Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-04-22

churches Of Carlisle, Glasgow, Edinburgh and
Stirling, in Scotland, and Geneva, in Swtzer-
land, are on elevations overlooking the sur
rounding towns
Although Cheapside, terminating at st. Paul's
church-yard, is obviously the Oldest section Of
London, yet the growth Of commercial town
is rarely restricted to limits which nature seems
70 have fixed as suitable for the location of a
city. Hence, what was marsh or swale lands,
along the brook once known as Wall Brook,
that runs south to the Thames through the
eastern section Of London, seem, even in the
old Roman days, to have been filed up to
solid earth, and the brook that meandered
through this meadow has dropped out of view,
and makes It's way through some subterranean
sewer to the Thames 50 this ancient marsh
has become the central site of the commercial
London. The Bank Of England, with It's solid
walls, covers block Of these reclaimed lands,
and there are found Lumbard street, King viii
liam street and Thread Needle street, whose
bankers are known throughout the commercial
world.
But what do we know Of London as Roman
town. And how do we know, that in the days
under the Roman regime, Of the progress made
by this present metropolis? Some half dozen
illusions by Roman writer's, or less, make men
ton Of London, and none Of these give clear
idea Of the extent and features Of this ancient |
town. Well, there is a science known az arch !
aology, that from exhumed relics Of oden ages |
reasons Of the conditions Of things, Of men and |
Of society, and Of the human employments
with which these relics were associated. ] /
have already alluded to vases dug up at St
Paul's church yard, and other articles Of
Roman origin. But should have observed |
that these relics were overlaid with others Of
the Norman ages for this very ground seems to
have been constructed out Of the bones and
dust Of successive generations Of people. SINH
lar relics have been dug up at or near Bishops
Gate, both inside and outside Of the old Lon
don wall. 10 Lumbard street, and other places,
Roman cUins, glass-wares, implements Of iron,
and specimens of tesselated payements that
we're once the ornamented marble floors Of
public buildings or private dwellings, have
been dug up from some fifteen to twenty feet
below the present surface of the streets, and all
these bear ndisputablcmark Of Roman origin.
In these exhumcd antiquities or subterraneous
Of the past, are frequently found
marks Of fire, aud the debris Of old buildings
demolished by c3naagrations, or Of their brick
or stone foundations
Along the borders Of the ancient Wall Brook.
in the east and Of the Fleet Rivers, which form.
erlyrun from the north into the Thames between
ST, Pauls and Holborn Hill, are found the
piles driven on the margin Of these waters, in.
dicating that landing places for small vessels
we're once used in these side covers or rivers,
while now these streams are mere sewers COW
cred from view, through which corrupted
waters from the town have found drainage into
The Thames The most remarkable relics Of
the Roman London are found in the fJunda- /
tions Of many sections Of the old London Wall
Though some parts Of the more recent London {
Wall is not on a site identical with that pre- {
-umed to have been constructed by the Romans, |
the proofs Of the Roman origin Of sections Of
cement usually found in old Roman masonry, |
in the alternate layers Of stone and tyles after
the fashion Of old Roman structures, and the
act that the dimensions Of the tyles are in ex-
lct Roman measurement. These foundations .
have been built on, in subsequent times, where |
their location is the same as the more modern
London Wall. In fact, this Roman foundation
IF the London Wall extends far down below
he present sui face OF the city