though they may have degenerated, yet still occasion considerable resort. These we find particularly described in a work which we shall notice in a subsequent article, Beauties of England and Wales, vol. v. ; in which volume we also find many places described that are barely noticed in this History of Gloucestershire. The various tumblings on what they call communion days are certainly highly characteristic of the peculiar man. ners of the times in which they were instituted. In the account of seats and manorial houses, we could have wished to have seen a list of portraits, pictures, statues, valuable or rare books, MSS. &c. On the subject of Roman roads, stations, encampments, &c. Mr. Rudge, after giving the opinion of several writers, joins with Mr. Coxe in fixing the ABONE of Antoninus at Sea Mills, where the river Trim empties itself into the Avon; but we think Mr. Evans, in his " Letters on South Wales," has adduced satisfactory evidence to prove that the camps at Clifton were the station alluded to in the Itinerary. The large camp on Mæon Hill, in the parish of Queinton, is supposed by our author to have been thrown up by the West Saxons; but the form characterizes it as Roman, and numerous coins of the lower empire have been dug up at Wincot, the tything in which it stands.

The priory of Deerhurst was founded soon after that of Tewkesbury, A. D. 730, and not 150, as stated by Mr. Rudge.

The battle said (upon the authority of Hume) to have been fought between Alfred and the Danes at this place, was fought at Butington, in Shropshire, a village near Poole. It was highly improbable, that the Welsh should suddenly have joined the English at this place, as it is stated they did. Huntington simply says, that the battle was fought at a place of this name; and the Saxon Chronicle fixes the place as above stated, and adds, it was fought A. D. 894.

The valuable saline springs in this parish are not mentioned. The port of Gatcombe is omitted, to which belongs rather what is said of the trade at Newnham. The large bone found in the cliffs at Westbury (vol. ii. p. 83.) which Rudder supposes belonged to an elephant,, Mr. Rudge observes is highly probable, from a circumstance mentioned by Dion that Claudius brought elephants with him into Britain. But it may easily be proved

that the blue clay stone, in which it was imbedded, existed many centuries antecedent to the Roman invasion.

The error of the Severn rising from a lake on the side of Plinlimmon is still continued by Mr. Rudge: that river rises from a small chalybeate spring in a chasm formed by the stream of another spring, which in summer is dry.-Sce Evans's Tour through Part of North Wales, 2nd edit. 1802.

The statement Mr. Rudge gives of navigable canals in the instances of the Hereford and Gloucester, and the Berkeley, affords but little encouragement to speculate in such undertakings.

In the account of public buildings, Mr. Rudge makes some excellent re marks: Gloucester having early led the way in adopting the plan of confinement suggested by the benevolent Howard.

The county of Gloucester has not usually been considered as picturesque : but Mr. Rudge thinks that it stands high in the scale of picturesque beauty; and he has adduced a variety of scenes which prove that his opinion is just. He might have added the view from the upper part of the parish of Awre-the delicious scenery about the Wye at Bykenor-and the grand reach from Almondsbury Hill.

Mr. Rudge has very carefully extracted the different accounts of manorial property from the great national record, or English terrier Domesday Book, and as the greater part of the landed property immediately preceding this event passed into new hands, the Normans, this is as far up as a description of manorial property can well extend. The subsequent accounts are extracted more particularly from the Inquisitions ad quod damnum, the Pipe Rolls of the reigns of Henry Il. Richard I. and John, MSS. in the British Museum and Bodleian Library: but as these are copied from Atkyns, Mr. Rudge declines being answerable for their accuracy. The continuation is of course his own, and here we feel a plea sure in saying that, from considerable local knowledge, this part appears to be faithfully, though very dryly executed. To us, however, who are obliged on these occasions to wade through ponderous folios, the difference with which men judge of the relative importance of their fellow-creatures in society is ob viously striking: while Mr. Rudge mentions only names possessed of manors or estates nearly equal to them, Bigland

gives us the names contained upon every tomb and headstone, descending even, as far as these records furnish, to give "The short and simple annals of the poor."

Mr. Rudge in tracing the causes of the very extensive division of property, among many judicious remarks has omitted the grand cause, the origin of boroughs, and the grants and privileges made to corporate bodies in the frequent contests between the prerogative of the crown and the power of the barons. These alienated numerous estates from feudal claims, and delivered thousands from the yoke of vassalage. It was the first dawn of English liberty after the Norman conquest; and the extension of this system, by the exemptions it led to, created further divisions of manorial property. Still, however, the church was accumulating, till the dissolution of the monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII. made a general scattering. This, followed up by the statutes of mortmain, produced such a rapid subdivision, that in the fifth of James I. there were only 79 persons in the county of Gloucester charged with ten pounds and upwards, as appears from the Subsidial Register. Since this period, the improvements in agriculture and other arts, with the extension of our trade and commerce, have tended to further the division; and the luxury of the great landholders has contributed greatly to facilitate it. In 1057 there were only 78 proprietors, exclusive of the king and church; and in 1776, during the contested election, the number of freeholders polled was 5792.

Mr. Rudge's observations on ecclesiastical buildings, and his application of many of the rules laid down in the Archæ ology, appear, to correspond with the buildings according to their history, or as deduced by a comparison with others of a similar nature. The variety of architecture displayed by the churches in this diocese is not surpassed, if equalled, by any in the kingdom. Specimens are afforded of what is called Saxon, Saxon-Gothic, Gothic, ornamental Go. thic, highly florid Gothic, and Grecian. It is much to be regretted, that writers will still continue to use the term Gothic, as applicable to that beautiful and interesting style of architecture, which adorns

most of the fine churches of this coun

try.

In addition to Mr. Rudge's very proper attention to these proud monuments of antiquity, we wish that he had afforded some to remarkable tombs, the records of the arts in the different periods, and to singular and striking monumental inscriptions, which are often conducive to the illustration of manners, or the state of religion. The errors that others have run into on such occasions should not have deterred Mr. Rudge from paying a rational regard to tombs and inscrip tions.

In agriculture, botany, and mineralogy, more ample accounts would have been proper and desirable additions. Hints respecting the first, wherein it materially differed from other counties, should have been inserted. In the se cond, a greater list of habitats, or a better list of the plantæ rariores would have been proper. And in the third, abounding as this county does with several of the most useful minerals, a more detailed account of them, with their application to the arts, would have been a valuable acquisition; but we are sorry to remark that these are subjects which our auther either totally neglects, or treats very unsatisfactorily whenever he mentions

them.

Among omissions-in the list of fish, we noticed cray-fish and elvers: the first not very common, but the latter is almost peculiar to this county. We e pected also a more ample account of the stiple trade, clothing, its origin, state, and importance: and an analysis of the Stroud-water, so famous for dying scar let, and producing a colour whose luste defies Europe to imitate. The skill e ercised there has been equally employed at other places, without the desired e fect. At Berkeley, the name of Jenrer would have led to mestion the discovery considered of such universal importance, the cow-pox and vaccination.

If, however, Mr. Rudge has failed to accomplish all that could be wished, he has performed considerable service in re moving much of the rubbish which r tards our progress in knowledge. As far as he has gone, he has our gratetol thanks; we only regret he has not gone further: this, however, may yet be done;

the natives well knew how to avail themselves of these fastnesses, the island could never be considered as effectually conquered till it was rendered accessible to the inarch of the legions, and means were provided for speedy communication of intelligence from even the most distant parts of the provinces. On this account their cohorts carly applied themselves to the task of forming roads; nor did they cease their labours, till, in the time of Antoninus, they had opened passages through the island in all directions. In the reign of that emperor, these works, connected with others which they had already constructed on the continent, formed a great chain of communication, which, passing through Rome, from the Pict's wall, or north-west, to Jerusalem, nearly the south-east point of the enpire, was drawn out to the length of 4080 Roman, or, as Mr. Reynolds has shewn, of so many British statute miles. Along these roads proper relays of horses were stationed at short distances, and it seems that couriers could travel with ease above an hundred miles a day. Two of these roads, as already observed, passed through Leicester. One the Via Devana, leading from Camalodunum, or Colchester, in Essex, to Deva, or West Chester, a distance of about two hundred miles, has been lately discovered by some ingenious and able antiquaries of the university of Cambridge.

"It enters Leicestershire in the neighbourhood of Rockingham, continues a strait road for many miles till it nearly reaches Leicester, and passing through the town, it is found to leave the county near Ashby-de-laZouch. The other road, called the Via Fossata, or Fosse, always known, and every where remarkable, traverses the island in a north-east direction, from near Grimsby, on the coast of Lincolnshire, passes through Bath, and terminates at Seaton, a village situated on the coast of Devonshire, a distance of more than 250 miles. This road enters Leicestershire at a place called Seg's Hill, on the wolds, or antiently wild and uncultivated parts of the county; from thence," (from is superfluous) "it passes the village of Thurmaston, and approaches the Eastgates of Leicester, by the street called the Belgrave-gate. On the south-west of the town, it is again recognized in the Narborough road, and from that village it proceeds again a solitary lane till it enters Warwickshire at High Cross, where it crosses the no less celebrated Roman road, the Watlingstreet. It is well known that in the formation of these roads, the Romans spared no cost or labour. From the remains of some of them, it appears, that upon a bed of sand they spread a coating of gravel, upon which the pebbles, and sometimes hewn or squared stones were laid, firmly compacted together in a bed of cement. This, we have reason to believe, was the structure of such of the roads in this island as are distinguished by the name of street, a word derived from the

Latin strata, meaning, formed of k But such pains were not, it is pro taken in all cases; and from the name of of the roads passing through Leicester. Fosse, an abbreviation of the Latin Fe sata, meaning, the way ditched or duc cannot but conclude, that it was a raised by the spade, and formed with a part, and probably covered with gra the manner of our prescut tumpike r The same may also be said of the a vana, whose rampart, now covered grass, the ingenious discoverers obser many places.

From the departure of the Rom 445 to the beginning of the eighteen tury, the roads of this island received li no improvement from the legislative yo except by an order in the reign of Her that roads should be cleared of woor made open, that travellers might have k if they should find it prudent, to prepar resist the armies of robbers which were over the face of almost every county. K being no longer regulated by any syste pass from place to place, so as to ave well as might be, the inconvenien woods, bogs, and sloughs, became th business of the traveller. It was thus b cident the line of our present roads was and to this their frequent circuits and inconveniences are owing. During the riod abovementioned, they were in so bad, as to be useless for the passage të other carriages than carts, and for these in the summer season; so that the inhabiting the same country as the ri who are said to have had numbers and variety of cars of all kinds, were so ex sively confined to the use of horses and m that scarcely any other mode of cour ey was known even in London, and toà late as in the reigns of Elizabeth and Ja the first; for it is certain, that when great Shakespeare fled from his county came to town, his first means of subsiste were the pittances he might earn by b the horses of the persons who had come f different parts of London, to see the then performed at the Bankside theatre

"It is not indeed to be asserted, that the eighteenth century our roads nett ceived any repairs, for necessity wou quently call for something of the most places; nor vet that toll bars werd ciently wholly unknown; for it is ca that a gate or bar was first erected in the of Edward the first, at a place now Holborn-bars in London, for the purp collecting tolls for the repairs of the r But it must be allowed, that the art of structing a good and firm road was ill a stood and worse attended to; and when, the beginning of the last century, turup roads were firat made, it was imagined, the only good form was that of a rid furrow lying across the road on the le its direction.

IN the first volume of our Review, re gave an account of the Picture of London, a small work published by the roprietor of the History now before *; and then admonished its editor to void, in future, the disgusting egotism, hich appeared so conspicuous in that ablication. How far he has benefited your and other similar advice, will ppear from the advertisement, prefixed 3 this new fashioned topographical work; hich, being anonymous, we suppose is xecuted by the same person. We class among the new fashions of the times, or it is totally unlike any book that has receded it; and we trust will be suceeded by no imitations. It is preceded such a peculiarly modest advertisement, hat we are inclined to conclude the auhor had been inspired by the very spirit bumility. Without the least symptom farrogance, or assuming pretensions, he cately states his claims to public patronage. In case the reader has not purchased this cheap and convenient little volume, we lay before him the preface in the following extract.

"No apology can be requisite," says the editor, for presenting to the world the hisJury and present state of the British metropolis, at a time when the English language is destitute of any modern work of adequate consequence on the same important sub

ject.

The present publication addresses itself, in a popular and inviting form, to foreigners who may wish to convey to their respective contres correct ideas of London; and it also recommends itself to Englishmen, who cannot find in Stowe,” (Stow) “ Maitland or Pennant, those facts relative to the actual

present state of their metropolis, with which they may desire to become acquainted.

"can

It is obvious that Stowe" (Stow) be interesting only to the antiquary; that Maitland is at once too antiquated and prolix for general reading; and that Pennant is rather a collection of detached anecdotes of persons and places than a systematic history of London. Each of these works have" has " however, their'' its "particular worth; but they are not adapted to the views of general readers, nor do they exhibit London as it is.

"But whatever may be the merit of those

authors, their works have been long out of print, and they are only to be bought occasionally at a high price. It has therefore been a defect in the literature of the country, that no adequate work existed, which described this great metropolis, with the excep tion of the small guide, lately published under the title of The Picture of London.

"The great success and high character, both at home and abroad, of this latter work, have given birth to the present. In fact, it has served as the skeleton upon which the present work has been formed. In point of correctness and variety, it answers every purpose of a pocket companion; but from the necessary scantiness of its details, its confined embellishments, and limited size, it is unworthy of being the only book which describes the British metropolis.

"Besides enlarging and improving all that relates to its present state, a history of London has here been prefixed, which has been compiled from the best authors, and from original MSS. by a distinguished antiquary.

The numerous embellishments of Lais

work will sufficiently speak for themse They are faithful portraits of the places and scenes represented, and they exhibit the very soul of the metropolis in a way which has never before been attempted. Most of the busy haunts of the inhabitants, whether for

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