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Horden, Molineux and co
R. Fryer

Alexander and co
Crickett and co

Budgen and co

Berwick and co

Farley and co

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Wentworth and co

Denison and co
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Spooner and co
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Perring and co
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Masterman and co
Lubbock and co
Everett and co
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ABSTRACT

OF THE

History

OF

GLOUCESTER.

GLOUCESTER is generally allowed to have possessed

considerable importance as a military station even before the Christian era. When the Britons resolved to put the country into a state of better security, and to build 28 cities, they carefully selected those places best calculated to supply their wants, and therefore chose the ground whereon stands the subject of this history as the most eligible spot to lay the foundation of Caer Glou (the fair city), as it not only afforded abundance of water, wood, and pasture, but was well adapted for their principal amusement-hunting.

From the circumstance of "its being the lowest place on the river Severn, where a safe and convenient passage could be made to the western parts of the Island, seem to offer a probable reason why it was first selected, and afterwards formed into a large settlement, when the alarm of the Roman invasion, under Cæsar, compelled the natives to act with united energy for mutual protection and support."

In the 44th year of the Christian era, it is supposed,

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that Plautius, at the head of his victorious Romans, having penetrated as far as this city, sent to his master (the Emperor Claudius) so favourable a report of the advantages he conceived the country to possess, and of the probable speedy termination of the war, that he came over, and soon after his landing, his great moderation and conciliating manners produced so great a change on the brave and grateful natives, that they not only forgot their injuries and esteemed him as a friend, but erected a temple to his honour.

The Romans protected and improved the settlement sufficiently to lay the foundation of that consequence, which at no subsequent period has been entirely lost. This wise and politic people, indeed, carried with their victorious arms, the arts and comforts of social life, and from the peaceable disposition, which characterizedthe inhabitants of these parts, it may be presumed that they profitted by the superior attainments of their new masters. Glevum, however, as the Romans called it, was at this time a garrison, or military station, designed to check the incursions of the Silures, who inhabited on the western side of the Severn, and being brave and powerful, not only resisted all the efforts of the invaders with success, but were ready to seize every opportunity of harrassing them in their turn. Being thus a settlement of the Roman garrison, it became more numerous, and obtained the privileges of a colony.

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Its importance, though perhaps inferior to Cirencester, is likewise indisputably proved by the various coins, fragments of pottery, military and domestic utensils, and pavements, which have been found. Among the former are burial urns, coffins of lead and stone, pieces of amphoræ, a small brass lamp, an iron hatchet, a brass patera with a handle, a small ornamental bell, part of a pair of brass compasses, several brass beads, and a statera, or Roman balance, of the same metal. Some of these were, some time back, in the possession of Samuel Lysons, Esq. and all have been described in different parts of the Archeologia.

That the present plan of Gloucester nearly corresponds with what it was in the time of the Romans, there is no doubt, for in the four principal streets some remains have been discovered of Roman houses and buildings. In the cellar belonging to the master's house of Crypt school, there is at the present time a piece of tesselated pavement, and also some in a house adjoining to the Ram Inn, which was discovered in digging for

water.

In Westgate-street, in a house occupied by Mrs. Freeman, a butcher, some stone steps were also found by a well-sinker, which appeared to lead from the ground floor to an upper apartment, with the remains of a shaft of a Doric column, which was unquestionably Roman. A tesselated pavement was found some years since in the cellar of the house at present occupied by the Rev. Mr. Raikes, in the Northgate-street, but was destroyed by ignorance, ere science was permitted to ascertain the relative and important facts connected with it.

The most complete discovery, however, was made on the 26th of July, 1806, as the foundation for the new Blue Coat Hospital, in the Eastgate-street, was being dug out. The workmen came down to a very beautiful tessellated pavement, in a parellel direction with the street, extending on that side 30 feet, and from north to south 20 feet. On the south side was a circular excavation, about two feet diameter, which, from the remains of ashes, still there, and the burnt bricks, had evidently been used for a hearth or fire place. From this a communication had been made in several directions, by pipes of earthen-ware, apparently intended to convey heat under the pavement to different parts of the building. The pave

ment (which unfortunately was not preserved entire) was di→ vided into compartments, enriched with a variety of scrolls, frets, and other architectural ornaments, having a wreathed or braided border, inclosing different figures of fish. The colours of the tesselæ were white, red, blueish grey, pale and dark brown; the sizes varying from one half to three quarters

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