consisted with this Inscription EXER BRITANNICUS RESTITUTOR BRITANNI He built a Wall Fourscore Miles in Length cross the Island from Solway Frith upon the Irish Seas to the Mouth of the Tine by Newcastle on the German Ocean Antoninus Pius was next in whose Time the Brigantes broke in upon Genounia which is North-Wales the Inhabitants of which were then under the Protection of the Romans He reigned Twenty Three Years and died of a Fever at Lotium Marcus Aurelius was the adopted Son of Antoninus Pius and Son of Elius Verus he married his Daughter Faustina and upon the Death of Antoninus Pius took upon him the Empire and chose for his Associate Lucius Verus In Aurelius his Reign the Britains again revolted for appeasing of whom Calphurnius Agricola was sent Lieutenant hither and for the Subduing of whom was raised that Altar to the Syrian Goddess Commodus Antoninus his Son succeeded him his Flatterers gave him the Name of Britannicus In his Reign were many Seditious Troubles in Britain the Northern Nations breaking down the Wall which was raised to keep them out and cut in Pieces the Romans that came against them He sends over Ulpius Marcellus as prime Commander who by his Conduct soon repell'd them but being for that envy'd by Commodus he was then speedily recall'd upon which through the Licenciousness of the Romans the Britains again revolted Clodius Albinus was created Caesar by Commodus who understanding his Design refused that Honour yet hearing of his Death ascended the Tribunal and in an elegant Speech pressed the Senate to make him Consul Helvius Pertinax after Commodus was slain was by Laetus saluted Emperor being an aged Commander The Senate moved to have Albinus joined with him but he being jealous of Albinus refused it and sent him back into Britain with a Commission to be his Lieutenant which Albinus revenged by exhorting Iulianus to assassinate him Didius Iulianus upon his Death bought the Empire He was slain by the Soldiers that advanced him Albinus being still Lieutenant in Britain Septimius Severus having disarmed the Praetorian Bands but being jealous of Albinus in Britain ordains him his Caesar and Successor himself pretending Age which the other accepted by this Cajole Severus marches into Syria to subdue Pescennius Niger who pretended to the Empire in a pitch'd Battle overcame Niger and slew him subdued the Adiabenes and Arabians and then returned to Rome He then being weary of a Rival in the Empire sent over Murtherers into Britain to dispatch Albinus which Albinus too late discovered and then declared himself Emperor Hereupon Severus sent Onuphrius Heraclitus to take Possession of Britain Albinus refused to resign declares for the Empire erects his own Statue and stamped his Picture on his Coin and to justifie himself with the choice Troops of all Britain entred France and near unto Lyons took the Field against Severus Severus declares Albinus a Traytor and gives him Battle The Army of Albinus saith Herolian was very hot at the first and the Battle seem'd to go for the Albinians insomuch that Severus flying flung off his Purple Coat and hid himself Hence the Britains concluding all to be their own fell into Disorder which Letus Albinus the General perceiving came upon them with fresh Troops thinking Severus had been slain and design'd to make himself Emperor and totally routed them which Severus perceiving he reassumes his Robes recalls his Forces slays Albinus and recovers a most fortunate Victory After this Severus divides the Sovereignty of Britain between Vitius and Heraclitus but in the Year 208 he came himself into Britain where he had many Skirmishes He built a Wall cross the Island from Sea to Sea but this by some is supposed to be the same with Adrian's Septimius Geta his Son was slain by his Brother Caracalla in the Arms of his Mother Iulia who afterwards married Bassianus Son to a former Wife of Severus Bassianus had no Issue but was succeeded by Heliogabalus 't is reported he died in Britain Macrinus succeeded him Heliogabalus the supposed Son of Bassianus took upon him the Name of Antoninus There are other Coins but the Collection not being compleat I refer the Reader to the Cutts These are the most remarkable Antiquities relating to this Island during the Roman Government what People preceded them as is hinted before is evident from these following Heads which if we consider the Remoteness of the Places from each other clearly evince to us that the Asiaticks before the Greeks and Romans came hither had discovered the whole Island and fixed in it various Colonies For the clearing of this Head I shall begin with the most Northern Part of Britain and thence briefly proceed to the Lands End of England in doing which I must a little recapitulate Thule the most Northern Part of Britain is a Phoenician Word signifying in that Language Darkness either from the Shadows of their Trees or the Shortness of their Days these Islands the Latins called Orcades and the Scots now Orkney That this Thule was the Orcades is evident from Strabo since as was before observed he mentions Thule Britanica which could be no other Place Kent the Name of a great River near Lancaster in the Armenian Tongue signifies a great River Lune the Name of a considerable River near the same Place in the Armenian Tongue signifies the Moon Bellissama the Name of a River near Preston in Lancashire in the Phoenician Language signifies the Moon or the Goddess of Heaven whom the Britains as well as the Phoenicians stile Andraste and Astarte as we may find by that Invocation made to her by that fam'd Heroine but unfortunate British Queen Boadicia which was in the following Manner O Andraste I being a Woman invocate thee Woman Ribel now the Name of the same River in the Armenian Tongue signifies Heaven Savig a Branch of the same River in British and Phoenician is Rivulet Caer the primitive Name of Chester is British and Phoenician Lud from whence London is most probably denominated is Hebrew signifying in that Language Lydia a Country joining to Phoenicia Add to these the Counties of Cornwall and Devonshire which at this Day in their Language retain many Phoenician Words and Idioms as Mr. Sams in his Britania informs us as likewise the Islands of Silly which Observations rightly weigh'd make it a clear Demonstration that the Phoenicians had sailed quite round the Island and in all Parts of it fixed their Colonies I shall but produce one Instance more and not further transgress upon the Readers Patience that is the Method the Britains had in numbring their Days and Nights a Way only particular to them and the Eastern Nations viz. to make the Day to follow the Night and not the Night the Day as the Germans and Romans did as Caesar in his Commentaries assures us Which particular Instance in my Opinion makes it as clear as those Lights they numbred that this Island was chiefly inhabited from the Eastern Nations this Custom
Foundation were found the Heads Horns and Bones of several Creatures viz. The Ox Wolf Roe-Buck c. On the Left Side of it was a Flower-Pot on the Top is a Cotyla or Cavity in the Bottom of that Cavity a young Face supposed to be that of the Genius on the Back Ornaments or Drapery of uncertain Figures On the Right Side a Genius standing with a Cornucopia in his Left-Hand the Right-Hand being cut off by the Workman unawares together with several Letters of the Inscription signify'd by the Blot It is plain then in Fact that the Altar was erected by Flavius Longinus Tribune of the Twentieth Legion named Victrix and Valens and Longinus his Son descended from the House City rather of Samosate in Performance of their Vow made for the Prosperity of the then Emperors to the Genius of the Place Yet in order to discover the Manner of that Performance who the Tribune or Augusti or Emperors were the Aera of their Reign and the Year of our Lord all which are very doubtful I offer these Observations Genio Loci In the Roman Heathen Theology the very Genii are almost innumerable one being deputed to every Person Place and almost every Thing useful in their Families and for their Occasions They are more frequently understood to preside over Generations Nativities and after that to be Tutelary to the Person all his Life long Hence it is that the Effigies of the Genius is commonly Juvenile crown'd with Plantane-Leaves and Flowers Wine Nard and Honey are offer'd to him in Sacrifice on Nativities and the Reason is because the Birth-day whereon the Person first enjoy'd that chearful Gift the Light of the Day shou'd not be defiled or profan'd with Blood or the Depriving another Creature of that Light Indeed that Place in Horace Lib. 3. Ode 17. Cras Genium Mero Placabis Porco Bimestri Is brought for an a Per Demsterum in Rosinum ad C. 14. Lib. 2. Authority to prove the Sacrifice of an Animal to a Genius But to me it is a Mistake and contrary to Horace's Intention he there urging Lamia to spend the Day merrily Indulgere Genio genialiter vivere and not advising to any Solemn Act of Religion and in some Additions more agreeable to this Interpretation it is Curabis not Placabis Genium and Cutem curare is a proper Phrase for the same Purpose And this Sense is confirmed by the same Poet b Epist. L. 2. Epist. 1. V. 144. Tellurem Porco Sylvanum Lacte Piabunt Floribus Vino Genium Memorem brevis aevi But to the Genius of a Place a larger and more indulgent Province was delegated There might be subordinate Genii and particularly such as presided over Nativities within it and to this Genius for the Plenitude of his Power and Superintendency more magnificent and pompous Immolations were made and from the same Opinion many Altars were erected to that Genius as appears in Gruter IV. 7. VI. 2. ‑ VIII 4. 6. 7. ‑ IX 23. ‑ XC 10. ‑ CV 2. ‑ CVII 5. ‑ ClXXVII 5. ‑ MXVII 7. ‑ MXVIII 9. ‑ MlXVIII 2. ‑ Longinus Flavius This Tribune does not occur in any History I have read We c Andr. Shotti Gentes Famil Roman find that from the Cassia Gens there descended a Plebeian Family surnam'd Longini it is very probable that G. Cassius Longinus one of the ancient Lawyers remembered by the a Digest Lib. 1. Tit. 2. Emperor Iustinian was of that Family It is manifest the same Longinus was Praeses of Syria in Claudius his Time and very credible that he was of the same Family with Cassius the Assassine of Caesar as appears by the Commendation of his Skill in the Law and Arms and his own Endeavour to support the Honour of that Family Caeteros praeminebat Peritia Legum nam Militares Artes per Otium Ignotae Industriosque ac Ignavos pax in aequo tenet attamen quantum sine Bello dabatur revocare priscum Morem Exercitare Legiones Cura provisa perinde agere ac si hostis Ingruerit ita digna majoribus suis familia Cassia ratus per illas quoque Gentes Celebrata Cassius Longinus the Assassine of Caesar was Qâ—â—â—stor to Crassus in Syria and after Crassus his Death he return'd back to Syria It is probable during his Residence there he might plant that Family which above an Hundred Years after when the Lawyer Cassius Longinus came Praeses thither was held in great Esteem in those Parts From so great and illustrious an House many Families no doubt were propagated and considering into what Displeasure that House fell with the Imperial Family upon the Occasion of Caesar's Murther it is reasonable to think they wou'd rather propagate and flourish in Syria than at Rome be obnoxious to the Envy and Revenge of the Iulian Family This Supposition granted the Number of 346 Years viz. the Space betwixt the Time that Cassius fixed in Syria viz. Anno U. C. 700. and the Aera which I shall presume to assign to our Tribune viz. Anno U. C. 1046 will be found sufficient for the Propagation of many Families out of the Cassian Gens or Stock If then the Nomen of our Tribune had been Cassius this might have given more probability of his Pedigree or Derivation from the famous Cassius The Flavian was an ancient Stock or Gens tho' Plebeian and its likely our Tribune was descended from it and was of a different Stock from Cassius but the Cognomen Longinus is at least a Note of their Collateral Relation a Rosini Lib. 4. L. de Patria pot Differunt enim Agnati a Gentilibus hoc modo quod Agnati dicuntur qui ex eadem Familia nascuntur idem cognomen habent Gentiles qui ex eodem genere nascuntur simili nomine appellantur and therefore a Conjecture may be tolerably inferred that from what is here observed our Tribune was of Relation though of several Descents to the famous Cassius Leg. XX. The Workman's rude Instrument here wounded the Stone so deep that we may safely conclude there was room for the Addition of Two Letters and then it will be Leg. XX. VV. It is certain that b Gruter Rosinus Victrix was the ancient Epithet to the Twentieth Legion and the most authentick Proof of that Epithet is the ancient Column at Rome whereon the 32 Legions were recorded Another Epithet is added but variously interpreted some take it for Valeriana or Valeria others for Valens but the latter seems to have the Preference by the Authority of this Inscription c Gruter p. 492. V. PRAEF LEG XX. VALEN VICTR PRIMIP LEG X. GEM PIAE FIDEL CENT LEGION IIII. SCY THICAE CLAVD XIIII GEM VII GEM c. d Tacitus in Vita Agric. 13. Iulius Caesar rather discover'd than subdu'd this Island to the Roman Greatness Augustus waved the Prosecution of Iulius his Attempt out of Prudence and Tiberius out of Policy but Claudius reassum'd it
298   2136 April   468 078 386 498 539   1969 May   182 244 300 330 093   1149 Iune   302 179 412 416 181   1490 Iuly   120 218 285 448 112   1183 August   222 402 193 198 668   1683 September   442 403 215 605 641   2306 October   470 765 165 273 514   2457 November   415 717 230 148 627   2137 December   368 262 169 892 261   1952 Sum   4860 4291 3140 4372 4230   20893 These following Observations of the Eclipse of the Sun were communicated by the said Learned Gentleman in a Letter to Mr. Flamsted which I will first transcribe and then for the satisfaction of the Reader translate Coelum ante Eclipsin valde fuit Pluviosum attamen nisi de futura serenitate desperassem fere ipsum defectus initium non minus accurate quam finem observare credo Liquisset Omnino certas esse omnes has observationes asserere non ausim quippe nubes frequentissime solem subtercurrentes ventusque validior Tubam aliquando quatiens haud utique justas capi mensuras sivere Accessit aliud infortunium quod cum Phasium captas mensuras binis Partibus duobus Micrometri locis ostensas retro numerarem servus cui scribendi negotium demandaveram vitiose aliquando eas descripsit quod tamen percepi correxi credo Quales quales sint observationes tui esse Iuris jubeo Exitus locus adeo vertici vicimus erat ut in quam ab ea partem inclinaret bene non potuerim definire etiamsi hora 9. 29. per horologium cuspides horizonti apparerent Parallelae Solis Diameter hora 9. 10 erat 2334 satis ut putavi praescice Deinde accedente sole ad meridiem per lineam longam meridianam horologium justo tardius inventum fuit scrupulis 1. 42. Magno tamen Aequinoctiali sciaterico quo medias minoresve scrupuli Horarij partes possum distinguere horologium toto hoc mane tardius duntaxat 45. Lineam longam meridianam iterum prima occasione examinabo interea correctioni per hanc factae potius quam sciaterico fidendum puto Townleij Latitudo observata ut ad me scribit 53. 44. Longitudo a Meridiano Londinensi 9. Circiter scr hor. ad occasum Horahorol Oscillatorij h Correct p. Lin. Merid. h Mensurae Phasium   8 06 45 8 08 27 A B 1190 16 09 forsan 1109 14 50 8 11 00 8 12 42 C D 1935 26 15  18 00 19 42 A B 1405 19 04  21 00 22 42 C D 1805 24 30  26 14 27 56 A B 1504 20 47  34 00 35 42 C D 1711 23 13  42 15 43 57 A B 1551 21 03 accuratè 46 30 48 12 C D 1702 23 20 vel 1720 23 15 8 51 45 8 53 27 A B 1553 21 04 accuratè 9 00 00 9 01 42 C D 1809 24 23  9 12 34 9 14 16 A B 1357 18 25  9 30 55 9 32 37 A B 872 11 50  9 41 15 9 42 57 Precise  Desit Eclipsis quantum per Aeris Vibrationem potui discernere It was very Rainy Weather before the Eclipse came on so that had I not lost all hopes of a clear Sky my Account of its beginning had been as exact as that of its Exit I cannot ascertain to you all my Observations because the Clouds often intervened betwixt me and the Sun and many a blast of Wind discompos'd my Tube and so alter'd the measures I had taken Another accident also interposed for even when I came to compute the Dimensions I had observed of the Phases in two places from two parts of the Micrometer my Servant that was to note down my observations through mistake had pen'd them very faulty however I corrected them the best I cou'd Such as they are I freely recommend them to you the place of Exit of the Eclipse was so vertual that I cou'd not possibly determine to what part it inclined from it However at about 29 Minutes after nine by the Clock I found there appear'd points Parallel to the Horizon The Diameter of the Sun betwixt Nine and Ten was 2334 parts as I conjecture Eclips'd afterwards the Sun coming to the Meridian by a long Meridian line I found the Clock was two slow by one Minute and 42 seconds but by a large Equinoctial Dial upon which are drawn Minutes and seconds I found the Clock during the whole Morning had only been two slow by 45 seconds I shall again Examine the Meridian line the first oppertunity that offers However in the mean time I think we ought rather to confide in the correction made by that than to rely upon the Aequinoctial Dial. The Eclipse by Mr. Townley was taken in the Latitude of 53 and 44 the Longitude from the London Meridian is about 9 hours to the West After this worthy Gentleman let us mention our much Lamented and Eminent Country-Man Mr. Ieremiah Horrax Of whom take the Learned Dr. Iohn Wallis's Character and account of his Works This Horrax says he is the same with him that is the Author of that excellent Tract called Venus in Sole Visa publish'd by the Famous Hevelius together with his Mercurius in Sole Visus Who if he had not been snatch'd away by an untimely Death in the flower of his Age wou'd certainly by his industry and exactness which did accompany his great affection to Astronony have very considerably advanced that Science Now we have only left us these imperfect Papers digested not without great care and labour by that Learned Mathematician Dr. Iohn Wallis Professor of Mathematicks in the University of Oxford whereto do occur First The Keplerian Astronomy asserted and promoted which this Author undertook after he had spent much time and great pains in acquainting himself with that of Lansbergius which he at first embraced with so much eagerness and addition that it was difficult to divorce him from it Till at length by the Advertisements of William Crabtree a Sagacious and Diligent Astronomer at that time he found that neither the Hypotheses of Lansbergius were consistent among themselves nor his Table agreed with observations exactly made nor the precepts of them were well demonstrated nor cou'd be whatever that Man boasted of his wonderful agreement of his Tables with the observations of former times all which Errors being found at last by our Author himself and withal the Writings of Kepler and the Rudolphin Tables by him search'd into he saw cause to prefer them to the Lansbergian because grounded upon Hypotheses consonant to Nature and well agreeing with the Heavens though he found causes by his accurate observations to amend even these Tables yet without a necessity of changing the Hypothesis in which Work when he was well engaged he was cut of by Death
very Young in the 23th Year of his Age His first pieces then were his Disputations against the Astronomy of Lansbergius in which he clearly demonstrates that the Hypothesis of that Author do neither agree with the Heav'ns nor among themselves which argument he carry'd on so far that having finish'd the four first Observations as they are here to be found he had begun a few sheets of the fifth which was about the Diagram of Hipparchus from which some have pretended exactly to demonstrate the distance of the Sun After which follow two disputations more the one of the Coelestial Bodies and their motions the other his Answer to the Cavils of Hortensius against Tycho so much of the first part of this Volume The second contains a good number of extracts out of this Authors Letters to his intimate Friend and industrious Companion in the study of Astronomy William Crabtree in which occur many good Coelestial Observations interlaced with many notable Discourses concerning the method of his studies The third is a Catalogue of AstronomicalObservations as they were made by our Author without allowance for the Excentricity of the Eye which he afterwards Castigated by a Correction fairly written with his own hand The fourth is his new Theory of the Moon together with the Lunar numbers of Mr. Flamsted upon it To these let us add the curious Experiments and Observations of Thomas Brotherton of Hey Esq in the County of Lancaster concerning the growth of Trees which are as follows The first Experiment was made in the Year 1671 upon a Crab-Tree about four Inches in Diameter It was hacked round with an Hatchet so as to cut pretty deep into the wood besides cutting of the Bark for about four inches wide after which it was observed to encrease above the said hacking very considerably and to shoot in length of Wood about one foot the next year it encreased considerably and shot in length about nine inches but the third Year it died to the very Root Much the like was observed in another part of whose Bark was Eaten off by a Canker that the lower part stood without encreasing and by degrees the Wood Rotted and Mortify'd but the upper part increased to the third Year when it died also Most of the following Experiments were tryed on the Abies or Scotch-Firr and on the Black Poplar with White Bark and on Hazel or Ash-Trees A Scotch-Firr of three Years growth having a Ring of the Bark cut off of the breadth of three inches near the bottom of of the stem or stalk below the uppermost knot or joint was observed to grow and shoot out its Top about half a Yard and the parts all about the Ring to increase very much in thickness much more than it wou'd have done if the Section had not been made But all that part of the stock between the said Ring and the knot next below it increased not at all but that part that was below the knot increased somewhat yet not so much as if the said Ring of the Bark had not been cut off the second Year it also increased considerably but not so much as the first Year but the third Year it died the Branch that was here produced had the Ring cut off from it April 1st 1686. and the part above the Section increased and grew till the 17 of October following when it was cut off from the Tree In this space of time the part below the Ring increased not at all but stood at a stay but the part above the Ring shot out a new joint between a Foot and half a Yard and increased in thickness for the whole length of it and in all its parts twice as much as it wou'd have done if it had not been cut as was apparent by a like Branch on the opposite side of the knot which was not cut or barked round in the same manner The Bark also of the part above the Section swell'd or grew downwards over the woody part which was bare above half an inch in breadth The usual time for making this Section was either in March or the beginning of April Tryal was made upon some Young Trees cutting a Helical swath of the Bark about half an inch in breadth by leaving a like Helical swath of Bark to communicate betwixt the upper and under part in this Tryal the difference of growth succeeded not but the remaining swath of the Bark swelled downwards and by the end of the Year covered the bared part of the Wood The like event almost follow'd upon making an invented Section round of about half an inch in breadth the upper Bark quickly swelling downward and joining again with the lower It was also observable that as the upper Bark grew downwards so it increased also in thickness whereas the Bark below thickned not at all Several of those Boughs which were about an inch Diameter and had increased as above the Summer before were observ'd to out-live the great Frost and to receive no considerable Damage whereas others otherwise order'd were Killed by it as will appear by and by more particularly In the first Figure is represented a Scoth-Firr of three Years growth it shooting forth every Year both from the Body and the Branches a new joint and Circumambient Sprouts to a determinate length barked with three Rings of about 1 ½ inch broad each about the middle of the Internodia or parts of the stock between the joints at c. b. a. this in one Year increased and shot forth branchings as in the second Figure that is the stock at a. which was about the bigness of a Quill below the Ring to the next joint continued of the same bigness but above the Ring it increased and grew to the bigness of ones Finger and from the new joint at e. e. shot out new Limbs and stock about a quarter of a Yard which was somewhat bigger than if there had been no Ring made next the branch f. f. increased likewise proportionably by swelling in bigness and from a new joint shooting out new Body and Limbs as the top and Body and the Body of the Tree below the joint h. to the Ring b. increased more than if the Ring had not been made but the part of the stock below the Ring to the next joint increased not at all The like shooting forth and increasing was observed in the second Limbs joint and stock below it g. g. i. to c. between which and k. it increased not the like also succeeded in the lower Branches l. l. any joint k. and in the stock d. below the joint k. Figure third represents a young Scoth-Firr of two Years Old on one of the lowermost Branches c. was made a Ring Section between the Body and first knot of the Limb The following Year that part of the Limb above the Ring increased twice or thrice as much as the Corresponding parts of the other Limbs from the same knot as a. which increased as if there