ROMAN ROADS. 8 



face of the globe ever colonised, or long possessed, 

 by this nation, which does not yet afford some 

 testimony of their having had a footing on it ; this 

 people, who, so long before their power existed, it 

 was predicted, should be of " a fierce countenance, 

 dreadful, terrible, strong exceedingly, with great 

 iron teeth that devoured and broke in pieces:" 



where'er thy legions camp'd, 



Stern sons of conquest, still is known, 



By many a grassy mound, by many a sculptured stone. 



Almost every Roman road that I have observed 

 appears to have been considerably elevated above 

 the surrounding soil, and hence more likely to 

 remain apparent for a length of time than any of 

 those of modern construction, which are flat, or 

 with a slight central convexity ; the turf, that in 

 time by disuse would be formed over them, would 

 in one case present a grassy ridge, in the other be 

 confounded with the adjoining land. 



Coins of an ancient date, I think, have not 

 been found here* ; nor do we possess any remains 

 of warlike edifices, or religious endowments. Our 

 labourers have at various times dug up by the road 

 side several skeletons of human beings, and of 

 horses ; they were in general but slightly covered 



* Some money was found in one of our fields a few years past, 

 which fame', as in all such cases, without perhaps any foundation, 

 enlarged to a considerable sum. The nature of the coin I know 

 not. A few old guineas were admitted ; but from fear of that 

 spectre " tresor trove," the whole was concealed, whatever it 

 might be. 



B 2 



