A.D. 448.

they applied for fuccour, in a strain of the most abject follicitation. The Barbarians, said they, on the one hand, drive us into the fea; the fea, on the other, drives us back upon the Barbarians. We have only the hard choice left us, of perifhing by the fword, or being drowned in the deep. Such, however, were the calamities of the Romans themselves, furrounded as they were by myriads of favage nations, that they could yield no affiftance to fuch remote and unferviceable allies.

The Britons, thus neglected, were reduced to despair; while, having left their fields uncultivated, they began to find the miseries of famine, added to the horrors of war. It happened, however, that the barbarians themfelves began to feel the fame inconveniences in a country which they had ravaged; and being harraffed by the irruptions of the Britons, as well as the want of neceffaries, they were obliged to retreat from the fouthern parts of the kingdom laden with fpoil.

The enemy having thus left the country open, the Britons joyfully iffued from their mountains and forefts, and purfued once more their ufual arts of hufbandry, which were attended with fuch abundance the fucceeding

feafon,

season, that they foon forgot all their past miferies. 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 fuch riot and luxury, that their bodies were totally enervated, and their minds debauched.

Thus entirely occupied in the enjoyment of the present interval of peace, they made no provifion for refifting the enemy who were only taking breath to renew their former invafions. Chriftianity, indeed, had been introduced among them fome time before; though, at what period, is not certainly known: however, to the other calamities of the state were added alfo their difputes in theology. The difciples of Pelagius, who was a native of Britain, had encreased in a great degree; and the clergy, who confidered his opinions as heretical, were more folicitoufly employed in refifting them, than in oppofing the common enemy. Befides all these calamities, a terrible peftilence vifited the fouthern parts of the inland, which thinned its inhabitants, and totally deprived them of all power of refiftance.

It was in this deplorable and enfeebled ftate, that the Britons were informed of fresh prepa→ rations for an invafion from their merciless

VOL. I.

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northern

northern neighbours. Wherefore, to oppofe their progrefs, they pitched upon Vortigern as their general and fovereign, a prince who is faid to have raised himself to the fupreme command by the murder of his predeceffor. This ftep was only productive of fresh calamities. Vortigern, inftead of exerting what ftrength yet remained in the kingdom, only fet himfelf to look about for foreign affiftance; and the Saxons appeared to him at once the moft martial, and the most likely to efpoufe his interefts.

The Saxons were one branch of thofe Gothic nations, which, fwarming from the northern hive, came down to give laws, manners, and liberty to the rest of Europe. A part of this people, under the name of Suevi, had, fome time before Cæfar's invafion of Gaul, fubdued and poffeffed an extenfive empire in Germany. These for their ftrength and valour, were formidable to all the German nations, and fuppofed to be more than a match. for the gods themselves in war. They were afterwards divided into feveral nations, and each became famous for fubduing that country which was the object of its invafion- France, Germany, and England, were among the number of their conquefts.

There

There is a period between favage rudeness and exceffive refinement, which feems peculiarly adapted for the purposes of war, and which fits mankind for great atchievements. In this ftate of half refinement, when com pared to the Britons, the Saxons were at the time their affiftance was thought neceffary. They dreffed with fome degree of elegance, which the generality of the Britons, even though fo long under the inftitutions of the Romans, had not yet learned to practife Their women ufed linen garments, trimmed and ftriped with purple. Their hair was bound in wreaths, or fell in curls upon their fhoulders; their arms were bare and their bo foms uncovered; fashions, which, in fome measure, feem peculiar to the ladies of England to this day. Their government was ge nerally an elective monarchy, and fometimes a republic. Their commanders were chofen for their merit, and difmiffed from duty when their authority was no longer needful. The falaries they were fupplied with, feldom exceeded a bare fubfiftence; and the honours they received, were the only reward of their fuperior dangers and fatigues. The cuftom of trying by twelve men is of Saxon original: flavery was unknown among them, and they

D 2

were

35

were taught to prefer death to a fhameful 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, each chufing rather a voluntary death, than to be the ignominious inftruments 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 difcipline from the Romans, whom they had often defeated, and had, for a century and an half before, made frequent defcents upon the coafts of Britain, for the fake of plunder. They were, therefore, a very formidable enemy to the Romans when fettled there; and an officer was appointed to oppose their inroads, under the title of the Count of the Saxon fhore. Thus, ever restless and bold, they confidered war as their trade; and were, in confequence, taught to confider victory as a doubtful advantage, but courage as a certain good. A nation, however, entirely addicted to war,

has