Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/219

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i88 THE HISTORY Book L been recited in the Itineraries afterwards. And I have (hewn each ftation to have been attended with various little chefters, which muft have required garrifons nearly equal in their amount to the complement of the principal ftation* But it would be Evidently ridiculous -to diftributfe a body of forty-three thousand •men into one hundred and forty principal ftations, as fuch a di- stribution could alldt only about three hundred and feven for 4 ,ftation and its attendant caftellets. The garrifon of every ftation in the Itinerary with its caftel- iets, except five of fix that Were merely conftru&ed Ad Fines, teuld fiot pdflibly have been left than four huhdred effeftive men. A jgreater riUtriber touft have been requifite for moft, and a imaller Ttould not be ftifficient for any. And, even upon this 'JiMpofitioh, the total amoiint of troops requifite for one hundred 4 atnd forty gamibns Would be ^fifty-fix thoufand men. This is Apparently *he imalleft number of troops that we 'dan fbjJpofe to liavte rifried in the kingdom* But-a much greater muft certainly %ave refided in k, as, during the difperfion of the reft, fome more conftdcrable bodies muft have been kept together, the more kffc&wlty to ovteteWe the conquered "Britons within the walls Wtad the weonqtiered jRritooe 'Withotft. And fuch bodies a&ually appear to hevte been kqit together, orte'lai'ge corps beirtg quar- 'tefed at York, ahoth^r atChefttr, and a third at Caerleon in l Monmouthihite. This being the eafe, there muft nefceffarily have been more than three legions within the ifland. The pofitive teftimony df Jofephu* aflkres us, that there were no lefs than four in the iftand •durirfg : the reign of Vefpafian *. And the accounts of Richard, and the difcovered infcriptions of the Romans, evince that there •were more afterwards. Several infcriptions have been found at Caer Rhtm ' or the antient Conovium in Wales, which clearly exhibited the name of the tenth legion. The faft is very parti- ^ f cularly authenticated, having the united atteftation of thereve*. trend Mr. Brickdale and of Dr. Gale, each unknown to the other,

  • snd both concurring in the fame teftimony 6 . Hence the tenth

legion appears undeniably to have been quartered among the Ordovices •