many of which remain to this day. To thefe rites, tending to imprefs ignorance with awe, they added the aufterity of their manners, and the fimplicity of their lives. They lived in woods, caves, and hollow trees; their food was acorns and berries, and their drink water; by these arts, they were not only respected, but almost adored by the people. They were ad mired not only for knowing more than other men, but for defpifing what all others valued. and pursued. Hence they were patiently per, mitted to punish and correct crimes from which they themselves were fuppofed to be wholly free; and their authority was fo great, that not only the property, but also the lives of the people were entirely at their disposal. No laws were inftituted by the princes, or common affemblies, without their advice and approbation; no perfon was punished by bonds, or death, without their paffing sentence; no plunder taken in war was used by the captor until the Druids determined what part they fhould feclude for themfelves.

It may be eafily fuppofed, that the manners of the people took a tincture from the difcipline of their teachers. Their lives were fimple, but they were marked with cruelty and fiercenefs; their courage was great, but neither dignified

B 4

dignified by mercy nor perfeverance. In short, to have a juft idea of what the Britons then were, we have only to turn to the favage nations which ftill fubfift in primeval rudeness. Temperate rather from neceffity than choice; patient of fatigue, yet inconftant in attachment; bold, improvident, and rapacious : fuch is the picture of favage life at prefent, and fuch it appears to have been from the beginning. Little entertainment, therefore, can be expected from the accounts of a nation thus circumftanced, nor can its tranfactions come properly under the notice of the hiftorian, fince they are too minutely divided to be exhibited at one view; the actors are too barbarous to intereft the reader; and no fkill can be fhewn in developing the motives and counfels of a people chiefly actuated by fudden and tumultuary gufts of paffion.

CHAP.

CHA P. II.

From the DESCENT of JULIUS CESAR to the Relinquishing of the Island by the ROMANS.

THE Britons, in the rude and barbarous

ftate in which we have juft defcribed them, feemed to ftand in need of more polished inftructors; and indeed whatever evils may attend the conquest of heroes, their fuccefs has generally produced one good effect, in diffeminating the arts of refinement and humanity. It ever happens, when a barbarous nation is conquered by another more advanced in the arts of peace, that it gains in elegance a recompence for what it lofes in liberty. The Britons had long remained in this rude but independent state, when Cæfar having over run Gaul with his victories, and willing ftill farther to extend his fame, determined upon the conquest of a country that feemed ro promise an easy triumph. He was allured neither by the riches nor the renown of the inhabitants; but being ambitious rather of fplendid than of useful

con

Ant.Ch.55.

conquefts, he was willing to carry the Roman arms into a country, the remote fituation of which would add feeming difficulty to the enterprize, and confequently produce an increase of reputation. His pretence was, to punish these islanders for having fent fuccours to the Gauls while he waged war against that nation, as well as for granting an asylum to fuch of the enemy as had fought protection from his refentment. The natives, informed of his intention, were fenfible of the unequal conteft, and endeavoured to appease him by fubmiffion. He received their ambaffadors with great complacency, and having exhorted them to continue ftedfaft in the fame fentiments, in the mean time made preparations for the execution of his defign. When the troops deftined for the expedition were embarked, he fet fail for Britain about midnight, and the next morning arrived on the coaft near Dover, where he faw the rocks and cliffs covered with armed men to oppofe his landing.

Finding it impracticable to gain the fhore where he first intended, from the agitation of the fea and the impending mountains, he refolved to chufe a landing-place of greater fecurity. The place he chofe was about eight miles farther on, fome fuppofe at Deal, where

ap

an inclining shore and a level country invited his attempts. The poor, naked, ill-armed Britons, we may well fuppofe, were but an unequal match for the difciplined Romans, who had before conquered Gaul, and afterwards became the conquerors of the world. However, they made a brave oppofition against the veteran army; the conflicts between them were fierce, the loffes mutual, and the fuccefs various. The Britons had chofen Caffibelaunus for their commander in chief; but the petty princes under his command, either defiring hist ftation, or fufpecting his fidelity, threw off their allegiance. Some of them fled with their forces into the internal parts of the kingdom, others fubmitted to Cæfar, till at length Caffibelaunus himself, weakened by fo many defertions, refolved upon making what terms he was able, while he yet had power to keep the field. The conditions offered by Cæfar and accepted by him were, that he should fend to the Continent double the number of hostages. at first demanded, and that he fhould acknowledge fubjection to the Romans.

The Romans were pleased with the name of this new and remote conqueft, and the fenate decreed a fupplication of twenty days, in confequence of their general's fuccefs. Having

there