204 DAVIS: RELATIVE AGE OF THE REMAINS OF MAN IN YORKSHIRE. 
by which alone we are enabled to glean even a meagre idea of the 
habits and character of the primitive inhabitants of our great county. 
The Romans invaded Britain in the year 55 B.C., and held military 
sway over it until the year a.d. 409. The spread of refinement and 
the arts followed closely on the success of the Roman arms, and bore 
fruit in the adoption of her civilization by the British people. Roman 
stations or cities sprang up in all parts of the country, amongst the 
foremost of which was Eboracum, now York. It was in this city 
that the Romans fixed their seat of Government, and radiating from 
it the Roman roads proceeded north, east, south, and west, affording 
easy communication with neighbouring cities. The aboriginal popu- 
lation clustered round these cities, and were greatly improved by the 
contact with the conquerors. Agriculture became of great import- 
ance, and was carried out to such an extent that Britain became one 
of the principal corn producing countries of the Roman empire. The 
mineral resources of the country were explored and greatly extended. 
Tin was obtained in Cornwall, as it had been to a small extent for ages 
before ; lead was got in Derbyshire, and iron in Northumberland and 
the West Riding of Yorkshire. Material prosperity was succeeded by 
luxury and culture, and numerous villas were located throughout the 
province, especially in the proximity of the great roads. Many of 
these have been excavated, and astonish us by their arrangements 
and the beauty of the objects enshrined in them. The Celtic inhab- 
itants of Yorkshire fell in for a full share of all these good things, 
and appear to have enjoyed to the full the general prosperity of the 
country. The relationship existing between them and their conquerors 
may perhaps be best expressed by the relative position of the Hindoos 
to the English in India at the present time. Latin was spoken by the 
higher classes in the cities ; in the country Celtic maintained its place 
amongst the original inhabitants. Christianity was promulgated and 
accepted, and courts of law established. But unfortunately, as so 
often happens, beneath all this elaborately complex system, there 
were causes at work which led to the decay and ruin of the district. 
The Romans were constantly subject to raids by the Picts and Scots, 
dwelling north of the Tweed. To prevent their incursions the Romans 
built great walls and forts, extending from the Solway Frith to the 
