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and the fire of his horse, was borne into the midst of the enemy.

Success and plunder contributed to render the night joyful to the victors; whilst the Britons wandering and forlorn, amid the promiscuous lamentations of men and women, were dragging along the wounded; calling out to the unhurt; abandoning their habitations, and in the rage of despair setting them on fire; choosing places of concealment, and then deserting them; consulting together, and then separating. Sometimes, on beholding the dear pledges of kindred and affection, they were melted into tenderness, or more frequently roused into fury; insomuch that several, according to authentic information, instigated by a savage compassion, laid violent hands upon their own wives and children. On the succeeding day, a vast silence all around, desolate hills, the distant smoke of burning houses, and not a living soul descried by the scouts, displayed more amply the face of victory. After parties had been detached to all quarters without discovering any certain traces of the enemy's flight, or any bodies of them still in arms, as the lateness of the season rendered it impracticable to spread the war through the country, Agricola led his army to the confines of the Horesti. Having received hostages from this people, he ordered the commander of the fleet to sail round the island; for which expedition he was furnished with sufficient force, and preceded by the terror of the Roman name. He himself then led back the cavalry and infantry, marching slowly, that he might impress a deeper awe on the newly conquered nations; and at length distributed his troops into their winterquarters.

(Life of Agricola, Tacitus, London, 1874, II, p. 355 et seq.)

19. Consequences of the Withdrawal of the Romans

Gildas

The short treatise De Excidio Britannia was written by GILDAS (b. circa 516; d. 570?) about 560 A.D. Gildas cannot therefore be styled a contemporary source for the Romano-British period of English History, yet he is the accepted and sole though not wholly satisfactory-authority for the period extending from the early part of the fifth century until about 560 a.d.

The Romans, therefore, left the country... No sooner were they gone, than the Picts and Scots, like worms which in the heat of mid-day come forth from their holes, hastily land again from their canoes, in which they had been carried beyond the Cichican valley, differing one from another in

manners, but inspired with the same avidity for blood, and all more eager to shroud their villainous faces in bushy hair than to cover with decent clothes those parts of their body which required it. Moreover, having heard of the departure of our friends, and their resolution never to return, they seize with greater boldness than before on all the country towards the extreme north as far as the wall. To oppose them there was placed on the heights a garrison equally slow to fight and ill adapted to run away, a useless and panicstruck company, who slumbered away days and nights on their unprofitable watch. Meanwhile the hooked weapons of their enemies were not idle, and our wretched countrymen were dragged from the wall and dashed against the ground. Such premature death, however, painful as it was, saved them from seeing the miserable sufferings of their brothers and children. But why should I say more? They left their cities, abandoned the protection of the wall, and dispersed themselves in flight, more desperately than before. The enemy, on the other hand, pursued them with more unrelenting cruelty than before, and butchered our countrymen like sheep, so that their habitations were like those of savage beasts; for they turned their arms upon each other, and for the sake of a little sustenance, imbrued their hands in the blood of their fellow-countrymen. Thus foreign calamities were augmented by domestic feuds; so that the whole country was entirely destitute of provisions, save such as could be procured in the chase.

Again, therefore, the wretched remnant, sending to Ætius, a powerful Roman citizen, address him as follows:- "To Etius, now consul for the third time: the groans of the Britons." And again a little further, thus:- "The barbarians drive us to the sea; the sea throws us back on the barbarians: thus two modes of death await us, we are either slain or drowned." The Romans, however, could not assist them...

(The works of Gildas, 'The History,' §§ 19, 20. In Six Old English Chronicles. London, 1872.)

20. The Power of Britain Revives

Bede

The distress and despair into which the Britons fell at the withdrawal of the Romans is well shown by the preceding selection from GILDAS. The condition of depression did not endure. The valour of the native Britons re-asserted itself, and gave to the island a period of prosperity.

In the meantime, the aforesaid famine distressing the Britons more and more, and leaving to posterity lasting memorials of its mischievous effects, obliged many of them to submit themselves to the depredators; though others still held out, confiding in the Divine assistance, when none was to be had from men. These continually made excursions from the mountains, caves, and woods, and, at length, began to inflict severe losses on their enemies, who had been for so many years plundering the country. The Irish robbers thereupon returned home, in order to come again soon after. The Picts, both then and afterwards, remained quiet in the farthest part of the island, save that sometimes they would do some mischief, and carry off booty from the Britons.

When, however, the ravages of the enemy at length ceased, the island began to abound with such plenty of grain as had never been known in any age before.

(Bede's Ecclesiastical History, book I, c. 14, ed. J. A. Giles, London, 1894.)

CHAPTER IV

THE BIRTH OF THE ENGLISH NATION

21. The Ancient Germans

Casar

The famous Commentaries of CESAR contain the first accurate and comprehensive account of the primitive Germans, the ancestors of the English. In connection with the excerpt given, the Germania of TACITUS may be read with profit.

The Germans differ much from these usages, for they have neither Druids to preside over sacred offices, nor do they pay great regard to sacrifices. They rank in the number of gods those alone whom they behold, and by whose instrumentality they are obviously benefited, namely, the sun, fire, and the moon; they have not heard of the other deities even by report. Their whole life is occupied in hunting and in the pursuits of the military art; from childhood they devote themselves to fatigue and hardships. Those who have remained chaste for the longest time, receive the greatest commendation among their people...

They do not pay much attention to agriculture, and a large portion of their food consists in milk, cheese, and flesh; nor has any one a fixed quantity of land or his own individual limts; but the magistrates and the leading men each year apportion to the tribes and families, who have united together, as much land as, and in the place in which, they think proper, and the year after compel them to remove elsewhere. For this enactment they advance many reasons lest seduced by long-continued custom, they may exchange their ardour in the waging of war for agriculture; lest they may be anxious to acquire extensive estates, and the more powerful drive the weaker from their possessions; lest they construct their houses with too great a desire to avoid heat and cold; lest the desire of wealth spring up, from which cause divisions and discords arise; and that they may keep the common people in a contented state of mind, when each sees his own means placed on an equality with [those of] the most powerful.

It is the greatest glory to the several States to have as wide deserts as possible around them, their frontiers having been laid waste. They consider this the real evidence of their prowess, that their neighbours shall be driven out of their lands and abandon them, and that no one dare settle near them; at the same time, they think that they shall be on that account the more secure, because they have removed the apprehension of a sudden incursion. When a State either repels war waged against it, or wages it against another, magistrates are chosen to preside over that war with such authority, that they have power of life and death. In peace there is no common magistrate, but the chiefs of provinces and cantons administer justice and determine controversies among their own people. Robberies which are committed beyond the boundaries of each State bear no infamy, and they show that these are committed for the purpose of disciplining their youth and of preventing sloth. And when any of their chiefs has said in an assembly "that he will be their leader, let those who are willing to follow, give in their names"; they who approve of both the enterprise and the man arise and promise their assistance and are applauded by the people; such of them as have not followed him are accounted in the number of deserters and traitors, and confidence in all matters is afterwards refused them. To injure guests they regard as impious; they defend from wrong those who come to them for any purpose whatever, and esteem them inviolable; to them the houses of all are open and maintenance is freely supplied.

(Cæsar's Commentaries on the Gallic War, book VI, c. 21, 22, 23.,

22. The Coming of Hengist and Horsa

Bede

The accounts of the coming of the Teutons to the Isle of Thanet are extremely unsatisfactory. Although this is the case, yet to the student of history the beginning of the Teutonic invasion of Briton is of such importance as to demand an illustration. The statement of BEDE possesses at least an element of probability.

They consulted what was to be done, and where they could seek assistance to prevent or repel the cruel and frequent incursions of the Northern Nations; and they all agreed with their King Vortigern to call over to their aid, from the parts beyond the sea, the Saxon nation... In the year of our Lord 449... then the nations of the Angles, or Saxons, being invited by the aforesaid King, arrived in Britain with three

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