Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/234

 Chap. VII. OF MANCHESTER. 203 as ftaticns but as cities, as cities adjoining to the ftations, and as included in the fame names and forming the fame towns with them. Hence, and hence only, are fome of the ftations in that Itinerary mentioned as enjoying the honourable title of Colonies, more of them as pofieffing the Freedom of Italy, and (till more as being only Stipendiary. Thus was the autumn of 79 the very remarkable epoch of the firft eredfcion of our prefent towns in Lancalhire. And thefe were all placed in the neighbourhood of the Roman ftations. So placed were all the towns that had been previoufly conftru&ed in the fbuth, fuch only excepted as were formed into colonies from the beginning and had therefore no ftations attendant upon them. The town of Londinium in particular, which even in the reign of Nero was famous for the number of its merchants and the extent of its commerce, but which was not then con* verted into a colony, was ereded near to the ftation on St. Paul's Church-yard, and was carried along the line of the prefent Watling-ftreet and Cheapfide 5 . And all the towns of Lanca- (hire muft have been ere&ed upon fimilar fites. So fituated, they beft anfwered the policy of the legate and the accommodation of the garden. And fo fituated all the Roman accounts of the ifland plainly fhew them to have been, almoft every ftation in thofe accounts being clofely conneded with one or /other of our prefent towns, and antiquarian criticifm being confiderably em- ployed in afcertaining the particular. corine&ion. - The town of Rerigfcnium was ereded immediately to the north- of the caftrum, Ypreading from the influx of a brook into the Ribble up to the foffe of the .ftation. At that point which now forms the bank of the. town, the channel of the Ribble, and fome meadow-ground to the fbuth of both, have been difcover- ed the moft confiderable remains. The Ribble has been almoft the only difeovttrer of antiquities. And as he yearly bears down the bank of the town, and transfers a part of its fite to the fouthern margirt of his current, the floorings and foundations of houfes have bee* vifible in the face of the bank and about two or three ifect only beneath the furface of k. The town of Coccium, D d 2 as