- oa ' '* ti E ftl STORY' .:. <Bodk I.
but merely to promote the little purpofes of their own felfifh po- licy. That eternal wifdom hpwever which gave all the central regions of the globe to the Romans, and gave them for reafons worthy the great Father of Humanity, dire&ed the low cunning of man to his own exalted ends, the higher cultivation of the rational powers, and the better propagation of the fyftem of redeeming benevolence, among the Britons of Mancunium and of Lancashire. Agricola fubdued the county in his remarkable campaign of 79. In the autumn of that year he ordered the ftatioii&ry forts to be erefted. This was neeeffarily the firft objeft bf his atten- tion. His fecond had a deeper reach and more permanent con- sequences. Actuated by the fame principles of policy as had a&uated the conduft of the preceding legates, he adopted the fame political expedients. If the Britons of Lancafliire adhered to their original mode of living, and dwelt difperfed iacdid their extehfive forefts or roved uncivilized among their extenfive marlhes, they would keep alive in their breafts their original ipirit of indep^nckncy r aad be ever:ph>mpfr for infurre<5tictos* Agricola therefore eiertod all tos addrefs by private enoaui&ge- ments and public lfiifti noes, by> praife^ to the wHHng" chief- tains and by rebukes to the unwilling, to invite the Siftuntdi fpom their habitations in the one. or the other to a common re- fidehce in towns. And his. addrefs prevailed : Many; of the rSS- fturitii dcferted their woods arid fwamps, and formed theto- felves into tfoe little<communitie&o£ckie&*,.! . .
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Such was the firft and original commencement of the pfrefeat towns of Lancashire in general. Such was i the firft and original commencement of the town of Manchester in >particylar.t In the autumn of 79 arofe, the. eight towns of Lao(J»ft?r, Qverbqfough* Freckleton, Blackrode, and Ribchefter, Colne, Warrington, and Manchefter. The erection of &e-towo$< in geridraj, is ex- prefsly aflerted by Tacitus. The eredtion of thefe in. particular is fufficiently attefted by that Itinerary which was compofcd about fixty years only after the conqueft of Lancaftuf e< Six of thefe are particularly mentioned in. it, and mentioned not merely 7 as
