Ancient_and_modern_York_a_guide

2 ANCIENT AND
in possession, goes to negative the supposition that cities
nourished in any part of Britain previously to the Roman
invasion. Caesar informs us, that the inhabitants were
unacquainted with the arts and laws of civilized life,—
despised the institution of marriage,*—painted their
bodies,—clothed themselves in skins,—lived upon flesh
and milk of animals, and neglected tillage. He adds, that
the Britons knew nothing of building with stone ; but
called that a city which had a wood defended by a ditch
and a bank around it. Tacitus, the most accurate and
faithful of historians, whose father-in-law spent a great
portion of his life in this country, and, as we have reason
to believe, founded the city of York, describes the Britons
as a fierce and savage people, running wild in woods ;
and expressly mentions that Agricolaf instructed the
natives how to build dwelling-houses, temples, and courts
of justice. It will be admitted, that the ancient Germans
were superior to the Gauls and the Britons. Now it
would be taking a great deal for granted, if we assumed
that cities were built by the Britons at this early period,
if we find that the Germans built none. Tacitus says,|
" the Germans have no regular cities, nor do they allow a
continuity of houses."^f What then becomes of the
romance that York flourished as a city before the time of
Claudius Caesar ? Some stress is laid by Drake upon the
fact, that the Britons called the place where York now
stands, Kaer. But in the Gaelic, Kaer means a seat, as
well as a city; and the expression might, and no doubt did,
denote a fortification. It will be sufficient to show, with
how much caution we should interpret such expressions,
to mention, that the places taken by Caesar are described
in the Saxon Chronicle, as the chief towns of Britain ! We
* Pliny, Nat. Hist. lib. xxii. chap. 2; Martial uses the expression, Coenleit
Britannis ; and Ovid, Viridesque Britannos.
+ Life of Agricola.
t Manners of the Germans.
IT Vide, Dr. Cooke Taylor's Natural History of Society.