name of Roman camps in this country; but the latter, for obvious reafons, are more difficult to trace. In our author's apprehenfion, indeed, it is a matter of astonishment that there inould be at all diftinguithed after a lapfe of fo many centuries. North Britain, however, furnithes many teftimonies of this fact; a circumftance that our author is difpofed to attribute to the flow progrefs of cultivation in that quarter of the kingdom; an opinion which, indeed, appears greatly fupported by probability.

To his knowledge of North Britain, and the relative fituation of its different parts, general Roy's employment in the conduct of a public work, between the years 1747 and 1755, appears to have been conducive in a very material degree. Nor were his views on this fubject lefs extended by the information communicated by lieutenant general Melvill, who, when a captain in the 25th regiment, effected the discovery of the Roman camps fuppofed to have been occupied by Agricola's army, in Strathmore, of which an account is given in Mr. Gough's edition of Camden's Britannia. These particulars are followed by an account of the temporary camps, found adjoining to the ftation in Strathallan, fimilar to thofe in Strathmore, and fuppofed to have been occupied by the fame army.

After an interval of eight years, during which the author was engaged in tracing the movements of modern armies, the accidental difcovery of a camp in the south west of Scotland, became the ftimulus to farther inquiries. Hence, in the autumn of 1764, a camp of the true kind was found at Cleghorn, in Clydefdale, and foon after, one exactly like it, at Lokerby, in Annandale. These two being of the fmaller dimenfions, feemed to prove, that one divifion at leaft of Agricola's army, or of fome other that ufed a form of caftrametation agreeing with his, had marched by this road. The routes by which the Roman army penetrated into Scotland from the northern countries of England, became evident from these discoveries; in addition to which may be noticed, the traces of military entrenchments, found about three miles north of Perth, on the eaft bank of the Tay, which thews the paffage of the whole army over that great river.

From the information our author had thus acquired, he conceived the poffibility of clearing up two points on which antiquaries had exceedingly difagreed, namely, as to the ancient fyftem of caftrametation of the Romans, and the march of Agricola into Caledonia.

To a more correct knowledge of the Roman history and geography of Britain in general, more particularly the northern part of it, general Roy remarks, the work of Richard of Ciren cefter, difcovered in Germany or Denmark, and fince published, has very effentially contributed. Conceiving it neceffary to avail himself of thefe important lights, he was induced not only to extend his plan, but also to make fome changes in its arrangement. What farther relates to this elaborate undertaking, we find very well explained in the following words of he author:

At first nothing hiftorical was intended, excepting the tranfactions of that short, but interefting period, comprehending Agricola's campaigns. In older, however, to render the work lefs defective

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than otherwife it must have been, and that the mind might keep Face with the progrefs of the Romans in extending their conquests northward, and thus be gradually led to the chief thing propofed, there feemed to be propriety in giving a concife account of their affairs here, from the first invasion of Julius Cæfar, to the time when Agricola took the command. This, of courfe, forms the first hiftorical period; the fecond comprehends Agricola's campaigns only, as extracted from Tacitus; and the third, from his recall by Domitian to the final dereliction of the island by the Romans, was judged equally neceflary, to flew that it was probably in a great measure owing to the fhort and precarious poffeffion they had of North Britain, and to the almoft continual wars they were engaged in with the natives, that the ancient geography of this part of the island is not fo well afcertained as that of South Britain, which they had completely conquered, and whereof they enjoyed an uninterrupted poffeffion during a series of many years. This abridged hiftory is comprifed in the first book: as nothing new is offered in it, therefore, the authors from whom it is borrowed are not mentioned on every occafion; which will eafily appear without always quoting them. With regard to the points of chronology, they are in general taken from Horsley, who feems to have deduced them with fufficient ac

curacy.

The fecond book relates entirely to the original inftitution of the Roman militia, and their ancient fyftem of caftrametation; being the first with regard to the order of compilation, as formerly mentioned; and as in illuftrating the method of encamping the Roman armies, from the lights furnished by the ancients themselves, fome new points are attempted to be eftablifhed; therefore the authorities, when neceffary, are conftantly quoted.

In the third book is given a fhort defcriptive account of the face of the country of North Britain in general, and of the temporary Roman camps exifting there; hence the actual ftrength of Agricola's army is afcertained. And this ultimately leads to another chief thing propofed, viz. a commentary on the campaigns of that Roman general; wherein his movements are traced, as far as the veftiges of his remaining camps, compared with the circumstances related by Tacitus, do furnish any probable light. And as plans of these camps are referred to in the defcription, thence will appear the great fimilarity between them and thofe delineated by Polybius, particularly that of two confular armies united within the fame intrenchment, whereby the temporary caftrametation of the Romans will be farther illuftrated. But here it feems neceffary to obferve, that though a confiderable part of thefe plans were made from accurate measurement, yet this was not always the cafe; it being impoffible, now and then on a journey, to find time, or conftantly to be proved, with the neceffary inftruments for taking exact plans. Some of them were, therefore, done by common pacing only; and as the fame fort of fidelity feems neceflary in pian-drawing as in history, in order not to milead, therefore, fuch as are taken after

this

this flighter method are called sketches, to distinguish them from those that were measured with precifion, though it is hoped, that even the flightest kind will be found not to depart effentially from the truth.

The fourth book relates chiefly to the ancient geography of North Britain, which is here attempted to be rectified, principally from the lights furnished by Richard of Cirencester. It contains

a fummary account of the difcovery and general arrangement of Richard's work, together with fuch extracts from him, as more immediately refpect North Britain. Then follows a defcription of the Roman military ways, leading from the north of England into Scotland, with fome account of the mile-ftones they seem to have made ufe of in Britain. Next in order is a commentary on Richard's work, as far as relates to the three northern provinces, Valentia, Vefpasiana, and Caledonia; wherein the ancient names of places, and itinerary distances, on fuch of Richard's routes as extend into North Britain, are compared with the modern names affigned to these places in the commentary, and their relative distances in English and Roman miles, meafured on a good map of the country. Plans or sketches of the feveral ftations are likewife referred to, where the fame diftinction, with regard to exactnefs, is to be obferved, as mentioned in the camps, Sections too of thefe works, are fometimes added to their plans; which, nevertheless, are only to be confidered in the general fenfe, as helping to give a jufter idea of the fituation and nature of the work, without any intention that they fhould be depended upon, with regard to the real comparative heights.

The laft chapter o this book contains an account of the wall of Antoninus Pius, commonly called Grim's Dyke, running along the neck of land between the Forth and the Clyde; accompanied with a general plan of the wall and ifthmus, and particular plans and fections of the forts that now exift upon it.'

In addition to this, it is only neceffary for us to fay, that feveral detached pieces, which tend to throw light on the feveral fubjects difcuffed in the work, are given in an Appendix; after which follows a feries of fplendid, and (as it appears from the teftimony of thofe entrusted with the publication) accurate engravings, executed in a ftyle fuitable to fo magnificent a work, and amounting, in the whole, to the number of fifty-one.

The Count de Villeroi; or, the Fate of Patriotifm: a 800. 2s. 6d. Cadell. 1794.

Tragedy

THIS is profeffedly a party play: the author declares in his Preface, that he thinks it the duty of every man at the prefent conjuncture to give fome proof of his attachment to government, and with this view he has produced the prefent performance. We cannot help faying, we hope writing of plays will not come to be a common mode of fhewing a perfon's loyalty; nor can we acquiefce in the author's pofition, that the goodness

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