158 OLD I JO ADS. I'AKT 111. 



ending in " le-street " as Ardwick-le-street, in York- 

 shire, and Chester-le-street, in Durham mostly mark 

 the direction of these ancient lines of road. 1 There is 

 one peculiarity in the roads constructed by the Romans 

 which must have struck many observers their remark- 

 able straightness. Level does not seem to have been 

 of consequence, compared with directness. This pecu- 

 liarity is supposed to have originated in an imperfect 

 knowledge of mechanics, for the Romans do not appeal- 

 to have been acquainted with the moveable joint in 

 wheeled carriages. The carriage-body rested solid Iv 

 upon the axles, which" in four-wheeled vehicles were 

 rigidly parallel with each other. Being unable readily 

 to turn a bend in the road, it has been concluded that for 

 this reason all their great highways were constructed in 

 as straight lines as possible. 



But most of these old roads having been neglected 

 and allowed to fall into decay, the forest and the waste 

 gradually resumed their dominion over them in most 

 places, until the roads of England became about the 

 worst in Europe. We find, however, that numerous 

 attempts were made in early times to preserve the 

 ancient ways and enable a communication to be main- 

 tained between the metropolis and the rest of the 

 country, as well as between one market town and 

 another. The state of the highways may be inferred 

 from the character of the legislation applying to them. 

 One of the first laws on the subject was passed in 

 1285, directing that all bushes and trees along the roads 

 leading from one market to another should be cut down 

 for two hundred feet on either side, to prevent robbers 

 lurking therein ; but nothing was proposed for amend- 

 ing the condition of the ways themselves. In 1346, 

 Edward III. authorised the first toll to be levied for the 

 repair of the roads leading from St. (riles' s-in-tlie-Fie Ids 



1 In Yorkshire, the old l!<maii n>;ul I in part by the name ol " Street - 

 from Tadcaster to York is still known Houses." 



