History of the Picts or Romano-British Wall, and of the Roman Stations and Dallum

Excerpt from History of the Picts or Romano-British Wall, and of the Roman Stations and Dallum: With an Account of Their Present State, Taken During a Pilgrimage Along That Part of the Island, in the Month of June, 1849

B 2great Wall. He writes with more certainty respecting Severus, but omits all mention of Hadrian. We shall give his words at length. Having been victorious in all the grievous civil wars which happened in his time, he was drawn into Britain by the revolt Of nearly all the confederate tribes; and, after many great and dangerous battles, he thought fit to divide that part of the island which he had recovered from the unconquered nations, not with a wall as some imagine, but with a rampart. For a murus or wall is made Of stone, but a vallum or rampart, with which camps are fortified, is made of pales (valli) and turfs cut out of the earth, and raised above the ground all round like a wall; having in front Of it the ditch whence the sods were taken, and strong stakes of wood fixed upon the top. Thus, Severus drew a great ditch and strong rampart fortified with several towers from sea to sea, and was afterwards taken sick, and died at York. Although a distinction is here made between murus and vallum, which preceding writers have not Observed, yet it is expressed by vallum only, both in the Itinerary of Antonine* and the Notitia Imperii.

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