ON ITER XV. OF THE ITINEBABY OF ANTONINUS. 129 



are of a subordinate kind. There is no strong defensive en- 

 trenchment like that of Badbury ; but there does exist one of 

 those small rectangular earthworks, such as are not uncommon 

 on our Downs, which may have served for a cattle-pen, or en- 

 closure for ' sheep. The plough still turns up debris of ancient 

 Eoman habitation, such as fragments of brick and tile, and roof- 

 ing shale, and various kinds of pottery, fragmental, but we have 

 never heard of coins or weapons found there. There is no 

 military character about it ; and the extensive Celtic works are 

 suggestive of a pastoral and peaceful population. 



It may now be very fairly asked, what explanation can you 

 give of these evidences of Eoman occupation here, as well as on 

 Winterborne Kingston Down, if these are not the sites of the 

 stations they are asserted to be ? The answer is of the readiest. 

 These may have been the sites of subordinate stations, not of suffi- 

 cient importance to be noted in the Itinerary. Of this kind 

 were the mutationes and mansiones found near every line of Eoman 

 intercourse ; wayside hostelries, of great importance to the tired 

 and thirsty traveller, and his weary cattle, yet not of sufficient 

 importance to require special notice. It would indeed appear 

 that those stations only were especially named and noted which, 

 as military posts, were points of much importance. That many 

 of those secondary stations, nameless and forgotten, have, 

 nevertheless, existed along most lines of military road, is 

 manifest from the fact that long distances occur in some lines 

 without any intermediate station being marked ; for instance, in 

 the route from Durnovaria to Moridunum, which place, whether 

 it be Seaton or Honiton, is 36 miles from Dorchester, and yet 

 there is not one halting-place noted in that distance. But we 

 may we pretty sure that such did exist, of which there is some 

 evidence in the names of Cold Harbour and Hog-chester, in 

 localities where the Saxons very probably discovered traces 

 of Eoman occupation. Thus we have no difficulty in solving the 

 question respecting the discovery of Eoman indicia at Gussage 

 Down and at Winterborne Kingstone, without contemplating 

 them as evidences of important stations. The ingenuity and 



