Gents Mag 1853 part 1 p.123
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introduction | ||
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list, 3rd qtr 19th century | ||
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review of 1st edn | ||
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Gentleman's Magazine 1853 part 1 p.123
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book review The Roman Wall |
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The Roman Wall
book review THE ROMAN WALL. The Roman Wall; an Historical and Topographical Description of the Barrier of the Lower Isthmus, extending from the Tyne to the Solway. Deduced from numerous personal surveys. By the Rev. John Collingwood Bruce, M.A. one of the Council of the Society of Antiquaries, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Second and enlarged edition. London, J. R. Smith. 1852. 8vo.IT is rare to find a work of an exclusively antiquarian character reaching a second edition after the lapse of so brief a space of time as two years. Our volume for 1851 contains a review of Mr. Bruce's first edition of his Roman Wall, and our Magazine of the same year also contains some notes on the same subject by Mr. Roach Smith, who, in company with the late Mr. Price, passed a week in examining the remains of this remarkable structure, and the castra connected with it, from Walls-End to Carlisle. On the present occasion we shall restrict our notices to some of the recent discoveries, and to the more remarkable portions of the novel matter introduced into this new and revised edition, premising that, although it appears a champion on the side of Severus has entered the lists against our author, who supports the claim of Hadrian as builder of the wall,* we seen no reason, from any new fact or from any new view of historical evidence, to change our opinion on this question, which is in favour of Mr. Bruce's theory. There are certain discrepancies in the statements made by ancient writers; but, when they are carefully weighed with conclusions drawn from the remains themselves, coupled with the powerful arguments drawn from inscriptions, we cannot resist believing that Hadrian constructed the wall and its attendant lines of earthworks, and that Severus made many reparations, and added, probably, some of the walled castra along the line of the great fortification. To inscriptions we cannot attach too much importance, and the careful manner in which Mr. Bruce has collected them, and authenticated their discovery, adds much to their value. The following, for instance, an unpublished one copied by Stukeley, seems to fix the heretofore undecided situation of Morbium at Moreseby. Its preservation is fortunate, and its history is the more curious as Stukeley does not seem to have been aware of its peculiar value. Mr. Bruce, speaking of Moresby, remarks:- list, Considerable uncertainty exists as to the ancient name of this place. Camden says, "There has been no inscription yet found to encourage us to believe that this was the MORBIUM where the Aquites Cataphractarii qtred; though the present name seems to imply it." This difficulty no longer exists. Horsley saw an inscription (LXXV Cumb.) in a field, a little east |
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* See our Review department, hereafter.
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gazetteer links
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-- "Roman Wall, The" -- Hadrian's Wall | ||
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-- Gabrosentum | ||
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