sumahs," and calmly ordering them to bring clean glasses, and sweep away their mistress! "'Pon my life it's true!-what will you lay it's a lie ?"* Immortal Longbow! Ferdinand Mendez Pinto was but a type of thee, thou liar of the first magnitude! Oh, ye eternal bores and button-holders! who, Menzentius-like, chain the quick to the dead!-Ye dreary spinners-out of tedious narratives!-Ye joyless and joy-denying of the earth; ye honest relators, who never saw a joke, and therefore never took one-what are all your tiresome details of "facts," to one such mirth-moving, heartexpanding fable as the above? Badinage apart, what companion is more dreaded and dreadful to an imaginative mind, than the self-satisfied, pseudo sage. The matter-of-fact individual, whose mathematical and material nature makes him regard as immaterial all that does not come before him in a tangible form that may be palpable to his sight and "sense?" A man who is invariably pre-informed of whatever we tell him, and whose studied or fortuitous knowledge defeats every effort on our part to appear wiser than himself, even to the buttering of a crumpet !—in short, one who "knows" everything, and will believe nothing, and very little of that! In truth, we are all very apt to laugh at, and sometimes despise, what is termed vulgar credulity; but I have often thought we might with greater justice express contempt for what may be called vulgar in-credulity! For my own part, I would rather be the veriest gull that ever skimmed a duck pond, believing that he had crossed the broad Atlantic, than the miserable wretch, who, having read Gulliver's Travels throughout without a smile, gravely affirmed that he "looked upon the work to be an improbable fiction from beginning to end." * Vide Mathews "At Home." SONNET FROM PETRARCH, TRANSLATED BY LADY NUGENT. I GO lamenting o'er my days past by, To describe either the appearance or the exact whereabouts of the first port or town of Dover would be difficult. Before Cæsar invaded Britain, we conceive Dover to have been, like other towns of the ancient Britons, a mere collection of huts or hovels, composed of stakes driven into the earth, and supporting a roof covered with dried grass and fern or rushes. Such abodes were generally enclosed by thick woods, and fenced round by felled trees and tangled underwood; or, being erected upon hills of difficult access, were encompassed by deep ditches. In that early period, each tribe of skin-clad or painted savages, being independent of the rest, was frequently engaged under its respective chieftain (doubtless the most daring of the family) in predatory excursions against the forest or hill-protected territory of some neighbour. Under these circumstances, as it was necessary that each town should be a little fortress strong enough to repel a neighbouring foe, and secure the families and property of its inhabitants, whilst they sallied forth to carry fire and slaughter into a hostile hold, doubtless, in early times, a very decent sprinkling of primitive fortresses were spread over the hills and embowered amongst the thick woods of this island. Somewhat as we have described was no doubt the first port of Dover, and the vessels in use by the inhabitants were framed with branches of osiers, the sails being of the skins of beasts, and the tackle made of thongs of leather. Although the precise spot where the original town and port of Dover were situated would be difficult to determine, it is, however, obvious that on Cæsar's approaching our shores at this part, the sea flowed far up the valley, and some have conjectured that the town was about a mile and a half more inland than the existing shore, -a supposition the more probable from the large number of ancient anchors and planks of ships dug up in that part of the valley. Whether Dover was first peopled by the Gauls, or whether a more ancient colony of Britons were compelled to yield up possession of it to their Gaulish invaders, we leave to be discussed by those better able to penetrate into this dark period of our early history. The valley at Dover in its wild state was doubtless a desirable situation for a tribe of hardy adventurers. Sheltered from the tempestuous winds by lofty hills, and well-covered by wood, it afforded security for their vessels. Certain it is, we have no authentic information upon the subject until about fifty-five years before the birth of our Saviour, at which time the immortal Cæsar first determined to invade Britain. Cæsar, however, failed, as is well known, in landing at Dover, although he made his first attempt there; but from Cæsar's first glance of the formidable and fierce race assembled to welcome him with their weapons, we have gathered the fact of our ancestors' rude and simple style, their painted skin-clad bodies, and their bead-ornamented necks. and waists. When we look upon the picture presented by a glance of Dover, in this present year 1846-its magnificent buildings, its fortified heights, and castellated grandeur, with the polished votaries of fashion driving about, and displaying their embellishments and their equipages in the gay scene, whilst a hissing steam train darts its swift and fiery course through the chalky cliff, (like some serpent of a fairy tale, piercing the very caverns of the earth),-when we contrast this with the Dover of the Britons, consisting of a few wigwams reared in a lonely valley, and peopled by a ferocious-looking race of painted barbarians, and a fleet of osier-built vessels tossing in the bay,-the change is sufficiently startling. It is somewhat curious that on the Kentish coast Cæsar first beheld war-chariots, and they immediately engaged his attention, for he observed that they had the swiftness of the horse and the stability of the foot in battle. The source from whence the rude Britons obtained their hints of this strange mode of fighting, has indeed been a subject of speculation with antiquarians: some have affirmed that the Phoenicians imported them to Britain when they came to traffic for tin. The habits and customs of the ancient inhabitants of Dover we take to be pretty much the same as those of the entire island. According to Cæsar, the Britons formed a matrimonial society in which ten or twelve persons had a community of wives. The family all slept in one hut or wigwam, consisting of a single apartment, in the middle of which they lighted a fire, the inmates lying upon moss or rushes; war or the chase only rousing them from their native indolence. The Romans used Dover as a port, from their first settlement in Britain, making a road from thence to Canterbury. It would appear that when Julius Cæsar first cast anchor in the bay of Dover, his galleys floated over the very spot where the present town now stands. From the time of his landing to the reign of Diocletian, except that they built on the Castle Hill and in the town, we have little information of what the Romans did at Dover. In the reign of Valentinian, it was found necessary to strengthen the garrisons on the Kentish coast, and the Legió Secunda Augusta was removed from Isca-Silurum and Caer-Leon to the different fortresses in Kent. Theodosius ordered them to Richborough between the years of Christ 364 and 367. From this place the different detachments were marched to their stations. Dover having the first cohort, 1200 strong, and being also the headquarters at this period, claimed the post of honour, and custody of the eagle. The remains of the bath built by this detachment have been discovered near the stream in the valley. It must have been a magnificent structure, containing the hypocaustum or souterrain, the balneum, the concamerata, the sudatorium, the tepidarium, and the frigidarium.* This building originally covered a considerable part of the site of the west end of St. Mary's Church and yard; but on interring the dead, the remains have been destroyed. By the inscription on some of the immense tiles dug up at this part, it would appear that this bath was built by the Britannic legion, after its removal to the Kentish coast, and that it must have been almost the last Roman edifice raised in Dover valley. VOL. XX. U U Hengist and Horsa next arrived on the Kentish coast on the south side of Thanet: but their force must have been small, since they were embarked in only three vessels. Some suppose them to have been invited by Vortigern; others affirm that the cause of this descent was in obedience to a domestic law (made in cases of superfluity of population), by which their youth were obliged to decide by lot who should seek a new settlement; and that themselves, having drawn that lot, therefore came to Britain. Be that as it may, they quickly shewed the nature of their dispositions, and turned against their entertainers. Five thousand Jutes enlisted themselves under the banner of Hengist, who led them on to conquest, and they settled in Kent. Victory in the hands of such barbarians was dreadful: smoking ruins and heaps of carcases marked their steps; and in their career the beautiful edifices of the Romans in the valley of Dover became a mass of ruins. After Hengist and his barbarous horde had demolished Dover, it remained a ruined heap, until Alfred's time the town then again rising from its ashes, regained something like its former importance as a port. The appearance of a Cinque Port town, at this period, it would perhaps be difficult to define, and not a little curious to contemplate. Such houses as the natives built were detached, and not being placed adjoining each other, there were no streets. Consequently, a jumbled mass of irregular-looking hovels, places of strength, and religious edifices, constituted a town in the times of the Saxons. Nay, whilst contending for victory with the Britons, the Saxons generally were best contented with large caves by the hill side, or temporary huts erected on the bank of a fresh-water stream. The Roman government was pretty firmly established in Britain, in the reign of the emperor Titus, by Agricola, which was in the year 90 of the Christian era. The south had then entirely submitted to the conquerors; but the rude natives of the north still spread the flames of war over many parts of the island. In the time of Diocletian, A. D. 284, the fierce pirates of the north, infesting the narrow seas, plundered the inhabitants of the coast without mercy, committing the greatest atrocities upon man, woman, and child wherever they came. In order to remedy this evil, as we have before hinted, Diocletian deputed into Britain an officer called Comes, having ships and men under his command. This officer established garrisons in different parts of the coast, and repressed the depredations of the pirates, making terrible examples of those he caught. Dubris, or Dover, was his principal station, and for its defence a commander was appointed, having a strong detachment of Tungarians under him. Two of the Roman gates of Dover (namely, those of Adrian and Severus) existed under the Normans. Severus gate was built A.D. 209, and an old manuscript, still, we believe, preserved by the Dering family, mentions that the emperor Severus fortified Dover with a wall. The Gate of Severus led from what is now termed Bench Street: the foundations being found so hard by the workmen employed to remove them, as to defy both pick and chisel. Adrian Gate (built by the emperor Adrian) was situate a short distance from the cliff above Snare Gate. It conducted to the heights, and just without it was a Roman burial-ground, many urns containing coins having been there discovered. The Norman Conqueror is supposed to have once more reduced this Cinque Port to a state of ruin and misery; for soon after his arrival we find that Dover was reduced by fire to only nine-and-twenty houses. Although there is no record that the "hot Duke" ordered this deed, yet, as an army was assembled, on his landing in England, to oppose him, and as he besieged and took the Castle, beheaded the governor and his second in command, and committed other dreadful acts of brutality towards the inhabitants of the town,-it is reasonable to suppose he was quite as likely to have burned and destroyed their edifices and dwellings. Dover was the first of the Cinque Ports incorporated by a charter. It had from the remotest period, by virtue of its situation, enjoyed es pecial privileges; and the whole of these were confirmed under Edward the First. At this period Dover owned twenty stout vessels, each able to contain one-and-twenty well-armed men. When the Conqueror felt himself firmly seated on the throne, he turned an eye of favour upon Dover. Doubtless, even whilst he was engaged in burning, slaying, and destroying, he foresaw that a time might come when he should have to repair so important a port; and accordingly we find that he enclosed the town with a strong and massive wall, with gates and towers, some of the foundations being laid with stone brought from Caen in Normandy. From the year 1132 till 1227 were the palmy days of Dover. With strong walls, towers, and battlements, the warder's horn sounded, and the strict watch and ward of the Cinque Port guard was kept with jealous eye upon the battlements and ramparts. Five splendid churches were then standing in architectural beauty together with the grey towers and walls of the priory and Maison Dieu. From the little we know of the towns of this time it would appear that although walled and well secured by gate-houses and towers, they were much more irregular than even at a later period when such fortifications were dispensed with; the houses of the citizens, even at the Norman period, being detached and built without much regard to the formation of streets. Some have supposed that Dover was surrounded by a wall by the Romans, but as their fleet commanded the sea it would appear such artificial defence was then unnecessary, and that it was unwalled till William the Conqueror's time. The duty of the warders of the Cinque Ports was to make frequent rounds during the night, to parade the streets, and to apprehend all vagrant men and disorderly wives; and especially to take every precaution against fire; every inhabitant being especially required to keep a tub of water before his wooden dwelling. The wardmen, also, were constantly on the watch in the towers, looking out for the piratical or hostile sail seaward, and the approach of armed foes landward. The Maison Dieu in Dover, was erected in the reign of John by Hubert de Burgh. It was situate in Biggin ward, and intended for the accommodation of pilgrims going and coming to and from the continent; and the brethren and sisterhood of the establishment were enjoined to use hospitality to strangers. Two sisters, Agnes and Beatrice, gave lands and tenements to provide a priest to officiate in a chapel in the town. King John signed precepts in this house to all earls, knights, barons, and military tenants, to appear at Dover on the 21st of April for defence of the kingdom and preservation of their own lives. This brought |