A Walk through Leicester: being a Guide to StrangersWatts, Susannah
History
A Walk through Leicester: being a Guide to Strangers
Watts, Susannah
Leicester (England) -- Description and travel
In this series of Leicester coins, which has been engraved with accurate
attention in the valuable work of Mr. Nichols, the triangular helmets,
uncouth diadems, and rudely expressed countenances of our Saxon
Sovereigns, exhibit, when opposed to a plate of Roman coinage, a striking
contrast to the nicely delineated features of the laurelled Caesars. In
no instance of comparison does the Roman art appear more conspicuous.
The great quantity of coins of that scientific people which have been
found at Leicester, is an additional testimony of its consequence as a
Roman town; these, unfortunately upon being found at different periods,
have paffed into various hands, and altho' some few gentlemen here have
made collections, yet it is to be regretted that by far the greater part
of the coins have been taken from the town. Had those found in the last
century been thrown together into one cabinet, Leicester might have
exhibited at this time a respectable series of Roman coinage, both in
brass and silver, from the emperor Nero, down to Valens. Leaving those
whose taste shall so direct them, to pursue the train of reflections to
which this most curious subject may lead, we return to our route. From
the North Budge two streets branch out, that on the left the
WOOD-GATE,
leading to the Ashby-de-la-Zouch road, and that on the right, the
ABBEY-GATE,
conducting us to the Abbey.
The name of _Abbey_, so dear to painting, poetry, and romance, naturally
raises in the mind an idea of the picturesque and the aweful; but we are
now approaching no gothic perspectives, no "long drawn aisles and fretted
vaults," and scarcely able to bring a single instance of assimilation, we
visit indeed an Abbey only in name; yet we visit a spot well adapted to
the purposes to which it was appropriated. Sequestered, surrounded by
pleasing objects, and dignified by the not uncertain evidences of
history, it offers to the thinking mind all those interesting sensations
which a review of past times, important events, and manners now no more,
can possibly produce.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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