68 On some Place-Names near Malmesbury, 



that the native races maintained a sufficient hold on a portion of 

 the territory to stamp on them the fact of their still inhabiting 

 them as a distinct race. 



(II.) We have now to consider what traces in "Place-names" in 

 this neighbourhood the Romans have left behind them. 



These, as has been already intimated, are not numerous. And 

 it is singular enough, that, though every county bordering upon 

 Wilts has its " cester " or " Chester" (the modern form of the Latin 

 " castra" =castle, or encampment), there is none here. In Hants 

 you have Wm-chester ; in Berks, Sil-ckester ; in Gloucestershire, 

 there are Glou-cester and Ciren-c^^r ; in Somerset, there is II- 

 chester, and Bath was once called BaLthsm-ceaster . You seek in vain 

 for a similar compound in Wiltshire. 



The few remaining traces of Roman occupation are found naturally 

 enough in the names of places situated near their great roads. Thus 

 in Easton Grey, a parish through which the " Foss-way " passes, 

 you meet with Foss-knoll ; and then again you have Fox-cote (an 

 evident corruption for Foss-cote) which means the " cotter's dwelling 

 near the fosse." 



The name Stratton (=a village by the Stratum, i.e., street or 

 public road) is to be found more than once. We have Upper 

 Stratton, and Stratton St. Margaret, not far from Swindon. 

 There is a place of the same name also on the Gloucestershire border. 



Near Bedwin, by which a Roman road passed, there have been dis- 

 covered abundant traces of Roman occupation. Bedwin Brail is 

 probably a modern corruption of the late Latin word (< bruelletus" 

 which means a small coppice. Btjrbage, which is in the same 

 neighbourhood, and which occurs also in Berkshire and Leicestershire, 

 is not unlikely to be an English form of the Latin berbiagium, from 

 berbex a mediseval form for vervex (=a sheep) which means a sheep- 

 run or pasture. No doubt some local names are due to Roman 

 vestiges, which yet sprung up after a long break in the thread of 

 Roman tradition. 



Then again we have, near this place, the name Cold-Harbour, 

 one which is invariably found in the vicinity of Roman roads, or 

 of Roman remains. There can be little doubt that the English gave 



