The student's Hume. A history of England from the earliest times to the revolution in 1688.

Front matter

.* ^0

O N

V o « o

Preface

This work is designed to supply a long-acknowledged want in our School and College Literature — a Student's History of England in a volume of moderate size, free from sectarian and party prejudice, containing the results of the researches of the best modern historians, tracing more particularly the development of the Constitution, and bringing out prominently the characters and actions of the great men of our country. It is unnecessary to dwell upon the manifold difficulties of su.ch an undertaking — difficulties which the editor of the present work would have deemed insuperable if he had not been able to avail himself of the clear narrative and matchless style of Hume.

It has lately been the fashion in some quarters to underrate the merits and exaggerate the faults of Hume ; but the most competent judges have generally been among the first to render homage to his greatness as an historian. Thus Mr. Hallam remarks that the domestic transactions in the reign of Edward I. have been "extremely well told by Hume, the first writer who had the merit of exposing the character of Edward I. ;" and a recent critic has observed, " that Hume's account of our English annals is still, with all its defects, the best history of the period over which it extends."* Indeed, the History of Hume will probably long remain unrivaled. It is not mere learning and the poring over records that constitute an historian. A writer may be accurate in his facts, but most erroneous in his deductions from them. With the best materials, he may completely misrepresent history from want of the ability to trace

* The Times, April 1, 1858.

vi PREFACE.

the connection of events, and to reason from them correctly ; above all, he may lack that power of historical narration without which the facts of history will ever remain mere annals — dry bones, devoid of form, and flesh, and vital motion. In all the great qualities of an historian Hume was pre-eminently excellent. His perception was the most acute ; his judgment, except when occasionally warped by prejudice, the most sound; his historical views the largest and most enlightened. But the principal charm of his work lies in his inimitable style, the ease and grace of which inspired even so great a writer as Gibbon with " a mixed sensation of delight and despair."

It is not intended, however, to ignore or extenuate Hume's defects. The editor of the present work has carefully compared the historian's statements with the best and most recent authorities, retaining his language as far as was practicable, but at the same time introducing into the text numerous corrections and additions. Hume's political principles, as is well known, led him to uphold the royal prerogative against the popular element in our Constitution ; and this bias may be observed, not only in the coloring of his narrative and the tone of his reasonings, but occasionally also, it must be added, in an unfair use of his authorities. The effect of these principles is most conspicuous in that portion of his work which he first published, namely, the history of James I. and Charles I. In the lives of the two following Stuarts there is not much to which any lover of constitutional freedom would be reasonably inclined to object ; but with the view apparently of exculpating Charles I., the great hero of his work, in his maintenance of those principles which cost him his crown and his life, the historian has been led to represent the royal prerogative under the Plantagenets and Tudors as greater and more absolute than the facts will justify. These views it has been the duty of the

PREFACE. ^ii present editor to modify and correct from later and more unprejudiced writers.

Another defect in Hume's History is tlie carelessness with which he has treated the earlier portion, and especially the Anglo-Saxon period. This arose from two causes: his philosophical indifference for a people whom he considered little better than barbarians, and the want of authentic, materials for his narrative. This want has been supplied in the present century by the impulse given to antiquarian research, and by the revival of the study of the Anglo-Saxon language and literature. The works of Turner, Palgrave, Lappenberg, and Kemble, have thrown an entirely new light upon this period of our annals, and, accordingly, the early history down to the time of the Norman Conquest has been in a great measure rewritten by the editor.

As much prominence as possible is given in the present work to the rise and progress of the Constitution ; but, in order to economize space, and at the same time not interrupt the narrative, much important information upon this subject is inserted in a smaller type in the "Notes and Illustrations," where the student will find an account of the " government, laws, and institutions of the Anglo-Saxons," of the " Anglo- , Norman Constitution," of the "origin and progress of Parliament," and of other matters of a similar kind. Several constitutional documents, such as the Petition of Eight and the Bill of Eights, are printed at length. These Notes and Illustrations, which contain discussions on various other historical and antiquarian subjects, have been drawn up mainly with the view of assisting the student in farther inquiries ; and with the same object a copious list of authorities is appended.

The continuation from the reign of James II., which it has been necessary to compress into narrow limits, has been compiled from the best authorities, among which Lord Maviii PREFACE.

hon's History deserves to be particularly mentioned, on account of the valuable assistance which has been derived from it in this portion of the work. All that could be attempted in so limited a space was a succinct narrative of the principal events ; and it is hoped that no facts of any great importance have been omitted.

Another work which has been of great service to the editor is the " Historic Peerage of England," by the late Sir Harris Nicolas. As a peer is usually mentioned in history by his title, and the same title has often been borne by different families, the student frequently experiences no small difficulty in ascertaining the family to which a title belongs, and supposes a relationship between persons who are in no way connected. Sir Harris Nicolas has removed all difficulties of this kind ; and, accordingly, the editor of the present work has taken pains to distinguish in the Notes between families bearing the same title, and to specify the times when titles of historical importance were created and became extinct. It is believed that such information, which is given for the first time in a history of this description, will guard the student against many mistakes.

All the coins and medals figured in the work have been drawn from originals in the Medal-room of the British Mu- , seum, and the editor desires to express his obligations to Mr. Hawkins and Mr. E. Stuart Poole for their advice and judgment in the selection of them.

NOTE BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR.

In those portions of this volume relating to America, a few errors of names and dates have been corrected in the text. Where any important correction seemed requisite, it has been made in the form of a note, bearing the signature of the American editor.

Coin of the Emperor Hadrian, p. 11.

Book I. The Beitons, Romans, And Anglo-saxons

55-4:46. I. The Britons and Romans 1

A. Caesar's Voyage to Britain 16

B. The Roman Wall 16

C. The Comes Littoris Saxonici 16

D. The Scots and Picts 17

E. Government and Divisions of Britain un-

der the Romans 17

E. Authorities 18

A.D.

450-827. 11. The Anglo-Saxons till the Reign of Egbert 19

A. The Frisians took part in the Saxon inva-

sion of Britain 37

B. The Isle of Thanet 37

C. Celtic Words in the English Language.... 37

827-1016. III. The Anglo-Saxons from the Union of England un-

der Egbert till the Reign of Canute the Dane.. 38

1016-1066. IV. Danes and Anglo-Saxons from the Reign of Canute to the Norman Conquest 58

A. The Government, Laws, and Institutions

of the Anglo-Saxons 70

B. Anglo-Saxon Language and Literature.... 75

C. Authorities 76

1* y CONTENTS.

BOOK 11.

ANGLO-NORMAN KINGS, (a.d. 1066-1199.)

A.D. Chap. Page

1066-1087. V. William L, surnamed the Conqueror 77

1087-1154. VI. William II., Henry I., Stephen 93

HOUSE OF PLANTAGENET.

1154-1199. VII. Henry II. and Richard I ". 108

A. The Anglo-Norman Constitution 128

B. Authorities for Norman History 132

C. Authorities for Anglo-Norman History... 132

Book III

THE FOUNDATION OF ENGLISH LIBERTY.— FROM THE AC- CESSION OF JOHN TO THE DEATH OF RICHARD III. (a.d. 1199-1485).

HOUSE OF PLANTAGENET.— Coni^me J.

1199-1272. VIIL John and Henry III 135

A. On the Amalgamation of the Saxon and

Norman Races 153

B. Confirmations of the Great Charter 154

C. Trial by Juiy 154

1272-1327. IX. Edward L and Edward II 155

1327-1399. X. Edward III. and Richard II 1 73

. A. Death of Richard II 199

B. Stsitnte of Prceinunire 199

HOUSE OF LANCASTER. 1399-1461. XL Henry IV., Henry V., Henry VI 201

HOUSE OF YORK.

1461-1485. XIL Edward IV., Edward V., Richard HI 223

A. Origin and Progress of Parliament 238

B. Authorities for the Period of the Plantag-

enets from John to Richard III 240

CONTENTS.

XI

Book IV

THE HOUSE OF TUDOR, (a.d. 1485-1603.) A.D. Chap. Page

1509-1530. XIV. Henry VIIL From his Accession to the Death

ofWolsey 255

1530-1547. XV. Henry VIII., continued. From the Death of

Wolsey to the Death of the King 273

1558-1587. XVIII. Elizabeth. From her Accession to the Death

of Mary Queen of Scots 313

1587-1603. XIX. Elizabeth, continued. From the Execution of

the Queen of Scots to the Death of Elizabeth. . 348

A. The Court of Star Chamber 366

B. Authorities for the Period of the Tudors. ,367

Book V. The House Of Stuart, To The Abdication Of James II. (a.d. 1603-1688.)

1625-1642. XXI. Charles I. From, his Accession to the Commencement of the Civil War 389

Notes and Illustrations : Petition of Right 420

1642-1649. XXII. Charles I., continued. From the Commencement of the Civil War to the Trial and Execution of the King 422

Notes and Illustrations: Icon Basilike 450

1649-1660. XXIII. The Commonwealth 451

1660-1678. XXIV. Charles II. From the Restoration to the Peace

of Nimeguen 477

A. Test and Corporation Acts 498

B. The Act of Uniformity 499

C. Immunitv of Juries 499 xii CONTENTS.

A.D. Chap. Page

1678-1685. XXV. Charles II., continued. From the Peace of Nim-

eguen to the Death of the King 500

Notes and Illustrations : Habeas Corpus Act 522

Notes and Illustrations : Authorities for the Period of the Stuarts 544

Book VI. From The Revolution Of 1688 To The Year 1858

1689-1702. XX VII. William and Mary, and William III 515

An Act for declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject, and settling the Succession of the Crown 569

1702-1714. XXVIIL Queen Anne 573

HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK.

The Convocation of the English Church 605

1760-1783. XXXI. George III. From his Accession to the Recognition of American Independence, and the Peace of Versailles 631

1783-1802. XXXll. George III., continued. From the Peace of Versailles to the Peace of Amiens 663

1802-1820. XXXIII. George III., continued. From the Peace of

Amiens to the Death of the King 691

1820-1858. XXXIV. George IV., William IV., and Victoria 727

A. Poor Laws.... 756

B. Corn Laws 757

C. Navigation Laws 757

D. Authorities for the Period comprised in

Book VI 758

Table of the principal contemporary European Sovereigns from the period of the Conquest 760

List of the Archbishops of Canterbury from the time of the Reformation 762

CONTENTS.

Xlll

GENEALOGICAL TABLES.

Page

Of the House of Cerdic (Anglo-Saxon kings) 57

Of the Anglo-Danish Kings ..,.. 71

Of William the Conqueror ; 80

Of the Descendants of William the Conqueror down to Henrj II 92

Of the House of Flantagenet 1 34.

Of the Descendants of Philip III. of France (in illustration of the French

wars of Edward III.) 176

Of the Descent of Henry IV. from Henry III 197

Of the Descendants of John II. of France (in illustration of the French

wars of Henry V.) 207

Of Henry of Richmond (Henry VII.) and the Duke of Buckingham ... 233

Of the House of Tudor 241

Of the House of Stuart ....'. , 368

Of the Descendants of Philip III, of Spain (in illustration of the war

of the Spanish succession) , 563

Of the House of Brunswick .... 764

Index 765

Reverse of Seal of Edward the Confessor. The obvei'se is figured on p. 5S.

Jeweled Oraament of the Mitre of William of Wykeham, 14th century: New College, Oxford.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Medal of James, Duke of York, afterward James II., ^

commemorating the naval Victory over the Dutch, June > Fkoxtispiece. 3, 1665 S

Medal commemorating Battle of Plassy Titlepage.

Page

Coin of Hadrian ix

Eeverse of Seal of Edward the

Confessor xiii

Jeweled Ornament of the Mitre

of William of Wykeham xiv

Mitre of Thomas a Becket xvi

Stonehenge 1

Gold Coin of Cynobelin or Cuno-

belinus 8

Aureus of the Emperor Claudius 9 Aureus of the Emperor Carau-

sius 12

Map of the Isle of Thanet at the Time of the Landing of the

Saxons 19

Map of Britain, showing the Settlements of the Anglo-Saxons 28

Silver Penny of Ethelbert II., King of Kent and Bretwalda. . 31

Page The Raising of Lazarus — sculpture of the 9th or 10th century, from Selsey, now in

Chichester Cathedral 38

Golden Ring of Ethelwolf, in the

British Museum 41

Seal of EdAvard the Confessor .. 58

Silver Penny of C anute 60

Norman Knights at the Battle of Hastings, From the Ba-

yeux tapestry 70

SilverPenny of William the Conqueror, struck at Chester —

unique 77

Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, and Brother of King Stephen. From an enameled plate in the British Museum.. 93 Eleanor, wife of Henry II. From her monument at Fontevraud 106

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

XV

Page Henry II. From his monument

at Fontevraud 108

Geoffrey Plantagenet, father of

Henry II 109

Richard I. From his monument

at Fontevraud 123

Berengaria 1 25

John. From his tomb in Worcester .Cathedral 5 135

Isabella. From her tomb at Fontevraud 135

Henry III. From his tomb in

Westminster Abbey 145

Edward I. From the Tower.... 155

Noble of Edward III 173

Neville's Cross 182

Henry IV. and his Queen, Joan of Navarre. From their monument at Canterbury 201

Reverse of great Seal of Edward

Reverse of great Seal of Richard

III 223

Henry VII. and Elizabeth of York. From their monument

in Westminster Abbey 242

Silver Medal of Henry VIII. ... 255

Gold Medal of Henry VIII 273

Reverse of gold Medal of Henry

VIII 274

Shilling of Edward VI 293

Medal of Philip and Mary 303

Queen Elizabeth 313

Medal of Pope Gregory XIII., commemorating the Massacre

of St. Bartholomew 334

Dutch Medal on the Overthrow

of the Armada 348

Reverse of Medal on preceding

Sardonyx Ring, with cameo

head of Queen Elizabeth 367-

Obverse of Medal of James I. .. 369 Obverse of Pattern for a Broad of Charles 1 389

"Oxford Crown" of Charles I. 422 Obverse of Medal of Sir Thomas Fairfax 433

Pattern for a Crown of the Protector Oliver Cromwell 451

Medal given for Service in the Action with the Dutch, July

31, 1653 463

Medal of Charles II. and Catherine, probably relating to the

Queen's Dowry 477

Medal of James, Duke of York, afterward James II., commemorating the naval Victory over the Dutch, June 3, 1665 484

Reverse 485

Medal relating to the Rye House

Plot 500

Reverse 501

Medal struck in commemoration of the Acquittal of the Earl of

Shaftesbury 515

Obverse of Medal of James II.

and Mary of Modena... 523

Medal of Archbishop Sancroft

and the seven Bishops 531

Medal of William III 545

Medal of Queen Anne, in honor of the Union, struck at Leipzig 573

Medal of George 1 593

Medal of the elder Pretender

and his Wife 596

Reverse, Clementina 597

Medal of George II 606

Reverse 607

Medal of the young Pretender... 620 Medal commemorating Battle of

Plassy 631

Medal in commemoration of Lord Howe's Victory over the French

Medal in commemoration of the

Battle of Trafalgar 691

Reverse 092

Medal of the Battle of Aliwal... 727

Mitre of Thomas a Becket. Cathedral at i^ens.

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

Stonehenge.

BOOK I. THE BEITONS, E0MA:^S, aitd ANdLO-SAXONS

CHAPTEE I.

THE BRITONS AND EOMANS.

§ 1. Earliest Notices of Britain. § 2. The earliest Inhabitants of Britain were Celts of the Cymric Stock. § 3. Religion of the Britons. § 4. Knights and Bards. § 5. Manners and Customs of the Britons. § 6. British Tribes. § 7. Caesar's two Invasions of Britain. § 8. History till the Invasion of Claudius. § 9. Caractacus. § 10. Conquest of Mona ; Boadicea. § 11. Agricola. § 12. The Roman Walls between the Solway and the Tyne, and the Clyde and the Forth. § 13. Saxon Pirates ; Carausius. § 14. Picts and Scots. § 15. Final Departure of the Romans. § 16. Condition of Britain under the Romans. § 17. Christianity in Britain.

§ 1. The southwestern coasts of Britain were known to the Phoenician merchants several centuries before the Christian era. The Phoenician colonists of Tartessus and Gades in Spain were

2 EARLIEST NOTICES OF BRITAIN. Chap. I.

attracted to the shores of Britain by its abundant supply of tin, a metal of great importance in antiquity from the extensive use of bronze for the manufacture of weapons of war and implements of peace. It would seem that the Phoenicians originally obtained this metal from India, since the Grecian name for tin is of Indian origin, and must have been brought into Greece by the Phoenicians, together with the article itself =^ Accordingly, when these traders found tin in the Scilly Isles, they gave them the name of the Cassiterides, or the Tin-islands, an appellation by which they were known to Herodotusf in the fifth century before the Christian era. Aristotle, however, is the first writer who mentions the British islands by name. He says, " In the ocean beyond the Pillars of Hercules are two very large islands, called Bretannic, namely, Albion and lerne ;"J the former being England and Scotland, the latter Ireland. The origin of the name of Britain is very uncertain,§ but that of Albion is perhaps derived from a Celtic word signifying white, a name probably given to the island by the Gauls, who could not fail to be struck with the chalky cliflis of the opposite coast. Himilco, a Carthaginian navigator, whose diary was extant in the fifth century of our era, and who is repeatedly quoted as an authority by Festus Avienus in his geographical poem called Ora Maritima, touched near Albion at the Tin Islands, which he calls Oestrymnides. But the oldest Avriter who gives any account of the inhabitants is Pytheas, a Massilian, fragments of whose journal have been preserved by Strabo and other writers. By these means some knowledge of the British islands became gradually diff'used among the natives of the Mediterranean. They had excited the curiosity and inquiries both of Polybius and Scipio as early as the second century before the Christian era.||

In addition to the Phoenician merchants, the Greek colonists of Massilia (Marseilles) and Narbo (Narbonne) carried on a trade at a very early period with the southern parts of Britain, by makingoverland journeys to the northern coast of Gaul. The principal British exports seem at that time to have been tin, lead, skins, slaves, and hunting-dogs, of which the last were used by the Celts in war ; but at a later period, when the Britons became more civilized, corn and cattle, gold, silver, and iron, and an inferior kind of pearl may be added to the list. An interesting account

* The Greek name for tin is hassiteros (Kacrcrirtpog), which evidently comes from the Sanscrit kastira. f iii., 115. j De Mundo, c. 3.

§ Many writers derive it from a Celtic word, hriih or 6?-z7, " painted," because the inhabitants stained their bodies with a blue color extracted from Avoad. In the early Welsh poems we find the island called Prydain, which is clearly the same as Britain ; but whether this is a genuine Celtic word, or borrowed from the Romans, can not be determined. || Polyb., iii., 57,

Chap. I. EARLIEST INHABITANTS OF CYMRY. 3

of the British tin- trade is given by Diodorus Sicnlus.* This writer relates that the inhabitants near the promontory of Belerium (Land's End), after forming the tin into cubical blocks, conveyed it in wagons to an island named Ictis,t since at low tides the space between that island and Britain became dry. At Ictis the tin was purchased by the merchants, who carried it across to Gaul.

§ 2. Nothing is known of the history of Britain till the invasion of the island by Julius Cagsar in B.C. 55. The fabulous tale of the colonization of the island by Brute the Trojan, the great-grandson of ^neas, and of his long list of descendants, does not require any serious refutation. The only certain means by which nations can indulge their curiosity in researches concerning their remote origin is to consider the language, manners, and customs of their ancestors, and to compare them with those of the neighboring nations. There can be no doubt that the first inhabitants of Britain were a tribe of Celts, who peopled the island from the neighboring continent. Their language was the same ; their manners, their government, their superstition — varied only by those small differences which time or a communication with the bordering nations must necessarily introduce. The Celts are divided into two great branches, the Gael and the Cymry, of whom the former now inhabit Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland, and the latter the principality of Wales. It has been vehemently debated whether the ancient Britons belonged to the Gaelic or Cymric stock of the Celtic race ; but we may safely acquiesce in the conclusion of the most cautious modern inquirers, that both the Britons and the Gauls of the continent were Cymry, and that the Welsh may be regarded as the descendants of the ancient inhabitants. In proof of this it may be sufficient to mention that the Celtic words which still exist in the English language are clearly to be referred to the Cymric and not to the Gaelic dialect.

The Gallic origin of the ancient Britons is expressly stated by Caesar, who saysj that the maritime parts of the island were inhabited by Belgic Gauls, who had crossed over from the main land for the sake of plunder. He adds, it is true, that the inhabitants of the interior were said by tradition to have sprung from the soil ; from which we can only infer that the earlier immigrations of the Celts took place long before the memory of man. Tacitus, t This island has been identified with the Isle of Wight on account of the resemblance of its name to Vectis ; but its proximity to the tin country, and the circumstance of the intervening space between this island and Britain being dry at the low tides, favor its identification with St. Michael's Mount.

t Bell. Gall., v.. 12.

4 RELIGION. Chap. I.

who derived his information from his father-in-law Agricola, supposed* that the red hair and large limbs of the Caledonians indicated a German origin ; and that the dark complexion of the Silures, their curly hair, and their position opposite to Spain, furnished grounds for believing that they were descended from Iberian settlers from that country ; but these were evidently mere conjectures, to which Tacitus himself seems not to have attached much importance, since he adds that upon a careful estimate of probabilities we must believe that the Gauls took possession of the neighboring coast.

§ 3. The connection of the Britons with the Celts of Gaul is shown by their common religion. Caesar, indeed, was of opinion that Druidism had its origin in Britain, and was transplanted thence into Gaul; and it is certain that in his. time Britain was the chief seat of the religion and the principal school where it was taught. But this circumstance only shows that the common faith of the Celtic tribes had been preserved in its greatest purity by the remotest and most ancient of them, who had been driven by the tide of emigration to the western parts of the island.

The religion of the Britons was one of the most considerable parts of their government, and the Druids, who were their priests, possessed great authority among them. Besides ministering at the altar and directing all religious duties, they presided over the education of youth ; they enjoyed an immunity from war and taxes ; they possessed both the civil and criminal jurisdiction ; they decided all controversies, among states as well as among private persons, and whoever refused to submit to their decrees was exposed to the most severe penalties. The sentence of excommunication was pronounced against him; he was forbidden access to the sacrifices or public worship ; he was debarred all intercourse .with his fellow-citizens ; he was refused the protection of the law ; and death itself became an acceptable relief from the misery and infamy to which he was exposed. Thus the bands of government, which were naturally loose among that rude and turbulent people, were happily strengthened by the terrors of their superstition.

No species of superstition was ever more terrible than that of the Druids. Besides the severe penalties which it was in the power of the priests to inflict in this world, they inculcated the eternal transmigration of souls. They practiced their rites in dark groves or other secret recesses ; and, in order to throw a greater mystery over their religion, they communicated their doctrines only to the initiated, and strictly forbade the committing of them to writing, lest they should at any time be exposed to the

* Agricol., c. n.

Chap. I. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 5

examination of the profane vulgar. In the ordinary concerns of life, however, they employed writing, their characters being either the Greek or a sort of hieroglyphics formed from the figures of plants. Of the nature of their rites, except their veneration for the oak and mistletoe, we know but little. If a mistletoe was discovered growing upon an oak, a priest severed it with a golden knife ; on which occasion a festival was held under the tree, and two milk-white bulls were offered as a sacrifice. The Druids worshiped a plurality of gods, to which Ceesar, after the Roman fashion, applies the names of the deities of his own country. The attributes of the god chiefly worshiped appear to have resembled those of Mercury. The stupendous ruins of Stonehenge, situated in Sahsbury Plain, are probably the remains of a Druidical temple, but it is not mentioned by any ancient writer.* The principles which the Druids inculcated were piety toward the gods, charity toward men, and fortitude in suftering. They taught their disciples astronomy, or rather perhaps astrolog}'-, and magic, and trained them to acuteness in legal distinctions ; and a term of twenty years was commonly devoted to the acquisition of the knowledge which they imparted. They chose their own high-priest, but the election was frequently decided by arms.

Human sacrifices formed one of the most terrible features of the Druidical worship. The victims were generally criminals, or prisoners of war, but, in default of these, innocent and unoffending persons were sometimes immolated ; and in the larger sacrifices immense figures made of plaited osier were filled with human beings and then set on fire. The spoils of war were often devoted by the Druids to their divinities.; and they punished with the severest tortures whoever dared to secrete any part of the consecrated offering. These treasures they kept in woods and forests, secured by no other guard than the terrors of their religion ; and this steady conquest over human avidity may be regarded as more signal than their prompting men to the most extraordinary and most violent efforts. No idolatrous worship ever attained such an ascendant over mankind as that of the ancient Gauls and Britons; and the Romans, after their conquest, finding it impossible to reconcile those nations to the laws and institutions of their masters while it maintained its authority, were at last obliged to abolish it by penal statutes ; a violence which had never in any other instance been practiced by those tolerating conquerors.

§ 4. After the Druids, the chief authority was possessed by the

* In the compound word Stone-henge, the latter half, henge, probably signifies the impost, which is suspended on two uprights, and consequently the word might be used in any case in which one stone was suspended on two or more others. — Guest, in Proceedings of Philological Society, vol. vi., p. 33.

(5 TRIBExS. Chap. I

equestrian order. The British bards were closely.connected with the Druids. They sung the genealogies of their princes, and possessed lyric poetry as well as epic and didactic, accompanying their songs with an instrument called the chrotta. ^

§ 5. The southeast parts of Britain had already before the age of Ctesar made the first and most requisite step toward a civil settlement ; and the Britons, by tillage and agriculture, had there increased to a great multitude. The other inhabitants of the island still maintained themselves by pasture : they were clothed with skins of beasts : they dwelt in round huts constructed of wood or reeds, which they reared in the forests and marshes with which the country was covered : they shifted easily their habitation when actuated either by the hopes of plunder or the fear of an enemy : the convenience of feeding their cattle vv^as even a sufficient motive for removing their seats ; and, as they were ignorant of all the refinements of life, their wants and their possessions were equally scanty and limited.*