Historic%20Yorkshire

THE STORY OF YORK CASTLE. 85
abundant remains of villas, temples, baths, tombs, etc.,
while innumerable relics of Roman manufacture are
plentiful throughout the site, and serve effectually to link
the situation of Eboracum with the modern York. The
period between the departure of the Romans and the
invasionby the Saxons is devoid of any markedfeatures
of interest. Eboracum was considered of greatimportance
by the British, and in common with Lancaster was again
the chiefbulwark against the incursions of the Picts. Its
namewas nowalteredtoCaer Ebrauch. The Anglo-Saxon
Ida, in 547, came and laid the foundation of the kingdom
of Northumbria, of which Eboracum was indubitably the
capital, andit retainedthat name for a considerabletime.
The Venerable Bede calls it so. On some Anglo-Danish
coins the corrupted term of Ebraici occurs. In the Saxon
chronicle and elsewhere it appears as Eoferwic, which
term, even to the end of the reignof HenryIII.,is found
on coins which were struck at York. The spelling is
varied, but in each instance the connection withBritish
Eburac can be distinctly traced, so also does the transition
form of Eurewic connect with it the present name
of York. York figures prominently in Anglo-Saxon
history. It was again the birth-place and burial-place of
kings and princes. Here they held their courts and
garrisons; here they were crowned; or abdicating,ended
their livesin its church's cloister.
There can be little doubt that there was some principal
citadel at Eboracum for the housing of the garrisons of
the Romans and to command the then deeper waters of
the Ouse, up which the war galleys and grain vessels
of the Romans were wont to sail to the very gates; but
the earliest actual mention of a castle is in the time of
Athelstan, who, on returning from his great victorious
excursion against Constantine, Kingof Scotland, Anlaff
the Dane, and others, caused the Castle of York to be
levelledto the ground to prevent its being again the focus
for rebellion. The Normans next bring York and its
Castle into notice. Hastings had been fought two years,