solidated into petty states, under one head or leader. At what precise period such changes took place in Britain, or in what other modes originated its forms of government, it would be futile to enquire; but the existence of many different tribes, or clans, was evidently the state of society at the date of the Roman invasion. Duned

The primary guide in endeavours towards ascertaining the geography of Britain at the earliest recorded period, is Ptolemy of Alexandria, the great Geographer, Mathematician, and Astronomer, who flourished towards the middle of the second century, under the Emperors, Trajau, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius. His description of this island is concise and merely geographical, but is of high interest as being composed at so early a period of the Roman ascendancy, and while the British nations, even in the conquered districts, still retained their ancient names and marks of distinction. It will, however, be observed that the writings of l'tolemy contain many important errors, and he has fallen into some mistakes which affect the whole of his British geography. But these inaccuracies are obvious to correction; and it is asserted by Horsley that "the order in which he disposes the towns, rivers, and other places, particularly those on the coast, almost equals for usefulness, the distances in the Itinerary, and the order in the Notitia."* In appropriating particular districts, by means of the distances in this Geographer, it is further observed by Horsley "that when the coast is once settled it will be proper to consider the relative situation of the towns, with respect to it, in order to fix them likewise. And when we are sure

of

Horsley's Britannia Romana, p. 356.-This opinion appears to be expressed in terms too strongly favourable. A modern writer, of considerable experience and judgment, observes that " Ptolemy's method of settling the positions of his towns by longitude and latitude, promises information nearly equal to the Itinerary ; but a very little acquaintance with his Geography, will soon convince any one that it is of no use. any one that it is of no use. The position of no town can be determined with certainty, on the authority of this learned Ægyptian alone." Reynolds, on the Itinerary of Antoninus, p. 35.

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*

of any one or two counties which belong to a people, from the towns mentioned as being among them, we may guess what other neighbouring counties have probably belonged to the same people, either by observing what were most likely to be the boundaries, or by other collateral evidences."*

On the foundation of this venerable writer alone, aided by the calculations of ingenuity, were formed the most acceptable plans respecting the locality of the various British tribes which existed in his time, until the discovery of the work of Richard of Cirencester, a monk of Westminster, who flourished in the latter part of the 14th century. But the geographical information conveyed by this industrious monk's "Description of Britain," and by his illustrative map, is considered more valuable than the crude outline of Ptolemy, by some of the most intelligent antiquaries of the present day, and such as have directed a particular attention to the antiquities of the early Britons. In the preface to Mr. Hatcher's edition of Richard of Cirencester, it is said, that "the most superficial view of the map will suffice to convince us of its superior accuracy, not only to the early draughts fabricated from the observations recorded by Ptolemy, but even to those of his best commentators. In the geographical description of the different tribes, our author has taken his groundwork from Ptolemy, or those from whom Ptolemy derived his information. 'But if he drew his groundwork from the Egyptian geographer, he has made such additions and changes as show a later, more correct, and more particular knowledge of the country. He has amended a glaring error which Ptolemy committed, in throwing the Northern part of the island to the East, and another in placing Ireland at too great a distance from Britain. He has also drawn up his account of the different states in a more distinct and regular form, has mentioned a few additional tribes, omitted others,

and

:

* Britannia Romana, p. 356.

+ A more particular account of the work of Richard of Cirencester, is given in the "List of Books," appended to this Introduction.

and specified some local boundaries, not alluded to by other writers."*

The information afforded by this curious work, is used, in conjunction with that of Ptolemy, and his most judicious commentators, in the following brief statement of the political divisions of those parts of Great Britain, now denominated England and Wales, during the sway of the nations who possessed this island previous to the establishment of the Roman power.

The map of ancient Britain, which accompanies this section of our work, exhibits, as nearly as can be ascertained, the situation of each tribe, both Celtic and Belgic, AT THE PERIOD OF JULIUS CÆSAR'S FIRST INVASION OF THIS ISLAND.† The principal

* Preface to Mr. Hatcher's edition of Richard of Cirencester, Lond. 1809. ♦ The propriety of such an assertion will be readily admitted, when it is observed, that this map was engraved after a drawing by the Rev. Thomas Leman, of Bath, whose deep researches into British antiquities are evinced in papers contributed to several county histories, and other works. The map here presented contains all the improvements in the geography of ancient Britain, suggested by Richard of Cirencester.

The following enumeration of the different Celtic and Belgic tribes, and of the British towns, will be found useful for reference, while, at the same time, it explains the contents of the map. The Roman characters prefixed to the Cilte, and the Arabic to the Belga, correspond with similar characters and figures in the body of the map. The figures prefixed to the towns of the Bri tons, likewise correspond with prefixed figures in the map; and in the underwritten enumeration is shewn the connexion of each respective town with the British trackways, or roads.