been found here: Mr. Howson, of Kenington hard by, has pecks of them, many of Licinius.[86] [Illustration: 18·2ᵈ. _Inside view of Thornton College gate house July 26 1724_ _Stukeley del._ _I Harris Scul._] [Illustration: 19·2ᵈ. _Prospect of_ Caster Lincolnshʳ: July 26 1724. A Roman Town._ _Stukeley del:_ A. _a piece of the Roman wall of the castle_. B. _the Spring_. C. _another piece of the Roman wall_. _E. Kirkall sculp:_] [Sidenote: +Yarborough.+ Ro. _town_.] Hence we journeyed to Caster, upon another ridge of the downs, running north and south, slaunting off eastward to the sea, and steep all the way westward, reaching from the Humber to the Witham below Lincoln: a vein of sand again, and alike stocked with rabbets, answering to that on the other side the Ankham at Sandton, but a little more southward. From the hill just above Caster you have an admirable prospect both east and west; this way to the mouth of the Humber, the Spurnhead promontory, the Sunk island, and the whole country of Holderness in Yorkshire; that way, all the sea-coast of Lincoln stretched out in a long bow, jutting into the sea, full of creeks and harbours: south and west the whole county of Lincoln lies under the eye; but the height of Lincoln minster particularly pleases, which is here seen by the edge of the cliff south of Caster, and presents a very romantic landscape. [Sidenote: +Caster.+ Ro. _town_.] [Sidenote: TAB. XIX. 2d Vol.] [Sidenote: TAB. XX. 2d Vol.] The town of Caster is half way down this western steep; and in nothing more, that I have seen, did the Romans show their fine genius for choice of a station, than this: there is a narrow promontory juts forward to the west, being a rock full of springs, level at top; and on this did they build their town. One may easily guess at the original Roman scheme upon which it was founded, and now in the main preserved: this whole town takes in three squares of full 300 feet each, two of which are allotted to the castle, the third is an _area_ lying to the east before it, between it and the hill, which is still the market-place: the streets are all set upon these squares, and at right angles: at each end are two outlets, going obliquely at the corners to the country round about, two above, two descending the hill thus distributed: the north-east to the Humber mouth, south-east to Louth, north-west to Wintringham, south-west to Lincoln. What is the meaning of this place being called _Thongcaster_,[87] among some others in England, I know not; one in Kent: but it gave occasion to the same fanciful report of its original, as queen Dido’s founding Carthage upon as much ground as she could incompass with an ox’s hide cut into _thongs_; and a person in the town told me there was an history of the building Caster in _Virgil_, and offered to show it me. I should not have thought this worth mentioning, had not Mr. Camden spoke of it, as if he believed it to be true: but there can be no doubt that