Itinerarium curiosum (centuria II)

I.

THE love I had for my own country, in my younger days, prompted me to visit many parts of it, and to refuse great offers made me to go into foreign and fashionable tours. I was sensible we abounded at home with extraordinary curiosities, and things remarkable, both in art and nature; as well as most valuable antiquities in all kinds, most worthy of our regard, and which it most became us to take cognisance of.

These considerations might perhaps induce me to be too hasty in publishing my juvenile work in this kind of learning, Itinerarium Curiosum, chiefly with a view to point out a way and method of inquiry, and to render this study both useful and entertaining.

The more readily, therefore, I can excuse myself, in regard to imperfections in that work, as I had not sight of our author’s treatise, Richard of Cirencester, at that time absolutely unknown.

Since, then, I have had the good fortune to save this most invaluable work of his, I could not refrain from contributing somewhat toward giving an account of it, and of its author. I gladly address it to your Lordship, who worthily preside over the Antiquarian Society. I am sensible your Lordship is animated with a like spirit in favour of your country, and of your country antiquities.

I propose therefore briefly to recite,

I. What memoirs we can recover, concerning our author and his writings, with the occasion and manner of finding out and saving the manuscript.

II. I shall give an account of the map prefixed to the present treatise, which I copied from that of our author; giving it the advantage of the present geographical direction. I shall exhibit an alphabetical index of all the places mentioned in it, with the modern names annexed.

III. A transcript of his most curious Itinerary; with an alphabetical index, all along aligning the present names of the places, according to the best of my judgement. This is the last help we must expect, toward finding out the Roman Names of places in Britain.

I. Let us inquire, who our Richard of Cirencester was: and it will be regular to declare who he was not.

He has often been confounded with a Richard, a monk of Westminster, a writer who lived a good deal after our author. This latter Richard was a Devonshire man, cited by Risdon, in his description of that country; by Antony Wood, from Pitse’s manuscript, p. 462; by Fuller, book I. in his Worthies, p. 263; by Bale, V. 87; by bishop Tanner, who repeats this; all erroneously.

My learned friend, the reverend Mr. Widmore, librarian to Westminster Abbey, deserves public thanks for his inquiries, which he made at my request. In perusing the Abbey rolls diligently, he finds, that he was Richard, a monk of Westminster, admitted, in 1450, a member of that religious foundation: that he continued there till 1472. The roll beyond that time is defective.

But our author (Richard of Cirencester)’s name first appears on the chamberlain’s list of the monks of Westminster, by the name Circestre, in 1355. 30 Ed. III.

In 1387, he is witness in a parchment deed, by the name of Richardo Cirencestre confrater.

1397, in the chamberlain’s list, mentioned again R. Cirencester.

1399, Ric. Cirencestre.

1400, he was in the Abbey infirmary, and died in that or the next year. The place of his interment, questionless, is in the Abbey cloisters.

What is more particularly to be remarked, is this. In the year 1391, 14 R. II. he obtained a licence of the abbot, to go to Rome. This, no doubt, he performed between that and the year 1397.

Thus bishop Nicolson, in his English historical library, p. 65. “Nor have I any more to say, of Richard of Chichester (he means our Cirencester) than what John Pitts has told me, fol. 438, that he was a monk of Westminster, A. D. 1348; that he travelled to most of the libraries in England, and out of his collections thence, compiled a notable history of this kingdom, from the coming in of the Saxons, down to his own time.

“But it seems (says the bishop) he treated too of much higher times.”

Hence we gather an exact idea of our author’s genius; a lover of learning, a lover of his country; which he studied to adorn. We learn his indefatigable diligence, in search of what might contribute to its history. He travelled all over England, to study in the monastic libraries: his eager thirst prompted him to visit Rome; and he probably spent some years there. But his chief attention was to the history of his own country.

It will give you pleasure to read the original licence, still preserved in the archives of the Abbey, as Mr. Widmore transcribed it, omitting the contractions.

E veteri scripto membranaceo, in Archivis Ecclesiæ Westmonasterii.

Universis Sanctæ Matris Ecclesiæ filiis, ad quorum notitiam presentes literæ pervenerint. Willielmus permissione divina Abbas Monasterii beati Petri Westmonasterii juxta London, apostolicæ sedi immediate subjecti, Salutem, in eo quem peperit uterus virginalis. Cum dilectus nobis in Christo filius et commonachus noster, frater Ricardus de Cirencestria, cum instantia nobis humiliter supplicaverit; quatenús eidem limina Apostolorum et alia loca sacra in Urbe Romana, et in partibus aliis transmarinis gratia, visitandi licentiam concedere dignaremur. Nos verò prædicti fratris Ricardi devotionem considerantes, deque ipsius fratris Ricardi morum honestate, vitæ puritate, perfectaque ac sincera, religionis observantia, quibus hactenùs lucidè insignitur; prout experimentaliter per triginta annos et ampliùs, experti sumus, pleniùs confidentes; Universitati vestræ et vestrum cuilibet notificamus, per præsentes: eidem filio nostro et commonacho, ad dictam peregrinationem peragendam, in suorum augmentum meritorum, Licensiam concessisse specialem. unde vestram caritatem benigniùs imploramus, quatenùs huic testimonio nostro fidem indubiam adhibentes, eidem filio nostro et commonacho, cum penes vestrum aliquem quicquam habuerit faciendum, sinum pietatis largiùs aperientes, vestrum auxilium, consilium, et favorem eidem, in Domino libenter volueritis impertiri.

In cujus rei testimonium, sigillum nostrum authenticum præsentibus apposuimus. Datum apud Westmonasterium prædictum in festo sancti Thomæ Apostoli, Anno Domini Millesimo trecentesimo nonagesimo primo.

In dorso.

Licentia Abbatis Westmonasterii concessa fratri Ricardo Circestre, de peregrinatione ad Curiam Romanam.

The abbot here is William de Colcestre, created 1386. —— de Litlyngton preceded him; in whose time our Richard was admitted into the Abbey, above thirty years ago.

Observe we, in his chorography of Britain he is a little more particular upon Cirencester; as a genius is naturally inclined to show regard to the place of his nativity.

Et cui reliquæ (urbes) nomen, laudemque debent, Corinum; urbs perspicabilis: Opus, ut tradunt, Vespasiani Ducis.

Again, we may believe, Richard was of a good family, and had a fortune of his own, to support the charge of travelling.

Hence we need not wonder to see the produce of his eager thirst in learning. He was not content to write the transactions in his own convent, or of those of his own time, but penetrated far and deep in his researches: for we shall find, that he wrote the English history to his own time; the Saxon history complete; above that, the British history, from the time the Romans left us: and, to crown all, we learn from the present work, now happily preserved, the completest account of the Roman state of Britain, and of the most ancient inhabitants thereof; and the geography thereof admirably depicted in a most excellent map.

Such was this truly great man, Richard of Cirencester! What was his family, name, and origin, we know not: but it was the fashion of the ecclesiastics of those days, and so down to Henry the VIIIth’s time, to take local names from the place of their nativity; probably, as more honourable: for most of the names then were what we call sobriquets, travelling names; a custom learnt from the expeditions into the Holy Land; what we call nick-names: for instance, some were taken from offices, as pope, bishop, priest, deacon; some from animals, as bull, doe, hog, some from birds, as bat, kite, peacock; some from fishes, as salmon, herring, pike; some diminutive names of mere contempt, as peasecod, scattergood, mist, farthing; and the very family-royal, the celebrated Plantagenet, means no more than broomstick.

But, to leave this, we will recite what we find of our author’s works.

Thus Gerard John Vossius, de historicis Latinis, L. III. quarto, p. 532, englished: “About the year 1340, lived Richard of Cirencester, an Englishman, monk of Westminster, Benedictine. He used much industry in compiling the history of the Anglo-Saxons, in five books of Chronica: that work begins from the arrival of Hengist the Saxon into Britain, A. D. 448. thence, through a series of nine centuries, he ends at the year 1348, 32 Ed. III. and this work is divided into two. The first part begins,”

Post primum Insulæ Brittaniæ regem, &c. This is called by the author Speculum historiale, and contains four books.

The other part is called Anglo-Saxonum Chronicon, L. V. is a continuation of the former part, Prudentiæ Veterum mos inolevit—it was John Stow’s, says a manuscript note of Joscelin, in a manuscript in the Cotton library, Nero C. iii. A manuscript of both parts is found in the public library, Cambridge, among the manuscripts, fol. contains pages 516, and four books; ends in 1066. (248.) in the catalogue of manuscripts mentioned p. 168, N^o 2304. (124.) It begins,

Brittannia insularum optima, &c. in the end (says Dr. James, librarian in A.D. 1600.) are these words,

Reges vero Saxonum Gulielmo Malmsburiensi et Henrico Huntendoniensi permitto: quos de regibus Britonum tacere jubeo, &c.

Vossius says, there is in Bennet-College library, Cambridge, a manuscript epitome Chronicorum, which acknowledges our Richard for its author, in the title.

There is in the Arundel library of the Royal Society, among the manuscripts, p. 137, mentioned this. Britonum, Anglorum et Saxonum historia, to the reign of Hen. III. said to be of this author.

Dr. Stanley, in his catalogue of the manuscripts in Bennet-College library aforesaid, p. 22. G. VIII. mentions this. Ricardi Cicestrii Speculum historiale, vel Anglo-Saxonum Chronicon, ab anno 449. ad H. III.

In the printed catalogue of manuscripts, p. 134. N^o 1343. (66.) Epitome Chronicorum Angliæ, L. 1, 2. Epitome Chronicorum Ric. Cic. Monachi Westmonasterii.

There is a work of our Richard’s in the Lambeth library, among the Wharton manuscripts, L. p. 59. and the late Dr. Richard Rawlinson bought a manuscript of his, at Sir Joseph Jekyl’s sale; which is now at Oxford.

Our author was not eminent solely in this kind of learning; but we find likewise the traces of other works of his, in his clerical character. Thus, in a volume of St. Jerom’s ad Eugenium, 19. 9. a manuscript in Bennet-College library, is mention of Tractatus mag. magistri Ricardi Cirencestre, super symbolum majus et minus.

There is likewise, in the library of Peterburgh, T. IV. a work of his, de Officiis Ecclesiasticis, L. VII. begins Officium ut—This is mentioned by William Wydeford, and attributed to our Richard, in his determination against the trialogue of Wicliff, artic. 1. fol. 96. likewise by Richard Wych, who says he flourished A. D. 1348.

Thus much we have to say concerning our author’s life and works. But let us reflect on what Dr. Nicolson says, in reciting what he had wrote of the Saxon history; adding, but it seems, he treated too of much higher times. Here he must at least mean his British history, or that from the time of the Romans; and perhaps that description of Roman Britain, which we are now treating off: but what reasons were suggested to him about it, we cannot guess; and in our manuscript we observe it begins with p. xxii. as appears from a scrip I desired my friend Bertram to send me, of the manner of the writing: therefore some other work of our Richard’s was probably contained in those 22 pages.

However these matters may have been, we must justly admire our author’s great capacity, in compiling the history of his country from first to last, as far as he could gather it, from all the materials then to be found in all the considerable libraries in England, and what he could likewise find to his purpose in foreign parts. Whether he found our map and manuscript in our monastic libraries at home, or in the Vatican, or elsewhere abroad, we cannot determine: he himself gives us no other light in the case, than that it was compiled from memoirs a quodam Duce Romano consignatis, et posteritati relictis, which I am persuaded is no other than Agricola, under Domitian.

But, above all, we have reason to congratulate ourselves, that the present work of his is happily rescued from oblivion, and, most likely, from an absolute destruction.

I shall now concisely recite the history of its discovery.

In the summer of 1747, June 11, whilst I lived at Stamford, I received a letter from Charles Julius Bertram, professor of the English tongue in the Royal Marine Academy of Copenhagen, a person unknown to me. The letter was polite, full of compliments, as usual with foreigners, expressing much candor and respect to me; being only acquainted with some works of mine published: the letter was dated the year before; for all that time he hesitated in sending it.

Soon after my receiving it, I sent a civil answer; which produced another letter, with a prolix and elaborate Latin epistle inclosed, from the famous Mr. Gramm, privy-counsellor and chief librarian to his Danish Majesty; a learned gentleman, who had been in England, and visited our universities. (Mr. Martin Folkes remembered him.) He was Mr. Bertram’s great friend and patron.

I answered that letter, and it created a correspondence between us. Among other matters, Mr. Bertram mentioned a manuscript, in a friend’s hands, of Richard of Westminster, being a history of Roman Britain, which he thought a great curiosity; and an ancient map of the island annexed.

In November, that year, the Duke of Montagu, who was pleased to have a favor for me, drew me from a beloved retirement, where I proposed to spend the remainder of my life; therefore wondered the more, how Mr. Bertram found me out: nor was I sollicitous about Richard of Westminster, as he then called him, till I was presented to St. George’s church, Queen-square. When I became fixed in London, I thought it proper to cultivate my Copenhagen correspondence; and I received another Latin Letter from Mr. Gramm; and soon after, an account of his death, and a print of him in profile.

I now began to think of the manuscript, and desired some little extract from it; then, an imitation of the hand-writing, which I showed to my late friend Mr. Casley, keeper in the Cotton library, who immediately pronounced it to be 400 years old.

I pressed Mr. Bertram to get the manuscript into his hands, if possible; which at length, with some difficulty, he accomplished; and, on my sollicitation, sent to me in letters a transcript of the whole; and at last a copy of the map, he having an excellent hand in drawing.

Upon perusal, I seriously sollicited him to print it, as the greatest treasure we now can boast of in this kind of learning. In the mean time, I have here extracted some account of the Treatise, for your present entertainment, as I gave it to Dr. Mead, and to my very worthy friend Mr. Gray of Colchester, some time past, at their request.

Ricardi monachi Westmonasteriensis commentariolum geographicum, de situ Brittaniæ, et stationum quas in ea insula Romani ædificaverunt.

Cap. I. Of the name and situation of the island.

Cap. II. Of the measure. He quotes Virgil, Agrippa, Marcianus, Livy, Fabius Rusticus, Tacitus, Ptolemy, Cæsar, Mela, Bede.

Cap. III. Of the inhabitants; their origin: he mentions reports of Hercules coming hither. Of their manners; chiefly from Cæsar’s Commentaries. Of the military of the Britons; chiefly from Cæsar’s Commentaries.

Cap. IV. Of the Druids authority and religion: in time of invasion all the princes chose a Dictator to command: chiefly from Cæsar.

Cap. V. Of the fertility of Britain, its metals, &c.

Cap. VI. Of the division of the island into seven provinces; Britannia Prima, Secunda, Flavia, Maxima, Valentia, and Vespasiana: these were all under the Roman power. Caledonia is additional to the former, being the north-west part of Scotland, the highlands, beyond Inverness. We never had a true notion of the division of these provinces before, nor that the Romans possessed all the country to Inverness.

This chapter is very long: but as to the matter of it, it is an invaluable curiosity to the inquirers into Roman Britain. He gives us an exact and copious chorography of the whole island; its boundaries, rivers, mountains, promontories, roads, nations, cities, and towns, in the time of the Romans. It is accompanied with an accurate map of faciei Romanæ, as the author terms it.

He gives us more than a hundred names of cities, roads, people, and the like; which till now were absolutely unknown to us: the whole is wrote with great judgement, perspicuity, and conciseness, as by one that was altogether master of his subject.

We have reason to believe, he copied some memoirs wrote even in Roman times.

He speaks of the warlike nation of the Senones, who lived in Surrey: they, under the conduct of Brennus, passed into Gaul, and over the Alpes, and besieged Rome. Romam fastu elatam, ista incursione vastatam solo: et Rempublicam Romanam funditus evertissent; ni eam Dii ipsi, more Nutricis, in sinu quasi gestare videbantur, &c.

Again, speaking of Bath, Thermæ, Aquæ solis quibus fontibus præsules erant Apollinis et Minervæ Numina.

Our author mentions no less than thirty-eight Roman stations, beyond the farthest vallum of Antoninus; and in England innumerable cities, towns, roads, &c. altogether new to us; such as Forum Dianæ, a city of the Cassii: Cantiopolis: Colonia gemina Martia: Theodosia: Victoria: Isinnis and Argolicum, cities in Lincolnshire: ad Selinam: in medio: ad aquas: ad alone: statio Trajectus: ad vigesimum sc. lapidem: Bibracte, a city not far from London: ad lapidem: ad decimum: and very many more.

He mentions Via Julia: a triumphal arch in Camulodunum: rivers, promontories, woods, mountains, lakes, bays, ports, founders of cities, things and matters not named before in any monuments come to our hands.

In Cornwall, he speaks of Herculis columnæ, and insula Herculea: he remarks, the country of Cornwall, abounding with metals, was formerly frequented by the Phœnicians and Greeks, who fetched tin from thence; and that the local names there retain a Phœnician and Greek turn.

De Caledonia, he describes this highland part of Britain very particularly; their towns, mountains, promontories, &c. he speaks of the report of Ulysses coming thither, tossed by tempests, and sacrificing on the shore. This is mentioned in Orpheus’s Argonautics.

He speaks too of altars on the sea shore, beyond Inverness, set up by the Romans, as marks and bounds of their dominion.

Till now, Edenburgh had the honour of being thought the Pterooton, or castra alata of the Romans; but our author removes it far away to the river Varar in Scotland.

In Caledonia, though never conquered by the Romans, he gives us many names of people and towns.

Cap. VII. Itinerarium Brittaniarum omnium. Our author had been upbraided, particularly by an eminent prelate, for turning his head this way, and spending his time in studies of this kind; which he here apologizes for: he shows the use of these studies, and the certainty of things he recounts.

“As to the certainty (says he) of the names of people and towns transmitted to us, we can no more doubt of them, than of the being of other ancient nations, such as the Assyrians, Parthians, Sarmatians, Celtiberians, &c. of the names of Judea, Italy, Gaul, Brittain, London, and the like, which remain to this day, the same as formerly, monuments of the truth of old history.

“As to the use (says he) we learn hence the veracity of the holy Scriptures; that all mankind sprung from one root, not out of the earth as mushrooms: that a variety must be sought for in all studies.

“Particularly, this study gives us a noble instance of the efficacy of the preaching of the Gospel; which with amazing celerity quite beat down Paganism, through this country, he is describing, as well as through the whole world.

“Another use of the study, is assisting us in forming true schemes of chronology.”

Then, to the point, he acquaints us, he “drew much of his materials ex fragmentis quibusdam a Duce quodam Romano consignatis, et posteritati relictis, sequens collectum est Itinerarium. additis ex Ptolemeo et aliunde nonnullis.”

He says, there were ninety-two eminent cities in Britain, thirty-three more famous than the rest; nine colonies of the Roman soldiers; ten cities of Latio jure donatæ, twelve Stipendiariæ.

All these he recites particularly.

DIAPHRAGMATA,  or  ITERS.

He gives us the whole length and breadth of the island in miles; and then presents us with no less than nineteen Iters, or journeys, in all manner of directions, quite across the island; the names of places, and distances between; in the manner of that celebrated antique monument, called Antoninus’s Itinerary.

Very many of the names of places here, are intirely new to us: and as to the whole, though it is unavoidable, that they must in some journeys coincide with Antoninus’s Itinerary, yet it is not in the least copied from thence: nay, our author never saw that monument: on the contrary, his Iters are all distinct things; more correct and particular, and much better conducted than the others, and likewise fuller: they exceedingly assist us in correcting that work, on which the learned have from time to time bestowed so much pains.

It is very obvious, that this must be of an extraordinary use and certainty in fixing places, and their names, in our Brittania Romana: which hitherto, for the most part, was done by guess-work, and etymology, and criticism.

Cap. VIII. De insulis Brittanicis.

He begins with Ireland; and besides a map of it along with that of Britain, he gives an accurate description of the country, people, rivers, promontories, divisions, manners, mensuration; the fertility of the land, origin of the inhabitants, &c.

A very exact chorography of the nations and cities:

Then of the other islands, Hebudes, Orcades, Thule, Wyght, and many more.

LIBER  II.

The chronological part of the work; which does not appear to have been taken from other authors now known: it chiefly handles the chronology of Britain, and its history, in matters not mentioned in other chronologies.

All the imperial expeditions hither, those of legates, proprætors, in their successive order; the taking of particular cities; the moving off of British people into Ireland; the building of the walls; the Romans abandoning Vespasiana province; the persecutions of the christians.

The passage of the Scots from Ireland.

I need add no more, than, if Camden and Barton, Gale and Horsley, had had Richard of Cirencester’s work, there had been nothing left for others to do in this argument.

A very lively proof of the Romans conquering Scotland by Agricola in Martial’s epigram,

Domitian was extravagantly fond of exhibitions in the amphitheatre: Martial’s I. Lib. intirely taken up therewith; nothing more engaging the emperor’s vanity, than for Agricola to send him some bears from Scotland, for his shows.

Cap. II. An elenchus of the Roman emperors and legates commanding in Britain. The end is wanting.