Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/229

 ON THE CITY OF ANDERIDA, OR ANDREDESCEASTER. 211 Avonderful people were accustomed to construct for the defence of their permanent stations. 8. AVe have now, lastly, to examine the title of Pevensey to the honour in question. And here we discover clear evidence of a Roman settlement, and that of no mean impor- tance. It is well known, that the Romans deemed an essential ingredient in the composition of really good mortar to be pounded [)ottery, or tiles ; which is specially mentioned by one of their authors, Vitruvius, in his book upon architecture". This admixture necessarily imparted a very })erceptil)le red tint to the mortar ; and inasmuch as no other people are recorded, or even conjectured, at any period, to have adopted the same system, wherever this red mortar is observed, it may be regarded a sure proof of the workmanship being Roman ; althou2:h the absence of that colour in the mortar is not conclusive to the contrary, because sometimes the pounded pottery is wanting in erections, undoubtedly, I believe, of Roman construction. At Pevensey however this red mortar is most conspicuous throughout the entire original portion of the walls, namely, those enclosing the great court ; wherefore we may safely pronounce this indisputably a Roman fortress. The present appearance of the exterior range of walls and towers, which are yet perfect, evinces the former strength of those defences, especially against such uncivilized assailants as the ancient Britons or Saxons. And the interior area, comprising altogether nearly ten acresp, would suffice to contain such an amount of population, as we may imagine, from the old Chronicler's description, had congregated within Andre- decester just previous to its final overthrow. That Henry of Huntingdon in saying, as above, that " the Britons col- lected as thick as bees," did not mean that the whole number assembled within the walls of the city, is clear from his account immediately followhig of the assaults and stratagems enacted by those without, and which could not have proved .so suc- cessful as they did unless very strongly supported. " Si autem fluviaticpe aut marinae duae liis paper on Portcliester Castle, p. 22, in arenae in unam calcis coiijiciantur : ita the Proceedin<;:s of the Arcliaeological enim erit jiista ratio mixtionis tempera- Institute at Winchester, 1845 : " If the turip. Etiani ill fluviatica aut marina si quis cement he made of river or sea sand, the testam tusam et succrctam ex tertia parte proportions should be two j)arts of sand adjecerit, etfKiet materi;B temporaturam and one of lime ; and if to this there shall ad usum meliorem. — Vitruvius Pollio de be thrown in for the third part broken Architectura, lib. ii. c. 5. and sifted tiles, it will greatly ameliorate The following is the meaning of Vitru- the qu ility of the cement." vius, as rendered by Mr. Ilartshornc, in p Chronicles of Pevensey, p. II.