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* BKITANNIA. 512 BRITANNICiE INSTJLJE. pay tribute ; but as no Roman garrison was left, the island remained independent." The emperors Augustus, Tiberius, and Caligula niaiutained friendly relations with its chiefs, as they thought its subjugation would be too difficult. In a.d. 43, under Claudius, the conquest began. The first expedition secured a portion of the island; and from that time, in spite of stubborn resistance, especially bj' Caractacus and Boadicea, the in- vasion progressed steadily, and Britain became a Roman province. Agricola, in a.d. 78-85, fin- ished the conquest up to the Firth of Forth, and did much to Romanize the inhabitant*. The people of the Highlands maintained their in- dependence. In A.D. 122 Hadrian visited Brit- ain and began the construction of the wall, known by his name, from the TTie to the Solway, some 70 miles in length. Later, in a.d. 142, the wall of Antoninus was built across the narrowest part of the island, from the Firth of Clyde to the Firth of Forth, about 37 miles long. Both of these walls were intended as ba-ses for military operations, and were strengthened by numerous military posts. They do not mark the frontiers of the Roman possessions. The subsequent mili- tarj- history of Roman Britain is marked by few events of importance. (See Caledonia; Ca- R..rsrus: Picts; Severus. Septimhts.) The Ro- man legions were withdrawn in a.d. 409, and Britain soon became the prey of invaders. See Anglo-Saxons. In the later Empire, according to the Xo/itjo Dignitatiim, Britain formed a diocese of the pre- fecture of Gaul and was subdivided into five provinces: Maxima Cwsariensis.Vahntm. Britan- nia Prima, Britannia fiecuncla, and Flavia Ccesa- riensis. The boundaries of these provinces are very uncertain. To insure the obedience of the natives, at least three Roman legions were usu- ally in Britain. Under the Romans, many towns (coloniw and municipia) — fifty-six are enumer- ated by Ptolemy — arose in Britain, and were the means of diffusing Roman law and civilization over the country. Among the most important were: Londinium (London), Eboravum (York), Verulamium (Saint Albans), Cumidodunum (Colchester), Duroverinim (Canterbury), Venta Icenorum (Xorwich), Aquw hlolis (Bath), and lAndum (Lincoln). The Romans built many roads (strain), of which there are still numerous remains. (See Watling Street.) They also developed Britannia into a corn-growing country. Druidism was the religion of the Britons at their comiuest by the Romans, but the latter intro- duced Christianity and Roman learning into the country. There are many remains still ex- tant of the presence of the Romans in Britain, such as camps, roads, ruins of houses, baths, flues, altars, mosaic pavements, painted walls, metallic implements and ornaments, weapons, tools, utensils, pottery, coins, sculptures, bronzes, inscriptions, etc. These remains sliow that the Romans sought to render their British concpiests permanent, and that they had greatly improved the arts of the ancient Britons, as is evident on comparing the remains with the far ruder native antiquities of the British prc-Roman or prehistoric era, such as tumuli, barrows, earth- works, so-called Druidical monoliths, and circles, cromlechs, cairns, pottery, wea[)ons, tools, uten- sils and ornaments, etc. Many of the Roman remains in Britain also show that the Romans had introduced into the country the refinements and luxuries of Rome itself. I'nder the term Britannia, Great Britain has been personified in the fine arts as a female seated on a globe or on an island rock, leaning with one arm on a shield, with the other hand grasping a spear or a trident. The first example of this per.sonification is on a Roman coin of Antoninus Pius (died a.d. 161). The figure re- appears first on the copper coinage of England in the reign of Charles II. (1665) : the celebrated beauty, Jiliss Stewart, afterwards Duchess of Richmoinl, is said to have served as model to the engraver Philip Roettier. The Britannia that appears on the reverse of British copper coins since 1825 was the design of ilr. W. Wyon. (See Numismatics.) .Among a considerable luun- lier of good books on ancient Britain, consult especially: Elton, Origins of English History (London, 1882) ; and Scarth, Roman Britain (London, 1883). Bury, in The Student's Roman Empire (London, 1893), gives a very accurate account of the conquest. BRITANNIA METAL (first manufactured in England; see below). An alloy of tin, anti- mony, copper, and sometimes zinc. Its compo- sition is adapted to the special uses for which it is intended, the relative amounts of its con- stituents being as follows: From 81 to 90 parts of tin, fVom 8 to 16 parts of antimony, from 1 to 2 parts of cop])er, and sometimes 2 parts of zinc. The alloy may be cast, and is malleable, so that it can be rolled into thin sheets. Being harder than pewter, it has largely superseded that alloy for many purposes, while its other valuable properties lead to its extensive use for domestic utensils, such as spoons, drinking-cups, and teapots. With the introduction of the elec- tro-plating processes, it found an increased ap- plication as a base for plated ware. A brilliant lustre can be given to Britannia metal by heat- ing articles made from it in a bath containing cream of tartar, tartar emetic, hydrochloric acid, powdered zinc, and powdered antimony. By varying the proportions and omitting the zinc, golden, cop|)er-red. violet, and blue-gray tints may be obtained. . metallic ring has been given to articles made from Britannia metal by heating them in an oil bath to 220° C. Britan- nia metal was first .manufactured in Shctfield, England, by Hancock and Jessop, in 1770. At ]iresent Sheftield and Birmingham are the prin- cipal localities of its manufacture. A variety of Britannia metal, consisting of 9 parts of tin and one part each of antimony, bismuth, and lead, is called Queen's metal, and is used for the same |iurposes as Britannia metal. BRITANNIA SECUN'DA (Lat., second Britain). The Roman name cif Wales (q.v.). BRITANNIA TUBULAR BRIDGE. See Bridge. BRITAN'NICffi IN'SUL.ffi (Lat., transla- tion of Gk. BptTToynoi vijaoi. Brettanikoi nesoi. British Islands). A term used by Greek and Roman authors for the liritish Isles, including Albion (EngJand and Scotland) and llibemia, or lerne (Ireland), with the adjacent islands. The Phd'nicians visited these islands in order to procure tin. Herodotus, in the Fifth Century n.c mentions the Tin Islands, but knows noth- ing definite about them or their location. Aris-