Jutroductory Remarks. N tracing out the History and Antiquities of Easingwold and its Neighbourhood, it will be necessary to epitomise the history of other tribes and nations, as connected with the origin and descent of the first inhabitants of this island. Before the time of the Romans, there was much of uncertainty associated with the history of Britain, and all the other nations of the earth. The accounts handed down to us are involved in much obscurity, for the Druids or priests of the ancient Britons considered it unlawful to communicate any information, except by oral tradition. But there are other sources of evidence drawn from the enlightened and civilized nations of the earth, which will enable us distinctly to trace out the origin and descent of the first inhabitants of this country. Britain was first peopled by the descendants of Japheth, the son of Noah. After the confusion of tongues as described in the book of Genesis, the sons and nephews of Noah dispersed themselves into the various quarters of the globe. "Some departed towards the East, some to the main land, others went forward into the North, until they came as far as Britain, situate in the northern climates."1 The sons of Japheth, we are told by Moses, betook themselves into Europe, and peopled the western parts of the world, and the isles of the Gentiles, or the British isles. 'Theophilus Antiochenus. B Gomer, the eldest son of Japheth, established a colony in Italy, called the Gomerians. From thence they passed into the north parts, where they were called Cimbri. They emigrated into France, where they were called Gauls, and into Britain, where they were called Celts. It is probable that some of the Cimbri from the Coasts of Germany came and settled in this island, for some writers, speaking of the ancient inhabitants, call them the Cimbri Celts, and the ancient Britons speaking of themselves, invariably made use of the term Cymri, which word is still used to designate the Welsh people to this day. The first inhabitants of Britain, therefore, may be traced to Gomer, the son of Japheth, the son of Noah. By this branch of Noah's family were "The isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands," and the blessing of the old patriarch is fulfilled in their prosperity:-"God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant." "The Britains," says Camden, "are the posterity of Gomer, and of Gomer took their denomination, the very word implying extent and dominion, a name bestowed on the eldest son of Noah by Divine Providence, and signifying in the Hebrew tongue, utmost bordering." The peopling of Britain by the descendants of Japheth, was about two thousand years before the birth of Christ. It is difficult to pierce the mysterious gloom which shrouds an infant world, but in an incredible short space of time, mighty and powerful nations were established, though their history presents little else but a scene of treachery and blood. Nimrod began to build cities, and he established the Babylonian empire. Nineveh was the seat of another tribe, and formed another colony. Tyre and Sidon sprang up into commercial and maritime importance, and they carried on an extensive commerce with the isles of the Gentiles. Tyre is called by Ezekiel 'the mart of nations," and we learn from Solomon, that the Phoenicians were an ingenious and enterprising race of men. Their country included the land of the Philistines, the Sidonians, Tyrians, Canaanites, &c., and was bordering on the Mediterranean sea and the land which the children of Israel possessed. With this people the British Isles carried on an extensive traffic. They established e ) nies on our coasts.-introduced their religious rites and ceremonies, and from this time the British character became amalgamated with the Phoenician. The period of time when the Phoenicians established their colonies in Britain, was about fifteen hundred years before the Christian era. They had been harassed and driven from one spot to another, by the all-conquering hand of Joshus, who pursued them with an Israelitish army, till, having lost the land of Canaan and other territories, they were led to seek the enlargement of their borders by emigration. There was an inscription legible for many ages on two pillars near the fount of the Magi, at Tangiers, running thus:-We fly from the face of Joshua, the robber.”* Another writer upon this subject, thus states.--Two pillars were found in the kingdom of Tangier, upon the Streights, with a Phoenician inscription, thus:— WE FLY FROM THE FACE OF JOSHUA, THE SON OF NAVE, THE Being well acquainted with the laws of navigation, the Phoenicians extended their commerce, first to the isles of the Mediterranean-from thence to Spain, and then upward to the British Isles. Strabo, the celebrated heathen geographer, declares, that Tyre not only sent forth colonies into Spain, and to the pillars of Hercules, but beyond them; yea, expressly, that the Phoenicians began a commerce with the Britons, and that they alone carried on a commerce with them, and he afterwards enters into the details of this commerce. "The Phoenicians," says he, "imported into Britain, earthenware, salt, all sorts of instruments of iron and brass; and they receiv ed in exchange, shoes, leather, and tin; and the single article of tin, (the mines of which abound in Cornwall), was an inexhaustible source of wealth to the Phoenicians." Another author of equal authority, confirms the same statement, and adds, "these islands were called the Cassiterides or Tin islands." * Procop. Vandal. lib. ii. c. 10. in Moore, p. 9. 3 Sammes' Britannia Antiqua, p. 141. When the Phoenicians first came to this island,-about three thousand three hundred and fifty years ago, they found the ancient Britons and Celts carrying on a good home trade in the manufacture and use of articles, produced among themselves. There was a degree of civilization amongst them, and the arts, if not science, were encouraged. The tin mines were worked by the natives, for the Phoenicians on their arrival, beholding the tin in its slimy state, as taken from the mine, called it "the mud," not knowing to what use it could be applied. But the skill and ingenuity of the ancient Tyrians soon found out a use for this important article. Through them it was conveyed from Britain to Tyre, and easily transmitted from this "mart of all nations," to every quarter of the globe. When Moses erected the Tabernacle, we find him by the command of Jehovah making use of this article of our island's produce. The only metals used by Moses were gold, silver, and brass. The latter was extensively used for rings, pins, hooks, sockets, and "all the vessels of the altar, the pots and the shovels, and the basons, and the flesh hooks, and the fire pans; all the vessels thereof made he of brass," Exodus, xxxviii. 3. &c. The brass here spoken of was no doubt from Britain, for the ancients obtained all their tin, and, consequently, all their brass from this country. The Rev. Dr. Vincent, in his Treatise on the Commerce and Navigation of the Ancients in the Indian Ocean, says, "that tin is mentioned as an import into Africa, Arabia, Scindi, and the coast of Malabar. It has continued an article of commerce brought out of Britain, in all ages, conveyed to all the countries in the Mediterranean by the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans, and carried into the Eastern Ocean, from the origin of commerce." The prophet Ezekiel, when speaking of the merchants of Tyre, says, "Tarshish (or Britain) was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches, with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs." chap. xxvii, 12v. In the erection of that most magnificient of all buildings, the TEMPLE OF SOLOMON, the METALS. of BRITAIN formed an essential element towards its completion and grandeur. David says, "I have provided for the house of the Lord an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight," and when Solomon commenced the building, he sent to Hiram, King of Tyre, (or the Phoenicians,) saying, "Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass," and Hiram sent him a cunning man endued with understanding, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him." The Trojan war terminated 1150 years before the birth of Christ, and the three hundred and fifty thousand warriors engaged on the plains of Ilion were chiefly clad in armour manufactured from British metals, and procured from the Tyrian market. The famous shield of Achilles, Homer describes as made of silver, BRASS, TIN, and gold. (Book XVIII. Iliad, v. 545.) "In hissing flames huge silver bars are roll'd, And at Book XX. v. 318. "Five plates of various metal, various mould, The sword too is described as made of BRASS "The silver cuisher first his thighs enfold Then o'er his breast was brac'd the hollow gold: The BRAZEN SWORD a various baldric ty'd, That starr'd with gems, hung glittering at his side." Book XIX. And not only were the shields and swords of the Grecian warriors made of British metal, but the whole of their arms and armour were either in part or whole, the produce of our island. Iliad, Book VI. v. 143. "This said, with ample strides the hero past; The shield's large orb behind his shoulder cast, His neck o'ershading to his ancle hung, Book XXIII. v. 1057. "Take then the prize, but let brave Merion bear |