An Account of the Romans in the Southerly Parts of Britain, till the Time of Julius Agricola's Invading Caledonia, or Scotland, with a Roman Army. H AVING, in my Preface, fhewn the Advantages attending the valuable Study of Antiquity, as also the Motives which induced me to undertake this Work; the next Thing neceffary, is, To give an Account of the Time, when the land of Britain was first invaded by the Romans, and of their chief Actions there, till Agricola's March into Caledonia: All which, I fhall do with as much Brevity as poffible, seeing I am not to act the Part of an Hiftorian, but to introduce, in their due Order of Time, the Affairs of Roman Antiquity, in the Northern Parts of the Island: Nor fhall I trouble my Reader, with enumerating the many fabulous Accounts of the Romans in our Country, given by fome of the British Hiftorians in the Monkish Times; their Contradictions to Claflick Authority, fufficiently known in this learned Age, bear evident Marks of having been originally no more than idle and Monaftick In ventions. I fhall, therefore, at prefent, confine my self to that concife Account, given us by Tacitus, of the Romans first landing in our Island, and the Succeffion of their their Emperors and Generals till Agricola; in whofe Life, that Great Author informs us, that the first Roman who attempted the Conqueft of Britain, was Julius Cæfar. Cambden makes this Invafion to have happened 54 Years before Chrift, Milton 53; but according to Dr. (a) Hally's more accurate Calculation, It was in the Year of Rome 699. and Ante Chriftum ss. viz. when M. Craffus and Cneius Pompeius were Confuls. Cafar's Succefs, in his several Invafions upon the Ifland, is very elegantly fumm'd up by Tacitus, when he fays, (b) Poteft videri oftendiffe pofteris, non tradidiffe. Cafar, instead "of conquering the Inland of Britain, did little more than point out to his Succeffors, that fuch a noble Country might be fubdued by them, though " he himself could not perfect fo great a Work. The Reason is plain; for Tacitus immediately fubjoins thefe Words: (c) Mox Bella Civilia, & in Rempublicam verfa principum arma, ac longa oblivio Britannia, etiam in pace. That is, Civil Wars broke forth at that Time in the Roman State, "and the Arms of Princes were turned against the Republick itself, so that "Britain, even in the Time of Peace, was for a long while forgot." As for Auguftus, Julius's Succeffor, notwithstanding we learn from fome, (d) that he intended an Invasion on Britain, yet afterwards he deem'd it Policy not to moleft that Country; thinking it rather Prudence to fet a Boundary to the overgrowing Grandeur of the Empire. Tiberius, his immediate Succeffor, held it as a Maxim, never to attempt that Conqueft, as Tacitus tells us, (e) Confilium id Divus Auguftus vocabat, Tiberius Præceptum. Caligula, who fucceeded Tiberius, had a Defign of invading Britain, but by his own Inftability, and Cowardice, it never had any Effect. But Claudius, who came to the Empire after Caligula, undertook the Conqueft of the land in earnest, in the 43d Year after Chrift. He it was, who ient over Legions and Arms, under the Command of Vefpafian, afterwards Emperor, and in whole Time, Aulas Plautius, and Oftorius Scapula, both famous Warriors, were dispatch'd into Britain, who foon reduced the moit Southerly Parts of the Ifland to the Form of a Roman Province. After them, Didius Gallus erected a few small Garrisons, and Castles yet further within the Country. Some Authors, particularly Bede (f) gives an Account, that the Emperor Claudius not only fubdued the South Parts of the Island, but extended his Conquefts as far as the Orcades. His Words are, Orcades etiam Infulas ultra Britanniam in Oceano pofitas, Romano adjecit Imperio. And this he tells us, happened, A. U. C. 797. For my Part, I think it ftrange, it Claudius fubdued the Orcades, that he did not give us the firft Account of Britain being an Island; which Discovery is intirely attributed to Julius Agricola, for Tacitus fays, (g) Hanc oram novissi mi maris, tunc primum Romana claffis, circumvecta, Infulam effe Britanniam affirmavit, ac fimul incognitas, ad id tempus, Infulas quas Orcades vocant. This Account of Bede, likewife contradicts Dio, who affirms, That Agricola was the firft Roman who failed with his Fleet to the Orcades, and difcovered Britain to be an Ifland. (b) Eodem tempore bellum extitit in Britannia, quo bello Cneius Julius Agricola, regionem hoftium univerfam vastavit, primufque omnium Romanorum, quod fciamus, Britanniam circumfufam effe mari undique cognovit. Since, therefore, Bede's Affertion fo manifeftly contradicts thefe celebrated Claffick Authors, we have (a) Phil. Tranf. p. 412. (b) Tacit. Vita Agricolæ. (c) Eadem Vita Agricolæ (a) Vid. Horat. lib. I. Ode xxxv. Serves iturum Cæfarem in ultimos orbis Britannos. (e) Vita Agricola. (f) Bede Hiftor. Ecclef. cap. 3. (g) Vita Agricole. () Xephil. a Dione, lib. 66. in vita Titi. Imp. Reason, Reason, methinks, to diffent from him, as alfo from Nennius, and Fordon, who are of the fame Opinion. After Claudius, Nero fucceeded to the Empire, A.U.C. 807. Anno Chrifti 53. in whose Time, Veranius had the Command of Britain given him, but he died within a Year after his Arrival there. Next to him Suetonius Paulinus held the Command of the Britannick Province, for two Years, with much Success; fubjecting other Parts of the Island to the Roman Power. He march'd towards Mona (i. e. Anglefey) defigning to reduce it, which little Inland had fuccour'd and fupply'd the Britons, who had, before that Time, taken up Arms in Defence of their Country. This Revolt happen'd, when Paulinus's Back was turn'd upon the Province of Britain, in his March to Mona, and was carried on under the Conduct of the famous Boadicia; but the Succefs of one profperous Battle, gain'd by the Romans, reduc'd the poor Britons to their former Obedience. (a) Quam unius prælij fortuna veteri patientia reftituit. After this remarkable Overthrow Petronius Turpilianus, a Man of à gentler and milder Difpofition than his Predeceffor, was fent over, who, when the Affairs in Britain were settled, deliver'd up the Roman Province there, to his Succeffor Trebellius Maximus, in whofe Time the Roman Army in Britain mutinied, and though he quell'd the Disturbance, in a manner, without Blood, yet by reason of his Pufillanimity, he himself was kept in more fear of the Soldiers, than they were of their General. Vectius Bolanus, fucceeded Trebellius in the Command, but as he was a Man rather of less Authority than his Predeceffor, his caly indolent Temper, was the Occasion why the Military Discipline among the Romans in Britain, was almost lost, till Vefpafian (who by this Time being declared Emperor, Anno Chrifti 69.) took Pains to establish the Glory of the Roman Arms in that Part of the World. Tacitus has this fine Expreflion concerning him, (b) Domita gentes, capti reges, & monftratus fatis Vefpafianus. This great Emperor, defigning to make an effectual Conqueft of this Ifland, fent over the valiant Petilius Cerialis, who ftruck no small Terror in the Britons, befieging their Cities, and vanquishing the Brigantes; who, according to Cambden, were the Inhabitants of Torkshire, Lancashire, and Bishoprick of Durham : all this Cerialis effected with no fmall Success. After this valiant General, Julius Frontinus arrived here, and fubdued that brave and couragious People the Silures, who, according to Cambden, then inhabited South-Wales; viz. the Counties of Hereford, Brecknock, and Monmouth. After Frontinus, Julius Agricola, was fent over by Vefpafian, towards the End of his Reign, which is reckon'd to have been about A. U. C. 829. in the 75th Year of Chrift, and 137 from the first Landing of Julius Cafar in the lfland. (a) Zacit, Vita Agricolæ. (b) Tacit. Vita Agricola. СНА Р. |