Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

rank and fortune solicited employment in the government of the various divisions of Britain. In the number of the Roman generals employed in this country, we find some of the most illustrious men amongst those who succeeded to the empire of Rome. The inscribed tablet at Goodwood, of the temple which was built at Chichester, in the reign of Claudius; and of Cogidubnus, the Briton, viceroy of the Regni in Sussex, will shew that Regnum was a place of architectural eminence in the time of the Romans, as it appears that the Collegium Fabrorum" built the temple in question.-See Plates 121, 122.

66

Tacitus, speaking of Cogidubnus, says, that certain states were granted to King Cogidubnus, and that he remained faithful to the Romans. But, it is improbable that Bignor was the palace of a Briton; it was evidently built by Roman artificers, for some Roman resident of fortune-probably a commander of the forces, who had an equal authority as the military occupant with the viceroy Cogidubnus, or Cogidunus, and who may have displayed more state and luxury. As there are various other pavements, and the remains of Roman villas throughout Britain, all equally worthy to be the residence of Vespasian, Adrian, or any other illustrious Roman general, or Emperor, who is known to have dwelt in Britain, it would be impossible to fix upon any of them in particular

U

as the owner of Bignor Villa. If a coadjutor of King Cogidubnus was the founder of this Roman mansion, we may fairly examine the other reliques of the County of Sussex, for the establishment of some plausible conjecture. The family of the Luculli were known to be amongst the most opulent of the Romans, previous to the establishment of the empire of Augustus. Under the commonwealth of Rome, they shared in the consular government, and the provincial commands; under the first emperors, their riches were probably undiminished. In 1823, there was discovered at Chichester the votive altar of Lucullus, the son of Amminus. See Plate 123. When we couple this circumstance with the knowledge of the temple there built in the time of Claudius, and of Cogidubnus, we may imagine that Lucullus was a Roman of influence and authority at that period in Sussex, and possibly the proprietor of Bignor.

The Roman pavements at Stunsfield in Oxfordshire, at Frampton in Dorsetshire, Littlecote in Wiltshire, and at Horkstow in Lincolnshire, are of great dimensions and celebrity. The Cavædium Tetrastylon at Woodchester is the largest Roman pavement in England; it belonged to the villa of some eminent person. In general, however, the delineations of these pavements have not, by any means, equalled the pavements at Bignor in point of beauty. The accuracy of the figures depended

much upon the component parts, the smallest naturally affording the most regular lines; coloured marble, of either regular or irregular shape, was the best material; a consistent cement, and composition, has also been used for this purpose. The tessellata pavimenta were composed with cubical fragments, rather too large for representing the human figure; wherefore the sectilia were often employed, consisting of pieces irregularly carved, to suit various purposes, whence their name.-The vermiculata, or worm-like fragments, were still smaller, and with these the architect completed his best imitations of painting.-Mosaic work is, however, too well understood to require a longer detail. Sylla is supposed to have first imported. from Greece to Rome, the designs and workmen for these pavements, which were used in temples, before the practice commenced of their being laid down in villas; the rapid increase of Roman luxury soon brought into use this splendid domestic flooring. Tessellated pavements have been met with in many of the Roman provinces besides Britain; and a comfortable dwelling was a chief solace to a rich man absent from Rome. Cicero desires his friend Trebatius, who followed Cæsar to Gaul and Britain, to make himself as comfortable as possible, and keep up a blazing fire, "camino luculento utendum censeo."

PLATE CVI.

Saint Mary's Gate, Arundel.

THIS plate describes a north view of St. Mary's Gate, Arundel, which was anciently the only north entrance to the town. On the right of the gate is part of the ancient wall, in squares of flint and stone, similar to the other ancient parts of the building. This wall ran in a westerly direction to a branch of the river Arun, which is now quite dry, but which, together with a ditch, completely circumvallated the west side of the town. On the left, or east side of the gate, was another wall, running eastward, and joining the works of the castle; here was likewise a deep wide ditch, the greater part of which still remains; the sides are sown with grass, and planted with trees and shrubs of various descriptions. This ditch joined that which is seen in the drawing of the ancient grand gateway, the banks of which are planted in like manner; the sides of the old banks also are all ornamented in the same way as is observable in the banks of the plate of Bevis' tower.

The greater part of this gate has been built since the year 1780; at that time, the whole of the centre, from whence the arch springs, was down; it is now enclosed within the park, or gardens, of

Arundel Castle, the present road running on the other side of the wall, to the right of the gateway, which forms the limits to the grounds.

Arundel is governed by a mayor, twelve burgesses, a steward, and other officers usual in corporations. Its market days are Saturday and Thursday, for corn, of which much was exported, as ships of one hundred tons might ride in the Arun*, close to Arundel Bridge; and there are four fairs at Arundel. The stone bridge was built at the charge of the Earl of Scarborough, out of the ruins of the priory.

The Alms-houses at Arundel were founded by Geo. Bland, Esq. of Sundrish, in Kent.

This borough sends two members to Parliament since the reign of Edward I.

* At the mouth of Arundel stream, as upon the Se, lieth two Tounelettes, a four miles from Arundel; the hither is called Cudlo, and of it the Haven is called Cudlo Haven, the further is called Little Hampton.-Leland's Itinerary.

« PoprzedniaDalej »