Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/104

 aiap.ni OP 'MANCHESTER. 77 pellation of Street we have good reafon to expert a road of the Romans. And with equal juftice he might have obferved, that wherever we meet with fuch a name we may be abfolutely cer- tain of inch a road. We may be abfolutely. certain, that fuch a road has formerly proceeded or ftill continues to proceed along the place. Wherever the track ofc a Roman road has perfifted invariably in the courfe of a modern highway, the name of Street along the line of the latter is the only proof that we can : have concerning the exiftence of the former. The name of;' Srjtaet; 9trat. or -Street; and the kindred 'appellation of Eeafteji Cafter car Chefter,. are two words .derived from the Romans to the Britons,. and communicated by. the Britons to the. Saxons*. Jn. the original application of tho words by the Romans,. they could abfclatiely fignify nothing but * the Roman roads -and - the Roman camps ^ And in. the. pofteriour application of them. by the Rritonfc and) the 4 Saxons,: they muft: haveJbeen merely conti- nued to the. fame camps ami have been merely, retained by the fame road*- As the. Britons muft • have- originally adopted thefe names fkkiv the Rdmans before the- departure of the latter . from ■ the iiland, fo were there then undoubtedly, no public highways . .on roads atari .no ftationaryxamps orvcaftles .within .the ifland, . hut fuch a* had been formed by .the* Romans. And as the Saxons •; ranil ; have* derived thefe. names .from, i the Britons after the fub-- je£tton,of the latter m>wat,.and muft therefore have found them t already affixed to the camps and the roads of the Romans, fo they appear equally with the Britons to have ufed the qame of Che- • fter for the. ch&ra&eriftic denomination of a Roman camp, and 1 the name of Street for . the character iilic appellation of a Roman 1 Thus plainly is. Blackrodei evinced ' toMiave been formerly - a:fUtio»ary town*. And the .particular lite of the ffaacion I rfiall i turn to. be defcanted Upon,: as I trace the federal roads: tljtat com* . . raeoce .frotaMAttCuniun* and extend to<th«Kn$ighbouring Rations. Thefe rofrk aie^taatfy ih number, proceeding* tq various tUrec- -ti9As,attd;iiru!ng »s Sft .^erei^i^ftcta ^oentertacircumference. 1 And
 * point out hereafter V Hereafter ituwill natucalfyvfiiccccd in its.