discussions, originating often in party bias, and conducted with warmth which rather perplexes than illustrates the subject, I cannot suffer this opportunity to pass by without declaring my conviction, that both parties have rather established their skill in polemics, than shewn a faithful desire to arrive at truth. Whilst it has been the object with the one to prove the antiquity of the Church in England, and its independence of the see of Rome; their adversaries have laboured to prove, that all ecclesiastical establishments in the West owe their origin to missions from the capital of Italy. But both parties have in this discussion been fighting for a shadow. The pretensions of the Church of Rome must be assailed or defended upon their own merits ; if they are false, no antiquity, no planting of colonies, or sending of missions, can maintain them. If true, no time can make them obsolete. As a work on the Ancient Britons must necessarily treat on a subject so prominent in all European history, as the establishment of the Christian Religion, I think it right to have indulged in these remarks, and to invite the reader to bestow the same impartiality in reading the facts here collected, which I have myself shewn in bringing them together, and in dealing with the whole subject. History is no better than a romance, if those who write it bring to their task preconceived opinions, or if readers cast away the book which contains unwholesome or unpalatable truths. As our information concerning the race of men who first inhabited this island, like all other history, must be obtained either from books, inscriptions found on ancient monuments, or from remains found scattered throughout the country, or buried beneath the surface of the ground, it is right to caution the reader, that he is not to expect from this work a full account of the various coins, inscriptions, and monuments found in this island, and supposed to belong to the period treated of in this volume. It is very uncertain by whom such coins were struck, or who were the builders of the monuments in question. In short, it is to be borne in mind, that the history of the Ancient Britons, as it may be gathered from books alone, has been here treated of, but for the numismatics, architecture, and antiquities supposed to belong to that people, the reader must consult other books devoted almost exclusively to the subject. Neither do the geography and topography of Britain enter more than incidentally into the plan of the present work. These are subjects which require a separate consideration; and, as our knowledge of them is remarkably little, they cannot fail to cause the student no small labour and distraction of mind. In the volume of Historical Documents, are given those portions of the ancient geographers, Ptolemy and others, together with the extracts from the Notitia Imperii, and Itinerarium Antonini, which concern the history of Britain. Bampton, Sept. 1, 1847. J. A. G. CONTENTS. CHAP. I. Introduction.—Grecian, Roman, and Phoenician Navigators. 1 II. Cæsar's invasion of Britain in the month of August, B. C. 55. V1. Britain left to itself by Tiberius-the foolish expedition of Caligula— Claudius-Conquest of Britain by his general Plautius-Vespasian after- VIII. Nero's cruel reign-The Britons revolt under Boadicea: Camalo- dunum, London, and Verulam are burnt-Suetonius Paulinus returns from Anglesey, and defeats the Britons with immense slaughter. 96 IX. The emperors Galba, Otho, Vitellius-Petronius Turpilianus, Tre- bellius Maximus, and Vettius Bolanus, governors of Britain. X. The reigns of Vespasian, Titus and Domitian-Petilius Cerealis, Julius Frontinus, and Julius Agricola, Proprætors of Britain-Wars of Agricola, defeat of Galgacus, and the Caledonians-Final settlement of the Roman XI. Sallustius Lucullus, Lieutenant of Britain-Reigns of Nerva, Trajan, and Hadrian-Little known of Britain for many years-its trade and miscellaneous productions-the Druids—their fall. XII. Whether Christianity was introduced into Britain before A. D. 120.— XIV. The reigns of Pertinax, Didius Julianus, and Severus.--Albinus, governor of Britain-Contest between Severus Albinus and Niger-Battle of Lyons-Virius Lupus, governor of Britain-Severus arrives in Britain in 208-his invasion of Caledonia in 209-builds the wall across the XV. Reigns of Caracalla and Geta-Ossian's poems, Fingal, &c.-Macri- nus-Elagabalus-Alexander Severus, &c.-Carinus-Diocletian and Maximian Carausius revolts in Britain-is murdered by Allectus- Allectus is slain, and Britain restored to the empire by Constantius. 246 XVI. Persecution of the Christians from A. D. 303 to 313-less violent in Britain-The legend of the passion of Saint Alban probably much XVII. Resignation of Diocletian and Maximian, A. D. 305—Galerius and Constantius emperors-Constantius in Britain-Constantine escapes to his father Constantius-Constantine the Great defeats Maxentius, and XVIII. Sons of Constantine the Great, Constantine II, Constans, and Constantius-Councils of Nice and Sardica-Rebellion and defeat of Magnentius a Briton-Paulus Catena in Britain-Julian in Gaul- XIX. Constantius-Religious disputes-Synod of Rimini-British Bishops-Julian-Jovian-Valentinian-Picts and Scots-Britain saved XX. Emperors Gratian and Valentinian II.-Death of Valens-Gratian appoints Theodosius, emperor of the East-Gratian's neglect of his imperial duties-disaffection of the troops-Maximus revolts in Bri- tain-death of Gratian-Maximus defeated and slain by Theodosius. 326 XXI. Britain exhausted by successive emigrations-Theodosius-Chry- santhus viceroy of Britain-Arcadius and Honorius emperors-Stilicho- Picts and Scots-Marcus, and Gratian Municeps, tyrants in Britain, slain by their soldiers-Constantine emperor in Britain-conquers Gaul and Spain-is slain by Constantius. XXII. Britain again free-governed by her native rulers-not able to enjoy the privilege of freedom-the Christian religion already corrupted- the Arian heresy—the Pelagian heresy-Germanus and Lupus come from XXIII. The Missions of Palladius and St. Patrick to Ireland. HISTORY OF THE Ancient Britons. CHAP. I. INTRODUCTION.-GRECIAN, ROMAN, AND PHOENICIAN NAVIGATORS. It is the practice of those who have written the history of their country, to complain of the obscurity in which its earliest annals are involved. This complaint indeed is too well founded to admit of doubt: for there is no nation, now existing on the earth, whose history can be traced back with certainty more than two thousand five hundred years. The history of the Assyrian and Egyptian monarchies exists only in shadow and outline, and the contradictory accounts which have come down to us in the pages of historians suffice to shew, that we know next to nothing of their real history. The only exception to this statement is to be made in favour of the books of Moses, which doubtlessly exhibit a picture of oriental life, and that principally domestic life, which existed in Asia at a period of very remote antiquity. But the writings of Moses carry us back no farther into the past than the space of about six thousand years, whereas there is the most conclusive evidence that B |