AGES OF BURIED FORESTS. 187 



which bears his name, but likewise in cutting wood, 

 draining marshes, and constructing bridges ; and although 

 Severus was never met by the British army in the open 

 field, yet he lost 50,000 men in the expedition. Besides 

 this, there are many roads found on the clayey ground 

 at the bottoms of the marshes, which are of the exact 

 description of the Roman military roads ; and some 

 exhibit tesselated pavements, which are confessedly the 

 work of the Romans. Such have been found in the 

 morasses of Kincardine, on the estates of Mr Drummond.* 

 The great north road of the Romans ran through Lindun 

 (Lincoln) to Segelochum (Littleborough-upon-Trent) and 

 thence to Danum (Doncaster), where they kept a permanent 

 garrison of horse. A large portion of the country had 

 been covered with forests, many of which still remained 

 in some parts ; and in other parts, on the high ground, 

 young trees grew up from the roots of those cut by the 

 invaders ; while those in the lower ground were soon 

 immersed in boggy swamps. In the fourteenth century we 

 are told the Caledonians committed considerable depre- 

 dations on the English borders ; to revenge which John 

 of Ghent, Duke of Lancaster, marched a large army into 

 Scotland, and it is said set 24,000 axes to work at once, 

 to destroy the Scottish woods. The Roman historians 

 themselves inform us that, when their armies pursued 

 the wild Britons, these people always sheltered themselves 

 in the miry woods and low watery forests. Caesar expressly 

 says this ; and observes, that Cassibelan and his Britons, 

 after their defeat, passed the Thames, and fled to such 

 low marshes and woods, that there was no pursuing them. 

 " But to return to the garrison of horse at Doncaster. 

 This was to awe the Britons, who swarmed in the great 

 forest, the borders of which extended very near to Don- 

 caster and the Trent, and came within a little distance of 

 the garrison. The Britons sallied out, and committed 

 such depredations, that the Romans at last became 



* Edinburgh Rep. of Arts, part I., page 269. 



