Literary Intelligence, 45, 94, 143, Rose, Mr. his Account of the Records 288. Manuscripts in the British Museum, 222; List of Plates in, 224. Montrose, Marquis of, List of Por- traits of, 103; Publications relat- in the Chapter House, Westmin- Sloane, Sir Hans, his Collection the 168. Tin Mines in Cornwall, History of, 248. Newcastle, Margaret, Duchess of, Towns Appointed in Cornwall, for Account of her Works, 101. William Cavendish, Duke Parliament, History of the Origin of Records, Account of those in the the Coinage of Tin, 253. Vane, Sir Henry, List of Portraits of, William Hamilton's Account of, 1. 52. William Savage, Printer. No. 19. THE CHRONICLE OF ENGLAND. BY JOSEPH STRUTT. 2 Volumes, 4to. London, 1777. The author of this work observes in his preface, that amidst the great variety of histories of this kingdom, hitherto published, too little care has been taken in the delineation of the manners and genius of the people, a careful investigation of which, he conceived, would be pleasant to his readers in general. The whole work is divided into three grand parts, namely, first, the Civil and Military History; secondly the Ecclesiastical History; and thirdly, the History of the Manners, Arts, Genius and Customs of the people. The first volume is divided into five parts, and contains the History of the Britons and Saxons, from the arrival of Julius Cæsar, to the end of the Saxon Heptarchy. The first part gives the Civil and Military History of the Britons, and the second, the Civil and Military History of the Saxons. Of the history of the Britous, little that is new and authentic can be collected, but in that of the Heptarchy, the author declares his work to be both more regular and complete, than any before published. The third part is divided into four chapters, and contains an account of the Ancient Religion, and the Church History of the Britons and Saxons, from the landing of Julius Cæsar to the end of the Heptarchy. The first chapter treats of the Druidical Religion of the Britons; the second of the Ecclesiastical History of the Britons from their conversion to Christianity to the arrival of the Saxons; the third of the Ancient Religion of the Saxons; and the VOL. IV. B JAN. 1810. fourth contains the Ecclesiastical History of the Saxons from their conversion by St. Augustine, in the year 596 to the accession of Egbert in 803. The fourth part is a dissertation on the Government, Laws, Manners, Habits, &c. of the ancient Britons from the invasion of Julius Cæsar to the arrival of the Saxons in the year 449. This part is divided into twelve chapters; the first contains the Names of the several British Nations and where they were situated; the second treats of the Constitution, Government, and Laws of the Britons, from which it appears that Britain was under a monarchical government at the time of the Roman invasion, and divided into many small nations or tribes, every one of which had at least one king and often more. A considerable check on the power of the prince, appears to have been the great authority of the Druids, who not only officiated as the ministers of the gods, in cases of religion, but claimed a great share also in the civil government. The third chapter treats of the Changes occasioned by the Romans in the British Government. The Romans soon found the difficulty of introducing their own laws amongst the natives whilst the Druids retained their power and authority, and, therefore contrary to their usual custom, they were obliged not only to destroy them, but to abolish by force the superstitious doctrines those priests had inculcated; on effecting which the laws of the Romans became established in every part of the Island that was subjected to them. The fourth chapter is on the State of Architecture amongst the Britons. About the time of Cæsar's arrival the domestic structures of the Britons were all of them built in a circular form, and the roof thatched up round like a cone, in the middle of which an aperture was left for the smoke to issue out. This was the construction of the common houses, whilst those of the better sort are said to have been built of stone. At this time the Britons had no idea of building houses contiguous to each other, so as to form regular streets in what were called their towns, but they were built at some distance one from the other. The Romans, immediately on obtaining a footing upon the island, made haste to improve the dwellings of those tribes who had espoused their cause, and formed their towns into regular cities. Thus as early as the year 61 of the Christian æra, when the Roman colony of Camulodunum was destroyed by Boadicea and her army, it appears to have been a large and well built town, in which there was a temple adorned with statues, a theatre, and other public edifices. By degrees the knowledge of architecture diffused itself among the Britons, the Romans exhorting and assisting them in building temples to the honour of the gods, houses for themselves, and places for public assemblies.* In the beginning of the fourth century the art of architecture was in its zenith in Britain, and on the Romans taking their final leave it at once fell into decay. The fifth chapter treats of the Art of War, and Military Discipline of the Britons. Their armies were not divided equally into distinct corps, containing each of them, a fixed and certain number of soldiers, like those of the Romans and more polished nations, but every clan or family fought in a distinct band, under the command of the head of that clan. Their troops consisted of three kinds of soldiers, infantry, cavalry, and those that fought the war chariots. * The Britons profited so much from the instructions of their preceptors, that when Constantius Chlorus rebuilt the city of Antun, in Gaul, about the year 296, the chief workmen whom he employed were sent from Britain, which at that time abounded with the best artificers. The sixth chapter treats of Agriculture and the dependant arts as known to the Britons. The seventh chapter is on the Commerce and Navigation of the Britons. The first people who visited Britain on account of trade, were the Phoenicians, and the most considerable commodities that they exported from the Scilly Islands and the neighbouring shores of Britain were tin, lead, and skins of beasts, In return for these articles, the principal things which they brought were salt, earthenware, and trinkets made of brass, as bracelets for the arms, chains for the neck rings, and the like, which the Britons greatly affected. After the Romans became acquainted with the Britons, besides the usual merchandize of tin, lead, and skins, other valuable things were found, which extended the commerce of the latter, and the revenues of the former; these were gold, silver, iron, corn, cattle, slaves, and dogs for hunting, with various precious stones, and pearls: chalk, lime, and marle, are also to be reckoned amongst the British exports of this period, and we must not omit baskets made of wicker, which were manufactured in Britain, with such niceness that they bore a great price at Rome. Among a variety of goods which the Romans imported we find the following trinkets, enumerated by Strabo; ivory, bridles, gold chains, cups of amber and drinking glasses. The eighth chapter is on the knowledge of the Britons respecting the working of Metals and their Coinage. That they understood the art of working metals may be proved from a great number of sharp instruments which they had, as axes, spear and arrow heads, swords &c. made of various metals. Tin it is probable, was the first metal of which they understood the nature; and they dug lead out of their mines and knew how to refine it. Copper and brass were brought into Britain by the Phoenicians, who ex |