Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/493

 45,8 THE HISTORY ' Book I. Thus plainly was a Roman garrifon continued at the wall of Antoninus to the final departure of the Romans from the ifland. The number of troops however which was Rationed at this Vallum was very inconfiderable for the reafbns which I have already fuggefted. The only forts that were garrifoned at. all were five in number, Glannibanta, Alione, Bremetenracum, Olenacum, and Virofidum * 8. And the only forces that were lodged in them were four cohorts and a body of cuiraffiers*'. The ftations were pretty certainly the five forts which ftill ap- pear more considerable than the reft betwixt the friths, New Kirkpatrick, Bemulie, Barhill, Caftlecary, and Rough*caftle* The firft is defcribed as a very large fort, the fecond as a prodi- gious one, the third as very large and well preferved, the fourth as magnificent and beft preferved of any, and the fifth as vaft magnificent and entire °» And as the eighteen ftations along the line of Severus's wall are certainly enumerated from eaft to weft 3 *, the remaining five along the line of Antoninus's in all probability are equally enumerated in the fame direftion^ and Glannibanta is Rough-caftle, Alione Caftlecary, Bremetenracum Barhill, Olenacum Bemulie, and Virofidum New Kirkpatrick 3. But the main body of the troops was now % ftationed jdong the line of Severus's wall and the range of the eaftern ,coaft. The latter was guarded by ten ftations or caftles, ready- ing from Yorkfhire into Suflex ". The former was raifed twelve Roman feet in height and eight Roman feet in thicknefs, was ftrengthened with various turrets, and. wa* fecured by eighteen forts s And in one of thefe forts, Vindobala or Rutchefter* the. old garrifon of our Caftle-field,, the firft cohort, of the Frieflanders, was now fettled by the Romans ". This grand alteration in the number and in the difpcfitfiqn of the. Roman troops wkhin the ifland muft certainly have been the occafion of the great invafion which was made. at. this pe- riod from Ireland. The firft naval invafion. of. the p>rovince& that had been attempted from Ireland,, it muft have refulted from fbme particular circumftances in the interior condition of Britain, and from fome try inviting change in the ftate of the wcftern.