Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/510

 THE CONCLUSION. v upon the ifland, reduce the relu&ant tribes of the Britons, and advance into Lancalhire. They penetrate into the woods of our Arden. They firft introduce the hoftilities of war into the parifh. They take Mancenion. A new fpirit and an additional vigour now a&uates the woodland. A regular fortrefs is conftru&ed upon the Caftle-field. A regular fortrefs is conftru&ed equally about a mile to the north of it. And the fite of the prefent town is now firft cleared in part of its primitive oaks, and now firft receives a colony of inhabitants upon it, a colony only tranfi- tory in its nature and exifting only during the continuance of the fiimmer. The moft north-wefterly part of the foreft is appro- priated to the feeding of the Roman cattle, and four little fortreffes are planted for their prote&ion within it. The whole foreft is interfered with large broad roads on every fide, all ranging in right lines through the thickets, and all converging to one common point at the Caftle-field. And what compleats the great change in the general afpedt of the parifh, a regular town is now laid out in the bofom of the foreft, a regular town is now a&ually conftru&ed near the Caftle-field* and a neigh- bouring baron and his clan are now actually fettled within it. This is the firft immediate commencement of a town within the circuit of the pariih, in the ever-memorable autumn of 79. And the fortrefs in the Caftle-field becomes the citadel of the adjoining borough. Beneath the happy aufpices of the Roman genius in Britain, that living principle of population which had faintly quickened before at the center of the foreft now becomes adtive and vigorous, and diffufes its influence on every fide. The beafts are diflodged to a greater diftance from Mancunium. The receding foreft curves in an ample amphitheater of woods around it. And all the mechanical arts are fuccefsfully tranfplanted into the wilds of our Arden. Civility literature and politenefs follow. And Chriftianity clofes the rear. But a new fccne oflorrow arifes. A new invafion is meditated from the continent. A tribe of idolatrous favages is haftening from the fliores of Germany. Ruin marks their advance. Igno- rance incivilirv and barbariim attend upon them. And the fall of