Page:The Grand junction railway companion to Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham; (IA grandjunctionrai00free).pdf/190

178 still were they mounted in chariots, with scythes attached to their axle-trees;—having this proof of their knowledge of smiths' work, we look for evidence of the place in which the iron was obtained and manufactured. This town was situated on one of the Roman roads (Icknield-street), and was a Roman station; this proves it was a place of importance. An examination of the neighbourhood has discovered many hundred coal pits which have been abandoned for ages; and the mountains of the refuse of melted ore prove that this manufacture is of equally ancient origin—the roads, also, bearing evidence of contemporary formation, may be traced, worn as they are to the depth of thirty, and even forty feet. Those are now filled up, but the industrious antiquarian has left us irrefragable evidence of their having existed.

To the next era, in which the town is specially prominent in history, we now turn. The inhabitants were strong republicans; and when the war between the Parliament and Charles I. commenced, they took a very decided part against the king—arresting all messengers and persons supposed to be in his favor, and occasionally attacking small parties, whom they seized and sent prisoners to Coventry. In 1643. Prince Rupert attacked the town with 1,500 men; the inhabitants, assisted by 150 musketeers and a few horse, stoutly, though unsuccessfully, opposed him, for which he pillaged and set fire to the town, and the inhabitants were glad to pay a heavy fine to put a stop to the excesses of his soldiers. This town