charge of the Roman cavalry—Overthrow and retreat of the Britons—Cæsar marches through Kent and Surrey in pursuit of the British army—Crosses the Thames near Chertsey—Retreat of the British general—Cuts off the supplies of the Romans, and harasses the army with his war-chariots—Stratagems adopted by the Britons—Cassivellaunus betrayed by his countrymen—His fortress attacked in the forest—Contemplates the destruction of the Roman fleet—Attack of the Kentish men on the encampment of the invaders—The Romans again victorious—Cassivellaunus sues for peace—Final departure of Cæsar from Britain

p. 30 CHAPTER V. CARACTACUS, BOADICEA, AND AGRICOLA. State of Britain after the departure of Cæsar—Landing of Plautius—His skirmishes with the Britons in the marshes beside the Thames—Arrival of the Roman emperor Claudius—Ostorius conquers and disarms the Britons—Rise of Caractacus—British encampment in Wales—Caractacus defeated, betrayed by his step-mother, and carried captive to Rome—Death of the Roman general Ostorius—Retreat of the Druids to the Isle of Anglesey—Suetonius attacks the island—Consternation of the Roman soldiers on landing—Massacre of the Druids, and destruction of their groves and altars—Boadicea, queen of the Iceni, assumes the command of the Britons—Her sufferings—She prepares for battle, attacks the Roman colony of Camaladonum—Her terrible vengeance—Her march into London, and destruction of the Romans—Picturesque description of Boadicea and her daughters in her ancient British war-chariot—Harangues her soldiers—Is defeated by Suetonius, and destroys herself—Agricola lands in Britain—His mild measures—Instructs the islanders in agriculture and architecture—Leads the Roman legions into Caledonia, and attacks the men of the woods—Bravery of Galgacus, the Caledonian chief—Agricola sails round the coast of Scotland—Erects a Roman rampart to prevent the Caledonians from invading Britain p. 40 CHAPTER VI. DEPARTURE OF THE ROMANS. Adrian strengthens and extends the Roman fortifications—Description of these ancient barriers, and the combats that took place before them—Wall erected by the emperor Severus—He marches into Caledonia, reaches the Frith of Moray—Great mortality amongst the Roman legions—Severus dies at York—Picturesque description of the Roman sentinels guarding the ancient fortresses—Attack of the northern barbarians—Peace of Britain under the government of Caracalla—Arrival of the Saxon and Scandinavian pirates—The British Channel protected by the naval commander, Carausius—His assassination at York—Constantine the Great—Theodosius conquers the Saxons—Rebellion of the Roman soldiers; they elect their own general—Alaric, the Goth, overruns the Roman territories—British soldiers sent abroad to strengthen the Roman ranks—Decline of the Roman power in Britain—Ravages of the Picts, Scots, and Saxons—The Britons apply in vain for assistance from Rome—Miserable condition in which they are left on the departure of the Romans—War between the Britons and the remnant of the invaders—Vortigern, king of the Britons—A league with the Saxons p. 50 CHAPTER VII. BRITAIN AFTER THE ROMAN PERIOD. Great change produced in Britain by the Romans—Its ancient features contrasted with its appearance after their departure—Picturesque description of Britain—First dawn of Christianity—Progress of the Britons in civilization—Old British fortifications—Change in the costume of the Britons—Decline in their martial deportment—Their ancient mode of burial—Description of early British barrows—Ascendancy of rank p. 56 CHAPTER VIII. THE ANCIENT SAXONS. Origin of the early Saxons—Description of their habits and arms—Their religion—The halls of Valhalla—Their belief in rewards and punishments after death—Their ancient mythology described—Superstitions of the early Saxons—Their ancient temples and forms of worship—Their picturesque processions—Dreadful punishments inflicted upon those who robbed their temples—Different orders of society—Their divisions of the seasons—Their bravery as pirates, and skill in navigation p. 64 CHAPTER IX. HENGIST, HORSA, ROWENA, AND VORTIGERN. Landing of Hengist and Horsa, the Saxon chiefs—Their treaty with Vortigern and the British chiefs—The British king allots them the Isle of Thanet as a residence, on condition that they drive out the Picts and Scots—Success of the Saxons—Arrival of more ships—Landing of the Princess Rowena—Marriage of Vortigern and Rowena—Quarrel between the Britons and Saxons—Description of their first battle by the old Welsh bards—The Britons led on by the sons of Vortigern—Death of Horsa, the Saxon chief—Rowena's revenge—Pretended reconciliation of the Saxons, and description of the feast where the British chiefs were massacred—Terrible death of Vortigern and the fair Rowena p. 72 CHAPTER X. ELLA, CERDRIC, AND KING ARTHUR. Arrival of Ella and his three sons—Combat between the Saxons and Britons beside the ancient forest of Andredswold—Defeat of the Britons, and desolate appearance of the old forest town of Andred-Ceaster after the battle—Revengeful feelings of the Britons—Establishment of the Saxon kingdom of Sussex—Landing of Cerdric and