y% The Statural Hi '/lory 



ancienter days, is plain out of Tacitus : Fert Britannia (fays he) 

 Aurum is Argentum, isr alia met alia, pretium vitlori<e d . And 

 Prince Galgacus chief Captain of the Britans, now beat Back as 

 far as Mount Grampius in Scotland, in his fpeech (before the fight 

 with the Proprietor Agricola) exciting them to indignation againft 

 the Romans ; amongft other things tells them, that thefe were the 

 men that had taken from them their fertile Soil, their Mines, and 

 trading Towns : Neque enim Arva nobis, aut metalla, aut Tortus 

 funt, quibws exercendis refervemur e . Now all gold whatever con- 

 taining (pmefelver more or lefs, and the Britans not being able to 

 refine it then, as in after Ages, were neceflitated to coin ElecJrum 

 after this manner. 



13. That they had and coined fi her in thefe early times, is 

 alfo plain from Mr. Camden, Mr. Speed, (yc. who have given us 

 draughts of filver Coins of Cunobelin, Venutius King of the Bri- 

 gantes, and Caraflacus King of the Silures, both which make not 

 a little for the reputation of my conjecture 62 and 63 of the 

 fixth Chapter of this Ejfay, the Mines there mention'd, in all pro- 

 bability, being fome of thofe fpoken of by Tacitus, and perhaps 

 firft belonging to the aboriginal Britans, and after to the Ro~ 

 mans. 



14. To this if it be objected out of Cdefars Commentaries, that 

 the Britans then ufed only Copper (and that imported) and Iron 

 rings inftead of mony f ; and that this gold might either be alfo 

 imported, or the Mines difcover'd after the conquefts of the 

 Romans. It may rationally be anfwer'd, that Cdefars account of 

 the State of Brltan (as has been (hewn alfo before in another cafe, 

 Chap. 3.. 2. of this Ejfay') is as imperfect as his Victories or Tra- 

 vels in it were. For we find in Mr. Speed a gold coin of King 

 Cajfrvellaun, who was King here in Britan at Coefars arrival ; befide 

 the Romans came then not to enrich, but to fpoil Britan, how un- 

 likely it is therefore they fhould fupply them with gold, or find 

 them Mines fo early, let the Reader judge. 



1 5 . Whereunto it may be added (as Tacitus informs us) that 

 Coefar rather difcovered then conquered Britan ; that he rather 

 frightened the Inhabitants on the (hoars, than got footing there : 

 Quanquam proffer a pugna ter merit Incolas, ac littore potitusfit, pot eft 



< TadWinvitaJulii AgricoU, caj>. I*, f UiJtm cap. 51. < Julii Cffar. Comment. Jt Btll$ Galil- 

 eo, lit. 5. 



in 



