Chap. VIII.
BRITAIN.
403
and faced with stone; the space inclosed to be about 450 acres, the expense of which isestimated at two millions sterling.
Other sites, as Margate Sound, off Long Nore Spit, at Foreness, and off Beacliy Head,have been considered equally eligible for the construction of a harbour of refuge.
River harbours are subject to constant silting up, and to deposits at the mouth, whichsluicing very inadequately removes ; therefore to form a perfect establishment to receivevessels at all times, it should be at a distance from the main land, with entrances to suitthe prevailing currents and winds : to form a hollow island in the ocean, which shouldenfold within its arms the ships of Britain , and protect them against the elements, often sofatal to many, would, indeed, be worthy of the nation, and rival the great works performedby the Romans.
To see an artificial zone rise from the ocean, covered with buildings containing all thatour marine required, and within its circuit ships from all nations riding in safety, would callforth admiration equal to that expressed by Pliny when the port in view of his villa wasbeing formed: a nation’s wealth could not be more beneficially employed than in such awork, and though millions might be expended in its formation, in a few years it would berepaid by the securities it offered and afforded. To execute such a project is by nomeans difficult, as our shores and tidal currents are so thoroughly known.
To attempt to form a harbour on any part of the coast where there is an accumulation ofbeach, which is moved forwards by the prevailing winds, and lodged in layers along theshore until it rises to nearly high water mark, is useless; no breakwater can be providedsufficient to scour and keep open a passage for vessels in such situations, and a goodharbour cannot he obtained.
Under Beachy Head, Dungeness, and several projecting parts of the coast, the beachfinds shelter, and forms a bold face, where the water is deep, to the shore, and where, as inthe Isle of Portland, a vessel may lie afloat with her bowsprit over the beach, such situ-ations might be rendered fit to hold a large navy.
Walls and Gates of Cities and Towns -There cau be little doubt but that the Romans
walled in our chief towns, and taught the Britons a more secure method of defendingthemselves against a foe who menaced their dwellings than was afforded by earth-worksand timber constructions, which Ca ?sar describes as surrounding their camps and placesof resort.
London was encompassed with walls as early as the third century ; and in all pro-bability, Helena, the mother of Constantine, added considerably to their strength in thefollowing century. Maitland imagines that the greater portion was rebuilt by Theodosius ,who was governor of Britain in 379 a.d.
The direct course of the city walls was as follows: beginning at the Tower , they con-tinued by the Minories, between Poor Jury Lane and the Vineyard, to Aldyatc; they thencurved to the north-west, between Shoemaker Row, Bevis Marks, Camomile Street,and Houndsditeh, to Bishop's Gate ; from thence in a straight line by Fore Street toCripple Gate. They then turned southward to Monkwell and Castle Street. Noble Street,Dolphin Court, to Alder's Gate ; then south-west, by St. Botolph’s, Christ’s Hospital, andOld Xewgate : and southward to Ludgate; from thence to Little Bridge Street and theThames . Stow makes the whole circuit of these walls about 2 miles 1 furlong. Anotherwall was continued along the banks of the Thames , 1 mile 120 yards in length, to theTower . These walls were defended at different distances by strong towers and bastions,three of which remained when Maitland wrote his history, in the vicinity of Hounsditch andAldgate; the height of the walls was about 22 feet, and that of the towers 40 feet. The areacomprised within them is computed at 380 acres. A portion of the foundations wasmeasured in 1707 by Dr. Woodward, in Camomile Street, near Bishopsgate, who statesthem to be about 8 feet below the roadway, and that to the height of 10 feet they werecomposed of Kentish rag-stone, with single layers of broad tile interposed, at the distanceof 2 feet from each other. The tiles were Roman, 17J inches long, llj inches in breadth,and l \ in thickness; the mortar was very firm and hard, and the entire thickness of thew’all was 9 feet. A portion still remains near Tower Hill.
Numerous tesselatcd pavements, coins, and other Roman remains, are constantly dis-covered over the entire area of the ancient city.
York was strongly fortified by the Romans, but tbe walls which they constructed wereprobably rebuilt in the reign of Edward I. ; in that of Edward III . an order was againissued to strengthen them, and the following is Leland’s description of them in the time ofHenry VIII . “ The towne of Yorke standeth by west and est of Ouse River, runningthrough it, but that part that lyeth by est is twice as gret in building as the other. Thusgoeth the waul, from the ripe of Ouse, of the est part of the cite of York. Fyrst a greattowre, with a chain of yron to cast over the Ouse, then another towre, and so to BowdamGate; from Bowdam Gate or Bar, to Goodram Gate or Bar, ten towres, thence fouretoweres to Laythorp a postern-gate; and soe by a space of two flite shotts, the blind anddeep water of Fosse, coming out of the Forest of Galtres, defendeth this part of the cite
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