70 THE HISTORY Book L muft have concurred in the conftru&ion of two great roads, which fhould traverfe the central parts of the ifland, and fh&uld
- lead to fuch provinces as were the great treafuries of the fale-
able commodities. In the progrefs of commerce from the weft, the Belgae of Dorfetfhire would naturally catch the enlivening fpirit before their more eafterly brethren of Kent. And, in the fcttlement of the ftaple at the ifle of Wight, the Belgae of Dorfetfhire would be nearer to the animating centre of the commerce than their more eafterly brethren of Kent. Thefe therefore muft have been the firft to contrive and to execute the plan. They accor- dingly opened to themfelves a communication with the Iceni of the eaftern coaft. But the Cantii certainly rivalled the Duro- triges in commerce at the period of Caefar's invafion *, and muft foon have copied their example. They copied it in a bolder ftyle and upon a more extenfive fcale. They boldly opened to themfelves a communication with the North-weftern parts of Britain and the Britifh colonifts of Ireland, that they might receive from them thofe fupplies of cattle which Ireland now fo remarkably furnifhes, and which it muft then have furnifhed in a much more remarkable degree. And fuch muft have been equally the object of the Ikening-ftreet. Such muft have necef- farily been the great object of both, while the riches of the Britons, like thofe of the patriarchs, confifted almoft entirely in their cat- tle. And thefe roads muft have probably occafioned the erefticjn of feveral towns upon them, fome raifed by the tribes upon the confines, and others in the center, of their refpe&ive pofleffions; the former as fortrefles to guard thefe great avenues into their dominions, and the latter as neceflary places of refrefhment for the cattle and their attendants fb frequently patting along them xo . . The Britons muft equally have conftru&ed many, other ways before the coming of the Romans, inferiour indeed but public, and leading in different directions from one ftate to another, or connecting the different parts of the fame ftate. The former muft
