was publicly whipped, her daughters ravished, and all the relations of the late king reduced to slavery. The whole country also was plundered, and all the chiefs of the Iceni deprived of their Dossessions. Boadicea was a woman of too great a spirit tamely to bear such indignities. She easily persuaded the Iceni to take up arms, who, being joined by the Trinobantes, and some other nations, poured like a torrent on the Roman colonies. Everything was destroyed with fire and sword. The ninth legion, which had been left under Petilius Cerealis, was defeated, the infantry totally cut in pieces, and the commander himself with the cavalry escaped with the utmost difficulty. Suetonius immediately left Anglesey, and marched to London. The inhabitants were overjoyed at his arrival, and used their utmost endeavours to detain him for their defence. But he refused to stay, and in a short time left the place notwithstanding their intreaties. Suetonius was scarce gone, when Boadicea with her Britons entered, and put all they found in it to the sword. Many were tortured in the most cruel manner, and 70,000 persons are said to have perished on this occasion at London and other Roman colonies. The Britons, now elated with success, assembled from all quarters in great numbers, so that Boadicea's army soon amounted to 280,000 men. They despised the Romans; and became so confident of victory, that they brought their wives and children in waggons, to be spectators of the destruction of their enemies. The event was suitable to such ill judged confidence. The Britons were overthrown in a general engagement with most terrible slaughter, ao fewer than 80,000 being killed in the battle and pursuit; while the Romans had not above 400 killed, and not many more wounded. Boadicea, not able to survive so great a calamity, is said to have poisoned herself. By this overthrow the Britons were intimidated from raising any more insurrections, and those who had not yet submitted to the Roman yoke, from making incursions into their dominions. Nothing remarkable therefore happened for some time.

In the reign of Vespasian, Petilius Cerealis, being appointed governor of Britain, attacked the Brigantes, defeated them in several battles, and reduced great part of their country. He was succeeded by Julius Frontinus; who not only maintained the conquests of his predecessor, but reduced entirely the warlike nation of the Silures. Frontinus was succeeded by the celebrated Cneius Julius Agricola, who completed the conquest of all the southern Britons. Just before the arrival of Agricola, the Ordovices had cut in pieces a band of horse stationed on their confines, after which the whole nation had taken arms. The summer was pretty far spent, and the Roman army was quite separated and dispersed, the soldiers having assured themselves of rest for the remaining part of the year. Agricola, however, was no sooner landed, than, having drawn together his legions, he marched against the enemy without delay. The Britons kept upon the ridges of the mountains, but Agricola led his troops in person up the ascents. The Romans were victorious; and such a terrible slaughter was made of the Britons that almost

the whole of the Ordovices were cut off. Without giving the enemy time to recover from the terror which this overthrow had occasioned, Agricola resolved upon the immediate reduction of Anglesey, which had been lost by the revolt of Boadicea. Being destitute of ships, he detached a chosen body of auxiliaries who knew the fords, and were accustomed to manage their arms and horses in the water. The Britons, who had expected a fleet and transports, were so terrified by the appearance of the Roman forces on their island, that they immediately submitted, and Anglesey was once more restored to the Romans. With the conquest of Anglesey ended the first campaign of Agricola; and he employed the winter in reconciling the Britons to the Roman yoke. In this he met with such success, through his wise policy, that the Britons began to prefer a life of security and peace, to that independency which they had formerly enjoyed, and which continually exposed them to the tumults and calamities of war. See AGRICOLA. His succeeding campaigns were attended with equal success; he not only subdued the seventeen nations inhabiting Ergland, but carried the Roman arms almost to the extremity of Scotland. He also caused his fleet to sail round the island, and discovered the Orcades, or Orkney Islands, which had before been unknown to the rest of the world. This expedition took him up about six years, and was completed A. D. 84.

Had Agricola been continued in Britain, it is probable that both Scotland and England would have been permanently subdued; but he was recalled by Domitian in the year 85, and we are thence almost totally in the dark about the British affairs, till the reign of Adrian. During this interval the Caledonians had taken arms, and ravaged the territories of the Britons, who continued faithful to the Romans. Adrian abandoned to them the whole track lying between the Tyne and the Forth; but to restrain them from making incursions into the Roman territories, he built a wall eighty miles in length, from the river Eden in Cumberland to the Tyne in Northumberland. See ADRIAN. Under his successor, Antoninus Pius, the Brigantes revolted; and the Caledonians, having in several places broken down Adrian's wall, began anew to ravage the Roman territories. Against them the emperor sent Lollius Urbicus, who reduced the Brigantes; and having defeated the northern nations, confined them within narrower bounds by a new wall, extending probably between the friths of Forth and Clyde. See ANTONINUS. From the time of Antoninus to that of Severus, the Roman dominions in Britain continued to be much infested by the inroads of the northern nations. That emperor divided Britain into two governments, the southern and northern; but the governor of the northern division was so harassed by the continual incursions of the Caledonians, that he was at length obliged to purchase a peace with money. The Caledonians kept the treaty for fifteen years; after which, breaking into the Roman territories anew, they committed terrible ravages. Virius Lupus, the governor, not being in a condition to withstand them, acquainted the emperor with his distress, intreating

him to send powerful and speedy supplies. Upon this Severus resolved to put an end to the perpetual incursions of the enemy, by making a complete conquest of their country; for which purpose he set out for Britain, with his two sons, Caracalla and Geta, at the head of a numerous army. The Caledonians no sooner heard of his arrival, than they sent ambassadors offering to conclude a peace upon honorable terms. But these the emperor detained till he was ready to take the field, and then dismissed them without granting their request. As soon as the season was fit for action, Severus marched into Caledonia, where he put all to fire and sword. He advanced even to the most northerly parts of the island; and though no battle was fought, yet through the continual ambuscades of the enemy, and the inhospitable nature of the country, he is said to have lost 50,000 men. At last the Caledonians sued again for peace; which was granted them on condition of their yielding part of their country, and delivering up their arms. After this the emperor returned to York, leaving Caracalla to command the army, and finish the new wall between the friths of Forth and Clyde. But the emperor being taken ill at York, the Caledonians again took up arms. This provoked Severus to such a degree, that he commanded Caracalla to enter their country anew with the whole army, and to put all he met to the sword. Before these orders, however, could be put in execution, his two sons, having concluded a shameful peace with the Caledonians, returned to Rome. A long chasm now takes place in the history of the Roman dominions in South Britain. In the beginning of Dioclesian's reign, Carausius, a native of Gaul, passing over into Britain, took upon him the title of emperor, and was acknowledged by all the troops quartered here. He was, however, killed in a battle with one of Constantius's of ficers, after he had enjoyed the sovereignty for six or seven years. Constantine the Great began his reign in this island; and returned soon after he had left it, probably with a design to put a stop to the daily incursions of the Caledonians. He altered the division of that part of Britain subject to the Romans. Severus had divided it into two provinces, but Constantine increased the number to three, viz. Britannia Prima, Secunda, and Maxima Cæsariensis; and this last was afterwards divided into two, viz. Maxima Cæsariensis and Flavia Cæsariensis. The removal of the imperial seat to Constantinople, gave the northern nations an opportunity of making frequent incursions into the Roman provinces; the emperor having carried with him, first into Gaul, and then into the east, not only most of the Roman troops, but likewise the flower of the British youth. About the end of the reign of Constantius II. the government of Britain and other western parts of the empire was committed to Julian, afterwards emperor. While he was in his winter quarters at Paris, he was informed that the Scots and Picts, (about this time first distinguished by these names), had broken into the Roman territories and committed dreadful ravages. Against them Julian despatched a body of troops under the command of Lupicinus. He embarked from

Boulogne in ae depth winter, but was no sooner arrived at London than he was recalled; the enemy having probably appeased Julian by submission. Till the reign of Valentinian I. these nations still continued to infest the Roman territories in Britain, and had now reduced the country to a most deplorable condition by their continual ravages. Valentinian sent against them Theodosius, father of Theodosius the Great. That general, having divided his forces into several bodies, advanced against the Scots and Picts, who were obliged to yield to the superior discipline of the Romans. Great numbers were cut in pieces; and the rest were forced to abandon all their booty, and retire beyond the friths of Forth and Clyde. Theodosius then entered London in triumph, and restored that city to all its former splendor. To restrain them from breaking anew into the provinces, he built several forts between the two friths; and, having thus recovered all the country between Adrian's wall and the friths, he formed of it a fifth province, which he called Valentia. Though Britain was now in a state of temporary tranquillity, yet, as the Roman empire was daily declining, sufficient care could not be taken to secure such a distant province. In the reign of Honorius, the provincial Britons were annoyed not only by the Scots and Picts, but also by the depredations of the Saxons, on the sea coasts. By the care, however, of Stilicho, prime minister to Honorius, matters were once more settled, and a particular officer was appointed to guard the coast against the Saxons, with the title of Comes limitis Saxonici. But, not long after, the empire being over-run by barbarians, most of the Roman troops in Britain were recalled, and the country left open to the attacks of the Scots and Picts. Upon this the provincials, expecting no more assistance from Honorius, resolved to set up an emperor of their own. Accordingly they invested with the imperial dignity one Marcus, an officer of great credit among them. Him they murdered in a few days, and placed on the throne Gratian, a native of Britain. After a reign of four months, Gratian underwent the fate of his predecessor, and was succeeded by Constantine, who was chosen merely for the sake of his name. He seems, however, to have been a man of some experience in war. He drove the Scots and Picts beyond the limits of the Roman territories; but, being elated with this success, he would now be satisfied with nothing less than the conquest of the whole Roman empire. See CONSTANTINE.

He now, therefore, passed over into Gaul, in 407, and took with him not only the few Roman forces that had been left, but such of the provincial Britons as were most accustomed to arms, leaving the rest entirely defenceless. Their enemies now broke into the country, and ravaged it with fire and sword; whereupon the Britons,having repeatedly implored assistance from Rome without receiving any, resolved to withdraw their allegiance from an empire which was no longer able to protect them. Honorius himself applauded their conduct, and advised them, by letters, to provide for their own safety. The provincial Britons now regained their liberty, but had lost the martial spirit which at first ren

dered them so formidable to the Romans. They, however, met with some success in their first enterprises; for Zosimus tells us, that they delivered their cities from the insults of an haughty enemy. But, being at last overpowered, they again had recourse to the Roman emperor, to whom they promised a most perfect submission, provided they were delivered from their merciless enemies. Honorius, touched with compassion, sent a legion to their relief. The Roman forces landed in Britain unexpectedly, and having destroyed great numbers of the Scots and Picts, drove them beyond the friths of Forth and Clyde. After this they advised the natives to build a wall on the isthmus from sea to sea; to re-assume their courage, and defend themselves by their own valor. The Romans then quitted the country, being obliged to return, in order to repel those barbarians who had broken into other parts of the empire from all quarters. The Britons immediately set about building the wall with great alacrity. But, as it was constructed only of turf, the Scots and Picts soon broke it down in several places; and, pouring in upon the effeminate provincials, committed more cruel ravages than ever. At last, after many grievous calamities, the Britons sent ambassadors once more to Rome. These appeared with their garments rent, and dust on their heads; and at last prevailed on the emperor, by their earnest entreaties, to send another legion to their relief. The troops arrived in Britain before the enemy knew of their having set sail. They were therefore quite unprepared. The Romans made a terrible havoc among them, and drove the remainder into their own country. As Honorius had sent them, not with any ambitious view, but merely out of compassion to the unhappy provincials, the Romans told them they had now no farther assistance to expect from them. They informed them that the legion must immediately return to the continent, to protect the empire from the barbarians, who had extended their ravages almost to every part of it; and therefore, that they must now take their last farewell of Britain. After this declaration, Gallio, the commander of the Roman troops, exhorted the Britons to defend themselves, by fighting bravely for their country, wives, and children, and what ought to be dearer than life itself their liberty; telling them, at the same time, that their enemies were no stronger than themselves, provided they would exert their ancient courage and resolution. That they might the better withstand them, he advised them to build a wall of stone, offering to assist them with his soldiers, and to direct them himself in the execution. To this task the Britons immediately applied; and, with the assistance of the Romans, finished it in a short time, though it was no less than eight feet thick, and twelve feet in height. It is thought to have been built on the same place where Severus's wall formerly stood. Towers were also built at convenient distances on the east coast, to prevent descents of the Saxons and other barbarians from Germany. Gallio employed the rest of his time in teaching the provincials the art of war. He left them patterns of the Boman weapons, which he also taught them to make; and, after many encourag

ing exhortations, took his last farewell of Britain, to which the Romans never returned. There is a great disagreement among chronologers, as to the year in which the Romans finally abandoned Britain; some placing it in 422; others in 423, or 426; and some in 431, 435, or 437.

It was during their struggle with the Romans for the domination of Britain, that Christianity was first introduced among the inhabitants of this island; not by the sword, not as the religion of the state, but by the peaceful preaching of that divine system in the midst of its early persecutions. Dr. Southey (Book of the Church, vol. i. p. 12), considers the most probable tradition on this subject to be, that which assigns to Bran the son of Lear, and father of Caractacus, the honor of bringing over the glad tidings. This the Welsh triads expressly state. He was the person who first introduced the Christian religion among the nations of the Cymry, from Rome, where he had been detained for seven years as a hostage for his son Caradac (Caractacus) whom the Romans made a captive through the treachery of Aregweda Toeddawg,' i. e. Cartismandua, queen of the Brigantes.

Bishop Stillingfleet, in his Origines Britannicæ, says confidently, 'It is certain, that St. Paul did make considerable converts at his coming to Rome; which is the reason of his mentioning the saints in Cæsar's household. And it is not improbable that some of the British captives, carried over with Caractacus and his family, might be some of them, who would certainly promote the conversion of their country by St. Paul.' Now it is remarkable, as Mr. Hughes observes, that the learned prelate should undesignedly coincide with the statement of a British tradition, with which he was utterly unacquainted; and the world might have continued ignorant of so valuable a fragment of historical intelligence, had it not been for the liberality of an opulent London tradesman, a native of Wales (Owen Jones, Esq. a furrier of Thames-street), who patronised the design of collecting materials for a Welsh Archaiology.'

The wife of Aulus Plautius, one of the most distinguished Roman generals, and governor of Britain, seems to have been another early convert to the Christian faith. Tacitus says, this lady was charged with having embraced a strange and foreign superstition, for which alleged crime her trial was committed to her husband. He, agreeable to the laws and ancient forms of proceeding in such cases, convened her family and friends together; and, being in their presence tried for her life and fame, she was pronounced innocent.' He adds, that the lady lived long after this, but in perpetual sadness.'

There was no other foreign religion of which the Romans were at this time jealous; to embrace Christianity openly, would clearly therefore be viewed as a crime, especially in a person of quality, and the wife of a public officer. The trial of Plautius's lady occurred, according to Stillingfleet, when Nero and Calpurnius Piso were consuls, or A. D. 57, which being, according to him, after St. Paul's coming to Rome, he considers her to have been one of the apostle's converts. Another circumstance has been r.o

ticed by bishop Goodwin, and archbishop Usher; it is that St. Paul, in his second epistle to Timothy, makes mention of Linus, and Pudens, and Claudia: Linus is supposed to be the same as the first bishop of Rome of that name. Pudens and Claudia are thought to be the same persons upon whose marriage the poet Martial composed one of his epigrams. Martial's Claudia was undoubtedly a British lady, and married to Pudens, as appears by the poet's encomium :

Claudia cœruleis, cum sit Rufina Britannis
Edita, cur Latiæ pectora plebis habet?
Quale decus formæ! Romanam credere matres
Italides possunt, Attides esse suas, &c.

Legends which act upon less credible grounds,' adds Southey,pretend that a British king, called Lucius, who was tributary to the Romans, was baptised with many of his subjects. The light of the world shone here, but we know not

who kindled it.'

We have noticed all that can be said with truth of the story of St. Alban, as given by Rede and

the monkish writers. See ALBAN. But it seems well established that three British bishops attended the council of Arles, B. D. 314. The signatures were, according to Usher, from the Council. Galliæ, edit. Paris, 1629:- Eborius Episcopus, de Civitate Eboracensi, Provincia Brit. Restitutus Episcopus, de Civitate Londinensi, Provincia suprser. Adelphus Episcopus, de Civitate Colonia Londinensium, exinde Sacerdos Presbyter. Arminius Diaconus.

St. Athanasius and the bishops assembled in the council of Antioch, A. D. 363, assure the emperor Jovian, that the bishops of Spain, Gaul, and Britain, continued to adhere to the faith of the council of Nice, of which they had been informed by letters from those bishops. Both St. Jerome and St. Chrysostom, speak often of the orthodoxy of the British church in their

writings.

Here Pelagianism arose in the beginning of the fifth century; and bishop Burgess contends strenuously that the British prelates of the seventh century formally and steadily disclaimed all authority assumed over them by St. Austin, as the missionary of Rome.

Austin landed in Kent, says a valuable modern writer, prevailed on Ethelbert to profess christianity, and afford him his sanction; though Bertha the Queen, let it be observed, was previously a Christian, and had always had her own religious establishment. This holy and devoted monk soon proved that his zeal to convert pagans was mingled with an ambition to convert the ancient British clergy from their independence, He summoned a synod, at which he required them to conform to the ceremonies of the church of Rome, from which they differed in several things, especially on that cardinal point, the time for celebrating Easter! This may appear to our readers a trifling difference, but such was the importance attached to it in that age, that it gave rise to the most violent dissensions, and required for its maintainance the greatest independence of principle. This synod was followed by another, at which seven British bishops were

present, who boldly and unanimously refused the conformity required, and told the arrogant monk, to his face, that they would not make him their archbishop. Thus it appears that Christianity was professed in Britain even before the popedom existed, and that, at the period when Gregory sent his emissaries hither, they were rejected as the agents of a foreign hierarchy, and doomed, in the fervor of British zeal for Christian liberty, to the same indignant treatment as might have been expected by a setter forth of strange gods.' Supposing the reverence for our ancestors a feeling of any value in this controversy, what must we think of those injudicious advocates of Popery, among whom the non-descript Cobbett to this reverence, throw the darkness of their Las taken his stand, who, addressing themselves mistakes over the past, and misrepresent the characters they invite us to imitate? Instead of clinging to Popery as the most ancient religion of our fathers, those are only acting in their spirit, and treading in their steps, who oppose and rewhich is attempted to be put upon us, in being nounce it. And when we discover the delusion called to follow the Anglo-Saxon converts of Austin amidst the superstitions of Rome, to the neglect of those British Christians whom these Saxons and this Austin opposed in their attempts to preserve their own authority and customs; the generous ardor of men who feel the love of and if we moderate our censure on the Romish country and ancestry is roused into indignation, missionaries, in the hope that they were useful in some respects, we feel disgusted with the man who lauds them as the source of all the Chrisfact is better authenticated than this, that when tianity which originally shone on our land. No Austin attempted to establish the authority of the Bishop of Rome in Britain, he had the Christianity of centuries to contend with.

priests that dwelt in West Wales abhorred the communion of these dogmatists above all meaclareth at large, in his epistle sent to Geruntius, sure: as Adhelme, abbot of Malmsbury, deticulars he showeth, that if any of the Catholics king of Cornwall, where among many other par(for so he called those of his own side) did go to dwell among them, they would not vouchsafe to fore they first put them to forty days penance,— admit them into their company and society, beyea, even to this day (saith Bede, who wrote his History in the year 721) it is the manner of the English in no account at all, nor to communicate Britains to hold the faith and religion of the with them in anything more than with Pagans. Whereunto those verses of Taliessyn (honored

'But above all others,' says Usher, 'the British

by the Britains with the title of Ben Beirdh, that is, the chief of the bards, or wise men,) may be added: (which shows that he wrote after the coming of Austin into England, and not fifty or sixty years before, as others have imagined.)

Wo be to him that doth not keep
From Romish wolves, his sheep.
With staff and weapon strong.

Usher's Discourse of the Religion of the Ancient
Irish and British, 1687, p. 82.