46 Transactions. 



sensation in antiquarian circles. Mr Neilson, an engineer, familiar 

 with Roman remains, and who had been making' a very interesting 

 survey of the Wall of Antonine, spent some days in going over 

 the southern wall. He came to it, as he says, fully permeated 

 with the theory and the explanations so elaborately set forth in Dr 

 Bruce's work, and which, for some time past, has been adopted 

 largely on his authority by most antiquaries. As all who have 

 read this work, or heard the deceased veteran of Roman Archae- 

 ology in the north discourse, are aware, Dr Bruce had fully per- 

 suaded himself that the whole of the elaborate stone and earth- 

 work defences making up what is known as the Roman Wall were 

 parts of one work, erected all at the same time, and with one 

 fixed object, and without doubt erected by the Emperor Hadrian 

 during his long stay of ten years in Britain. He therefore un- 

 hesitatingly called it Hadrian's Wall ; and as Hadrian's Wall it is 

 commonly known in these days. Within Dr Bruce's lifetime, 

 liowever, this theory has been shari)ly contradicted ; and now that 

 the old Doctor is gone, it seems very likely that his theory of the 

 wall will not long survive him. Mr Neilson in his little book says 

 that though he went to the Wall fully believing that Dr Bruce 

 was right, that the stone murus and the earth vallum, which runs 

 by its side, were parts of the same work — the one intended to be a 

 defence against the north, and the other a defence against the 

 gouth — he was soon compelled to abandon this belief, and to come 

 to the conclusion that the murus and the vallum could not possibly 

 have been erected at one time, or as parts of one system of 

 defence. Persons who have not themselves visited the Roman 

 AVall may not be aware how very elaborate the work really is. 

 In only a few places can the whole system be seen in its entirety, 

 the effects of weather and of the tear and wear of fifteen cen- 

 turies having obliterated the contour of the earthwork over the 

 greater part of the line, even where the stone wall is still more or 

 less discernible. The following is a rough section of murus and 

 vallum, as it may still be seen in a few places, and as it no doubt 

 was along the whole of the route where the character of the 

 country did not render a modification of the plan imperative. 

 The Romans were not easily baffled by natural obstacles, how- 

 ever, and along a large stretch of country to the west of 

 Cilurnum Station the fosses have been quarried out of solid rock, 

 which has been built up on their- edge to form the aggers. They 



