The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-21

works of art For the immediate purpose
in hand the trea5 menr Of some of the themes
may[ seem to- those already conversant
With them to be carried needleesly far
but IN these days, many who feel IA lively
interest in tho localities and monuments
of the mother country have not grown up
in familiarity with England's cathedral
establishments, ancient boroughs or country
VILLAGES, and such readers may be glad
to pSssess in succinct form an account OF
the origin and working Of these characters-
tic Kngiish institutions
Ina chatter Of the first volume headed
Country and Town Thousand Years
Ago. the author reminds us that all records
seem to show that in early Saxon times
towns counted for very little in the life of
the people, and he thereupon essays to
answer the question: What had become
of the Roman cities? There is no doubt
that urban centres were more weakly de-
yeloped in Roman Britain than in Gaul;
nevertheless. at the time Of the Teut onic
conquest, Britain had no fewer than
twenty -eigh, RomanHed cities, while
Ptolemy and Nennus give longer lists.
How did these. cities fare under their new
lorcsf Prof Brown thinks that the facts
and records warrant the general state
ment- which, no doubt. needs TO be quail
flied in certain locaiies-that the Teuto
invaders made little account. either OF the
Roman towns as places of habtation. or
of the Roman roads as routes OF inter-
course and that, upon the whole, the
coun ry would have been settled in just the
sarlo manner as II was. had those towns
and roads not been in existence. AS in
Britain, so in the Gallo provinces, the
Teutonic invaders OF the Empire, whether
Goths, or Saxons, or Franks, cared little
for the life Of the Romanized cities. The
distinction is that on the Continent the
cities themselves were as rule left in
peade; and, though under varying fort
unes, they formed always. as they form
to-day. constituent elements Of the political
or at any rate, the ecclesiastical map.
The history Of the French towns be-
tween the seventh century and the eleventh
is Obscure but ecclesiastical annals show
them in common use as the seats OF church
councils, which were frequently held during
that period. In Britain the case was dif-
ferent, though not altogether so different
AS SOME historical writer's have assumed.
In Britain SO many Of the Roman towns
We're by the Anglo-Saxon Conquest wiped
OF the map altogether that an impression
may easily De formed that everything
Roman was destroyed by the invaders.
When, however, We investigate the fate OF
the Roman townsville more important OF
which. together with some Of secondary
rank, and with a selection of the cds'eltn.
are indicated on map facing page So Of
Prof. Browns first volume-we find that
their fortunes varied. Some did actually
perish at once, or slowly, and have never
revived. while others exist to this day.
Among the most interesting OF the former
cases are the following :Silchester is now
desert ed, and seems to have been gradu-
ally abandoned, after its capture by the
Saxons; Verulamum, an old cantonal
capital and Roman municipirm is now for
the most part an expanse of meadow and
corn land. We do not know under what
circumstances it fell, but it seems to have
been inhabited after the legions were with
drawn. The excavations made at Uri-
conium {WroSeterl, the ramparts of which
are three, miles In circuit. show that the
town was ravaged and burned; Isca Siur
um Naerlepn-on- Usl) is represented by
heap Of Nlins.- The site of Sorbiodunum
(Old sarum) has lost all apparent vestages
Of Roman occupation: Anderida (Pevensey),
a much smaller place, is an empty enceinte.
and eattscspture by the Teutons, it is stated
in the Anglo saxon Chronicle that every
inhabitant in the place was put to the sword.
On the other hand, London, York, Lincoln.
Colchester, Chester. with many less i'm
portant centres, still exist as cities. with a
continuous history from early medieval
times. though it is an open question whether
in many or in any cases. the continuity
realyRoes hack 10 the days OF Rome These
places were captured by the same heather
warriors who set t!rconium on fire, and
massacred the population of Anderida, and
some enti,ruaries regard the medieval
cityon each of the sites above named as
mere revival, after period during which
the old Roman town lay abandoned and in
ruids,-X notice OF Chester in the Chronicle.
under ds+e of A ID so4, speaks OF it as at that
TINT deAefteh stoes'e:;" but. in the cases Of
Ioncibn, York, and Lincoln, as we'll as those
of Canterbury. Winchester and some other
town. Of less note. there are ecclesiastical
facts rs<ofded by Bede which make it clear
that 10. the seventh century these cities pos
sessed an Individuality, and that Saxon
citizens Of London, at any rate, had already
a corporatc viii OF their own. As bearing
on Roman slrvivals, moreover the fact
must" NOT ne overlooked that some Of the
nour.hing Roman towns Of the West.
such as Fxeter and Gloucester passed
into the ha ads Of the Saxons at a late period
of the conquest. after the invaders had al
ready embraced Christianity, and con-
siderahly mitigat ed their pristine savagery,
SO that the chances are very much against