REFACE. very great advantages which Hiftory has produd to mankind, are too numerous, as well as too ge*nown, to need a repetition in this place; but it has . conduct of our best Hiftorians to have dwelt too the general description of great events, either to athat they might have thought little matters, or to be 1 point of time, as particular information required: ONOLOGIST therefore has been very judiciously called aid of the HISTORIAN; who, contenting himself mbler, though not lefs useful sphere, has given fyftem tion, and regularity to facts; and thus by erecting aces (if we may fo exprefs ourselves) for the Reader's n, have affifted the memory in recovering those s, which are but too subject to be worn out in the ed fucceffion of events, range facts in the order they have happened, and to each its proper date, have been likewife very ufeful in accounting for the operation of Arts and Sciences on Hiftorical Events; as by this knowledge we are led to compare more accurately the use of such Arts and Sciences, the difficulties they removed, and the good effects they produced to Society. Who, for inftance, that did not know the exact time the use of the compafs was difcovered, but must be at a lofs to account for the rapid progrefs navigation made in one century, more than in the accumulated æras of antiquity? These then, with other various advantages, that are derived from this ufeful Ally to Hiftory, it is prefumed will entitle the BRITISH CHRONOLOGIST to public protection; particularly as it registers every interefting event, from the earliest period of our afcertained hiftory to the prefent time, in that concife, yet clear manner, that whilft it fully fatisfies the temper of curiofity, it is by no means a business to the memory. The utmost care has been taken to collect many national occurrences and domestic facts, which have hitherto escaped the eye of compilation; and for this purpose, not only the best of our English Hiftorians have been confulted, but the records and journals of parliament, and valuable depofits in public offices, together with a number of fcarce authentic Manufcripts; it being the wifh of the Editor to leave no industry and expence unexerted in producing a much more exact, useful, and extenfive fyftem of BRITISH CHRONOLOGY than has ever been offered to the Public. THE BRI THE TISH. CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORIAN. Ann, ante Chrift.55. ROMAN THE GOVERNMENT. CAIUS JULIUS CÆSAR': first defcent on Britain, was on the 26th of Auguft, in the afternoon, at Dover, and the first battle was fought at Deal. He had fent over before him Comius king of the Attrebatii (Artois) to invite the Britifh Princes to enter into, an alliance with the Romans; but Comius was imprisoned by the Britons, and not released, till Cafar defeated, and compelled them to fue for peace. The fhips on which the Roman horfe embarked, being afterwards difperfed by a form as they lay in the Downs, the Britons commenced hoftilities again, and furrounded the feventh legion; but Cæfar marching to the affiftance of the legion, the Britons were defeated a fecond time, and gave hoftages as pledges of their fidelity; whereupon Cæfar re-embarked all his forces, Sept. 20, and returned to the continent, about the autumnal equinox. He found Britain divided into feveral petty kingdoms, or principalities, united however under Caffibelan, to oppofe his invafion. 54. The following year Cæfar made a fecond defcent on Great Britain, his fleet confifting of fix hundred vefiels and twenty-eight gallies, with five legions, and two thousand horse; he advanced to the Stour, near where Canterbury now is, where he VOL. I. No, I. defeated the Britons, May 20; he then advanced to the Thames, which he paffed at Coway Stakes, near Oatlands, penetrating as far as Verulam, Caffibelan's capital. Cæfar impofed a tribute on the Britons of three thousand pounds. Caffibelan, and the princes of South Britain, thereupon fubmitting, and giving hoftages to Cafar, he embarked his forces, Sept. 26, and returned to the continent, where, afpiring to the empire, and the Ro mans being engaged in civil wars, the Britons remained unmolested for ninety years. Cæfar is fuppofed to have embarked at Calais or Boulogn, and to have landed near Deal in Kent, in both expeditions. 23. Cunobeline reigned in Britain, and had a palace at Malden in Effex; in whole reign the first coin was made in Britain, ANN. DOM. 9. The river Humber overflowed its banks, and laid the adjacent country under water for feveral miles. 36. Caius Caligula refolved to invade Britain, for which purpose he affembled an army, only gathered fome cockle-fhells on the coast of Gaul, and returned to Rome. 46. Plautius, a Roman general, landed in Kent, and advanced to the Thames, which he paffed at Wallingford, and in Oxfordshire defeated Caractacus and his brother Togodumnus, in three fucceffive battles. He B He left a garrifon at Aidchefter. In the laft battle Togodumnus was killed in the isle of Dogs, oppofite Greenwich. 48. Claudius Cæfar, the fifth Emperor, fent his general Plautius with great forces into Britain; and following the next year in perfon, fubdued great part of the inland, whereby he acquired the title of Britannicus. Christianity introduced into Britain, and the lady of the Roman Prætor fent by Claudius into Britain was converted to that faith. 50. About this year London is fuppofed to be built (or rather fortified) by the Romans. 51. Caractacus king of the Silures(South Wales) uniting his forces with the Ordounes (thofe of North Wales) defended his country against Offorme the Roman general, feven years, but was at length defeated, and Alying to Cartifmandua queen of the Brigantes (Yorkshire) was by her delivered up to the Romans, and led in triumph through that city with his wife and children: but his intrepid behaviour procured them all their pardons from the emperor Claudius. 52. Oftorius routed the Britons, and fixed a camp on a moor between Littleborough and Doncafter, near Hatfield Foreft, the remains of which are yet feen. Near which is Offerfield town. 53. Oftorius died in Britain, and Claudius fent Aulus Didius in his room ; who the fame year was removed, and [54] Veranias fucceeded him under Nero, who died foon after, and [58] Suetonius Paulias took the command. 60. The chriftian religion fuppofed, by fome hiftorians, to be first planted in Britain, in the reign of the emperor Nero. 61. Prafutagus king of the Iceni (Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire) in order to procure the emperor Nero's protection of his family, made Nero co-heir of his eftate with his daughters; but the emperor's officers on the death of Prafutagus, feized the whole, whipped queen Boadicea his widow, and ravifhed his daughters. Whereupon queen Boadicea incited the Britons to revenge her wrongs, and affembling 250,000 men, fell upon the Romans, in London, Cameldunum, Verulam, and the rest of their colonies and fettlements, destroying upwards of 70,000 Romans, men, women, and children; but Suetonius Paulinus the Roman general, returning from the conqueft of Mona (Anglefea) gave battle to the Britons, commanded by Boadicea, and obtaining the victory, Book a fevere revenge, killing four core thousand Britons, having no regard either to fex or age: and Boadicea put an end to her life by a dose of poison. 65. Nero burnt Rome, and began the first perfecution. 69. Frontinus, governor in Britain, fubdued the Silures, who inhabited the foreft of Dean and the counties of Hereford and Monmouth. 78. Julius Agricola appointed governor in Britain, and compleated the reduction of Anglefea. 83. Julius Agricola, reduced South Britain into the form of a province, introducing the Roman laws, language, architecture, habits and customs: he afterwards marched into North Britain, and defeated Galgacas at the Grampian hills, under whom the Britons made their last effort to recover their liberties. 84. Agricola built a chain of caftler from the Clyde to the Forth, which conftituted the chief ftrength of Adrian's wall. 85. He afterwards furrounded Great Britain with his fleet, and first discovered it to be an island. Agricola's fleet fubdued the Orkney ifles, and reduced the Caledonians, whom he sub. dued at Forten-Gail camp, fixteen miks beyond Perth, 86. Agricola, was recalled by the em peror Domitian, through envy of his renown, and foon after poifoned by Domitian's order. 88. The Caledonians make irruptions into Britain, destroy part of the boundary of caftles, and retreat with their booty. 99. Julius Severus appointed to govern in Britain and restrain the Caledonians. 111. The third perfecution by Ulpius Trajan. 117. The emperor Adrian landed in Britain. 121. The emperor Adrian builds a wall of earth, called the Scottish Bark, from Carlife to the river Tyne in Ner thumberland, containing eighty miles in length, for fecuring Britain against the Caledonians. 134. Lollius Urbicus, lieutenant to the emperor Antoninus Pius, built another wall of earth beyond the former, from Edis burgh to Dunbritton Frith. 162. The fourth perfecution, raised by Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, and his affo ciate Lucius Verus. The Caledonians renew their inroad, but are repulfed by Ulpius Marcellus. 180. England |