their amusement. Thofe dogs were of different kinds. But the greateft numbers, and thofe which bore the highest price, were defigned for hunting, and excelled all others, both in their fwiftnefs and exquifite fcent. They are thus defcribed in a paffage of Oppian: "There is a kind of dogs of mighty fame

"For hunting, worthy of a fairer frame :

By painted Britons brave in war they're bred, "Are beagles call'd, and to the chafe are led : "Their bodies fmall, and of fo mean a shape, "You'd think them curs, that under tables gape." The goods imported into Britain, according to Strabo, were ivory bridles, gold chains, cups of amber, and drinking-glaffes. But after the Roman conqueft, the imports unavoidably became much more various and valuable. Befides wine, fpices, and many other articles for their tables, they were under a neceffity of importing the greatest number of their tools, arms, furniture, clothing, and many other things.

Thus all the trade of great Britain was carried on, for fome ages, in the way of barter, or exchange of one commodity for another. When metals were first ufed as money, and made the common prices of all commodities, their value was determined only by their weight. The feller having agreed to accept of a certain quantity of gold, filver, or brafs for his goods, the buyer cut off that quantity from the plate or ingot of that metal in his poffeffion; and having weighed it, delivered it to the feller, and received the goods. But this method of tranfacting bufinefs was attended with much trouble, and liable to various frauds, both in the weight and fineness of the metals ufed in commerce. It was, therefore, ordained by the laws of feveral ancient nations, that all the metals used as money, should be divided into fmall pieces, and ftamped with certain marks.

As a confiderable number of gold coins were found in 1749, on the top of Karn-bre,* in Cornwall, which are clearly proved to have belonged to the ancient

* Bre fignifies a hill.

4

Britons,

Britons, it must certainly have been discovered that this ifland produced gold and filver not long after the first invasion of the Romans. The figures that were firft ftamped on the coins of all nations, (efpecially of thofe nations whofe chief riches confifted in their flocks and herds,) were thofe of oxen, horfes, hogs, and fheep. From hence we may conclude, that those coins of any country, which have only the figures of cattle ftamped upon them, and perhaps of trees, reprefenting the woods in which their cattle paftured, were the moft ancient coins of that country. Some of the gold coins found at Karn-bre, and defcribed by Dr. Borlafe, are of this kind, and may therefore be juftly esteemed the most ancient of our British coins.

When fovereigns became fenfible of the great importance of money, and took the fabrication of it under their own direction, they ordered their own heads to be ftamped on one fide of their coins, while the figures of fome animals ftill continued to be impreffed on the other fide. Of this kind are fome of the Karnbre coins, with a royal head on one fide, and a horse on the other, which we may fuppofe to have been ftruck in a more advanced state of the British coinage.

When the knowledge and use of letters were once introduced into any country where money was coined, it would not be long before they appeared on its coins, expreffing the names of the princes whofe heads were impreffed upon them, and of the places where they were coined, and other circumftances. This was a very great improvement in the art of coining, and gave an additional value to the money, by making it preferve the memories of princes, and afford light to hiftory. Nor were our British ancestors unacquainted with this great improvement, before they were fubdued by the Romans. For feveral of our ancient British coins have very plain and perfect infcriptions, and on that account merit particular attention.

Floats or rafts are believed, by most authors, to have been the firft kind of water-carriage To thefe fuc

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ceeded

ceeded canoes, made of one very large tree excavated, to fecure its freight from being wetted or wafhed away : "Tunc alnos primum fluvii fenfere cavatas." "Then firft on feas the hollow alder fwam."

As they wanted proper tools for fawing large trees into planks, the most ancient veffels or boats, in feve. ral countries, were made of oziers, and the flexible branches of trees interwoven as clofe as poffible, and covered with skins.* "The fea which flows between Britain and Ireland is fo unquiet and ftormy, that it is only navigable in fummer; when the people of these countries, pafs and repafs it in finall boats made of wattles, and covered carefully with the hides of oxen."+

The fingular form of these boats is, perhaps, the reafon that they are fo much taken notice of by ancient writers; while those of a better form, are seldom mentioned. It is however very probable, that they were not altogether deftitute of fuch fhips, even before they were invaded by the Romans. For we are told by Cæfar," that the fea-coafts of Britain were poffeffed by colonies which had lately come from Gaul, and still retained the names of the feveral ftates from whence they came. Now as thefe colonies came with a defign to make war, in order to force a fettlement, they inuft have brought with them great numbers of armed men, together with their wives and children, and perhaps their most valuable effects. This could not be done without fleets of fhips of greater capacity and ftrength than the wicker-boats above defcribed.

After the Roman conqueft, when London, in the reign of Nero, was become a great city, A. D. 61. abounding in merchants and merchandize, it certainly abounded also in fhipping. And when, in the year 359, no fewer than eight hundred fhips were employed in the exportation of corn, the whole number employed in the British trade must have been very great.

* Cæfar.

+ Solinus.

Towards

Towards the end of the third century, when the Frank and Saxon pirates began to infeft the feas, we may form fome idea of the greatnefs of the British fleet, by obferving the vaft preparations that were made against them for feveral years. The emperor Conftantius did not think it fafe to put to fea, nor to attempt the recovery of Britain, till he had collected a fleet of a thousand fail; and after all, his fuccefs in that enterprife is afcribed more to his good fortune in paffing the British fleet in a thick fog, than to his fuperior force. The high encomiums beftowed on Conftantius, for this exploit of recovering Britain, afford another proof of its great importance, on account of its naval force. "O happy victory! (exclaims his panegyrift) comprehending many victories and innumerable triumphs. By it Britain is restored, the Franks exterminated, and many nations which had confpired together, are conftrained to make fubmiffion. Rejoice, O invincible Cæfar! for thou haft conquered another world, and by reftoring the glory of the naval power of Rome, haft added to her empire a greater element than the whole earth."

By the departure of the Romans, the Britons fuffered as much in their maritime affairs, as in any refpect whatever. The Roman fleets and garrifons being withdrawn, the Britifh fhips became an eafy prey to the Frank and Saxon pirates at fea, and were not fecure even in their harbours. This obliged all the most wealthy merchants to retire into the interior provinces of the empire.

CHAP. VII.

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE ANCIENT BRITONS.

THE hiftory of manners is, perhaps, the most agreeable and entertaining part of history. They who

Campbell's Lives of the Admirals.

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delight

delight in obferving the various paffions, foibles, and humours of mankind in real life, will perufe with pleafure a delineation of the manners, customs, and characters of nations, during their feveral periods.

The ancient Britons were remarkable for the fize and ftature of their bodies, and for their fair complexions. The women, in particular, excelled in the fairness and foftnefs of their perfons. One of these British beauties is compared, by the poet, "to the down of the Swan, when flow the fails the lake, and fidelong winds are blowing."* The hair of the Caledonians, or North Britons, is faid to have been of a reddifh caft; and that of the Silures, or people of South Wales, moft commonly curled.t All the Celtic nations had blue eyes, which were esteemed very beautiful by the ancient Britons of both fexes. Their voices, when they exerted them with a defign to excite terror, were exceedingly loud, horrid, and frightful."Now Fingal arofe in his might, and thrice he reared his voice. Cromla anfwered around, and the fons of the defert ftood ftill."

The Britons and other Celtic nations were no less remarkable for the ftrength, than for the bulk of their bodies. The following defcription of Fingal and Swaran wrestling, muft give us a high idea of the prodigious ftrength of thefe two chieftains. "Their finewy arms bend round each other; they turn from fide to fide, and strain and stretch their large spreading limbs below: But when the pride of their ftrength arofe, they shook the hill with their heels; rocks tumble from their places on high; the green headed bushes are overturned." They excelled in running, fwimming, wrestling, climbing, and all kinds of bodily excrcifes. They could patiently endure the greatest difficulties. "The Caledonians,' fays an accurate writer," are accuftomed to fatigues, to bear hunger, cold, and all manner of hardfhips. They run into the moraffes up to the neck, and live there feveral days

Poems of Offan. + Tacitus. + Offian.

without