Seo 
BATH. 
ters as flowed with fpontaneous heat from the bofom of the 
earth, in a rude and barbarous country, was a fuflicient 
inducement to a people who had io lately lelt the luxuries 
of Italy, where every art was employed in eredling the 
molt fuperb baths and fudatories, and in fabricating, with 
immenle labour and expence, that very article of indul¬ 
gence which nature in this fpot ftvrniffied without the 
Jmalleft trouble to their hands. Here they (lationed the 
firlt detachment of the fecond legion, building proper ha¬ 
bitations for the officers, and the military in general; and 
at length, by the arrival of other legions, the place grew 
into a city, endowed with Roman liberties, and governed 
by Roman laws. Walls, gates, and temples, were erect¬ 
ed, and a little Rome began to adorn a dreary inhofpitable 
wild. In the reign of Adrian, about A.D. 118, that lame 
detachment of the fecond legion, (till remaining here, was 
joined by a divifion of the lixth; and in that of Severus, 
a part of the twentieth legion, removed from Devana, or 
Chefter, had their (tation in Aquae Solis, which was then 
become the molt capital city in Roman Britain, and the 
principal, if not the only, place in this part of the ifland 
for preparing the legionary arms and enligns. ft he old 
Roman city was built in the form of a pentagon, the area 
whereof was 1200 feet in length, and the greatelt breadth 
about 1150, It was furrounded by a ftrong wall, compo- 
fed of layers of (lone, brick, and terras, nine feet in thick- 
nefs, and twenty feet in height: this wall was flanked by 
circular towers at each angle, and had four gateways, an- 
fwering nearly to the four cardinal points, from which, in 
fubfequent times, the principal (Ireets had their denomi¬ 
nations. During the reign of the emperor Theodofius, 
Chryfanthus being then governor in Britain, the Roman 
legions began to leave this place, now increafed into a 
great and populous city, inhabited by families unconnefl- 
ed with military concerns, and praftiling the arts of civi¬ 
lization and peace. At length, about the year 444, the 
Roman army totally withdrew from the place, and left it 
to the po He Hi on of the Britons, who, by their intercourfe 
and intermarriages with the Romans, had before conftitu- 
ted a confiderable part of its inhabitants. The Saxons, 
who had been invited into Britain, difperfed themfelves 
bifliop Burnel, in the reign of Edward I. this city firft lent 
reprefentatives to parliament. The government of Bath 
was originally veiled in a (heriff; the firft that appears to 
have borne this office %vas Alfred, who is faid to have 
been a great benefaftor to the city, and died in 907. It 
afterwards had a proved, or bailiff. Itsfird charters were 
confirmed by Edw. III. Rich. II. Hen. V. and Hen. VI. 
Oueen Elizabeth, in the thirty-fecond year of her reign, 
granted it a new charter, declaring it to be a foie city of 
itfelf, and the citizens to be a body corporate and politic, 
by the name of mayor, aldermen, and citizens, of Bath. 
The commerce of Bath, abftracled from the expenditures 
of fafliionable company reforting to it, is now altogether 
inconfiderablej nor is there any manufacture which de- 
ferves notice. Formerly, however, it was almofi in a man¬ 
ner maintained by clothing. Leland, who vilited this place 
in the reign of Henry VIII. informs us, that a little be¬ 
fore his time, there were three capital clothiers, of the 
names of Style, Kent, and Chapman, by whom the town 
of Bath then ttourifiied ; and it is afferted, that, at the 
time of the reftoration, there were no lefs than fixty broad 
looms employed in the fingle pariffi of St. Michael. The 
river Avon was made navigable by an a£l of parliament, 
10 Anne ; and the firft barge, laden with deals, pig-lead, 
and meal, was brought up to the city December 15, 1727. 
This city, from a very fmall and mean beginning, is now 
become fo large in bulk, fo elegant in its buildings, 
and fo refpeftable in its inhabitants and its vifitors, as to 
be the pride of England, and the admiration of foreign¬ 
ers. The old city-walls are now built over, and its prif- 
tine (late almofi wholly obliterated by modern improve¬ 
ments. Superb edifices, particularly the Circus, Crel’cent, 
See. raifed by the mod (kilful architects, rife in every quar¬ 
ter, and compofe one of the mod beautiful cities in the 
world. In the earlier part of the civil wars, Bath was 
garrifoned for the fervice of Charles I. and the fum of 
7000I. was expended on its fortifications. Notvvithftand- 
ing which, upon the approach of a fmall party of dragoons, 
and the'appearance of another party upon the Beechen- 
cliff, the gates were thrown open, and the city furrender- 
ed to the enemy. Hereupon it became one of the princi- 
into various parts, and by fmall degrees erefted themfelves pal pods of the parliament forces in this county, and here 
into feveral petty dates, or monarchies. Bath, with a few 
other confiderable cities in the wefiern parts of the ifland, 
remained in the' poffeffion of the Britons till the year 577, 
when a large army of the Saxons, under the command of 
Ceaulin and Cuthwin, advanced towards its walls. They 
were met by three Britilh kings of the lianas of Conmail, 
Condidin, and Farinmail, who, giving them battle, fell, 
and Bath was obliged to yield to the Saxon arms. This 
period afforded a new name and a different profpeCt to 
this memorable city, becoming part of the dominions of 
the Weft Saxons, under which it flouriftted for near 200 
years; and perhaps it is owing to this people, that we 
know fo little or fo much of the Roman (late of Bath. On 
the foundation of thofe walls, which they themfelves had 
induftrioufly deftroyed, freffi bulwarks were ereCled with 
the old materials, and with others brought from the ruins 
of temples, maufoleums, and triumphal arches, and there¬ 
in was inferted a variety of fculptures, which they had 
thrown down from their ruined buildings. The interior 
parts of the city were decorated in a new tafte, and filled 
with adventitious (IruCtures. The Danifti invafions inter¬ 
rupted the tranquillity of the city, and the progrefs of its 
improvements. * At length it affumed new fplendour un¬ 
der the Auguftan reign of Edgar, who, in the year 973, 
■was confecrated and crowned with great folemnity in the 
church of St. Peter, in the prefence of Ofwald, archbi- 
ihop of York, and feveral other prelates of England. 
This monarch endowed Bath with divers valuable privi¬ 
leges, eredling it into a free borough, granting it a mar¬ 
ket, and the liberty of coinage, and exempting it from 
toll, tribute, and taxes; the memory of which benefac¬ 
tions the inhabitants preserved for many ages in anniver- 
fary games- and feftiye pageantries. At the inftance of 
Sir William Waller lay for a confiderable time with his 
whole army, making incurfions into the country, and in¬ 
viting together all the difaffedled from the neighbouring 
clothing towns and villages. But, after the battle of 
Roundway-down, July 13, 1643, in which Sir William 
Waller was defeated, and the withdrawing of the garrifon 
hence to the reinforcement of Briftol, the king’s troops 
retook poffeffion of Bath. In 1715, a defign was fet on 
foot for a general hofpital, but was not carried into effeft 
till the year 1738, when a fpacious and very commodious 
edifice was erefted, and an aft of parliament procured for 
incorporating the direftors of the charity by the name of 
The Prefident and Governors of the General Holpital or 
Infirmary at Bath. In 1742, the houfe was opened for 
the reception of the fick poor from every part of Great 
Britain and Ireland, thofe of Bath only excepted, in re¬ 
gard they always have a readier and lefs expenfive accefs 
to the benefit of tire waters. 
So pleafant and fo fafliionable is Bath, that almofi eveiy 
perfonof fortune or fafhion in England and Ireland makes 
a point annually of vifiting this city; and many families,, 
even through economic motives, make it their conftant 
refidence. Provifions of all kinds are excellent and rea i 
fonable; and the amufements, though in the genteeleft: 
and mod fuperb ftyle, are rendered, through the nume¬ 
rous fubferibers, far from expenfive. Indeed,.no place in 
Europe, in a full feafon, affords fo brilliant a circle of po¬ 
lite company as Bath. The young, the old, the grave, 
the gay, the infirm, and the healthy, all refGrt to this vor¬ 
tex of amufement. Ceremony, beyond the ufual rules of 
politenefs, is totally exploded; every one mixes in the 
rooms upon an equality ; and the entertainments are fo 
wifely regulated, that,, although there is never a ceflation 
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