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We find that on the sites of the British towns and fortresses, 
which, under the ferocious and woad-stained Brigantes, 
consisted of wretched hovels and palisaded encampments, 
there arose cities and towns resembling in their architectural 
beauty, their public buildings and villas, those of the vine- 
clad slopes and valleys of Italy. Recent excavations have 
brought to light elegancies which equal those of modern 
dilettanteism, consisting of the remains of extensive buildings 
and baths, of tesselated pavements and mural decorations ; 
of altars which record that some favoured individual had 
performed his vow dutifully and willingly, and others which 
had been dedicated to Jupiter, the Greatest and the Best! 
The most extensive and important city of Brigantia was, of 
course, Eboracum, the metropolis. It is scarcely necessary 
to remind you that it had been raised to the privileges of a 
municipal city ; that it was the garrison of the Yictorious 
legion, and that it was honoured by the residence, within its 
walls, of many emperors. Ample corroboration of all this, 
and much more, may be found in the pages of Drake and 
"Wellbeloved. Next in importance was the city of Isurium, 
the Aldborough of the Saxons, situated at an easy stage on 
the north road from Eboracum. Its former greatness is 
attested by the extent of its remains and the interesting 
discoveries which have been recently made there. Drake 
estimates its walls at a mile and a half in circuit, and the 
form of the city quadrangular. Before the subjugation of 
the Brigantes it was the capital of the province, and the 
royal city of the infamous Cartismandua. To the west of 
Eboracum, at about the distance of nine miles, according to 
the Itineraries, was situated the town of Calcaria, which, by 
the concurrent agreement of antiquaries, has been placed at 
Tadcaster. To the south of Calcaria, on the "Western Ermine- 
street, were placed the towns of Legiolium and Danum, the 
Campodono of Bede. At the distance of thirty-two miles 
