Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/74

Chap. II. OF MANCHESTER. 49 ceffarily have appeared upon fome of the many infcriptions that we have of thofe ages. Ere&ed then about the year 1 20, this altar was confederated by the centurion to Fortune, in grateful acknowledgement to the Divinity that had fo often preferved him in the hour t)f danger. To this Deity have feveral altars been ere&ed in Bri- tain by the hand of miftaken piety. We have three confec rated to Fortune alone, a fourth to Fortune and other Deities, and a fifth to the Fortune of the Emperor, and all five in fupplication of future favours. And we have three others ere£led in gratitude for paft, the Mancunian altar, and one which was difcovered about thirty years ago at Netherby in Scotland, being inferibed to Fortune the Preferver, and another which was difcovered in Cumberland being inferibed to Fortune the Redux or Re-con- du&or IJ . And it is a very remarkable particular, that four of thefe were erefted by perlbns who were or had been of the fame corps, and even of this the fixth legion, the above-mentioned altar at Manchefler, another lately difcovered at Cambodunum * a third ere&ed by Julius Ralticus, and a fourth by Audacius Romanus ; and that the two firft and the laft of thefe were ere&ed hy centurions of that legion **. But it is more oblervable in this altar, though it has never been obferved by any of the numerous defcanters upon it, that it has no focus for the facrifkial fire. It is evident therefore, that no vi&ims were defigned to be confumed, no libations to be poured, and no incenfe to be burnt upon it. Two others only of the fame nature have been difcovered within the ifland, the one dedicated to Jupiter and the Emperor at Dorchefler in Oxfordfhire, and the other, like this, to the Goddefs Fortune at Carrawbrugh in Cumberland " And all thefe three muft have been entirely appropriated either to the oblation of prayers from them, or to the prefentment of the fruits of the ground upon them, or to both. Eredted upon one of thefe defigns, the Manchefter altar feems to have flood near the eaftern extremity of the Caftle-field, and perhaps on the edge of the avenue that led up to the eaftern H gate