THE

BEAUTIES

OF

England and Wales:

OR,

ORIGINAL DELINEATIONS,

TOPOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL, AND DESCRIPTIVE,

OP

EACH COUNTY.

EMBELLISHED WITH ENGRAVINGS.

BY THE

REV. J. NIGHTINGALE.

VOL. XIII.-PART II.

Incorrect pedigrees, futile etymologies, verbose disquisitions, crowds of epi-
taphs, lists of landholders, and such farrago, thrown together without me.
thod, unanimated by reflections, and delivered in the most uncouth and
horrid style, make the bulk of our county histories.
GOUGH.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR J. HARRIS; LONGMAN AND CO., J. WALKER; R. BALDWIN;
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Derbyshire, over the Dove at Monk's Bridge.* There is a great confusion in both the maps, and the descriptions respecting this road. It is said to have derived its name from a conjecture that this part of the county belonged to the Iceni. "The Ikening Street," says the learned, or the whimsical, Mr. Whitaker, "confessedly signifies the way which led to the Iceni of the eastern coast." The Roman stations in this county that are known, are Pennocrucium, near Stretton; and Etoctum, at Wall, near Lichfield. But Salmons gives to this county four Roman stations, which, he says, are Mediolanum, at Knightley; Uriconium, at Wrottesley; Uxacona, at Wall-Lichfield; and Etocetum, at Barbeacon. The first of these stations, Camden, in a very positive strain, places in Montgomeryshire; and Bishop Horseley fixes it on a slip of land, inclosed by the Tern, and another river. Uriconium, we have no doubt, is the Wroxetor

* Plot's Natural History of Staffordshire, p. 400.

f Erdeswicke does not appear to mention it; or rather, he mistakes it for Watling Street. In describing the course of the " Breewood Water," he says, it "washeth the banks of Stretton, so called, because it stands on the way called Watling Street, as if you said Street Town." p. 63. It is on Icknield Street that Stretton stands: the etymology may still be the same.

+ History of Manchester, Vol. I. p. 103, second ed. 8vo. The topographer or the antiquary, who consults this very odd book, will have need to keep a strict eye to the windings and turnings of the author, or he will be led into very great mistakes; as many, perhaps most, of Mr. Whitaker's conclusions and reasonings are founded on some previous supposition. " In all probability,"" most likely,"-" we may suppose,"-" the Britons must have constructed, &c."-" I apprehend," and other hypothetical phrases of this kind, are favourite modes of expression in this author's works; and it is from such premises that he reasons and decides, in the most ingenions and positive manner, through several pages, till he seems to have persuaded himself, and almost his reader, that he is proceeding on indubitable and acknowledged facts. A society of antiquaries, composed of such men as Mr. Whitaker, would produce far more curious, and even extensive volumes, than those which at present compose the Archælogia; we will not say more useful or valuable. The History of Manchester, nevertheless, contains much information that may, with safety, be relied on.

Survey II. p. 517.