The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25
H..

In n chapter on Roman Britain, Mr.. Gibbins
pronounces 1t doubtful whether the Romans
ever settled on the island i'll sufficient number
TO alter permanently the conditions OF agricul-
ture. except in u few very favorable neighbor-
hoods. On the other hand, the roman peace al
lowed both trade and industry to develop as
far as they were at that time likely 10 do. and
Britain, though never n rich country. was in
this carly time certainly not a land OF poverty.
Agriculture went on a. il had done before the
Roman came. and ms it was sure to do under a
peaceful regime. while mining seems TO have
been carried on even more vigorously than
OF old. Lead WAS mined in the Mcndip
Hills, DerbyshIre, and elsewhere. and be-
came so abundant that lis output was linn
tied by law: copper was mined in Angle
scy and shropshire: iron in the Forest OF Dean,
Hereford. and Monmouth: coal. though only for
home use, in northumberland. and. in some
parts, a little silver. The roads, also. made by
the Romans, threw those parts OF the country
amid which they passed open to trade and inter
course. though, on the other hand. in later pc
RODS, nothing is more striking than the
selfcontaincd character OF tho villages and
their comparative isolation one from the
other. The harhors OF the south and southeast
coasts did a busy trade with Gaul, whose mcr-
chants acted as Intermediates between Britain
and the outer world. The chief British ex-
ports seem 10 have been, besides grain and
the minerals already referred TO. cattle and
sheep, the skins and furs OF wild ami
mails. wild beasts themselves for the Roman
games. hunting dogs, and n large number OF
slaves. kcntish oysters were also known in
Rome. Most OF the ordinary clothing and
textile fabrics for domestic use were made In
tho island Itself; so, too. were The cuarscr kind
of pottery and great quantities OF bricks and
filna Tho In nnFfQ consisted ~ IN Initial .u,,l..
of the finer kinds of cloth and pottery for the use
OF the upper classes, OF wine and ivory. amber.
and all kinds OF metallic ornaments. Exports
were almost certainly in excess OF imports, since.
like all provinces subject to the Roman rule.
Britain had 10 pay heavy taxes TO Its conqueror.
These included the fri6utum, or property
and income tax; tho ammonia, n fixed guam
tity of grain for tho Roman armies in
Britain and on the Continent: and pOrtorin. or
import duties. The collection OF the last named
was made at tho harhors with which the British
coast abounded. though the fact that the har-
bors were so numerous and the ships of that
time so light that they could run almost any
where. probably caused n large amount of snug
Cling. In connection with this topic, II is noted
that many towns standing on rivers now mac.
cessible to our largo ships, were used as ports
for seagoing vessels. both in Roman and in
medieval times. Such were Exeter. Lincoln,
Nottingham, York. and a host OF others.
Tho rivors themselves also formed natural
highways into the interior. which were
used far more then than now in proportion
to the amount OF trade carried on. AS regards
the population OF Britain in the Roman times.
Mr.. Gibbins considers it impossible TO form an
exact estimate. Caesar speaks Of ian Infinite
number of people" as living in the southeast.
and the story of the sack of Verulamium. when
10000 Romans are said to have been massacred
although the number is probably exaggerated,
shows. at least. that the towns were populous.
The condition of agriculture and trade. also,
which was more fiourishing than 1t was for some
time after the Saxon conquest. would lead US to
postulate q fairly large population. though the
unreclaimed and wooded nature OF much OF the
country prevented 1t from being by any means
dense. On the whole. 1t was a fairly fiourishinS
people on which the Saxons descended.