Julius Cæsar

willing still further to extend his fame, determined upon the conquest of a country that seemed to promise an easy triumph; accordingly, when the troops designed for the expedition were embarked, he set sail for Britain about midnight, and the next morning arrived on the coast near Dover, where he saw the rocks and cliffs covered with armed men to oppose his landing.

12. The Britons had chosen Cassivelau'nus 10 for their commander-in-chief; but the petty princes under his command, either desiring his station, or suspecting his fidelity, threw from a copper coin in the off their allegiance. 13. Some of them fled British museum. with their forces into the internal parts of the kingdom, others submitted to Cæsar, till at length Cassivelau'nus himself, weakened by so many desertions, resolved upon making what terms he was able, while he yet had power to keep the field. 14. The conditions offered by Cæsar, and accepted by him, were, that he should send to the Continent double the number of hostages at first demanded, and that he should acknowledge subjection to the Romans. Cæsar, however, was obliged to return once more to compel the Britons to complete their stipulated treaty".

10 Sometimes written Cassibelau'nus, or Cassibe'lan.

England, including Wales, was, at the invasion of the Romans, divided into the following seventeen states;- See the Map.] Called by the Romans Consisting of

1. THE DAMNONII....Cornwall and Devon.

2. DUROTRIGES.

.....

Dorsetshire.

3. BELGE....... ..Somersetshire, Wilts, and part of Hants.

4. ATTREBATII.

5. REGNI

6. CANTII.

7. DOBUNI.

.....

.Berkshire.

.Surry, Sussex, and remaining part of Hants.
Kent.

.Gloucester and Oxfordshire.

8. CATTIEUCHLANI.. Bucks, Bedford, and Herts.

9. TRINOBANTES..... Essex and Middlesex.

10. ICENI.

11. CORITANI

12. CORNAVI...

13. THE SILURES

14. DEMETE.

15. ORDOVICES.

....

.Suffolk, Norfolk, Huntingdon, and Cambridge. Northampton, Leicester, Rutland, Lincoln, Nottingham, and Derby.

..Warwick, Worcester, Stafford, Chester, and Shrop-
shire.

Radnor, Brecon, Glamorgan, Monmouth, and Hereford.
Pembroke, Cardigan, and Caermarthen.

Montgomery, Merioneth, Caernarvon, Flint, and Den-
bigh.

16. THE BRIGANTES...York, Durham, Lancashire, Westmoreland, and Cum

17. OTTADINI...

berland.

Northumberland to the Tweed.

Questions for Examination.

1. Was Britain well known before the time of its invasion by the Romans? By whom were, at that time, the coasts opposite Gaul frequented?

2. Who introduced the practice of agriculture?

3. 4. Describe the inland inhabitants.

5. Of what did the government of the ancient Britons consist? 6. What was their chief force?

8. Who were the ministers of their religion?

9. Did they ever sacrifice human victims?

10. What were the manners of the people?

11. Who first determined on the conquest of Britain?

12. Whom did the Britons choose for their leader?

14. What conditions were offered by Cæsar, and accepted by Cassivelau'nus?

"Great BOADICEA, glory of thy race,
Britannia's honour, and thy foe's disgrace;

In burning fancy I behold each fight,

Where female valour warr'd for Albion's right;

Thy very fall perpetuates thy fame,

And SUETONIUS' laurels droop with shame."-DIBDIN,

2. Extrav'agances, s. pl. irregular conduct; actions not confined within reasonable limits.

3. Rapa'cious, a. greedy; given to plunder. 5. Procura'tor, s. a manager.

9. Haran'gued, part. made a speech, delivered an oration.

Intrepid'ity, s. courage, boldness.

12. Friths, s. inlets of the sea, running a considerable distance into the land.

1. UPON the accession of Augus'tus', that emperor had formed a design of visiting Britain, but was diverted from it by the un

Augus'tus was the son of Julius Caesar's niece, adopted by Cæsar. He was the second emperor of Rome.

expected revolt of the Pannonians 2. Tibe'rius 3, wisely judging the empire already too extensive, made no attempt upon Britain. From that time the natives began to improve in all the arts which contribute to the advancement of human nature.

2. The wild extravagances of Calig'ula ', by which he threatened Britain with an invasion, served rather to expose him to ridicule than the island to danger. At length, the Romans, in the reign of Clau'dius, began to think seriously of reducing them under their dominion. The expedition for this purpose was conducted in the beginning by Plau'tius and other commanders, with that success which usually attended the Roman arms.

3. Carac'tacus was the first British prince who seemed willing, by a vigorous effort, to rescue his country, and repel its insulting and rapacious conquerors. This rude soldier, though with inferior forces, continued, for above nine years, to oppose and harass the Romans; till at length he was totally routed, and taken prisoner, by Osto'rius Scap'ula, who sent him in triumph to Rome. 4. While Carac'tacus was being led through Rome, he appeared no way dejected at the amazing concourse of spectators that were gathered upon this occasion; but casting his eyes on the splendours that surrounded him, "Alas!" cried he, "how is it possible that a people possessed of such magnificence at home, could envy me a humble cottage in Britain?" The Emperor was affected by the British hero's misfortunes, and won by his address. He ordered him to be unchained on the spot, and set at liberty, with the rest of the captives.

5. The cruel treatment of Boadi'cea, queen of the Ice'ni, drove the Britons once more into open rebellion. Prasal'agus, king of the Ice'ni, at his death had bequeathed one half his dominions to the Romans, and the other to his daughters, thus hoping, by the sacrifice of a part, to secure the rest to his family; but it had a different effect; for the Roman procurator immediately took possession of the whole and when Boadi'cea, the widow of the deceased, attempted to remonstrate, he ordered her to be scourged like a slave, and violated the chastity of her daughters. 6. These outrages were sufficient to produce a revolt throughout the island. The Ice'ni, as being the most deeply interested in the quarrel, were the first to take arms; all the other states soon followed the example; and Boadi'cea, a woman of great beauty and masculine spirit, was appointed to head the common forces, which amounted to two hundred and thirty thousand fighting men. 7. These, exasperated by their wrongs, attacked several of the Roman settlements and colonies with success: Pauli'nus, who commanded the Roman forces,

The people of Hungary, which country was formerly called Pannonia.
The third Emperor of Rome.

A Roman emperor, the successor of Tibe'rius.
The son of Dru'sus, and successor of Caligʻula.

hastened to relieve London, which was already a flourishing colony; but found, on his arrival, that it would be requisite for the general safety to abandon that place to the merciless fury of the enemy. 8. London was soon, therefore, reduced to ashes; such of the inhabitants as remained in it were massacred; and the Romans, with all other strangers, to the number of seventy thousand, were cruelly put to the sword. Flushed with these successes, the Britons no longer sought to avoid the enemy: but boldly came to the place where Pauli'nus awaited their arrival, posted in a very advantageous manner, with a body of ten thousand men. 9. The battle was obstinate and bloody. Boadi'cea herself appeared in a chariot with her two daughters, and harangued her army with masculine intrepidity; but the irregular and undisciplined bravery of her troops was unable to resist the cool intrepidity of the Romans. They were routed with great slaughter; eighty thousand perished in the field, and an infinite number were made prisoners ; while Boadicea herself, fearing to fall into the hands of the enraged victor, put an end to her life by poison.

10. The general who firmly established the dominion of the Romans in this island was Ju'lius Agric'ola, who governed it during the reigns of Vespa'sian", Ti'tus, and Domi'tian”, and distinguished himself as well by his courage as humanity. For several years after the time of Agric'ola, a profound peace seems to have prevailed in Britain, and little mention is made of the affairs of the island by any historian.

11. At length, however, Rome, that had for ages given laws to nations, and diffused slavery and oppression over the known world, began to sink under her own magnificence. Mankind, as if by general consent, rose up to vindicate their natural freedom; almost every nation asserting that independence, of which they had been long so unjustly deprived.

12. During these struggles the British youth were frequently drawn away into Gaul, to give ineffectual succour to the various contenders for the empire, who, failing in every attempt, only left the name of tyrants behind them1o. In the mean time, as the RoJulius Agric'ola was the father-in-law of Ta'citus, the celebrated historian.

"Vespa'sian was the tenth Roman emperor; he was valiant, but very avaricious.

Ti'tus was the eleventh Roman emperor, the son of Vespa'sian; he was so good a man that he was called the " Delight of Mankind."

9 Domi'tian was the twelfth Roman emperor, and brother to Ti'tus; he was a great persecutor of the Christians, and of a most cruel disposition.

10 According to the "Notitia Imperii," no less than twelve British corps of infantry and cavalry were constantly dispersed in the distant provinces of the empire; while foreign soldiers were, according to the invariable policy of the Romans, stationed in Britain.

"The names by which the inhabitants of Scotland were at that time dis

man forces decreased in Britain, the Picts and Scots11 continued still more boldly to infest the northern parts; and crossing the friths, which the Romans could not guard, in little wicker boats, covered with leather, filled the country, wherever they came, with slaughter and consternation.

13. The Romans, therefore, finding it impossible to stand their ground in Britain, in the reign of the emperor Valentin'ian took their last leave of the island, after being masters of it for nearly four hundred years, and now left the natives to the choice of their own government and kings. They gave them the best instructions the calamitous times would permit, for exercising their arms, and repairing their ramparts; and helped them to erect a new wall of stone across the island, for they had not, at that time, artisans skilful enough among themselves to repair that which had been built by the emperor Seve'rus. The ruins of this wall, and the fortresses

by which the Roman colonies were defended, are among the most interesting relics of antiquity in England.

KINGS OF ENGLAND,

From the departure of the Romans, till the Introduction of the Saxons

225

tinguished. "The Picts (so called from Piclich, a plunderer, and not from Picti, painted,) and the Scots from Scuite, a wanderer, in the Celtic tongue, were only different tribes of Caledonians."-Dr. Henry.