The Imperial Magazine, Or, Compendium of Religious, Moral, & Philosophical ...

Roman Roads across the Yorkshire Wolds.

giddy dream. His pen is often used to exhibit virtue in all her heavenly majesty, and to dethrone vice from the empire of reason and intellectual supremacy. This is a shrine that genius hallows with reverence, while throwing the laurel of his conquest at the foot of poetic dignity. Oft has the holy choir of devotion, chiming in the vales of solitude, and wafted on the breath of sweetest poesy, whispered on creation the sacred thoughts of heaven, and mingling with nature's chorister the language of supernatural, and of alluring song.

in Roman camps. They are all trenched, and in many places double. It is difficult to assign a reason why they are often found in the latter form: unless it has been for the purpose of keeping the flocks and herds of the ancient Britons, when passing in opposite directions, from intermingling. In many places, they must have been more than twelve feet deep; and the same in width, the chalk-stone serving instead of an artificial pavement.

That they have also served for warlike purposes, is evident from their winding neither along the bottoms nor the summits of the dales. Wherever it can be accomplished, they are a few feet lower than the summit of the dale. This would secure them from being observed by the enemy at a distance; and give them the oppor

have been formed more for communicating from south to north, than the contrary; as they frequently, when crossing a deep dale, make a direct descent on the south side, but ascend the opposite in a slanting direction. They would therefore be unfit either for the ancient war-chariot, or for the Roman cavalry.

SIR.-The following communication hav-tunity of espying him first. They seem to ing been read at the first meeting of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society for this season, you are welcome to give it publicity, as it may throw a mite into the treasury of some of your antiquarian readers. One of these roads leads in a north-easterly direction, from the site of a Roman camp in a field near Pocklington, which I traced through the parishes of Kilnwick Percy, Warter, Millington, Huggate, Wetwang, &c. towards Driffield. What are commonly called, Huggate Dykes, an old entrenchment, which excited the attention of the late lord Burlington, are situated on this

road.

The other has been traced nearly to the same encampment, but it leads in a northwesterly direction till it crosses the road on the east side of Garrowby hill. From this point it runs in a northerly direction through the parishes of Kirby Underdale, Wharrarn Percy, &c. to Aldrow; where there is the site of another Roman camp near Birdsall, the seat of lord Middleton. This encampment comes under the denomination of what Brewer, in his Introduction to the Beauties of England and Wales, calls Exploratory. Its situation is remarkably calculated for that purpose, being situated on the margin of the wolds, and commanding an extensive views to the north-west.

With regard to the origin of these roads, there is much room for conjecture. Leman, who explored the neighbourhood some years ago, supposes that these, and several others of the same description, were first formed by the ancient Britons for the conveniency of driving their slaves and cattle, and that the Romans improved them for their own use afterward. This conjecture is rendered very plausible from the circumstance of most of them terminating

It is probable that the lighter troops of the Romans, such as the Velites, passed along these track-ways to supply their armies on the northern side of the wolds. The camp near Pocklington would always be supplied with soldiers from the south, who would march along the Ermyn Street Road, which is but a short distance from it. And these, when wanted in any exploratory camp north of the wolds, would march sooner in the track-ways, than by Derventio, and the road from thence to Dunus Sinus. The Romans would also use them for conveying provisions to their stationary camps. And as they could not be furnished with what was necessary from the vicinity, they would be induced to make improvements and additions to these trackways for their own conveniency. So that these and other roads of the same description are the produce of the labours of the painted Briton and the civilized Roman.

But it must also be mentioned, that the Anglo-Romans used these roads in their retreat from the predatory attacks of the Scotch and Picts, after the Roman forces had been withdrawn from the island. Huggate dykes form an encampment similar to another of their constructing near the chain of forts, which Agricola made on the northern boundary of the Roman territories in this country. I remain yours, &c. T. R. Huggate Rectory, Oct. 21, 1829.

Celestial Phenomena.

CELESTIAL PHENOMENA.

through the constellations Leo and Virgo, she enters her last quarter at 3 minutes past 4 in the morning of the 17th, when she is observed a little to the east of Spica, receding from it, and approaching Mars, which is noticed a considerable distance to the east of her. On the morning of the 19th she is observed to have passed the two first of the Balance; and on the 20th to have approached considerably nearer Mars, which she passes above, at 30 minitues past 8. She now recedes from this planet, and completes her revolution on the 24th, at 54 minutes past 4 in the afternoon, when she is again in conjunction with the sun.

This lunation has been completed in 29 days, 13 hours, and 18 minutes; which is 1 hour and 46 minutes shorter than the preceding. The first quarter revolution has been the shortest; 6 days, 22 hours, and 58 minutes, the perigee being situated within it. The second has been longer, 7 days and 58 minutes, in consequence of the moon's approaching the apogee. The period, from the full to the last quarter, has been the longest, 8 days and 31 minutes; the moon having this quarter traversed the apogee, and the last was completed in 7 days, 12 hours, and 51 minutes, as the moon was then receding from the apogee.

THE first lunation in the year 1830 commenced at 36 minutes past 3 in the morning of the 26th day of December, 1829, in the 4th degree of Capricorn, the moon having nearly 5 degrees north latitude descending, and approaching the earth, her nearest distance from which she arrives at on the 1st of this month: she is seen in the evening a little to the east of the line joining a Andromeda and Algenib, the two eastern of the four stars forming a square, and is observed directing her course under the three first stars of the Ram, at some distance to the east of her. At 34 minutes past 2, on the following morning, she completes her first quarter, and on the evening of the 3d she is noticed passing under a, ẞ, and y Arietis: her course is now directed to the Bull's eye, which she is observed gradually to approach; and during the night of the 5th it will be very interesting to notice these bodies; as she again hides this star from our view, the distance between them is observed gradually to diminish until 37 minutes 26 seconds past 3 in the morning of the 6th, when the star immerges behind the dark limb of the moon: the occultation will continue until 27 minutes 59 seconds past 4, when the emersion takes place. On the evening of this day, she is observed between Aldebaran and the Bull's southern horn, and after passing the latter star, her progress through the constellation Gemini, and approach to Saturn, becomes an interesting feature in her course. On the evening of the 8th she is seen to the east of a line joining Castor and y Geminorum, and forms a triangle with Betelguex and Procyon the constellations Taurus, Auriga, Gemini, Canis Minor, and Orion, pre-marked y Libre; the northernmost of the senting an interesting and brilliant group. On the 9th, at 32 minutes past 3 in the morning, she completes the half of her synodic revolution, being full in the 17th degree of Cancer, with nearly 5 degrees south latitude ascending: she is noticed in the evening to approach a line joining Castor and Pollux. On the next evening she is observed eastward of this line, and approaching Saturn, which she will evidently pass below, before her next appearance; the conjunction taking place at 15 minutes past 8 in the morning of the 11th, she is noticed in the evening, between this planet and Regulus, and passes the star before her next appearance. On the 14th she crosses the ecliptic in her ascending node, and arrives at the apogean point of her orbit on the 15th. After progressing

The passage of Mars through the constellation Scorpio, during this and the following month, is highly interesting. He is noticed, at the commencement of the present month, among a group of stars in the constellation Libra and Scorpio, and forming the summit of an isosceles triangle with the two first of the former; above him are observed three stars, forming a triangle; the brightest, of which is in a line with 3 Libræ and Antares, and between them is

others is known as Libræ ; and the south-
ern one as the 4th p Libræ. To the east of
him are seen two small stars, marked 41
and p Libra; these stars he rapidly passes,
being observed very near 41 on the morn-
ing of the 3d, and above
p on the follow.
ing morning. The stars now observed to
the east of him, are λ, 9, 4, and 51 Libræ,
which are nearly in a line with each other,
the latter star being the northernmost:
these are the most eastern of this constella-
tion. He passes above and very near
on the morning of the 8th; and on the
succeeding morning is noticed between B
Libræ and Antares. His situation now
becomes particularly interesting, ß and ở
Scorpionis being observed to the east of
him: the distance between the planet and
ẞ rapidly decreases, and on the morning

of the 12th he is noticed below this star, and between it and 8. On the morning of the 13th he is seen very near a small star to the south of 3, marked w, Scorpionis: to the east of ẞ Scorpionis, and above the planet, on the morning of the 15th, may be seen a star of the fourth magnitude, marked Scorpionis. To the south of Scorpionis, and nearly in a line with it and ẞ, is observed & Scorponis, a star of the third magnitude: it will be very interesting to notice the triangle the planet forms with this star and Antares; and the continual variation observed therein from the morning of the 16th, when it is an isosceles, Antares being the apex. Mars is then noticed between Antares and y Scorpionis. There are three stars of the fifth magnitude forming a triangle, now noticed to the east of the planet; the northern is marked, the eastern w, and the southern g Scorpionis; he directs his course to w, and passes between and g on the 20th. The distance between the planet and Antares is observed considerably to have diminished, which it continues to do until the 22d, when Mars is noticed very near w: he is afterwards observed to recede from this star, and his distance from Antares to increase. On the morning of the 27th he is noticed between Antares and a star of the third magnitude in the constellation Ophiuchus, marked ; and above a star of the sixth magnitude marked 15 Scorpionis. His apparent path is now directed above some inconsiderable stars in the constellation Scorpio.

During the month of February, the approach of this planet to Jupiter, (which then becomes visible in the eastern hemisphere a little before sun-rise,) is an interesting feature in his course. On the 3d of February, Mars is seen to the south of Ophiuchii, directing his course between

and p of the same constellation, the latter star being noticed to the north; he passes them on the 8th, and on the 14th forms an isosceles triangle with them. His apparent path is now to the south of four stars of the sixth magnitude, three in the constellation Ophiuchus, and one in Sagittarius; the stars in the former constellation are marked 53, D, and 59; the two latter are the two eastern, and the former the extreme western of them; the other is marked 2 Sagittarii. After passing these stars, he directs his course to three small ones in the constellation Sagittarius, the western of which is of the sixth magnitude, and marked 4, the eastern and southern are of the 7th, and marked 11 and 9. His passage by these stars affords the observer

an interesting opportunity of noticing a pretty considerable nebula, situated between 9 and 11 previous to his arrival at these stars, he passes above 63 Ophiuchii on the 20th; and on the 21st he is seen above 4 Sagittarii. On the following morning he is observed very near 9 and the nebula, which is 30 minutes in diameter, and described by Dr Herschel as an elongated mass of stars; 9 is encircled with a faint light. On the 26th Mars is observed between μ and 12 Sagittarii, nearest the latter star.

In our last number, the reader will find the phenomena of Saturn for this and the following months.

POETRY.

THE NEW YEAR;

Or, Wishes for the Church-the King-the Parliament-the Nation-the World-and the Kingdom of MESSIAH.

ANOTHER year, another birth of time;
Welcome sweet stranger to this nether world!
On thy young steps eventful moments wait,
And changes great not chronicled as yet.
Muse, thou art not retain'd by weeping woe,
Nor dost thou love to haste the evil day:
Put on thy gay, cerulean robe of hope,
And be not now a prophetess of ill!

Ills will come time enough-sing thou of good!
And pray that Heaven may verify thy song!
May this New Year be like a budding flower,
To fill the land with fragrance and with bloom;
A year of jubilee to church and state,
Life to our trade, and pardon for our sins.

Health to the Church! my heart's first virgin wish, On the new day break of the early year;

I mean the church of Christ, then Britain's church,
The church that makes a paradise on earth,
When it is pure; if foul, the feud transform'd
Into an angel of celestial light.
Daughter of God, arise with the New Year!
And leaning on the state, ah! no, the arm
Of Christ! go forth in charity to bless,
And zeal to save, and love to beautify,
And truth to radiate a guilty land!
May this new period of revolving time,
This fraction of eternity to come,
That opes the eyelids of the coming age,
Behold our bishops, stars that shine and move
For public good, shedding selectest light
On all the paths of providence and grace:
Like Him of Galilee, who bought the flock
With his life-blood, then writ them on his heart,
Where they have still a record in his love!

I wish the pastors who surround the fold,
And serve the altar, a new year of peace
And rich prosperity; with copious sheaves,
May they fill up the garner of the church;
Blameless within the sanctuary trim
The lamp of wisdom, on the altar keep
Love's sacred fire burning with lambent flame,
Shedding around a flood of living light.
Not now as whilom, droning o'er the bench,
But often in the village pulpit seen;

Making, in lieu of Blackstone, Coke, or Burn,
The word, their polestar, oracle and guide.
I, though unlearn'd, wish for the prophets' schools
With this new year, all reformation meet;
Not Gothie ruin, to put out at once

The lights of Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome;
But taxing to the full these lesser orbs,

Make them pay tribute to the " Light of Life :"

Euclid, give place to Peter, John, and Paul,
And pagan planets to the sun of truth.
If steeple-house (permit a word profane)
To meeting give the hand of fellowship,
And reading-desk and pulpit both agree,
Then, were the present year a jubilee.
Yes, 'twere indeed a year of Sabbath rest,
If learned clerks and gownsmen, simple grown,
And, childlike in demeanor and address,
Would from the altitude of cleric pride
Stoop down, the humble minister embrace,
Concede the points at issue, own the claim
To shape his creed upon the truth alone,
And make his ritual simple as his mind.
So bigotry, that bloated murderess,
Fae-simile of hell, would yield the ghost,
And they who part in form, unite in love.

Poetry.

Joy to the Church's head," this opening year!
Muse, say" Long live in peace our noble King!"
O may his court become a "house of prayer!"
And garter'd nobles lowly bend the knee,
Saying "Amen" to George's orisons.
From out the palace may a flame proceed,
To burn the dross and tin of all the land,
And purify the altar and the priest.

Peace to the Senate! Peers and Commoners
All hail ye legislators of the land!
Intrench'd in barrier strong of ancient rights,
With the new year may you convene in peace,
Nor fish for power or place, nor mock at sin,
Nor deem fanatic who adores his God.
O might your skill the remedy find out,
Nor find alone, but skilfully apply,
To heal those running ulcers of the state,
Election bribes, and rotten borough sores:
Make foul corruption wash her dirty hands;
And charity, diverted from its bed,

(To bloat and fatten some unrighteous drone,)
Find its first channels dug by piety.

Let those who hoe in grief yon Western Isles,
Who plant our sugar-canes, and reap despair,
In whips, & stripes, & groans, & goals, & chains,
Find mercy in your sight, as ye would find
Rich mercy when your audit-day arrive!
From wasting caterpillars free the court;
From clouds of darkening locusts purge the state;
Clear the foul bottom of our leaky ship

From shoals of barnacles, that, fastening there,
Impede her progress through those troubled seas.
Repeal each tax that grinds the poor man down
To pauperism, misery, and dust;

Reform the state, do more, reform the church;
And let the gay who flutter in the sun

Of southern climes, pay for their foreign whims.
Let your own treasure fly abroad as dust;
But oh be careful of the public purse!
It is not yours-when palaces are built,
And favourites paid their thousands, think of men
Who pine in misery, yet pay their mite.
Tax funded treasures, tax them to the full,
Hounds, horses, chariots, livery men, and plate;
But spare the poor, and, saved from perishing,
Their golden blessings will enrich your head.
Bid merchant kings who claim our Indian realm,
And bring its jewels and its treasures home,
Pay for the privilege of being great;
Or wave their right when senators demand
The charter back that gives them half the East.

Peace to the Law, I would not lawless live!
"On all our glory this is a defence,"
And well deserves a new year's compliment;
Though I could wish the Augean stable clean,
And that made simple which is complicate,
A thorny maze, which whoso dares to walk,
Shall smart with briers in the wilderness,
And hardly find a path to lead him out.
Ye learned jurists, yield the wretch relief,
Who has no golden fee to pay for law;
And those redress whom equity has wrong'd!

With the new year may streams of knowledge flow
To gladden every heart, and make the land
A moral Eden mid Europa's states.
May they who cater for the mental feast
Baptize their pens in the pure font of truth,

As thine, O friendly Drew! has always been.
The muses chant the cross in strains divine,
Taking a leaf from the "sweet singer's" psalms,
A spark from that pure Spirit's holy flame
"Who touch'd sublime Isaiah's lips with fire;"
Then pour the minstrelsy o'er all the land,
Till every heart reverberate the sound!

All hail my country's charities benign! With the New Year I wish you tenfold health; Tracts, Bibles, Missions, Sabbath Infant Schools, All golden billows rolling in one tide Of pure benevolence around the land, Around the world say rather,-wider flow And circle all the "purple Isle of Man. O could I in the aspect of the stars, Planets and signs, that hail the new-born year, But catch a ray of that which in the East Beam'd over Bethlehem with celestial light, And bade the pagan world arise and shine! Come! come! Messiah, in the Spirit come! And ere the new-born year has walk'd the skies, And quench'd his dying spark in Capricorn, Bid light and truth thy harbingers go forth, Swift as the tempest's wing or morning beam O'er all the swarming East and woody West, "Upon the mountains let the morning spread!" Raze the strong-holds of old Idolatry!

་་

Dash the proud Crescent from the Turkish skies!
Plant truth triumphant on the Koran's throne!
Teach" Africa to stretch her hand to God!”
Bid weeping Salem from the willows take
Her silent harp, and sing Messiah's reign!
And last! O how my labouring bosom swells!
Let Heaven to prophecy give loud Amen!

And earth be fill'd with knowledge, truth, and love!
Northampton.
JOSHUA MARSDEN.

"WHOM HAVING NOT SEEN WE LOVE." (1 Peter, chap. i. verse 8.)

SPARKLING supremely bright,

Ye starry geins on high,

Hung like ten thousand lamps by night,
To light the lofty sky;

Ye only gild the floor above,