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"It meanes thus much:—The companies of scouts receiving double pay, or rather souldiers of the band or company receiving double pay, dedicated an altar at Bremenium to his Majesty," (you must conceive some Roman * Before an Emperor existed.—How absurd!Emperor,)* "when they made good their vow willingly as by him deserved, Caspio Charitimus (for so it must be read) was their Tribune or cheif commander.
"It is a piece of antiquity highly to be valued, almost near veneration, which, having still preserved the name and memory of the decayed station, may now be instead a tomb-stone to it, fallen into its own ashes, as well it was formerly erected to the Emperor's honour, and for his safety. And if Cicero could make such boast for finding out the grave of the mathematician Archimedes, humilis homunculi, as he saith, a very mean man, not full two hundred years after his burial, yet quite unknown to his countrymen the Syracusians, how much more deservedly might our Camden have taken upon him, who, after [1]thirteen hundred years at least, discovered the name and ruines of the most valiant and resolute garrison of Britain, the bulwarke sometimes and the defence of the natives as well as the provincialls, wherefore to illustrate a little in behalf of the youth of this island, studious of glorious things long before their own times, I should count no losse of time or pains."
Expanded by Dr. S.
DUPLARES NUPER EXPLORATORES,
BRITANNIAM EMENSI, ARAM INSTITUERUNT
NUMINI EJUS CAIO CÆSARI PONENDAM
CASTRIS HIS.—ARITINO TRIBUNO
VOTUM SOLVENT LIBENTISSIME
MERITO.
And translated.
{{smaller block|The Romans being their Lords or Masters, the late Duplar (or double pay) Engineers having completed their Survey of Britain, determined to erect an Altar in this Camp to its presiding Deity, Caius Cæsar—Aratinus being Tribune, they most willingly pay their vow to him deserviug it, (i.e. to Cæsar.)
- ↑ Note.—The above is a most invaluable inscription, as showing not only the completion, more than half a century before the birth of Christ, of the first military survey ever made of Britain, but also as confirmatory of its military occupation in the life-time of Caius Julius Cæsar, (as I have before repeatedly remarked,) yet it has been again buried for two centuries more by misinterpretation.}}
