, felt the terrors which
he inspired, his legions, under the command of the virtuous Agricola,
defeated the collected force of the Caledonians, at the foot of the
Grampian Hills; and his fleets, venturing to explore an unknown and
dangerous navigation, displayed the Roman arms round every part of the
island. The conquest of Britain was considered as already achieved; and
it was the design of Agricola to complete and insure his success, by the
easy reduction of Ireland, for which, in his opinion, one legion and a
few auxiliaries were sufficient. [9] The western isle might be improved
into a valuable possession, and the Britons would wear their chains
with the less reluctance, if the prospect and example of freedom were on
every side removed from before their eyes.

[Footnote 6: Caesar himself conceals that ignoble motive; but it is
mentioned by Suetonius, c. 47. The British pearls proved, however,
of little value, on account of their dark and livid color. Tacitus
observes, with reason, (in Agricola, c. 12,) that it was an inherent
defect. "Ego facilius crediderim, naturam margaritis deesse quam nobis
avaritiam."]

[Footnote 7: Claudius, Nero, and Domitian. A hope is expressed by
Pomponius Mela, l. iii. c. 6, (he wrote under Claudius,) that, by the
success of the Roman arms, the island and its savage inhabitants would
soon be better known. It is amusing enough to peruse such passages in
the midst of London.]

[Footnote 8: See the admirable abridgment given
by Tacitus, in the life of Agricola, and copiously, though perhaps not
completely, illustrated by our own antiquarians, Camden and Horsley.]

[Footnote 9: The Irish writers, jealous of their national honor,
are extremely provoked on this occasion, both with Tacitus and with
Agricola.]

But the superior merit of Agricola soon occasioned his removal from the
government of Britain; and forever disappointed this rational, though
extensive scheme of conquest. Before his departure, the prudent general
had provided for security as well as for dominion. He had observed,
that the island is almost divided into two unequal parts by the opposite
gulfs, or, as they are now called, the Friths of Scotland. Across the
narrow interval of about forty miles, he had drawn a line of military
stations, which was afterwards fortified, in the reign of Antoninus
Pius, by a turf rampart, erected on foundations of stone. [10] This wall
of Antoninus, at a small distance beyond the modern cit