Old English Chronicles Part 55

[Footnote 541: Aldborough.]

[Footnote 542: York.]

[Footnote 543: Probably from the Ure, which receives the name of Ouse above York, on its junction with the Nid.]

[Footnote 544: Trent.]

[Footnote 545: To the Voluntii belonged the western part of Lancashire; and to the Sistuntii, the west of Westmoreland and c.u.mberland as far as the wall.]

[Footnote 546: Hence, in -- 31, they are called one people.]

[Footnote 547: Ribchester.]

[Footnote 548: Blackrode.]

[Footnote 549: Carlisle.]

[Footnote 550: The wall of Severus. The exact site of the barrier erected by Severus against the northern tribes, has furnished matter of dispute to many of our antiquaries. The researches of others, particularly Horsley, have, however, set this question at rest. From their information, joined to the scanty evidence of history, it has been proved that three walls or ramparts were erected by the Romans at different times, to secure the northern frontier of their dominions in Britain.

The first was a rampart of earth, from the Solway Frith to the Tine, raised by Hadrian about the year 120; but its form and construction have not been satisfactorily ascertained. It was, however, evidently nothing more than a line intended to obstruct the pa.s.sage of an enemy between the stations which const.i.tuted the real defences of the frontier.

The second was raised by Lollius Urbicus under the reign of Antoninus Pius, about 140, between the Friths of Forth and Clyde. This was likewise of earth, though perhaps faced with stone, and, like that of Hadrian, seems to have been intended as a line connecting the chain of stations, which formed a new barrier on the advance of the Roman arms.

In the course of both these was a military road communicating from station to station.

The last and most important is that begun by Severus, after his expedition against the Caledonians, about 208. It runs nearly over the same ground as that of Hadrian; but is a complete and well combined system of fortification. From an examination of its remains it appears to have been built of stone, fifteen feet high and nine thick. It had parapet and ditch, a military road, and was defended by eighteen greater stations placed at intervals of three to six miles; eighty-three castles at intervals of six to eight furlongs, and, as it is imagined, a considerable number of turrets placed at shorter distances.

Either from superior sagacity or superior information, Richard clearly distinguishes these three walls, which so much puzzled later writers, though it must be confessed that in other places he has suffered himself to be led into some errors in regard to their situation, and the persons by whom they were erected.--See b. ii. ch. 1, sect. 22, 27, 36, 37; ch.

2, sect. 17, 23. For a detailed account of these works the reader is referred to _Horsley's Britannia Romana_; _Warburton's Account of the Roman Wall_; _Hutchinson's Northumberland_; _Roy's Military Antiquities_; _Hutton's Account of the Roman Wall_.]

[Footnote 551: These were the Helvetii, whose emigration is mentioned in _Caes. Comm. de Bell. Gal. lib._ i. We have not discovered from what authority Richard draws his account of their emigration to Ireland.]

[Footnote 552: Caracalla.]

[Footnote 553: The Gadeni appear to have occupied the midland parts from the wall probably as far as the Forth.]

[Footnote 554: Uncertain.]

[Footnote 555: The Ottadini stretched along the eastern coast, from the wall as far as the Frith of Forth, and were bounded on the west by the Gadeni.]

[Footnote 556: Ribchester.]

[Footnote 557: Tweed.]

[Footnote 558: The Coquet.]

[Footnote 559: The North and South Tine.]

[Footnote 560: The Selgovae appear to have occupied all the shire of Dumfries, and part of Kirkudbright.]

[Footnote 561: Drumlanrig, or Kirkudbright.]

[Footnote 562: Uncertain.]

[Footnote 563: Birrenswork Hill.]

[Footnote 564: Nith.]

[Footnote 565: The Dee.]

[Footnote 566: The Eden.]

[Footnote 567: The Novantes held the south-western district of Scotland, from the Dee to the Mull of Galloway; that is, the west of Kirkudbright and Wigtown, and part of the Carrick division of Ayr.]

[Footnote 568: Rens of Galloway. It is not, however, more than eighteen miles from the nearest part of Ireland.]

[Footnote 569: By an error in the geographical or astronomical observations preserved by Ptolemy, the lat.i.tudes north of this point appear to have been mistaken for the longitudes, and consequently this part of Britain is thrown to the east.]

[Footnote 570: Wigtown, _Horsley_. Whithern, _Stukeley_, _Roy_.]

[Footnote 571: The Luce.]

[Footnote 572: Cree, _Roy_.]

[Footnote 573: Dee.]

[Footnote 574: The Lothers.]

[Footnote 575: Paisley, or Renfrew, _Roy_.]

[Footnote 576: Friths of Forth and Clyde.]

[Footnote 577: These people inhabited the princ.i.p.al part of what are called the Lowlands. Their territories beyond the Isthmus evidently stretched as far as the Grampians, consisting of great part of Ayr, all Renfrew and Lanark, a considerable part of Stirling, and perhaps Linlithgow.]

[Footnote 578: See page 448.]

[Footnote 579: Tay.]

[Footnote 580: It may perhaps appear superfluous to refer the antiquary to Roy's masterly Commentary on the campaigns of Agricola in this part of Britain; but it will scarcely be deemed so to observe, that we see few instances in which military and local knowledge are so well applied to the elucidation of antiquities.]

[Footnote 581: The h.o.r.estii occupied Clackmannan and Kinross, and part of Perth as far as the Tay. To them belonged likewise all the country stretching from the Grampians to Loch Lomond.]

[Footnote 582: Uncertain.]

[Footnote 583: Ardoch.]

[Footnote 584: Dealgin Ross.]

[Footnote 585: The Vecturones occupied the eastern part of Perth, Forfar, Kincardin, and part of Aberdeen.]