The earliest discovery of any remains of the Romans on the north side of the Thames appears to have been about . Stow mentions it in the following manner:--

Sir Robert Cotton also discovered a Roman cemetery in , in what is now called Sun Tavern Fields, at Shadwell, where, formerly, gravel was dug for ballasting ships. Here were found divers urns; a coin of Pupienus, who associated with Balbinus against Maximus, and was slain with him in a sedition of their own soldiers about the year ; and coffins,

In the account of the ancient state of London, given in the

Parentalia

,

the north boundary of the Roman colony, or city, ran along a causeway (now

Cheapside

), skirted by a great fen or morass; that it extended in breadth from the same causeway to the river Thames, and in length from

Tower Hill

to Ludgate; that the Praetorian Camp was situated on the west side; and that the Praetorian Way and principal middle street, was the present

Watling Street

.

This stone, which is much mutilated, has been several times engraved, yet never with sufficient accuracy. The sculptured figure, according to Pennant, represents the deceased Vivius Marcianus, as a British soldier, probably of the , dressed and armed after the manner of the country, with long hair, a short lower garment fastened round the waist by a girdle and fibula, a long , or plaid, flung over his breast and arm, ready to be cast off in time of action, naked legs, and in his right hand a sword of vast length, like the of the later Highlanders. This engraving is from an original drawing by J. Carter, F. S. A.

In digging the foundations for the present Cathedral of Saint Paul's, on the north and north-east sides, Sir Christopher Wren discovered the remains of an ancient cemetery, which he describes as follows :--

Many of the above remains were found about a pit excavated by the Roman potters, in a stratum of close and hard pot earth, which extends beneath the whole site of , varying in thickness from to feet. This pit was directly under the north-east angle of the present choir; and here the urns, broken vessels, and pottery-ware were found in great abundance. Not any of the discoveries, however, made by Sir Christopher, could induce him to adopt the popular opinion of there having been a Roman temple of Diana on the site now occupied by the Cathedral. His own words, speaking of the Temple of Apollo, asserted traditionally to have stood on the site of the Abbey Church, at , and to have, been ruined by an earthquake in the time of the Emperor Antoninus Pius, are these:--

Dr. Woodward, on the contrary, was fully impressed with the

the best judges of different nations admitted to have all the characters of Roman work.

Among the other discoveries of Roman antiquities made in rebuilding the city after the Fire of London, were numerous coins of different emperors, utensils of various kinds, figures of household gods, and foundations and remains of buildings. The most remarkable of the latter were met with under Bow Church, , and

The next discoveries, in point of time, appear to have been made in ; when, in cleaning out Fleet-ditch, at the depth of feet, was discovered, between the and Bridge, many Roman utensils; and still lower, a great quantity of Roman coins in silver, brass, copper, and other metals. The silver coins were of different sizes, from that of a silver to a crown-piece, all of the Roman period, and a great quantity of the same kind of the Saxon and Norman people. At Bridge, brazen lares, or household gods, were found; and opposite St. Andrew's Church, , a tesselated pavement; of the size or pattern of which, no account has hitherto been given.

A very curious and interesting description of Roman London is given in a letter to Hearne, the antiquary, in , from Mr. Bagsford, a gentleman who had made the research into the antiquities of this city his peculiar study. In this work is an account of a curious brick discovered in , in . He says,

And now I shall take notice of a very great curiosity found in Mark Lane, more properly called Mart Lane, it being a place where the Romans, and, not improbably, the ancient Britons, used to barter their commodities, as tin, lead, &c. with other nations, it may be with the Greeks, who often came into this island to purchase the like goods. Whence I am apt to conjecture that the name of the lane hath been continued ever since the time of the Romans, and that the names of some other lanes and streets, as Cornhill, Grace Street, the Querne, Broad Street, Watling Street, and perhaps Old Fish Street, &c. are of equal antiquity, and were so called from the same kind of accidents. The curiosity I am speaking of is a brick, found about forty years since, twenty-eight feet deep below the pavement, by Mr. Stockley, as he was digging the foundation of a house that he built for Mr. Wolley. Near to this place were dug up many quarters of wheat burnt very black, but yet sound; which were conjectured to have lain buried ever since the burning of this city about eight hundred years before. This brick is of a Roman make, and was a key brick to the arch where the corn was found. It is made of a curious red clay, and in bass relief. On the front it hath the figure of Sampson putting fire to the foxes' tails, and driving them into a field of corn. It seems to be the same story that is mentioned in Scripture of destroying the Philistines' corn, from whence came the fable of Hercules to be the guardian of their corn stores, or granaries; as they had their peculiar deities for all domestic affairs in or near their houses and camps, as Priapus was the protector of their gardens, &c. not to mention many other household gods of several names and uses.

The brick is at this time preserved in the museum belonging to the Royal Society in Fleet Street. I, at the same time, must not forget to acquaint you, that the late ingenious Richard Waller, Esq. (whose death is much lamented by the virtuosos) communicated to me the following account of the measure of it, as it was exactly taken, viz. On the picture or largest face four inches broad, and five inches 1-10 long; on the other, or reverse side, three inches 7-10 broad, and five inches 1-10 long; its thickness is two inches 4-10.

At the same time Mr. Waller observed to me in his letter, that the proportion in the bass relief are so very fine, that it is plain from thence, that it cannot be a work of the bass empire; but then, says he how the story of Sampson should be known to the Romans, much less to the Britains, so early after the time of the propagation of the Gospel, seems to be a great doubt; except it should be said that some Jews after the final destruction of Jerusalem should wander into Britain, and London, being even in Caesar's time a port or trading city, they might settle here, and in the arch of their own granary record the famous story of their delivery from their captivity under the Philistines. Be that as it will, the thing is very curious, and it is plain by the impressions that it was made by a mould or stamp; so that doubtless there were many of the same made.

Various Roman antiquities are described by Dr. Woodward as having been discovered, in digging some cellars in , Bishopsgate. The principal of these was a tessellated pavement, lying about feet below the level of the street, and situated only feet and a half from the City wall.

Antoninus Aug.---Imp. XVI.

When the foundations of the new Church of St. Martin in the Fields were dug in , a Roman brick arch was found, with several ducts, feet under ground; and Gibbs, the architect, said, that were also dug up there. Sir Hans Sloane, likewise, had a glass vase, bell-shaped, that was found in a stone coffin, among ashes, in digging the foundations of the portico. About the same period, at Mary-le-Bone, a large brass, Roman key with many Roman coins, was discovered.

On the rebuilding of Bishopsgate Church about the year , several urns, paterae, and other remains of Roman antiquities, were discovered, together with a coin of Antoninus Pius, and a vault arched with equilateral Roman bricks, feet deep, and within it skeletons. Dr. Stukeley, also, saw there, in , a Roman grave, constructed with large tiles, inches long, which kept the earth from the body.

In , on digging the foundation for the Church of St. Mary Woolnoth, , an earthen lamp was discovered, inscribed

I

ATTLV

F

In , in laying the foundations of a sugar-house in

Some Roman antiquities, consisting of sepulchral urns, vases, earthen lamps, &c., were dug up in the Well's walk at Hampstead in ; was a repositorial urn, large enough to hold or gallons.

A sepulchral stone and coin, was discovered in the year , at no great distance from , in a burial-ground in , Whitechapel, near the end leading into , about feet under ground: the inscription and form was as follows:

D . M

IVL. VALIVS

MIL. LEG. XXVV

AN. XL. H. S. E

C.A. FLAVIO.

ATTIO. IER.

The inscription is to be read thus:

Diis Manibus Julius Valius Miles Legionis

30

anno

40

his sepultus est Caio Aurelio Flavio Attio Herede.

of the coins was also of the Emperor Honorius; the others of Arcadius, his brother, who reigned over the Empire of the East, as Honorius did over that of the West, at the same time: these were in excellent preservation, and each of them weighed the part of a Roman ounce, or grains, troy. A ring, supposed to have been made of a shell, a small glass crown, and an inscribed stone, feet inches by feet , were also found, at the same depth: the inscription was as follows:--

In digging a new sewer, beneath and , in the autumn and winter of , numerous Roman antiquities were found, as coins, fragments of earthenware, tessellated and other pavements, glass, &c. of which a very particular account has been printed in the volume of the Archaeologia, from communications by different gentlemen. The sewer was commenced towards that end of next the ; and near Sherbourn Lane, at the depth of feet, a Roman pavement was found,

composed of small irregular bricks, in length

two

inches, in breadth

one

and a half, mostly red, but some few black and white: they were strongly cemented with a yellowish mortar, and were laid in a thick bed of coarse mortar and stones.

the smaller sized Roman bricks,

This pavement, as well as most of the rest, was laid on

three

distinct beds of mortar: the lowest very coarse, about

three

inches thick, and mixed with large pebbles; the

second

, of fine mortar, very hard, and reddish in colour, from having been mixed with powdered brick: this was about

one

inch in thickness, and upon it the bricks were embedded in a fine white cement.

Many other fragments of walls and pavements were dug up in proceeding along , together with burnt wood, and wood ashes, and many other things exhibiting marks of conflagration. Some of the walls were of rough stones, and others of chalk. Similar discoveries of walls and pavements were made in ; together with angle of a fine tessellated pavement, composed of black, red, green, and white squares, about a quarter of an inch in size, and forming a beautiful border: the extent of this pavement was ascertained, as its course appeared to run below the adjacent footway and houses.

Fragments of Roman pottery, or earthenware, were found in abundance throughout the whole extent of the excavation, as well as Roman coins, and pieces of glass urns, bottles, &c. with Roman keys, and horns and bones of different animals. The earthenware was of various colours, red, brown, grey, white, black, &c. some glazed, and some not: many of the fragments were of the fine coral-coloured ware, called Samian, and these were. mostly ornamented with figures on the outside: some were impressed with names and inscriptions on the rims. The centre compartment of beautiful vessel of red earthenware, (of which the principal fragments were found,) represented a combat, partly of naked figures, opposed to each other, and to horsemen: the attitudes were very spirited, and the whole design in a good taste. Fig. exhibits the form of the vase, and Fig. the whole extent that was discovered. On other fragments were represented armed men, satyrs, hares, dogs, birds, foliage, a boar's head, and fancy ornaments of various descriptions. beautiful fragment is represented in the annexed plate, Fig. . Many handles of jugs, and pieces of round shallow vessels of coarse clay, which seemed to have measured about a foot in diameter when entire, with broad rims, having a channel across them to

The coins were of various descriptions, gold, silver, and brass. Among them was a beautiful gold coin of Galba, Fig. , a Nero Fig. , and an Antoninus Pius; and a silver of Alexander Severus, Fig. . The others were brass ones of Claudius, Nerva, Vespasian, Dioclesian, Gallienus, Antonia, Constantinus, and Tetricus: nearly of the last Emperors were found together on spot opposite to the end of St. ; the workmanship of these was extremely rude. The discoveries were all made within the depth of from to feet.

Various sepulchral remains were discovered in digging the foundations of the new church in ; and when the there was converted into a garden, in the year , several fragments of urns and lachrymatories were dug up about feet below the surface, together with a. sepulchral stone, measuring about inches by , inscribed thus:--

D. M.

FL. AGRICOLA MIL.

LEG. VI. VICT. V. AN.

XLII. D. X, ALBIA.

FAVSTINA CONINGI.

INCONPARABILI.

F. C.

In the same year, some remains of a tesselated pavement was found in . In , some bones, burnt wood, and small pieces of pavement were discovered in making some cellars in . In , in digging in , near the church of Allhallows Barking, a patera of fine pottery was discovered.

On pulling down the remains of the convent of St. Clare, or Minoresses, in , on the south and east part of the present , many curious fragments of Roman pottery, as well as glass vessels, were discovered; complete urns, filled with bones, ashes, &c. were taken up.

The next discovery in order of time was the beautiful tessellated pavement in , which was discovered in , at the depth of feet inches below the carriage way pavement, in searching for a sewer opposite to the easternmost columns of the .

did not exceed half an inch in thickness, and was bedded in a layer of brick-dust and lime of about an inch;

Nothing worth notice occurred in taking up the residue, except the fragment of an urn ; which, together with a jaw-bone, and some finger bones, was found under the western angle.

The ornamented centre although not quite perfect, appeared also to have been a square of feet. The device which occupied the centre, was a highly-finished figure of Bacchus, who was represented reclining on the back of a tyger, his thyrsus erect in his left hand, and a small -handed Roman drinking cup pendant from his right: round his brow was a wreath of vine leaves: his mantle, purple and green, falling from his right shoulder, was thrown carelessly round his waist; and his foot guarded with a sandal, the lacing of which extended to the calf of his leg. The countenance of Bacchus was placid, his eyes well set; and all his features, as well as the beast on which he was riding, were represented with much freedom of design, and accuracy of delineation, in appropriate tints. Round the circle which contained the above, were borders of the same figure; the exhibited the inflections of a serpent, black back and white belly, on a party-coloured field, composed of dark and light grey, and red, ribbands; the consisted of indented cornucopiae, in black and white; and the of squares diagonally concave. In of the angles, which were formed by the insertion of the outer circle in the inner square border, was represented the Roman drinking-cup on a large scale; and in the counter angles, were delineations of a plant, but too rude to be designated: these were wrought in dark grey, red, and black, on a white ground. The inner square border bore some resemblance to a bandeau of oak, in dark and light grey, red and white, on a black ground. The outer border consisted of lozenge figures, with ends in the form of hatchets in black, on a white ground, inclosing circles of black, on each of which was the common ornament, a true lover's knot. The whole was environed by a margin consisting of coarse red tessellae, an inch square, traced to the extent of feet inches on the north-west side, but could not be followed further, on account of the difficulty and danger of breaking up the street; in opening the ground, however, on the opposite side of the way, foundations of Kentish ragstone and Roman brick appeared at nearly the same depth, which probably were those of the building to which this pavement belonged. The room could not have been less than feet square; but, in all probability, was considerably larger.

In this beautiful specimen of Roman mosaic,

the drawing, colouring, and shadows, are all effected with considerable skill and ingenuity by the use of about

twenty

separate tints, composed of tessellae of different materials, the major part of which are baked earths; but the more brilliant colours of green and purple, which form the drapery, are glass. These tessellae are of different sizes and figures, adapted to the situations they occupy in the design. They are placed in rows, either straight or curved, as occasion demanded, each tessellae presenting to those around it a flat side; the interstices of mortar being thus very narrow, and the bearing of the pieces against each other uniform, the work in general possessed much strength, and was very probably, when uninjured by damp, nearly as firm to the foot as solid stone. The tessellae used in forming the ornamented borders, are in general somewhat larger than those in the figures, being cubes of half an inch.

This pavement was taken up at the charge of the East India Company, but broken to pieces in the process; and the mutilated remains were deposited in their library.

In , a neat but elegant pavement was taken up entire in the spring of , by direction of John Soane, Esq. F. S. A. architect to the Bank, and has been deposited in the , to which it was presented by the Bank Directors. The depth at which it lay is stated to have been about feet; its situation about feet westward from the westernmost gate of the Bank opening into , and about the same distance south of the carriage-way. It consisted of an ornamented square centre, measuring feet each way, of the floor of an apartment feet square. Within a circle in the centre, is a figure apparently designed to represent leaves, perhaps acanthus, expanded in black, red, and dark and light grey, tessellae on a white field; round this, a line of black; in the angles, leaves of black, red and grey; and a square bandeau border, similar to that mentioned in the former pavement, environed the whole. Beyond this, were tiles of an inch square, extending to the sides of the room. On examining the fragments of the marginal pavement which had been taken up with it, evident marks of fire were observed on the face of them; and to piece adhered some ashes of burnt wood, and a small piece not quite burnt.

In making some alterations in the month of , at the back of the London Coffee-house, , a circular tower and stair-case was discovered; and about feet below the pavement, some curious remains of Roman art were found. They consisted of a trunk of a statue of Hercules, half the size of life. The figure resting on his club, with a lion's skin cast over his

D. M.

CL. MARTN

NAE. AN. XI

ANENCLE

TVS

PROVINC.

CONIVGI

PIENTISSIME

H. S. E.

This was read by Mr. Gough as follows: , or . By the term , as appears from various inscriptions in Graevius, is to be understood men raised in the province where the Romans were stationed.

At the same time and place, the head of a female, large as life: the upper portion is destroyed. (fig. .)

In , a coin of the emperor Titus Vespasian was found in digging in . In , in digging the foundations for the New Post-office, in , a Roman tile (engraved in the annexed plate, fig. ,) and coin was discovered; and in , various sepulchral remains were discovered in excavating the site of the New Hall of ; they consisted of burnt bones, vases, a few coins, and broken pottery.

During the progress of making the foundations for the piers of new London-bridge, numerous curiosities have been discovered. In the early part of , a beautiful little statue, supposed to represent Harpocrates, was found in digging the southern abutment foundation. It is of silver, about inches high, the attitude elegant; around it is a neat chain of gold attached to a ring, and near its feet are apparently the figures of a dog, tortoise, and a bird: the whole is executed in a chaste and finished manner. It came into the possession of Messrs. Rundell and Bridge, goldsmiths, of , who presented it to the . It is engraved in the annexed plate. (fig. .)

In the month of , a figure of a horse in lead, and numerous Roman brass and silver coins were discovered; among them was with the inscription PLON, which antiquaries read .

At the same time and place, various antiques of a latter age were discovered; they principally consisted of crucifixes, coins of Elizabeth, Richards I. and II., swords, &c. Some have been presented to the civic museum forming in .

Fig. . in the plate before referred to, is a figure of Diana found beneath by Dr. Woodward.

A Roman specula, or watch-tower, is stated to have stood without the walls, beyond Cripplegate, near to the street called . Stow says on the north side thereof.

We will now notice the most curious relic of the Roman era in the metropolis.

This ancient monument, which is now reduced to a fragment, encased in free-stone, stands against the south wall of , in . Antiquaries generally concur in considering this stone as a Roman milliary, or, more properly, as the of Britain, from which the Romans began the admeasurement of their roads as from a centre. This is stated to be confirmed by the

exact coincidence which its

distance bears with the neighboring stations mentioned in Antonine's Itinerary;

by reason of its large foundation, it was rather some more considerable monument in the Forum; for, in the adjoining ground to the south, upon digging for cellars after the great fire, were discovered some tessellated pavements, and other extensive remains of Roman workmanship and buildings.

The earliest known record relating to it is at the end of

a fayre written Gospell booke given to Christes Church in Canterburie, by Ethelstane, King of the West Saxons,

to ly neare unto London Stone.

began in the house of

one

Ailwarde, neare unto London Stone.

London Stone is also noticed by Holinshed, who, in his account of the insurrection headed by Jack Cade, says, that when that rebellious chieftain had forced his way into the city, he struck his sword upon the Stone, and exclaimed,

Now is Mortimer Lord of this city;

that had been a customary way of taking possession.

Ni fallat fatum, Scoti quocunque locatum

Invenient lapidem, regnare tenentur ibidem.

Stow's description of London Stone is as follows: speaking of Wallbrook, he says,

on the south side of this high street, neere unto the channel, is pitched upright a great stone, called London Stone, fixed in the ground very deep, fastened with bars of iron, and otherwise so stronglie set, that if cartes do runne against it through negligence, the wheels be broken, and the stone itself unshaken. The cause why this stone was there set, the verie time when, or other memory hereof, is there none; but that the same hath long continued there is manifest, namely, since, or rather before the time of the Conquest.--Some have said this stone to have beene set as a market in the middle of the cittie within the walles; but, in truth, it standeth farre nearer unto the river of Thames than to the wall of the city. Some others have said the same to bee set for the tendering and making of paymentes by debtors to their creditors at their appointed daies and times, till of later time, payments were more usually made at the font in Pontes Church, and nowe most commonly at the Royall Exchange. Some again have imagined the same to bee

set up by

one

John or Thomas Londonstone, dwelling there against; but more likely it is, that such men have taken name of the stone, rather than the stone of them, as did John at Noke, Thomas at Stile, William at Wall, or at Well, &c.

From these different notices of London Stone, Mr. Brayley considers it is apparent that it was formerly of much greater magnitude, and was held in far higher estimation than it is at present. It now, indeed, appears reduced to a fragment,

not much larger than a bomb-shell,

large foundation

the south side

[] Some bodies interred in the same cemetery had been buried in timber coffins, with thick plank lids, fastened down by large iron nails a quarter of a yard long. Stow's London, p. 130-133.

[] Parentalia, p. 265.

[] To be read thus :--Vivio Marciano militi legionis secundae Agustae Januaria Matrina conjunx pientissima posuit memoriam.

[] Pennant's London, p. 10.

[] Parentalia, p. 296.

[] Parentalia, p. 303.

[] For a full description of this figure, and a Dissertation on it, see Malcolm's Lond. Red. Vol. III. p. 509--12, printed from an unfinished manuscript by Dr. Woodward, now in the possession of Alexander Chalmers, Esq. F.S.A.

[] Letter to Sir Christ. Wren, p. 12-14.

[] Gough's Cam. Vol. II. p. 93.from A. S. Min.

[] Gough's Camden, Vol. II. p. 93, Edit. 1806; from A. S. Min.

[] Hughson's London, I. p. 34.

[] For a more particular account, see Archaeologia, Vol. IV. p. 356, from a communication by Dr. Griffith, Rector of St Mary Hill.

[] Gents. Mag. Vol. 54, part 2, p. 627.

[] Gents. Mag. 1776, p. 119, where the subjects are engraved.

[] Dean Milles, President of the Society of Antiquaries, who communicated the account of the discovery, supposed the coins to have been minted at Constantinople, and to have been part of the money transmitted to pay to the last legion ever sent to the assistance of the Britons.

[] Gent.'s Mag. 1795. p. 986.

[] Smith's London, p. 8.

[] Brayley's London, i. 97.

[] Brayley's London, i. 39

[] Gent. Mag. vol. lxxvi. p 2.-722

[] A curious chapel was erected on this bridge; a notice and engravings of which will appear hereafter.

[] Noticed at p. 22 ante.

[] Milliarum Aureum fuit columna in capite fori Romani, sub Saturni aede, prope arcum Septimii, in quae omnes Italiae viae incisae finerunt, et a qua ad singulas portas mensurae regionum currerunt.Plin. lib. iii. c. 5.

[] Parentalia, p. 265.

[] Stow's Survey of London, p. 177.

[] Brayley's London, i. 101.