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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The following, for instance, an unpublished one copied by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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