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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Count of the Saxon Shore by Alfred John Church

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The Burning of the Villa.

The Count
of the Saxon Shore
or
The Villa in VECTIS

A Tale of the Departure of the Romans from Britain

BY THE
Rev. ALFRED J. CHURCH, M.A.
Author of “Stories from Homer”

WITH THE COLLABORATION OF
RUTH PUTNAM

Fifth Thousand

London
SEELEY, SERVICE & CO. LIMITED
38 Great Russell Street

Entered at Stationers’ Hall
By SEELEY & CO.

Copyright by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1887
(For the United States of America).

PREFACE.

“Count of the Saxon Shore” was a title bestowed by Maximian (colleague of Diocletian in the Empire from 286 to 305 A.D.) on the officer whose task it was to protect the coasts of Britain and Gaul from the attacks of the Saxon pirates.

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It appears to have existed down to the abandonment of Britain by the Romans.

So little is known from history about the last years of the Roman occupation that the writer of fiction has almost a free hand. In this story a novel, but, it is hoped, not an improbable, view is taken of an important event—the withdrawal of the legions. This is commonly assigned to the year 410, when the Emperor Honorius formally withdrew the Imperial protection from Britain. But the usurper Constantine had actually removed the British army two years before; and, as he was busied with the conquest of Gaul and Spain for a considerable time after, it is not likely that they were ever sent back.

A. J. C.

R. P.

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE I. A BRITISH CÆSAR 1 II. AN ELECTION 13 III. A PRIZE 21 IV. THE VILLA IN THE ISLAND 32 V. CARNA 47 VI. THE SAXON 57 VII. A PRETENDER’S DIFFICULTIES 70 VIII. THE NEWS IN THE CAMP 83 IX.

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THE DEPARTURE OF THE LEGIONS 94 X. DANGERS AHEAD 107 XI. THE PRIEST’S DEMAND 115 XII. LOST 124 XIII. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? 135 XIV. THE PURSUIT 144 XV. THE PURSUIT (continued) 152 XVI. THE GREAT TEMPLE 164 XVII. THE BRITISH VILLAGE 173 XVIII. THE PICTS 182 XIX. THE SIEGE 194 XX. CEDRIC IN TROUBLE 207 XXI. THE ESCAPE

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tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">216 XXII. A VISITOR 224 XXIII. THE STRANGER’S STORY 234 XXIV. NEWS FROM ITALY 245 XXV. CONSULTATION 256 XXVI. FAREWELL! 266 XXVII. MARTIANUS 271 XXVIII. A RIVAL 281 XXIX. AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL 293 XXX. AT LAST 306

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

THE BURNING OF THE VILLA Frontispiece PAGE CONSTANTINE ELECTED EMPEROR 18

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class="tei tei-row"> THE PANTHER AND THE SAXON PIRATES 28 CEDRIC AT THE FORGE 58 JAVELIN THROWING 78 THE DEPARTURE OF THE LEGIONS 104 BRITISH CONSPIRATORS 112 THE CAPTURE OF CARNA 128 THE SACRIFICE 166 CEDRIC AND THE PICT 196 CEDRIC’S FURY 212 CEDRIC’S ESCAPE 222 CLAUDIAN’S TALE 234 THE COUNT RECEIVING THE LETTER OF HONORIUS 252 CARNA AND MARTIANUS 276 CARNA ON THE HILLSIDE 304

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