YONGE STREET AND DUNDAS STREET. €21 



Having had an opportunity last year of waiting on Major Eiooke and 

 viewing tMs Roman villa, I was first struck with the appearance that 

 Mansfield was probably a Roman station, from whence the villa was 

 not above a mile distant, and indeed was in sight of it j and I thought 

 I saw traces of some Roman roads running near it. On viewing the 

 villa itself (which I found well worth the view), I saw a post still 

 nearer it which had all the appearance of a Roman camp, from its 

 form and other circumstances; but on inquiry from Major Rooke, he 

 assui-ed me there was no such thing there, nor Roman road in the 

 neighbourhood. However, having communicated to him my senti- 

 ments grounded on observations which I had occasionally made on 

 Roman roads, stations and camps, from whence I had formed a decided 

 opinion that there was a uniform system of such roads, camps and 

 stations throughout the kingdom, and all connected with each other 

 as diverticula, I entreated Major Rooke to look a little more nar- 

 rowly into this poLat; and ventured to prophesy that, on searching 

 further into this particular spot, which wore the name of Pleasley 

 Wood, he would not only find that to be a Roman station, but would 

 probably from thence be able to trace a connected chain of them 

 through the country. The time and the season not allowing of it 

 then, he promised to do so as he had leisure and opportunity; and 

 the result of his labours is contained in the treatise herewith enclosed, 

 I hope I shall be forgiven if I take this opportunity, fortified by this 

 experiment of the truth of my ideas on the subject, humbly to submit 

 it to the Society whether they would not think it advisable to direct 

 some encouragement should be given to an investigation of all the 

 Roman roads, camps and stations throughout the kingdom, county 

 by county, for the purpose of ascertaiaing the connected military 

 system and principles on which they were formed; which may lead 

 to a curious discovery of the extent and situation of the many Roman 

 towns, camps and villas which must have existed in this country 

 during the period of four hundred years for which Britain was a very 

 distinguished member of the great Roman Empire. Such investiga- 

 tion, gradually but regularly pursued, would neither be expensive nor 

 laborious, there being very little doubt but that there are ingenioxis 

 persons in every county, who, on such a wish being properly com- 

 municated to them by the Society, would readily second those wishes, 

 and, with very little assistance in having plans or drawings made by 



