may be introduced. CHAPTER III. The BRITONS and SAXONS. Die britten CIRC. THE Britons, being now left to themselves, con 490. sidered their new liberties as their greatest calamity. They had been long taught to lean upon others for support; and, that being now taken away, they found themselves too feeble to make any opposition. Far from practising the lessons they had received from the Romans, they aggravated their misfortunes with unavailing complaints, which only served to render them still more contemptible. Unaccustomed both to the perils of war and to the cares of civil government, they found themselves incapable of forming or executing any measures for resisting the incursions of their barbarous invaders. Though the Roman soldiers were drawn away, their families and descendants were still spread over the face of the country, and left without a single person of conduct or courage to defend them. To complete the measure of their wretchedness, the few men of any note who remained among them were infected with the ambition of being foremost in command; and, disregarding the common enemy, were engaged in dissensions among each other. In the mean time the Picts and Scots, uniting toge-Einfall ther, began to look upon Britain as their own, and at- Show und tacked the northern wall with redoubled forces. This ice. rampart, though formerly built of stone, had been some time before repaired with sods; and, consequently, it was ill fitted to repress the attacks of a persevering enemy. The assailants therefore were not at the trouble of procuring military engines or battering-rams to overthrow it, but with iron hooks pulled down the inactive defenders from the top, and then undermined the fortification at their leisure. Having thus opened to themselves a passage, they ravaged the whole country with impunity, while the Britons sought precarious shelter in their woods and mountains. In this exigence the unhappy Britons had a third britten suchen time recourse to Rome, hoping to extort by importu-Vergab nity that assistance which was denied upon prudential rol motives. Aëtius, the renowned general of Valentinian, much. had, about that time, gained considerable advantages over the Goths, and seemed to give fresh hopes of restoring the Roman empire. It was to him they applied for succour, in a strain of the most abject solicitation. "The barbarians," said they, "on the A.D. one hand, drive us into the sea; the sea, on the 446. other, drives us back upon the barbarians. We have only the hard choice left us, of perishing by the sword, or being drowned in the deep." Such, however, were the calamities of the Romans themselves, surrounded as they were by myriads of savage nations, that they could yield no assistance to such remote and unserviceable allies. The Britons, thus neglected, were reduced to de- Die Schotten spair; while, having left their fields uncultivated, they gehen wieder began to find the miseries of famine added to the horrors of war. It happened, however, that the barba. Besonders foto Jahr und Folgen des. rians themselves began to feel the same inconveniences in a country which they had ravaged; and, being harassed by the irruptions of the Britons, as well as by the want of necessaries, they were obliged to retreat from the southern parts of the kingdom laden with spoil. The enemy having thus left the country open, the Britons joyfully issued from their mountains and forests, and pursued once more their usual arts of husbandry, which were attended with such abundance in the succeeding season, that they soon forgot all their past miseries. But it had been happy for them if plenty had not removed one evil to plant another. They began, from a state of famine, to indulge themselves in such riot and luxury, that their bodies were totally enervated, and their minds debauched. Yeologiffe Thus, entirely occupied in the enjoyment of the present interval of peace, they made no provision for reDispute. sisting the enemy, who were only taking breath to renew their former invasions. Christianity, indeed, had been introduced among them some time before, though at what period is not certainly known: however, to the other calamities of the state were added also their disputes in theology. The disciples of Pelagius, who was a native of Britain, had increased in a great degree; and the clergy, who considered his opinions as heretical, were more solicitously employed in resisting them than in opposing the common enemy. Besides all these calamities, a terrible pestilence visited the southern parts of the island, which thinned its inhabitants, and totally deprived them of all power of resistance. Vortigem der ob It was in this deplorable and enfeebled state that the Britons were informed of fresh preparations for an invabfflsfer sion from their merciless northern neighbours. To opfi hich pose their progress, they pitched upon Vortigern as their such muf fish general and sovereign; a prince who is said to have Hülfe vm. raised himself to the supreme command by the murder of his predecessor. This step was only productive of fresh calamities. Vortigern, instead of exerting what strength yet remained in the kingdom, only set himself to look about for foreign assistance; and the Saxons appeared to him at once the most martial, and the most likely to espouse his interests. Die The Saxons were one branch of those Gothic nations Juan in which, swarming from the northern hive, came down to 3 give laws, manners, and liberty, to the rest of Europe. A part of this people, under the name of Suevi, had, some time before Cæsar's invasion of Gaul, subdued and possessed an extensive empire in Germany. These, for their strength and valour, were formidable to all the German tribes. They were afterwards divided into several nations, and each became famous for subduing that country which was the object of its invasion. France, Germany, and England, were among the number of their conquests. Gother. There is a period between savage rudeness and exces- Zusend sive refinement, which seems peculiarly adapted for the sy Pas Vauffen. purpose of war, and which fits mankind for great achievements. In this state of half-refinement, when compared to the Britons, were the Saxons at the time their assistance was thought necessary. They dressed with some degree of elegance, which the generality of the Britons, even though so long under the institutions of the Romans, had not yet learned to practise. Their women used linen garments trimmed and striped with purple. Their hair was bound in wreaths, or fell in curls upon their shoulders; their arms were bare, and their bosoms uncovered;-fashions which, in some measure, seem peculiar to the ladies of England to this day. Their government was generally an elective monarchy, and sometimes a rèpüblic. Their commanders were chosen for their merit, and dismissed from duty when their authority was no longer needful. The salaries they were supplied with, seldom exceeded a bare subsistence; and the honours they received were the only reward of their superior dangers and fatigues. The custom of trying by twelve men is of Saxon original: slavery was unknown among them, and they were taught to prefer death to a shameful existence. We are told by Marcellinus, that a body of them, being taken prisoners, were kept for exhibition on the amphitheatre at Rome, as gladiators, for the entertainment of the people. The morning however on which they were expected to perform, they were every one found dead in his cell, all choosing rather a voluntary death than to be the ignominious instruments of brutal pleasure to their conquerors. The chastity of this people is equally remarkable; and to be without children was to be without praise. But their chief excellence, and what they most gloried in, was their skill in war. They had, in some measure, learned discipline from the Romans, whom they had often defeated; and had, for a century and a half before, made frequent descents upon the coasts of Britain for the sake of plunder. They were, therefore, a very formidable enemy to the Romans when settled there; and an officer was appointed to oppose their inroads, under the title of the "Count of the Saxon shore." Thus, ever restless and bold, they considered war as their trade, and were, in consequence, taught to consider victory as a doubtful advantage, but courage as a certain good. A nation, however, entirely addicted to war, has seldom wanted the imputation of cruelty, as those terrors which are opposed without fear are often inflicted without regret. The Saxons are represented as a very cruel nation; but we must remember that their enemies have drawn the picture. |