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STONEHENGE;
THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN.
VOL. I.
ritlMBP IT SCBL'LEK AND ta^ lA, TOXAHtt ATBIKT-
STONEHENGE;
THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN.
A ROMANCE OF THE DAYS OF NERO.
m
MALACHI MOULDY, F.S.A.
Nilhbst ft Britiih record (loog amtttX^A InoldAnHDricH^vbovf Hcret ipringi No Gothic conqmnr cfftr dmik,J irreoled
The mvrellou cunvnl of forgoLtta tl
IN THREE VOLUME
VOL. I.
^/
LONDON:
RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET.
1842.
(Tz/
VUHDOK: THIVTin IT ■CIl-LtH INO CO., IS, tUlAHD inttl.
STONEHENGEi
THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN,
A ROMANCE OP THE DAYS OF NERO.
#t
MALACHI MOULDY, P.S.A.
f uhlcH m Brillib record [Long coaetkl'd In old AnnaricB, vhoK Hcret iprlngfl No Gothic connnenir mr druik,) rrmlcd ^ Tbemftrreltoui current of rorgotiAiiUau^N J' - • ">.
IN THREE VOLUMEftsw:* VOL. I.
^/
y.
LONDON:
RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET.
1842.
^2/.
PREFACE.
It is a delicate and difficult task fur a father to undertake to usher into the world the post- humous works of his son. There are so many feelings and associations likely to influence his judgment, when he attempts to form a correct estimate of them, that however sincerely he may Aim at impartiality, it is hardly possible that he can attain it.
The Editor of the following Romance can- not hope to be entirely free fit)m those er- rors of opinion which result from the undue bias of affection ; but he hopes that, having been forewarned of the enemy, he may not have been wholly unsuccessfiil in endeavouring to escape his snares. How far his judgment is correct in deeming these volumes an accept- able offering to the public, it is for them to decide ; and he only regrets that the person,
>
Tt
PRSFAOE.
whom tfacir decision would hsTC most con- cerned, will be tlie least utTcctcd !>y it. With dillidciicc, howcv<tr, rnthvr tliun distrust, he begs to commence his scIT-imposcd Ubours with * few introductorjr remarks, relative to tlic authorshi]) and editorship of tMs tnle of the first centur)'.
The! Author of " Stonchcngc," whose work will be his best introduction to the |iiililic, at ait early- age displnyed, what in a pnrenl's partial eyes appeared to be, a precocious predi« lection and aptitude for the noble study of antiquity. This, probably, arose from the circumstance of hia having been, from his cradle, familiar witb the pbysiagnomies of those bladc-lcttCTcd folios which are so for- midable to the satin-woTo sciolists of these degenerate days ; but so loved and honoured by the genuine antiquary. — Yes ! ye mighty ones of olden time, Nonniua and Giraldus, William of Malmesbury and Geofirey of Monmouth ! how oCten has he seen you expand yotir un- wieldy dimensions for my edification ; and how often have your oaken integuments ser\-ed to explain to his infiant intellect the origin of that mystical phrase, "hound in board*!'' Tr<ily, those were the giants in literature who were
rBBrACB.
Til
wont to C&U their folios "letJe bokcs," and their quarto chronicles "jiocliet volumes !" But to return from my dijpvsston — my son's lamiliiurity n-Jth cUsiical and British antiquities induced me to educate 'him for tlic lei^ul pro- fession } as I had long before leftrned from ray Iriend, the late Mr. PieydeU, * that a lawyer witJtout history or literature, is i moduuiic— u mere working maitun ; if he ponetsev some knowledge of thew, he may venture to c^ himself an arcbitcct'* Haviogpasacd through the usual period of probation, my poor MUnum undertook the arduous enterprise of ctuicavoai^ ing to cstnblish a practice : and his friends not bearing from himoclf &ny complaints of the wBiit of success; and being informed by others llitt he •eetned gencmUy occupied -, concluded tltat he was not dissatiitficd with his progress. Tlius tiuke wore nwuy, until be reached his twenty-seventh year; when the event took place which removed bim from the scene ofhis lalwuni, and from those snxteties and struc^les, inddent to the commencement of ■ profcs- Nional liCe. Shortly previous, however, to this occur-
* Owf tlimatrims, toL it., p. 100.
TUi
PRKFAOB.
rence, as we were one day conversing on the ilifficuldes and discouragements which e»> counter a young tnan at his entrance into life, my son pointed to n box in hiii apiirtment, which he stated contained the wages uf iiis industry, or at least the grcKter portion of them, during tlie three years of his brief practice ; requesting me to accept them as a kind of lirst-fruiu' offering of filial alfection. Un opening the box, to my surprise I dis- coTercd — not the emoluments of a Urdily remunerating profession, consolidated into itonie tiny trinket — but ttiu MS. copy (tf tlie work now presented to tiie public !
I know not to wli&t extent I may have beea^ influenced by the circumstances under which I received it, but the more I pcruited it the more aniious I bc<»inic that otliers aliould participate in tlic plisitiirc which it afforded me : nor will I attempt to conceal that a little parental pride^ mingles) with this wish to pleaw. I therefore resolved to employ the few hours of U-isure, which I could steal Arom more serious labours, in prejiaring the manu- script for publication.
. It has been my object to make tliis work instructiYe to the clnssical student, as welt as
pREriCE. is
entertaining to the general reader : I have, therefore, added numerons references to cor- rohorate what might seem doubtfdl, and eluci- date what might seem obscure. Nor have I allowed partiality completely to triumph over candour in my criticisms; but where my aon lias appeared to me to follow the current of tradition rather than the stream of history, I have marked the divarication, in order that tlie reader might choose his own course.
As the narratire, after traversing the sombre shades of early drilization, emerges into the full light of classical sunshine, and connects itself in its progress with some of the greatest characters, and some of the most important events which the world has ever witnessed ; I have cited standard authorities to authenticate and illustrate its various descriptions and allusions. Indeed, I have done that for " Stonehenge," which my learned brother, Monkbams, proposed doing for the "Cale- doniad :" but in this I deem myself more fortunate than him— that my comment has not been delayed by the non-completion of the text.' Hoping that this hint wilt not be lost upon my Lord Geraldine, I proceed further to observe, that my friend Monkbams's very
PltBPACK.
aneUent proposal of introducing his important Essay on CaHtramctation into an appendix, has al»o «iigE^tcd to tnc the idea tiiat an Essay on Dniidism would give great value to the present work. 1 bad commenced a jxrics of notes explanatoiy of the rites and history of Oruidism ; but upon more mature reflection, I determined to collect all the information which 1 had to communicate on that subject ; embracing a considerable quantity which had been amassed by my son, into one e^say; wbieh I hare now appended to the narratiTe ; aad in whidi, 1 Hatter myBcIf, the curious reader will 6nd the apparent incongruities of the rites and tenets of this mystical religion satisfactorily explained and accounted for, and the whole digested into one consistent s\'stem.
INTRODUCTION.
GENTLE READER !
If thou art given to the study of thy coun- try's antiquities, and hast felt thy heart glow- within thee as thou hast read of
Spenser'a fairy themes And tbo*e that Milton loved in etirly yean.
thou wilt not despise this attempt to clothe in modem language, a very ancient tale.
If the study of antiquity hath taken deep hold on thy mind, thou wilt have acquired that habit of cautious discrimination for which antiquaries are so proverbial ! In such case thou wilt not care to perplex thyself by judging of the authenticity of any work by its internal evidence, hut will rather list to what it's au-
PRKPACB.
excellent proposal of introducing his important Es»]r on CoHtrametation into an appendix, lias nliw sui^stcd to me the idea that an Gsiay on Druidism ti-ould give g^vat value to tlie present work. I bad commenced a series of notes explanatory of the rites and history of Druidisro ; but upon more mature reflection, I determined to collect all the information which I bad to communicate on that subject ; embracing a considerable quantity which had been amassed by my son, into one essay ; wbicli I hftx-e now appended to the narmlive; and in which, I flatter myself, the curious reader will find the apparent incongruities uf the rites and tenets of this mystical religion satisfactorily explained and accounted for, and the whole digested into one connstent sTstem.
INTRODUCTION.
GENTLE READER !
If thou art given to the study of thy coun- try's antiquities, and hast felt thy heart glow within thee as thou hast read of
Speaser''s frtiry tbemev Aadthote thM MilLoa loved in esrly jctrs,
thou wilt not despise this attempt to clothe in modem language, a very ancient tale.
If the study of antiquity hath taken deep hold on thy mind, thou wilt have acquired that habit of cautious discrimination for which antiquaries are so proverbial ! In such case thou wilt not care to perplex thyself by judging of the authenticity of any work by its internal evidence, hut will rather list to what it's au-
X PBBFACE.
excellent proposal of introducing his important Essay on Castr&metation into an appendix, has also suggested to me tbe idee that an Essay on Droidism would give great value to the present work. I bad commenced a series of notes explanatory of the rites and history of Druidism ; but upon more mature reflection, I determined to collect all the information which I had to communicate on that subject ; embracing a considerable quantity which had been amassed by my son, into one essay; which I have now appended to the narrative ; and in which, I flatter myself, the curious reader will 6nd the apparent incongruities" of the rites and tenets of this mystical religion satisfactorily explained and accounted for, and the whole digested into one consistent svstem.
INTRODUCTION.
GENTLE READER !
If thou art giren to the study of thy coun- try's antiquities, aod hast felt thy heart glow within thee as thou hast read of
SpcDKT'i fniry Ibemes And tboM Ibit Milton lOTed in early yean.
thou wilt not despise this attempt to clothe in tnodem language, a very ancient tale.
If the study of antiquity hath taken deep hold on thy mind, thou wilt have acquired that habit of cautious discrimination for which antiquaries are so proverbial ! In such case thou wilt not care to perplex thyself by jud^ng of the authenticity of any work by its internal evidence, but will rather list to what it's au-
XII INTBODUCTIOX.
thor shall say concerning it. It is in vain, therefore, to ask thee to peruse the following tale, until I have satisfied thee of its genuine antiquity; which task I will now address my- self unto, not doubting but that I sliall per- form the same in such manner, that he who shall have any misgivings concerning it must be a sceptic outright : a man who would even question the authenticity of the veritable Geof- frey of Monmouth, or the veracity of the truth- seeking Sammes !
It is an unco-weary thing to tow against the stream of time for eighteen centuries in quest of a pedigree ; but it were happy for the au- thor, could he make as good a title to some of the unclaimed dividends in the hank of England, as the prototype of this little book can make to a place in the Archives of the first century.
The materials of the following tale are ga- thered from a MS. written in the Armoric tongue, apparently about 1 700 years ago. Now, as in proving the descent of an ancient family, it is not necessary to begin with Adam and ''Eve ; and it hath been even held by some modems, that it is not essential to prove your kith and kin with Noah; — (contrary, however, to the established practice of antiquity in that
IKTRODCCTION'.
XUl
respect, whici) bath always dragged forth her heroes (torn among the unclean hcnats of Uie Ajk;) — so now I shall pass over tho earlier history of this work, and coroo at once to that ecni in which all good families do spring to light, videlicet — the dark ajfet. Here, happily, I oaii refer to one of far greater wit than my- self, who hath well described how tnarvclloualy this valuable MS. was discovered, after it Itad lun hid for many centuries. Turn, gentle reader, to thy Grafton, and open his clironi- des at the fourth part, and there Uiou wilt find it thus written :
"About XXX yercs hence it happened in Wiltshire at Ivye Church about 2 royles from Saliaburic, as men digged to make a foundation, lliey found an hulow stone covercn! with another atone, wherein they founde a Ilooke, having in it little aboue XX leaves (as they sayde) of Tcry thick Velume, wherein was sometliing written. But when it was sliewed to y* Pricstes and Chanons which were there, they coalde not reade it. Wherefore, after they had tossed it from one to another (by tlic mcanes where- of it was tome) Uiey did neglect and cast it aside. Long after, a piece tliereof happened to
lir
I.VTnODl'OTION.
come to my hands : whicli notwitlistnndtug it vas sU to rent and d«fnoed, I shewed to Ma; ter Kyoharde Pace, then chiefe secretary to King Henry the viij ; whereof he exceedingly,' rejoyced. But because it wus partly rent, aiic partlye defaced and hlurred with wet tlial had fallen out, he could not tinde any one sen- tence peril te. Notwithstanding, after long beholding he shewed me, it seemed that the sayde booke conteyned some ancient tnonu- ments of this Isle."
It were long to tell thee, gentle reader, the Tarious bands through which thia treasure pMscd until it happily reached mine : suffice to say, it now rests with one wbo is willing to share with thcc the benefit thereof. And if Maystcr Richard Pftco did ' exceedingly ro- joyoe' though he could not findc 'any one sen- tence pcrfite ■' what transports should be thine, who has it presented to thee translated, en- larged, enriched and improved, in a manner passing thy conception !
I had, indeed, purposed to have presented thee with a mere transcript, or &c<sirailo there- of; but, recollecting bow tho original had been tossed about from one to another, hy the
IKTRODUOnON.
Vf
** Priostes and Gtanona,*' I thought per- chanec it might fare no better witli the copjr; whcretore, with infinite labour, I hnvc tranft> lat<d it : nor onlir so, for th«n thou couldst no more have understood it, than the monks could read it ; hot I have, to the best of my poor ability, sapplii^j numerous dcficiendea in the original, which extended not only to words Rnd sentences, but even to chapters and booksl Nor let my travail herein be despl<>ed ; for if a learned prelate of our church halh been com- mended for restoring the text of Kitchylus, and for the happy admixture of invention and erudi- tion which he hath displayed ; and if Brolicr hath gained immortal fame for adding two or three cliaptprs to Tacitus, tlic aubslnnre of which he lintii gleaned from contcmpomry hiatoriima; I would fain know why I should be denied my littte meed of praise, who have wrought up twenty pages into thrice as ninny chapters, with no other MS., no other oonteniporancous authors to assist me? Nor have 1 stopped even here; hut iteeing many things slurred over which 1 thought deser\-ing of more notice, and many tilings obKurcly alluded to which I thought unintelligihlo inthout the fullest coin* iiient, I have ventured to recast the whole ; so
XTI
INTaODUCTION.
th&t it may be truly said of the originfil MS., as it might of the main ar^mcnt of Warbor- ton'a Divine Legation of Moses — that it \a completely absorbed in the illustrations : and 1 would only add, that if the MS. have not suffered more than the learned bis)iop*s argu- mcDt, by being a little lost liglit of,— I am content.
And now, gentle render, how cuii 1 propi- tiate thcc, or what shall 1 sny in extenuation of the numerous defects of this performance ; whereof I could make a long catalogue, were it not better to leave it to thine own ingenuity to discover them ? I will even address thee in the language of the honest Humphrey Lhayd> wherewith I will take my leave. —
"And touching this rude and disord'red little work : truly I woulde not have sufF'red it to have come to li^ht, had I not well hoped tliat all learned men, would accept this my en> devour in good parte. ••• And if they shall! thinkc any thing herein spoken over sharply, or not wcU advisedly, I submit myself to y ju<lgmcnt of those that be better learned ; and if I bo admonishod of my faults, I promise to amend tliem when occasion shall be given.
INTBODDGTION. XT
" Only for recompense, gentle reader, let me have thy good woorde, end lawfiiU faToar; and I ask no more. Farewell hartly, and enjoy it." •
■The Breriiry of Brltajnc, by Hanfrrf LhDjd, Biif- lUbcd by TboDiii Tvynr, Gcot^ 1673, bl. let.— N.B. Tbe Uit pangnpb U from the TraDiUtor'i prefaea.— Ed.
BOOK THE FIRST.
ScBEAMt round lit' Arch DruM'i brow the tttratw — wbite
As Menai's foam ; and toward Ihc m7>tic ring
Wbere Au^n itaod, tfae future qDCitioniag,
Slowlj the cormoraol urns her buTy fligbl,
Porlroding ruin to cacli baleful rite.
That, in tbe lapse of ago, hath crept o'er
Diluriao tnillu, and patriarchal lore.
WORPSWOHTH.
VOL. I.
STONEHENGE;
OB,
THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN.
CHAPTER I.
A woodrous pyle of niff cd mouatayoea aundci, Flaceil on ecbc other Id ■ drmrc smie, It ne coald be ibe irorke of bumaa handei. It nc »u reartd up bie menoe of clue- Here did the Bratoni idontioD pHfe To the (liie god vhom the; did TaurNn name, Dighlynge* bys alurre wjtb greet? fibres in Msie, Routynge theyr »ycluBlle TDund sliout the flame Twai liere that Hengyat did the Brytuna alee. As they were inetle in council for lo bee.
THAlTeilTOV's BATTLE OF HASTINGS.
The period at which the following tale com- mences, wants some twenty years of eighteen centuries ago. The mtiih of Britain was, at this time, in a state of impatient subjection to the Romans ; a formidable rebellion headed l)y the brave Boadicea, by which the island had ■ Dreiaing.
a 2
4 bton&henoe; or,
been almost wrested from her conquerors, having been recently crushed by the intrepidity of the Roman general Suetonius Paulinus.
The native spirit of liberty was, however, ra- ther checked than extinguished by this dire blow, and began to revive under the en- couragement which it received from the dis- sensions existing between the general and the procurator of the province. These dissensions at last prevailed to such a degree, that Nero dispatched his freedman, Polycletus, to take cognizance of tiie matter; expecting that the pomp and ostentatious equipi^e of this court favourite would not only overawe the Roman disputants, but also strike terror into the in- domitable islanders. In this expectation, the emperor was disappointed, for the measure produced a precisely contrary effect. The free- bom Britons cared not to conceal their con- tempt for the manumitted slave; and the terror which the victorious arms of Suetonius had inspired, was much diminished, when they beheld him submit to the haughty dictation of Polycletus,* Nor were the manners of Sue- tonius calculated to conciliate, or sooth the wounded feelings of the half-conquered in- • Taeill AddbIcb, lib. xiv. i. 39.
TBB BOHANS IN BBiTAJN. 5
hubitanbi; for his severity equalled his oounge, and he unjustly wreaked U[)on them liiti revenge for the iiidignitieH to vhich his proud »i>iril WM subjected by his own countrymen."
Such were the mutual feelings of the victors and Uic vanquiahcd, when it liapjiened Ui»t a ptirty uf Romim soldiers, consisting principally of s nmull detiichnient from tl)C Vlh legion were sent to explore the country between CUu- wntum, a Roman &tatio» in the vicinity of Southampton, and the new, but flourishing colony of Batli. t
In their pro<;rcss throogb the neighbourhood of old Sxrum, then called Sorbiudunum, the Itomans vrerc attacked by a pait>' of Britons ; and after a desperate resistance, in which they lost tjieir leader, the veteran Valens, being overwliclmed by tlie superior numbers of their
; RM^wd of CirenMilcr (lib. ti. e. I. i. IS.) *UW* ilut Ba(b and OlanMiicr iKr« occnpiei bj Ibe RnmaDi, A.D. 47. The EtMi*" were pmbabljr atirMtod co (be TonMr place bf he feniMi* bol eprince, vbich Ibejr nllei] tfce wition or the lus, end eflrr whirh xh*j naiaed tbe ciij' Ai|ua Salle. I need haiMy add Hut Baih bad ciiitod long prerionilf a* a llnluh city; for fr* lieditiou ate uion geoermll]' knuwn ibau ibai rclallng ta ihe Mttortrf at ilie uicdicinkl virluBt Of ita wtien, and ita ooeawiueDt fouada- tba by Bladiid.
«
HTONF.FtE.VOe; OR,
assailanU, were obliged to consult tlicir safety by flight.
In this brave little bsncl was a young soldier of the name of Pudens, who had accompanied the Roman general in the capacity of n-hnt we should now style an ud-dc-camp. Pndens had been a fellow atudcnt with jVgricola, whom tJio pen of Tacitus has immortaliiied ; and, like him, having completed his studies at the Greek university at Marseilles, was now improving his military knowledge in Britain. Already an adept in the seience of fortification, he had as- »sted the centurion Valens to surve)* the coun- try, preparatory to laying down the military road which in after days connected Batli with the Fosse road extending from Dortetshire to Lincolnshire.
l*udens fought gallantly by the side of the centurion, notwithstanding the hopelcsiiness of tlie contest ; and »o entirely absorbed had he been by the excitement of the combat, that be was for some moments unaware that his com- panions had deserted him, and that ho was almost surrounded by the enemy. With some difficulty, and not without a Mvcre wound in Ins shoulder from a brazcn-hoaded javelin, ho extricated himself from his assailant-s, and
I
THB ROMANB IN BRITAIN. 4
xpurriitg his iionc, soon distODoed bis pus suen.
Haring escaped from im[nl^diaU; dangi-r, he slnckened his speed, and directed his course to- wards an open spncc to avoid ttic woods and thickets in wbieli the Britons were accustomed to lie in nmbush fur their foes. Ilaving dis- mounted, snd tetlicred his horse to a hawthoni, he Mitod himself on tlie gross, and began to ruminkte on his dreary situation — wearied, wounded, and alone, a hewilderod watulcrcr, in an enemy's country. 'I1ii> sun was setting, und a dense, autumnal mUt, resembling a sn of vapour, CUTered tlie almost boundless plain wliioh surrounded hin;, and threnlcne<] soon to envelope him, in what nppc&rcd tu the young Roman accustomed to the glowing atmosphere of Italy, a mantle of icy darkness. In a fit of (kjeotion, he wrapped his military cloak around him, Mtd redintng on the cold heath, endea- voured, but in vnn, to compose himself to slumber.
Happily he hod not long remained in this obeeriesa state, I>efore he remembered that he had slung round hia horve's shoulders a skhi filled with rich Falemtan wine, which his officer had provided for tlieir joint accommodation.
8
STONEHEN'Ofi; OR,
Never waa gift of Bacdius more opportune. H&\^ng poured out a somcwliit scant libation to the joUy god, he quaffed a copious draught, niid seemed alo^oxt insUntnncouslf inspired by it» effects. He who but a moment before had hardly dared to breathe aloud lest be sliould be diuovered by hia enemies, now, witli a ligli heart, and cheerful voice, hoping to be recog-'' nized by bis friends, carolled forth from hia favourite Horace:— Quit poetvina ^rartni niilitUiii sut i>aii|Htripin cnpiitl
Wba datci with gXui well QH'd irilh wiof. At irnnti or toil) o( vrti, rrpinr I
Having listened in rain to catch the sound of any voice in reply, he was about to betake himaelf once more to his turfy couch, when he saw at a distance a flickering hght, which hia sanguine imagination represented to be a signt kindled by some of his coropaiiions, at a ral* lying point for their dispersed hrctlircn. He immediately arose, remounted, and rode to- wards tltis clieering inark. The night, owing to the mist, had become quite dark, and with the exception of a few stars orerhead, which shot in meteors across the heavens, the fitful light of this beacon was his only guide. No- thing is more deceptive than a distant fire;
THB ROMAXa IN BHITAIX.
9
and thougli Uiiit seemed at jntcrrals to i]lit> mine the whole hemisphere, it wns not until after man^ a weary circuit, and many a far digression, Utat he tsme within itx victnitjr.
Here a sight preiieDted itself, to which th« adminibly descriptive pen of his countryman, ViT^l,cciul(] hardly do justice; and which cer- tainly resembled a vision of tlie unitcen world, rather ttian aught human. In Uie midst ofa huge circle^ formed by a stupendous colonnade of massive, unhewn pillars, I*udens beheld a terrific lire, who&c dames lighted up the whole scene with a lurid !»ut unoeitiun glare. Around this fire stood a number of tall, motionless, forms, of a superhuman height, and behind them apjHNired severnl sitadowy, cavcm-hke ardies. In the midst was n human figure, clad in a vestment of daxdint; whiteness, pointing towitrds heaven an uplifted wand. He seemed some mighty oiagicitm, wboso potent spcU had drawn forth from their rock-built caves the giant forma wliicli stood around, and before whom mortals crouching nt their feet arcmed but aa pigmies. Behind, and risible throuirh these rude archn'ays, appeared a number of in- dividuals, in long, light rob«s, bearing some- thing glittering in their hands. Otlicr circles
B 3
10 - btonbhenob; or,
of living beings and motionless forms surround- ed these, and the whole seemed enclosed by the gigantic boundary which we have described. At a distance from this enchanted ring, and apparently separated by some invisible barrier, was a large concourse of people, apparently congregated as spectators. Amid this dark group flaming torches waved about in all direc- tions, as though the meteors overhead were reflected in Bome dark lake below.
When Pudens had recovered from the almost overpowering amazement excited by this awful spectacle, be secured his horse in a neighbour- ing thicket, and advanced cautiously on foot till he reached a mound in the vicinity, from whence, by lying on his breast with his head just peering over, he was able to view, unper- ceived, the whole scene.
He now discovered it to be a Druidical as- sembly, who were holding their equinoctial meeting at Stonehenge. In the person of the ma- gician, he beheld the Arch Druid ; in the mighty and mysterious forms standing around, he dis- cerned tall masses of stonA ; and in the huge arches he saw the rude, rocky portals which fill travellers with astonishment even at the present day. The whole scene, indeed, deserves a
TUB ROMANS IN BRITAIN.
II
more minute dcscri])tion ; fur lUliiougli the un- oerUiii light aiid viiryini; thiuluwii imparted to it a vague subliititty, yet tlie sjiectaclc vraa in itaelf so soU'uiii and im|>using, tliat it needed noUiiug of the unreal or indefinite to add to its gniidvur.
In the mid space included within the ootos- aul colonnade vas a Urge oval recess, formed by tall upright stones, Imving in its centre a vast U])hewn altar, and n blazing fire. Before this altar stood tlie Arcli Druid, in his magni- 6cent puntilicaJ robes ; hu right iiand grasping a golden sceptre. Ilia long silver side locks blended willi his heard; and tlic boldness of his forcliciul waH hidden by on oaken garland sur- mounted by a tiara of gold. A. cariously wrought breast-plate of the same precious metal was half concealed by a long mantle of snowy whiteness, which was fastened by being drawn through a goUl ring oil his right shoulder, and almost hid a pur of atngularly earrcd pen- tagonal wooden sandals." He was attended by several other Druids, also arrayed in white robes, but without bre«Jl^pUtcs, whose ton-
■ TUi dnwriptioB of tho Drulilkal tMt«uia ttaa to. *e- rord wiik • pliW Jo Mon(f«uc«i)'s Andiutin, mil dot* ocit iMtMi>1l)r Ma fram ihklnr Uorlaw, aUt hai ena advmiii lo the ptaugOMl tmM».—UU. tfOmwM,
■^^^
u
KTONEIIKNGE ; On,
8ur«d heads were unndorned, but whose llo^ving long Ijeards, nevertheless, gave them a very atnking appearance.
At the otlier end of the altar stood the chief of UieOvntes, orsacriBcialorderofthe Druids,* in a robe of hght green. With one hand he held the horns ufa milk white heifer, which his attcndnnts, nimilirly cUd, tuid just led to the altiir, and witli tlie other brandished aloft a sa- criticiaL knife. A circle of Dniids, and another of Urates, separated from eacli otl)or by a Ktrong burrier, inclosed this group.
The Arch Druid seemed, by the movement of his hand, to be addressing this dazzling at-j sembly, atid at every })ause a stream of musHVi mellowed by tlic night wind, and clioru-ssed by tlie shout of thu multitude, thrilled through the cars of Pudvns. Tliis music, he perceived, came from a part of the sacred cnclusure, behind the masaive arches which sheltered thcOvatcs. Here stood the bards in sweeping robes of sky-blue,
* Tbc Webb Btrd* ibiu charaetciiitf tbc OraJiUoal orders tn rrforfnct to Ihrir cottume. Thvy dncrlbc ibc Itudi am iIm " wranr* <i( the lon^ blue rnbr* •" ih(- Ovale* ■■ ■* hating > pUce in ilic uaeiphly with their tobtt oT bright green )" 'nil Ibc Druiili m the " iplencllil riic«— weucfi ■>( jnlil chaiot — the (iiiiuciitljr wbiw.* — D»vltt'i .Vyiluil. <tflir
THE BOUAN* IN BRITAIM.
15
with glittering Imrps in their hands, from which they ever and anon drew the most rarUhing tCntna. Anottier rocky b&irier was again inter- poaed, and behind it were ranged the di^iplcs of tlie Druidn, in \-^egated dresses of rod, Mae, and green.
The ground thus occupied appeared dedi- cated to Boeerdotal purposes, as far as the tabu- lar boundarj* ; between which, and the mound and trench encircling the whole, there was a vride interval.
In this interval, besidaa a Logan, and other Dniidical erections, which ire shall have occa* non to notice herearter, there was a hillock or mount, on tlic summit of whioh sat the British chief, surrounded bjr torch- hearers; and below him several of the principal nobility.
While Pudens was feasting his ai(;ht on this sublime spectacle, which he had great diihculty ill [terituading himself waa not the imagery of a dream, a huge wicker car, filled with combusti- bles and the carcsHes of slain animals, was dn^ged towards the Arch Druid to receive his benediction. The bards then sung a short hymn, and the whole assembly shouted in cho- rus. A solemn vilence succeeded, broken only by the iiidisiinct votoe of the Arch Druid, in-
14
NTONRnKNOR ; OR,
Toking the gods, and tite creak of Uie wheels of tlie wicker car, as it was precipitated into the floines. At this accession uf fuel the lire hrokc funh with ten-fold fury; when, unfortunately, our hero's steed, tcrriliGd at the midden hlax«, uttered n kind of s)iricking nti^h, which appt^ reiitty thrilled wiUi constvniation the whole assembly. '*Afue! a foe'." was shouted by the diflcrcDt persons in tlie crowil ; and a hun- dred scouts were immediately dispatched in the direction of the sound.
Pudens saw the peril of his situation ; and deeming it impossible to remain undiiooTered, resolved, desperate ss the attempt might ap- pear, to cut his ii'ay Uirough tlic crowd and seize his horse. A moment's delay must bo &tal. Tlirowing aside his cloak, therefore, he rushed amid the multitude, and rendered al- most irresistible by a si-nsc of his danger, seemed, at lirst, to annihilate all opposition. Aa he strode along, and his tall lictniet and bright anuour reflected the fitful beams of tJie vrithing tlamcs, the multitude fancied at first thtit it was their god Taranis, and retreated be- fore him. Their chief, hon'ever, who knew too well the Roman armour, ridiculed their su- perstitious fears, and rallied tfaera with tiie
TKB ROUXNS IN BRITAIN. 15
shout of " A Roman! a Roman !" Regardless of the throng pursuing him, Pudens still pushed forward, his might increasing as his situation became more critical, and the prize was now almost within his reach, when he saw his horse— his beloved horse — his only hope of succour, laid hold of by some of his foes. A spirit of desperation seized him: he leaped forward with a prodigious bound, and snatched at the rein ; but his foot slipped, and he fell on the ground. The enemy now closed with him ; and one, more daring than the rest, who happened to be the warrior son of the chief, planted hia knees on his breast, to pre- vent his rising. He made one more efibrt, and flung his antagonists from him as an eagle will dash from its plumage the first drops of the thunder-shower: but it was in vain ; others crowded round and overpowered him.
With difficulty b^ was rescued from the sum- mary vengeance of the multitude ; more particu- larly as, in his heedless fury, he had wounded the sacred person of one of the Ovates ; but a present respite was granted him at the in- tercession of this priest, who had in view a more agreeable mode of executing his ven- geance, namely — by sacrificing him upon the burning pile !
IH aTOKEHENGE} OR,
CHAPTER II.
A tnlerul rite. Thai in tbe lapu of agei haih crept o'er DiluTUD truthi aail patriarcbil lore.
WOKDSWOBTH.
The custom of sacrificing human vicUms was always a disputed point among the Druids. Many of them thought, with the heroes of Homer and Virgil, that their foes taken in battle were an oflfering peculiarly acceptable to the manes of the fallen ; others believed that the bunmn body alone presented a certain au- gury ; while a third class contended for the old religion, and urged that many of the present superstitions, particularly that of human obla- tions, were innovations, the observance of which had brought upon them the anger of the Gods, as manifested in the Roman invasion.
These various opinions had produced a schism among the Druids, and obliged them to
THE BOWANB IN BBITAIN.
17
«8tabUih tlieir rarious sccto in different cava- tries* Tlio«c who sugurcd from human vi<:tims IimL esUtilixhvd tliemMlves in Moiift;* thoHC who nucrificed their captives of wnr, in Cinul ;t Mtd thoae who eadoaToureci to maintiiin tlie purity of tlic uideiit religion, in Briiitin. ThcM peculiar tetiels were nut, indeed, ex- dusivcly maintained in the places which we luivc mentiuncd ; but such were the general charactcrisdca o( these diSeront catabliah- raonts.
The present Arch Druid was of the class which adhered to tlie patriarchal religion, and might be constdered, except where he was obliged lo conform to more jwpular usages, no unwortliy representative of tlie very ancient order of British Druids. lie was not only very fur superior in knowledge to llie generality of Uic people, which was common tu his order ; hut he vas likewise oonaiderably in ad- vance of his brethren ; for luving spent much
■ AogltMi.
I Tti cmr, Ibat 6wil, Traft too, thai Bribtn, by lb* Oai^ nilUucM. B>*e done imtU ilcciU of horn* i dc«di IkM *huok*d Hsuiapltjr, ■«! otlTJ Train *agty bMifii Thrw cunu on nut country.— 'JVuiok'j Cmmci* S*t, bowrrer, hi* aoU oa tkl* part,— Eu.
18 BTOKEHENGB ; OB,
of the early part of his life in the neighbour- hood of the Greek colony, at Marseilles, he hacL acquired some knowledge of Grecian Uterature ; and his mind had, in more mature years, been greatly improved by travel, and converse with philosophers.
Such was the functionary before whom Pn- dens was broi^ht, charged with being a spy on the proceedings of the religious assembly, aad with having interrupted their solemnities, and used violence towards the sacred person of one of their priests.
There was no difference of opinion as to the prisoner's guilt ; but considerable discussion arose as to his punishment, in consequence of the wounded Ovate's having demanded hta immediate immolation.
The Arch Druid, opposed in principle to the sacrifice of human victims, and moved with compassion at the youth and manly bearing of Pudens, resolved, if possible, to avert from him this horrible fate. Notwithstanding that his authority was nominally absolute, he had, how- ever, in the present instance, to contend with such difficulties and prejudices, as soon con- vinced him that his eSbrts to preserve the pri- soner's life would be useless.
THE KOHAN3 IN BAITAIX. 19
The meeting was composed of delegates from all the principal establishments of the Druids. Among these were many £rom Anglesea, and from Gaul, of whom the greater number were opposed to the Arch Druid. Of his own more immediate followers, too, the majority would rejoice at this opportunity of vengeance for the recent massacre of their brethren at Anglesea, by Paulinus Suetonius; and the multitude would, it is easy to ima^ne, hail with delight the slaughter of a Roman, as some slight com- pensation for the myriads of their countrymen who had perished in the insurrection of Boa- dicea. The favour of the multitude was not to be despised at a time when the existence of the priesthood was menaced, and an order for their extermination had gone forth from the Em- peror ;" but still more important was it, at such a crisis, for tlie hierarchy to preserve unanimity amongst themselves.
The Arch Druid, acting as president, took but little part in the debate ; yet he did not wholly conceal his own views and wishes, though, unfortunately, they were not the views
* A decree for ihe eitinctiOD of tiie Druids was usued hj Tibcrioa, and carried into parlial necution under Clau- dius.
20
STONEHENOE ; OR,
and witthex of ttic majority. An aged bud, too, spoke eloquently on Uie side of mercy, wliicb tiv called the mistletoe of the suul i but the wouiiited Orate, wliohsd himself witae»sed the imtnoUttoii of tiome of hist own relatives at Angleseit, Njioke more vehemently, nnd, at the same time, more artfully, on that of vengeance. " Ha\-e not the llomnns, themselves," sud the Orate, " set us tlie exnmple of saeri&ang human victims? Inflated l>y temporary suc- cess, they are pleased to call us barbarians ; but did they not imbrue our altars, at Atiglesea, with the blood of our priests } and did not they offer as u Micrifice to liivir furies, what \re should have offered to our <iodB ? Consider, too," he pursued, " that what was revenge in them, is mercy in us. They know not but that the victims, whom they east alive into the flames, perish like the btrasts whom they, in their ignorance and cruelty, resemble; but we know that their spirits shall Bnimatc other forms ; and if virtuous and valorous in this life, far more glorious ones. If, therrforc, the free- dom whiel) tlic Gods can bestow, be better than the fctterN which man caii impose, it is hu- manity towards the captive to release him from the ills of mortality. Nor is it only humanity
THE KOUANS IN BRITAIH.
31
to Aim ; it is justice to the ghosts of the slain ftt Aiigtcscfl, and to their survivors ; for we know that ttic lifo of man can only be redeemed by life. Nny, further still, it is piety to tlic im- mortal Godi, to whom nothing is so dear as human life, and notliing, consequently, so grate- ful OS oblation. Let nic, therefore, entreat you/' he coitdudcd, " not to heed the suppli-
intions of a Itomin, an cnomy, and a spy ; but to do that which is most liumane to the pri- Koner, most just, and moat polilir to ourselves, and moat acceptable to tlie Gods."
This speech, plausible in itself, viu rendered slill more effective by the ilihpUy of llic blood- «tAii»ed vest; and being on ihe popular side, vtns received with shouts ofapprobaUon. Tlie fatal sentence now only required ratifica-
' tion by the Arch Oruict ; which ratification he was about to give, although with extreme re- luctance, when, as ProvidciMx had happily oi^ dcrcdit, he was interru|jted by the inauspicious lowing of the sacred heifer.
The Arcl) Druid did not fail to take advan- tage of this circumstance, tu represent tliat the Uods were opposed to this cruel sacrifice, and tliat it ought not, therefore, to proceed. Tlie discussion was, in consequence, again renewed ;
22 btonehbngb; ob,
and, after a stormy debate, it was at last re- solved that the prisoner's fate should avait the ordeal of the Logan, or Rocking Stone.
While the Druids were thus engaged, Pa- dens, who had been removed to a distant part of the enclosure, had time to collect his scat- tered thoughts } but, oh ! what pen shall des- cribe the intensity of the emotions which successively agitated his bosom during this in- terval of suspense ! It was some moments before he could open his eyes on the scene around him ! and when he did everything seemed to float before his vision with horrible indistinctness. The fell desire of revenge, which had at first stimulated him almost to madness, had now subsided, and less violent but more harrowing feelings tortured him, awakened by the close contemplation of death — ™lent — unrequited— death ! All the visions of youth — all the projects of ambition — all the endearments of friendship— to perish in a mo- ment ! No person to sympathise in his suf- ferings— that thought was cruel ; no fnend to vnttiess his death — that was heart-rending ; no friend to hear of his death — that was over- powering. Had there been one whom he knew to behold, still more to record, the fortitude
THE ROMANS IN BBITAIN. 23
with which he should have grappled with his final foe, he would have died contentedly, nay, even happily. Yet, strange to say, ao tena- ciously does hope cling to the heart of youth, that he did not yet utterly despair of life ; nay, still more strange, there was something of ad- venture, something of heroism, in his present situation, which, at momentary intervals, made it somewhat more than merely tolerable ; — of such strange complexity are we wrought !
In one of these flitting paroxysms, he had the courage to survey the altar, and even the fire which was to immolate him ; but, oh, heavens 1 how shall language describe the shudder which seized him, when he beheld on that wicker pile, as yet unconsumed, the body of a Roman sol- dier ! In the soldier's fate he read his own. A cold sweat crept over him ; his heart sicken- ed, his knees smote, and he would have sunk on the earth, had it not been that, at this mo- ment, he was summoned away to the Arch Druid's presence; and a spirit of desperation — that fixed despiur which supports a fiend under a thunderbolt, and renders him immortal— not only sustained him, but imparted an energy which seemed to render him superior to the shocks of fate.
24 btonebenob; ob,
CHAPTER III.
Thither, yontb. Turn ^nr Mtooiab'd ejt* ; behold joa huge Aod ashevn ipbcre of liriiig adiiaiBat, Which poil'd by nmgie, rents iu ccDlrnl weight On ^nder painted rock ; firm as it sceini. Such is its striDge and virtuous proiierty, It moves obaeqniouB (o the gentlest touch Of him, whose breast in pure ; but to ■ traiiori Though e'en ■ giant's proweis nerved hia arm. It atandt as fixt as SnoKden.
m*son's CARACTiICUS.
Thb Logan, or rocking-stone was generally an enormous mass of granite, poised with such nicety upon the tapering extremity of another stone, that it might he put into motion by the hand, or sometimes made to oscillate, aa Car- rington describes it, "even hy the puffing breeze." Cromwell's soldiers found one of these relics of olden superstition in Derbyshire, the superincumbent stone of which weighed from eighty to one hundred tons ; and having, in their ignorant zeal, broken it into pieces, they
TflK ROHAN* IN BRITAIN.
25
DTcn-tl tliat the Logan was made moveable
iy & pivot morticed into one stone, wliicli cor-
|rc^>ondcd with a socket in the other. It was
lH€(t by the Dniida as a t«8t of the innocence
[of persons sccuaed ; and, hke tJie Saxon ordeals
[which succeeded it, was very subservient to
[the views of those who superintended its um.
[If a sense of crime made the culprit timid, he
[did not apply sufficient force to move it, and
was, tlierct'itrc, not unjustly condemned ; but if
I he were obnoxious to tlie priesthood, the force
[of a giant would not bare aviulcd bim t for by
tion of any obstacle between tlie pirut
! edge of the socket, the mau might be
'rendered immoTable.
H«iT cii the ■ccoii'd npoa Ui Dvn tjiptal
Ta ri|kiooa> God* »k*a oiu bkl ccu'd to l«c\.
Of >1 a dou^ilni jmiietfi urrn rniiiiinart.
Hr/ur* tlie Stdhr or Power wai fatxri tu tUIld,
To ukr b'n teulenM from ilw (uiUnrH blork,
A* M liw Umtk il lotk'il or Mea'd to mok.
nOHIUWUKTII.
Such was tlie precarious ordeal upon wltidi I tlie fute of our hero was suspended 1
Pudvns being brought before the primitive Judgment scat, the Arch Druid wavctl his JKcptre, and a deep sUence inmiediately per-
voL. 1. a
— 41
ic
BTONBtlKNOB; OR,
vadcd the whole assembly, broken only by the crackling of tlie flumes, nnd the fall of the niateriaU as they were detached by the fire. As IHidcns expected that he was now to receive his sentence of death, his only thought ■ was how to demcAn hinis«lf as became a Roman ; and having, therefore, "scren'cd his courage to the stieking-|ilace," he stood Iwfore tlie Arch Draid with head erect, left foot advanced, and ■ riifht hand clenched ; his knit brow, compressed lips, and fixed and glowing eyes, displaying the condensation of desperation and defiance.
The Arcl) Druid asked him in Greek, " Who, and what art thou ■ "'
'* A Roman," answered Pudens.
The Arch Druid, with a mild voice, coii-j tinuedj " What would'st thou here, profaning our holy mystories ?"
** Holy mysteries, ye Gods !" scornfully repeated Pudcna ; pointing to liis comrade's corpse, which at tliat moment fell uiicunsumcd from the flaming pile.
The Drui<l shuddered as his eyes beheld this object; and foeling siill more commisera- tion for the youth and magnunimity of the prisoner, lie thought it more prudent to curtail a dialogue which could only hare the effect of
THB ROMANS IN BRITAIN.
27
cxxspcrnting his companionti. He, therefore,
^proceeded thus : ** Young Komaii, as & foe, b
[disturber of our iiiy8t«ri«s, luid aii assaulter of
^our priests, our laws condemn thee to tiic fate
which thoa would'at hare assigned us ; but as
.a youth and a stranger, our religion conipas-
eionstCLS thee. Tliou hast, therefore, a chanea
(if lire : and if the GmIb reseat not thy defiance
more than wo do, may'st yet eacapc."
llu then explained the nature of the nrdeal, Bnd added in a mild, affectionate roicc, Iiardljr ahove a uhisper, in order that Pudcna alone might bear, " Strike, and strike boldly.**
Pudens n'as now led in procession to the IjOgan stone, which rearcl its etiormous bulk at a distant part of tlte enclosure within the mound, hut exterior to tbe stone barrier. Rrsl in order marched the Arch Druid, bearing the sacred oaken wand lipped with silver, attended by two jtiutlia nitli flaming torches; and immediau-ly behind him tlic Druids in tlieir long white rubes. Then came I\idens, escorted between two uf tltc Orates, one car- rying an oak-Ieaf garland, the token of victory ) utiil llic otlicr — horrible to relate — the t-ncrifi- eiol knife I Several of the youtlis, some iirmed with brozeji'headed jax-elins, and othera car-
0 8
28
STONEIIENOE ; OB,
tying torches, tunoundcd them as a guard. l*hese were followed by the rest of the Ovatcs ill tiieir bright green vestures ; and the proces- sion WHS elose<t by the bards in their long blue rohei, walking tn'o by two, and bearing their glittering harps in their hantb.
While Pudenx was in the prc«noe of the Ardi Druid, the proper ofliccrs had gone to prepare tlie dread ordeal, and, nominally, at leaat, to take care tliat no impediment to the free motion of the ponderous ma&s existed ; in the performance of which duty none was more officious tlian the wounded priest. Tbeae ar- raugemeiits being completed, the different niem- (>crs of t3te prucesMiun ranged tlieniselves in circles around tlie Logan, which, magnificc] by the lights and shades of a hundred torches, appeared like an a\'nlanclic poised oa r moun- tain of snow.
Hie Arch Druid then commenoed the cere- mony by the following invocatioa : —
Bjr th* lltcml counc uf Ilio tun't firry tnr | By tbr ■uo(iii> cb*riot truck u ibc wtadcti aftr i By tl)c niiKic*! polrnry of neb Mbt ; Accept tlili waaJ '.
Presenting the mystic staff to Pudens he re- sumed--
I
4
Tire KOUANS IN URITAIK. 29
B^ dte Biming Zodisr't twplTpraU girU>| Kj tlic )il«acu cUTal vilh aaUi«'* biflh | Who in inulkat uiuej eoclrclc the cafthi II»r(ii nim- lliy handt*
The liarda now sung in chorus to their harps a brief but very loclodiuus strain, the burden of which was —
Voo rock M tli^ toncb, if ueiitllisd ikjr moI, To and fro' m ila (rdtoiKnt pillow abkll mil [ \i old DCMn, dUturbed in liis f irviDuiu bed, Hf ilkc bivMb at Ibe wind, »b«ket kia blUov-vreathM bead.
Wliile this impressire ceremony was pro- ceeding, the Logan roelced riolcntly, and even terrifically ; being secretly put in morion by some uf the attendant prieata ; which afforded Pudcns some encouragement, as it convinced him that it was not immoveable, tt had nuw, however, recovered its equilibrium ; ttie music vras hushed, and the signal given by the wounded Ovate.
Pudcns summoned up all hU resolution, and poising the silver tipped staff for a moment in his hand, with a mixture of confidence and de- fiance, Iturted it with all his might at the stone.
■ m* adjiinfion la alncMI Iilrr»tl7 tramUkJ frooi aa ■oclral Dnidical oalb, preBtr*«d bj- Scldeo in bia PraloR. 4a tUt SyriiN tni by ym ntniclcd from V«ttia« Valen* Antietbfsu*, I. 7.
30
KTUNKItENnK; OR,
1'be wand wca shiTered into splinters, nnd the Logsn rang with the ▼iolciicc of the concussion : but it remnincd fixed ss & rock !
A inomentnry paiuc cnnued, during which ever)- breath was suspended with anxiety, and which was at last T>rol(cn bjr a groan of the ^rcli Dniid'.^, who knew too well that fraud had been practised, but dared not expose it.
Wliat were tlie feelings of Pudcns during tilts moment ? Did he rave with desperation ? No. — Did he tremble with terror ? No. — lie felt neither desperation nor terror, lie apake not — he moved not— be felt not. His too xangutne disposition had construed the kind advice of tbe Are!) Druid into a proaiise of success ; and disappointment, coming wiUi the suddenness and ^'iolence of a thunderbolt, had stunned him. Tliere he stood, with hix right arm ad^-anced> as though the lance hud hardly left it, and his right foot raised behind hioi ; bercfk of all thought and notion : bko the statue of Apollo when tbe fatal quoit had brought his favourite Hyacinthus to the ground. The lica^-en. rending shout of tbe multitude seemed to recall his life, but not his senses ; and he was carried off" unresisting, and almost unconscious.
TIIB ROMANS IS BRITAIN.
ai
Tlie ucrcd torclHis, which bod b«cn Iwmc in procession, were now laid on tlic Altar, and the tire reltindled. Tlie priests resumed their ]ilw»», aiid tlie bards Uieir harps. In the meuitiine tlief proceeded to divot Pudens of hut helinetajid brcMl-pInte, nnd to bare the u|>per part of bta body; uid while Momc of the Plainens were thus employed, uthorii pn-pared Uie leathern tliongs to hind his liinba, and the chief of the Ovatcs placed a chaplct of mistletoe on his bruvrs.
On tearing asttlv his tunic, some object met the view of the oAidating priest, wliich seemed to excite his astonishment; and the Augur- having had bis attention directed to it, no sooner beheld it than he let fall his divining rod, aiid tore his h^. The Arch Uruid was now sent for; and he having gazed au instant, uttered a wild sound, something between a shriek and a groan, and fell powerless to the ground!
The cauM of tliis estraordinaiy emotion in», that on Pudens's breast appeared the ligure of a crown, Bunnountcd witli an oak leaf, and having a cipher below ; dU rudely traced in mi- nute punctures of the skin, which had been afterwards stained with woad.{A}
32
aroNEHENCE; or,
The mark of n crown was freqttcntljr jai- pressed by tti« KingH of Bnlaiu upon tlteir tons ; and if they were of llie druiiUcitI order, the oak- leaf was superadded ; forniitig together one of the iDost honourable insignia of royal birih< In the present instance, it not only conveyed this mysterious infurmAtion to the Augur i but it eonrinced the Arch Druid, at a glance, that the victim about to be immolated was none other than his own son I
Tlie Ardi Druid had formerly been King of the Hcedui, or people of Somersetshire ; but his territories had been ravished from him by tbe lielgie, who, in their inTasion, had carried off his infant son. The chief of the Belgians, lutving uftcrwiirds been summoned away hastily to Gaul, where ihc far larger portion of his domiitiotiK lay, bud taken loudens witli him ; and bis countrymen having tiicaiiwliile rixcn in insurrectioii against the Koniana, and Iwen obliged to deliver up hostages of tbe cliief of the tmtion, he had dispatched him to Rome in the place of his own son. As all this had happened nearly twenty years ago, this long intcn'al bad elapsed since tlic unhappy father had received any intelligence uf his lost child.
But we must recall our attention from tlie
I
I
i
4
TUB H0UAX8 IN DBITAIK.
:ts
Fpast adventures of the father and son to their Lpresent situittion. The father had just fttrength ! enough to whisper, almost inaudibly, but in an ' *gany of en)ot4on, " Save him I — save him I'' a i behest which, however, involved a task not so ' easy of accomplishment as it might at first ap- pear; for the fire waa burning fearfully, the pie were wfiilLDg impatiently, and tiw sacri- Sm could not be deferred without assigning some reason, while, as yet> no reason could be dc^HMd. A council of the Druids was, tliere- fore, immediately called to advise upon the emergency ; and all was mystery and confusion^ discord and irresolution.
Happily, the Augur thottght of an expedient which seemed to meet all the difficulties of their present cmharraBsmcnt, The body of the Ro- man which I'udens bad seen, and which had thrilled him witli such horror, liaving, na abovo stated, fidlen from t)ie car unconsuined ; it waa proiwscd to substitute this in the place of their intended victim. Aa the people were at a dis- tance, and as ttic fitful glare of the flaoiea was frequently intercepted by different persona pass- ing to and fro in the escrcisc of tlieir fuitctions, there was sufficient obscurity to favour th« fraud, and to render it undiiooverahle.
c 3
M
sroMSBBNoe; or.
It migtit here l)e proper to obserre, that this curpsc was the hody of the Roman Centurion^ Vglens, who had been slain in tlie morning ren- contre, and which had been dragged hither at the comniaTid of some of the Orates, to sub- serve the purpoaes of nugTtry>
Pudens had, by this time, Ijeoome sensible of the reality of his horrible situation, atitl bad JQSt begun tu look wildly around him, in hope- leM angui.sli ; wiien he felt the leathern thongs which confined him loosened, and a wliit« gar- ment thrown around liim. A voice at the same lime whis})ercd, " If thou art sili-nt thou art 3taJ*e ; follow mc :" and ho was led by the hand, hastily, tmd almost unconsciously, to a little distance, where he was told to remain concealciJ.
From this hiding-place he hod lui indistinct view of what wtut passing around him ; and he used afterwards to desrrilie his feehugsaa being of the most extraordinary nature. The adven- tures of the evening had been of such an a[>> palling character, and had succeeded each other with such an overwhelming rapidity — they had beeit so fraught with horrors, and, at the same time, BO unhkc anything real, that he had ever experienced or heard of— that he felt bowilderod. 1 1 e was, indeed, w unable to connect his present
TAB ROMANS IN BRITAIN.
35
emotions with any foriner mental BssociitUoDS, Uiat his mind-pressed on the very verge of in> awiity. At first he thought lie was oppressed by some ' Phantasms, or sonic hideous drcnm;' uul be aAerwards bvgan almost to doubt bis own identity, and even to imagine tltat be bad suffered the Aite which had tbn»icncd him, and that biii body was the corpse wlucb be »uw saw ooiisuming, while his spirit, robed in white, wax witliin the conlines of Taitarus, awaiting the judgment uf lUiadamanthux ! Tlic lire, tlie music, the ahndowy costumct the place, tbo time, all — all contributed to add to tho delu- iiion.
Such were the mysterious feelings which ac- companied bin rcturnuig conscioiune^. Such were the spectral illusions which flitted across the chambers of imagery, ere yet Keoaoti, with her wand, Like the spear of ithurid, had made reality reveal berscll' without dUgiiisc \
By tlie time the mystic cercmgny was con- cluded, the Arch Druid was recovereil, and bad given orders that Pudens should be conducted to bis abode; wlio wns accordingly taken to the residence of bis new, but unknown reUUrc.
The Arch Druid did not reveal his relation- ship that evening, for he compasuonatcd the
36 8T0NEHENGB ; OB,
exhausted state of Fudens ; and, indeed, his own strength was unequal to the task ; for be- sides the fatigue consequent on hia sacerdotal exertions, his heart was borsting with those parental emotions, which could only find relief in solitude and tears. He, therefore, shared with Pudens the rerotuns of a sacrificial wbeaten cake, and a cordial distilled from the sacred mistletoe, with honey and an infusion of white poppies. Having discussed this light meal almost in silence, three or four fieecy skins were piled on each other, at a little distance from the fire, as a couch for Pudens ; and, in a few moments, his marvellous but brief adven- tures, his past trials and present dangers, were all alike forgotten.
THR BOHANS IN URITAIM.
37
CHAPTER IV.
Ket rrtMvbo •pncin, Qui, Bcleni. ndituiUi
Nil opu lade lulit ; Sfd Uinrn. ut plftcltuiR, Klirpe utoa Dmldftn.
avotuvt, t*9W. 19,
Not Id obUrlooi (IIm(« ■tiall rriiiai> Tke boljr Wkrd«n ot Apollg'i Cute | He hU nligton*! slorjr bad loniveii And from lil* oOecUttic wvalthderircd. Bui from Ihe noble met of [>riiid> *prui|E, It verc DM mert hi* name ihould be niiaag.
WtiBN Pudens awoke on the tnorron-, lie began to Borvey tlie ai>aTtment in which lie luul ilept; and wliich ho now found was a subter- raiiciiUH one, ap[)arently (urmed by the excava- tion of surtio hill or rock. Tlie only avenue for the ttdtoiaKion of light was a long tube in the centre of tlie aiMurtnicnt, rcsembhnj;, and indeol among other uxe*, subserving the pur- |>0K of a ditmney ; but which was not imme- diately over the fire-place. On looking above,
38
STONKHENdB ; OB,
he observed that the stars were visible ; but the sky appcitrcd unusuallr Ugbt around, Aiid he fancied that be could discern tbo dis- tant songs of birds. To a<ld to his pin-ptcxitj-, the huge oaken log piled on tbc &re when he came in, and whieh Uiea seemed fuel for the next twenty-four hours, -wea now in ashec; and the long torches of fir splintcra saturated with grease, n^icli served as hghts, had for tlie most part moiddcrctl away, and their places been supplied by others.
fVfter torturing his imagination in rain to account for these appeanuices, he fortunately recollected that he bad heard of tlie !''gyptians being able to sec the stars at mid-day, notwith- standing an almost vertical sun, by looking u])wards from the bottom of a deep n-cll | fa«^ therefore, attributed to the long tube* Uie aame property of making the slnrs visible by day- light ; which was indeed the cb&c, for day-lij^ht had illumined the world for some hours ; liis
* llir UM of llirui lubcN tot ulranninknt yarpotn hu l«il
H«( rrilFr* to lujipOH' thai ntilirnl inilrumrnti vcte not
nkiiowa lo lli« Druidii wbo wlducc In mpport of Ifaeir
ilalnii itie fotliming pauigc from Dioiliini* Sieultu i^
''" In lliii itlmid. Ilie luooii uppttun to nenr lli« r«rlU, llial
ceruln etninciitei cf « (rrmtrial rurm are pkiiilj' itta
OB IL"
I I
TQK KOUANS IN BRITAIN.
39
P
slumben having cncroaclicd very much upon the morning.
PudcnB, having allayed iiis curiosity on this jioiiit, naturally felt a desire to explore the mysteries of his singular place of sojourn. Looking out at the vaulted entrance of his Rjiartmcnt, into a dark, but apparently spacious cavern beyond, he could see notliing but some high and bulky, but misshapen columns, which caught and reflected back Uie feeble ray emitted by his lamp; and no sound reached his ears but that of n iwrpetual dropping of wnter, as tliough from u considerable height, into some pool or reservoir bdow. As bin curiosity, tioive%'cr, had mor« scope tlian opportunity of indulgence in the exterior of bia apartment, ho very viscty turned bis attention to the interior ; seniible that a traveller ex])oses himself to the charge of great ignorance, who dues not make himself acquainted with Uio peculiariticii of his own country, before lie oeeks otliers.
Upon taking a survey of the room i» which he had slept, he discovered that it was the Areh Druid's secret laljoratory, and observed the fullovriiig articles lying about in different directions:— On a massive, but smooth piece of limestone, projectiiig from a recess in the
•to
BTONRIIENRi: ; OR,
I
I
wnll, was tlie golden sickle luted to cut the Kocred mixtlctoc : tlie Arch Drui<l'K tiara, jtccjitrc, and breast- plate ; and a rod tipped with silver, similar to thut which he had ithircred in piece), in attempting to pat the Logan in motion. Near these, was a gilded chair ofstitte,overtlie back of which were throvn the pontificial robes and brazen girdle ; and in which were lying a magnilicciit torque or collar, nnd on armilla, botJi of gold wire with pe&rU inwreathcd. All these articK-s appeared to be eiUier the ornaments of tiic ^Vrch Druid's person, or tltc insignia of his office. On an oaken tabic, curiously carved, inlaid with a species of ivory formi-d from the tuska and bones uf marine animals, were strewed in con> fuaion, as tliough recently laid aside, a number of instrumvnta and t^crolls used in study or divi- nation. Among tJiesc, Pudcns particularly no- ticed the magical cr)'stsl,(B) tlic necromantic scissars and shears, several little bundles of divining rods or twigs of different trees, an as- trological scroll, in which were de[Hcted the constellations of the Zodiac, and, what sur- prized liim more tliBn all the rest, two or three Greek manuscripts, among which he rccog- ■ niscd copies of tha poems of Oiplteus and
TUB BOUANS IN DRITAIM.
41
[Homer. The Arch Druid )iiul, npiurently, [Itecn writing; for there were two or three slides, kS<iuarcJ HO us to present flat suHiices, atiO im- [preM<;cliritli Runic inscriptions, Ipng together; ^tnd near tliem the styliUr with whicli the cha> Itacters hml l>e«ii traced, uid the Pcrytliynen, ^or elucidatoT, which was a kind of frame in F which it was iiccess»ry to arrange them, in • order to decipher their meaning. Near the ' fire wore two or three br&xen cauldron*, and r different kinds of rexseU, some nuulc of clay, I tnd some of a vitreous kind of suhsttincc re- liembUng opaque glass, in vbich were oint- I mcnts and Hquids of varions kinds.
While Pudcns was attentively exploring ^tlicse arcana ; the latter of which seemed to [afford him some hope of relief for the pain in I his woundi^ arm, the Arch Druid entered, and kbcliind him two or three attendants bearing pro- |Tiaiona. lite Arch Druid was now mora simply IcUd than on the preceding evening, having on plain white robe witli a crescent embroidered [on it; hut Pudens could not help admiring his [venerable figure and countenance. lie waa very toll, and hia snowy hair and long silvery llieaid gave a peculiar placidity to his features, maturally of a meditative cast. It was as
4»
btonrhsnob; or.
though the stormit of life had ctaatd to kgitntc it; merely leaving slight furrows here and there as a ntemortal of the past conflict.
Their lunch, for so this meal must be called, breakfasts at that time being nnknown, con- sisted of a species of fromenty, made of wheat and eggs, huiled in milk, and s^rcctcncd with honr^ ; which, when thejr had discussed, the Ardi Druid gazed earnestly' upon Pudeiis, uid thus Addressed htm :
" M)- son, they tell me thou hast n wound ; nmyhap it pains tliee and requires dre&sing; I nm not unskilled in chirurgcry, and may pos- sibly administer some relief to thee. Wilt thou bare thy shoulder ?"
The old mnu's manner was so mild and so aJTcetioiintc, that a more distrustful disposition thnii that of Tudenx would have felt confidence and almost love. In him, indeed, a feeling very much resembling the latter prevailed, for he felt an instinctiTc kind of attachment, which appeare<l t» him quite unaccountable. He accordingly bared his shoulder, and in su doing, exposed his breast. The trembling sage anxiously explored this mysterious mark. Bod B certain quivering about the lips, and an occa- sional large sealding tear hasdng to hide itnlf
I
*
THE ROMAN'S IN BRITAIN. 43
in bis venerable beard, betokened hU emotion. He longed to Qy into the arras of his long lost child ; but as yet bis child knew not that it was hia aged parent who stood before him. He wished, moreover, previously to muke a fev inquiries of Pudens as to his former life, as some shadowy doubt seemed still to becloud his conviction ; for he was past that period when hope believes all things, and it is the character of old age to be incredulous of good.
Under the pretext of seeking for some leni- tive, he tremblingly left the apartment to compose his agitated mind ; and so violent were his emotions, that even after his over- burdened heart was somewhat relieved by a torrent of unrestrained tears, thrice did he assay to return and resume his task hut thrice iiis strength f»lecl him. At last, after having with difficulty prepared an ointment of mis- tletoe, he was obliged to give it to one of his ' disciples to administer, white he lingered a little while in solitude to recover bis self-pos- session.
When the wound was dressed he returned, and taking his seat opposite Pudens, thus ad- dressed him : .
44 stonehengb; ob
" I obaerred a singular mBrk upon thy breast, young Roman ; dost thou khow its aig;ni&ca- Uon, or how thou didst acquire it ?"
Pudens appeared at first a little disconcerted ; for that mark had often caused him annoyance, having, in his boyhood, excited the ridicule of his yoathfiil companions ; and even in more mature years, the troublesome curiosity of some of his friends, who endeavoured in vain to in- terpret the mystical symbol. Indeed, the fre- quent blushes which this had caused him in Iiis youth, had acquired him the Roman name Pudens, his original name having been Bago- cassis.*
" I know not, Father," replied Pudens, " either how I acquired it, or what it means. It has caused various speculations, but no one has been able to solve the difficulty ; perhaps your erudition in the occult sciences may enable you to explain it."
" Dost thou recollect," rejoined the Arch Druid, " when thou didst first receive it ?"
" I do not," answered Pudens, " but it wu before I came to Rome."
" Then thou wast not born at Rome ?" —
• "Tu BHgocBSsii, itirpe druidirumlatua."— Wiwoii.pr^. 4, Ed.
TRR HOUANa IN BRITAIN.
45
flkcd the Arcli Druid, with ill-concealed emo- auii. '* ^'Ky," replied Pudetis, " Uicj> telt me th«t bum in GkuI; but this I doubt, fori ^recollect Koine from almost my infancy ; and I emetnber being sent from Rome to Gaul. launder Uie pretext ijf Iwing restored to my pa- rents; but tlicsc pretended ]>arents of mine sold nic to tJte messenger, and he reconvcycd me to I Rome."
FudcnB paused, and the Arch Druid, with I increased emotion, pursued,
" Thy narrative, young stranger, intcreBta i nie. Thou hadst known adventure, then, before yesternight. Proceed with tlty history, I pray I tlMje."
Pudens continued ! " When I arrived at Rome, 1 was employed in the theatre and drcui. On one occasion, I was shifliDg some of tlie itcencry in whicli » young lion was to bo ei- hihili^l, when the animiil broke loose, and rushed towards thiit i>jirt of the bendies on which our Ueneral Aulus Flautiui sat; whereupon— I le- veled at him ttie piked pole which I had in my hand, and with which I used to ftutten the awning, and wounded him. He immediately left Autua PUutius and turned round upon me.
46
btoneiiknoe; or.
but, thanks to the Go(1r, I escaped, and be wu secured. Our general, tliinking that I liad res- cued hint, bought me, and in the course of time — having no children of his own, adopted toe, and bestowed upon mc his own ii:une Aulus. So tliat you see I was made, a Roman if I was not born one. To finish my brief his- tory— Aulus Plnutius sent me to ^fa^!(eiUe3 to be educntc<), and nfterwardx pliicrd me under tlic Rumnii GeneraJ, SuetoniuA, n-hom I nccunv- panit'd hiUier."
" Then thou didst not know tliy parents )" anxiously inquired the Arch Druid. " No," replied Pudens. Ilie old man could control himself no lon|^; but U'ecping aloud, and throwing himself into liis son's arms, with faltering voice he indis- tinctly articulated :
" My son— my son! Iwholdthy father!" It would not be an easy task to dcwrribc the niixcd emotions which tttis exclamation excited in Pudens. Surprise, tinctured with incredu- lity at tlie man'elIuuJ(nc.^s of the event itself; veneration and awe for the person and dignity of the Arch Druid, mixed with a feeling some- what re.temhhng horror at his mysterious of- fice ; a disappointiiicnt at being undeceived in
I I
TUB ROMANS IN DRITAIN.
*7
thinking himself nn nll-povrcrful Kuman, and finding himself a despised Briton, blended, liow-
itver, with a alight degree of satisfaction in finding himself under Buch Iii'.h protection in ii hostile countrj- ; nil these contrarious feelings, Bnd others too Kubtle for snalyHis, were at last ovcrpawerce! by llie effecting tenderness of the Bgcd parent, and the instinctive liliality of the new cliiimed child. I<ongand ardent was their embrace; deep and bol^ were the old man's raptures ; and nil absorbing was the interest
■ with which they proceeded from link to link in the chain of evidence by which they proved their aflinity !
iThe former historj- of Puden« lias already been narrated ; pcrtinps it may not be irrele- rant'to our dcsii^n to give a slight sketch of that of the Arch Dmid in this place. The Arch Druid was a younger son of a former Kin^ of the Hicdui. Hitt British name ■was Rhuddtwm Gawr, by which he is immor- talized in the Welsh Triads as being one of the three ffreat ni'istrrt of myattritut* acieaee m the Jtlanrf of Britain .' His elder brother succeeding *to the throne, he had been intended for the ' Druidical order, and consequently had spent his earlier years in their school.
48
STOXGHENQe; OR,
Uaving, in the course of his studies, a tended the annual uwiulily of tti« Druids in the territones of the Carnutes, in Qnul, he was induced to accompany one of the priests to the neighbourhood of Marseilles, where were the reiics of the famous Uruidical grove so sub- limely dc&cribed by Lucan, (C) and the greater part of which had been dcHtroyed in tlie wan between Pompcy and Cntsar: — and while resi- dent here it happL'tied that mutual curiosity led to a laniibarity between some of the more \*en- luresomeof the students of tlic College at Mar* gcilles, and some of the mure cuminuiiicatiTe inhabitants of this small, but still revered grove; which circumstance produced an interchange of pursuits, and directed his attention to Grecian literature. With such a wide field for study at wiLs thus open to him, it is not surprising that he should have been tempted to prolong his stay for two or three years ; at tl>e expiration of which ]>criod he returned home, and his brother ha^Hng died in the mean time, he suc- ceeded to tltc government of the Hicdui ; whidi digtiity he continued to enjoy when IVdens was born.
Ithasheenlwfore related that tlte Arch Druid lost his kingdom, and his son, in an invasion i
I
TUB ROUANt IK BRITAIN.
49
the Delate : aAer this calamiti^, he directed ■ bis conr»c to Gaul, in hopes of recovering his
i; but his expedition proved bootless. Rarly itnisoenm*, however, induced him to »ettlo for swhile in the neij;hbourhood of Murseilles, where he leamt from vftrioun Greeli writera iiomc of the mystenex uf tlic ICgyjitinn religion; and his imagination being struck with the similarity which prevailed between the religious eereniunics of the pricaU of Ihis &]id those of the UruidH, his curiosity next led him to Eg}~pt, where ho cootrocted a friendship with tlie son of in E^ptian priest, tliroogh whose aid be was able to obtain in formation which otherwise must tiave remnined iiinccesMble.
It U ratlter a singular ctrcuinitance, and its nngularity will, perluips, excuse a brief digres- sion, that tliis identictd priest lutd tlic honour of deiivribing and explaining the antiquities of Egypt to Germanicus ; and Uiat his inter|)reta- tion of the bieroglyphiti ii>scription at Tlielies to his illustrious visitor is prener^'ed by Tacitus, and now forms* jKtrt of tlut writer's immortal history.*
In Eg)-]it, the .\rch Dniid was admitted to the sacred mysterks of Thotli, and learnt some
•Tlu.Aiia.lib.ii.cW. VOL. 1. S
50
itTONBUENGK; OR,
furious particulars la to the primitive knovr- ledge of mankind, and the origin of their various systems of philosophy and religion, which threw great light on the early history of Druidism ; and from this grand resen'oir of human scienoe, he also drew large supplies of all kinds of physical knowledge, particularly astronomy, mecIianicH, and medicine.
On his return U> Britain, he happened to arrire at the sutes of the Veneti, a tribe of the Gaols, inhabiting the coasts of Britanny, on the cvc of one of their singular Druidical festivals. It bad been a custom with this people, firom the most remote ages of antiquity, to bold an annual Convocation on the sea shore, in which they used to add a single stone to their national temple, as a record of the lapse of time. Tbii was done amid a general illumination, and at- tended with certain mysterious ceremonies.*
A little )>efore the occasion to which we refer, their temple had suifercd nmch from a violent storm, which had driven tlie waves inland with such fiiry, that some of the stones, notvrith- atanding their gigantic bulk, had been removed from their proper positions. To replace thue
* S» l\\e KcT. W. L. Buwirt' (luxy un ilie ■toacs at Cwkic Id Nomundy, if pendcd to hM Hcmn BriUonicut.
I I
1
TUB nOHANS l» BBtTAIN.
51
stones required not only greftt mecliAnicsl skill, but great utronomical knowledge; as it was neeeMory tliat the principal diameter of tlw drcle should lie in the dlrcctjon of the poleSg &n<i tJiat their general configunitioa and num- ber should conforni to certain circles and cydc», of which we hare a very imperfect knowledge at the preient day.
This accident wax deemed the more disas- trous, as the Druids liiul lat«-ly held their general assemblies here, instead, as formerly, in the more central territory of the Car* nutes : aiid iii the jircsent instance, they lind, bcaides their ordinary business, tlie im- IMjrtant task of choosing on vVrch Druid ; and it lutd been designed to give as much i^Iat to the ceremony us possible. To add to their embaimssmcnt, such n-aa the decay of astrono- mical science among them, that no one present, except their risitor, was able to instnict them Iiow to dispose the stones: his speech, however, on this occasion displayed tuch ample stores of practical wisdom, as not only gave him an infinite tmperiority over hi* colleagues, but actunlly acquired for him the high dignity of Atth Druid!
D t
53 8TONBHBNGE} OB,
CHAPTER V.
How
Id this our pinchiDg: care, ihtll we dbconne The freeiini' houri airij •
In Ihe care whereio the^ bow, their thonghU do hit The roofi of palace*.
CTMSELIKI.
The Arch Druid could not help nolidng that when Pudens first made his appearance on the morrow after the discovery of hia strange relationship, he looked thoughtful and discom- posed. Accustomed to scrutinize the motdves of human action, and skilled to read in the countenance the indications of what is passing within, he was not at a loss to construe his guest's present feelings, and thus commenced the conversation :
" My son, many of our sages have boasted that they have read in the heavens what is transpiring on the earth, and verily they have not erred. Doth the moon heave our ocean,
TRS ROMANS IN BBtTAIK.
59
And raise the sap in plants, and wilder the lore-lOTn moidcn'a brain ; and shjiU not the stars influence our nctlicr world ? Tea, my son, they do ; and lie is wiau who may read their lore ; but it is a mystery few attain unto. Great is my fame among my people for this ; but I care not to tell thee that though I luvc uft iratdied the bear, and tbougli I have oft foretold great cttanges on earth, and e^-en but tiro montba ago read one in the heavens, which is not yet all fuUUIcd ; nevertheless, my fame hatli arisen rather by the interpretation of that index of the soul, tlte human countenance, than by ought I gotlicrcd from tlie face of the heavens. Shall I tell thee, my son, what hath caused tlic cloud whicli now gatliers over thy brow ?"
" 1 was not aware, father," replied Pudcns, " that my brow was clouded ; but pcrhajra the wound in my shoulder, though but slight, and much assuaged by your medicaments, may have somewhat disturbed my rest last night, and my lace may not altogether have concealed it from your observing eye."
" Nay, my son," said tfac old man, with a lOalle, '* thy countenance doth not betoken
54 stonehenge; ob,
pain, but grief; not so much unreat as anx- iety."
" Well, father," sud Pudens, " it were Tain, it would appear, to conceal from yoa what mj countenance discovers ; but you have excited my curiosity to know the interpretation therdof. I too can gaze upon the scroll of the heavens, but I cannot interpret the glittering chaiacteis inscribed thereon ; now, therefore, aread me my thoughts."
"Well," said the Areh Druid, "ttiou wart thinking that all thy hopes have been dashed to pieceu at a blow ; that thou art no longer a Roman, but a Briton ; no longer a conqueror, but one of the oppressed — "
" Father, forgive me," sud Pudens, intei^ rupting. *' Thou hast truly read my thoughts, for I was thinking even so."
" I blame thee not," said the Arch Druid: " I too have been thinking of thy condition, and little sleep, I ween, have my co^tations allowed me. What are thy future prospects, my son f "
" Why, father," replied Pudens, « I know but little of the future. I seem but as a bubble tossed about on the ocean of life ; if I am
TIIK ROMANi IN BRITAIN.
S5
I
Taiscd aloft one miiiDto, I am dashed Uic lower tlie next ; but whither teading, I know not.*'
" My son,'' answered the old man, " thy ■imile in not bad, and wc will pursue it When tliou lutft been raiacd aloft, liaat tliou not ought the sanahine of tiopc ; and has not foncy aprewl a thuusand gUttoing colours over thy fate ?•'
Pudciis smiled a&sent, and the Arch Druid cundnuod,
" And have not some of those colours been less fleeting, and of oftencr recurrence than others ? In other words, hast thou not en- deavoured to shape thy course in some parti- cular direction ; or hast thou left tliysclf to he drifted «l>out by fate, listlessly enjoying the restless heavings of the billows, but witli no cynosure to guide thee — a mere bubble as thou sayeit ?"
" Nay, father,'' answered Pudens, *' not altogether so : I have ever kept one object in view ; but Pate seems to have aroused herself in Uiwarting my efforts to reach it."
" That object, my son, doubtless is glory,'' •aid the Arch Druid, interrupting him, "for that is the dream of youth; but bow didst titou propow to attain it ?"
sc
ffrONEBESOB; OB,
I
" At one time, fatlier," uisn'ercd Pudeu, " I thought to attain it in the paths of philoso- phy; but, like Atalanta, whom our fables re- present to have lost her race because she was ollurcd from her course by golden apples tlirowD in her way, I found the fruits of philo- supliy so savour)', that I cared hut little to hurrj' to the goal of new systems or rurtfacr discover)-. I wax, however, aroused from my slumber by reUccling what others hud done, whose names are wriltCD iji sunbeams, Imght and im])erishBble; I thought of Alexander, and I thought of Ciesar ; and then, recurring to my own insignificance, I despised myself. Detcruiincd to follow their glorious footsteps, 1 rolled up my philosopher's scroll, although I could not wholly lay it usidc, and girded on fl my good sword, determined to engrave my i name too in Fame's bnizeii tal>Iet. Aulus Plautlus knew the ardour of my soul, rimI encouraged mc by his conrcrsiition, no less than by his glorious example. 1 saw in his bright fortunes the realization of my on-n dazzling visions, and almost wearied even him with drawing forth the oft repeated recapi- tulation of his own British conquests, for my encouragement. ' Britain,' thought I, * is the
I
THE ROUANS IN BRITAIN.
57
theatre appointed roe by the Fates : it was here that Ciessr plucked the freshest leaf of his burelx. O Britain ! Britain ! how didst tiiou haunt my thoughts I I trembled at every victory, le»t Okk should be notliing left for nie to conquer! And now, lather,'' said he, bis countenance changing as ho spoke, "behold every thins reversed ! Rome, whose glory fills the world, whose name wcmed to expand my aoal, whose cdttzcuahip made all other n&dona seem my slaves — Rooie is my enemy ; her youths would ^be me, and her maidens de- •pue me, if tiiey knew I were a Britain. My sword that was to hew out a path to fame — ah ! whitlter now shall I turn it, but to my own boHom f Tfie proud Romans are my friendit — tlie bar1>arou« Britons are my brethren — "
'file Arch Druid, a little annoyed at tlie epithet * barbarous,* added,
" And the fierce Druids are thy ancestors."
Pudens woa hurt at this observation, and apologised : —
" Nay, my father, pardon mc, that in the bitterness of my soul I used language which I have been taught to repeat. My present situ- ation reminds me of a scene of my childhood, which will expliun my feelings, and perhaps
o 3
STONRni-N-Ot:; OR.
excuso my tnnguagc. I remember when 1 entered n Romnn theatre for tbe first time, my puerile curiosity urged me to creep behind the scenes, that I might obtain a noarcr ricw of the beautiful objects there depicted, snd which, uf course, I tlioiight rcah After considerable toil, and no small clanger, I accomplisbed my purjKMc; but u-liat wa» my disapi'wintment to find that instead of the brilliant {Mcture, seen by the parple light, tinged by the skyey awning ; I had left the gay ttieatre for a dusky apartment, n-here I saw notJiing but tbe blank and s(Hled eanrass I Yes, my father, stub il my case now ; I am shut out from nil that is splendid in lite, and hcncvfortli iiave nothing to gaze on but tbe soiled canvas !"
The Arch Druid vraa moved by this repre- sentation, and could not help moraliting upon it for a moment.
"Ah; my son," said he, "thou hast well painted the success of ambition ; when after a weary, half worn out life, we arc able to retltae tlie brilliant visions of youth, wc lind that all tbe lightsome colours have disappeared, and we gaze but on soiled canvas ; but, howerer, dcijMiir becometb not a young gallant like thyself. 1 can draw aside the curtain, and
4 I
THB BOMANB IX BBITAIN.
thou mayeat yet reg^n thy place in the wort<l's gay tlieaUe. Kscape, my sod, forget that the blood of a Bntish Uniid ilow3 in thy Tcinx, and rejoin thy old ooQiracles. They will vri-l- Cbtne theC) and Itomc may even yet ring with thy plaudits."
" Father," said Pndens, with tears atarting from his eyes, " you are not serious ?"
'< Indeed I am," replied the Arch Druid. " Conceal tliy adventures from thy friends, or so much of them as thou canst spore from the adornment of a talc ; pursue thy course u erst thou hast done ; and," added be, seeing that bis language distressed Pudens, " thou mayest have au opportunity of serving thy father, by mitigating tlie severity of thy people—"
" Father," interrupted Pudens, " call not the Romans my people, for I swear," said he, Ktrilung the tabic passionately with his band, "that hcnct'fortb my people shall be thy people, thy foes shall be mp foes."
** But whom dost thou deem my foes i" said the old man, taking his son's hand.
" Tlie Romans,'' was the reply. " Have they not wantonly invaded your land, enslaved your youths, proscribed your order — "
" Nay, my son," said the Arch Druid, " the
STONEHSNGB ; OR,
Uumans arc not my foes. Tliey have indeed inraded my land; yet tlic gotU have Imt sent tlieiii to civilize it : as for our youths, tlioo thyself, trained by them in arms and philoso- phy, shalt speak for thcra;and a» for our priesthood, tlicy be but rightly punished for liaviiig cmbucd their hands in human sacri- fice, and corrupted the holy mj-alcrics, pre- •ervcd by thrice great Tholh from the wreck of tjie world, and transmitted from generation (o generation, like tlic unqucnched flame of tlie sacred lire.
" Were it not for the hope of still keeping ■live the holy embers, snd of purifying the still flickering Haroe, which has been fed, and almost smothered with unhallowed fuel, I had long ago renounced my oflioe, and retired to eke out the remainder of my stay in this circle of existence in meditation. As it is, since the gods have warned me by scarce aTcrtitig rue from the immolation of my son ; and have so far companMonated nie, as to nUow tliat son's embrace to cliccr my gray hairs, 1 nill cnilciivour to bring the ark of my religion to a resting-place, before the stfjrms which are even now gathering, and whose huUow murmur I yet discern, break forth upon it, and sweep it from tlic face of the eartli. This done, I will quit
I
I
TBB ROUANB IN BRITAIN.
61
the tlicatrc for youthful pcrTorniers like th^rself. But aiietit this matter, vr« will converse more anon ; in the meantime, let u» ratlicr cunsider thy affairs. Thou wilt not despise thy newly found parent, or contemn tiiy country, then ?"
" Nay, fiitlier, I repeat to thee," said Pudens, " that since Uie ff^tU have given me a parent, I will let them see that, though they have changed all things around me, they have not diangcd my nature ; although 1 would that they had annihilated me before they had called ujion nie tu choose between fighting for my birth-place, and fighting for the land of my childhood; bctn-cen swearing enmity to my ftther, or to my foster-father. Oh, my father ( — oil ! Aulua Plautius I I would that ye could tear my heart irom my bosom, and divide it between you !"
" Nny," said faia father, riaing, and throw* ing hi* anas around his son's neck, " we can share tJiy heart without its bdng plucked from tliy boaom. 1 trunt tliat the gods may yet tong spare a life which may be so useful to thy parent."
" How, lather, can my life be useful to any person f" said he, bitterly.
•' Why by heeding my counsels," replied tho
62 btonehbnob; or>
old man. " Thoa art not reqaired to swear enmity to the Romans, or to thy native country : thou hast been sent by the gods to cement friendship between tfaecD. Thou ut not called upon to fight, but to mediate."
" Happy thought !" interrupted the son. " Tes, I can mediate. I will go to Saettmios immediately."
" Patience, my son," sud the Arch 0niid. ** Why dost thou ioterrupt me ? What vouldst thou do with Suetonius t Would he not ask thee respecting thy comrade's fiite ? And would aught thou couldst tell him change his inexorable purpose of revenge, thinkest thou ? I know thy general, and that he is as severe as he is brave. Right glad, I ween, would he be of another opportunity of revenging Boadicea's short-lived triumph. But, mark me, my son, Suetonius will not be at the head of the troops long : the messenger is now on his journey to summon him away. Nay, be not astonished at this intelligence," added he; seeing that the eyes, not to say mouth, of Pudens began to dilate with wonder at this piece of information. '* More than three months ago, I saw the return of Suetonius portended in the heavens."
Tns ROMANS IN BttlTAIN.
63
Pudens could not help manifesttng a little incredulity at thia, whidi vraa not diminished by the Arch Dniid's uaurmnoc that this secret hnd heen imparted to him by th« dog-star. He hegnn, indeed, to think that old age or enthusiasm had somewhnt afiected the old ntan'tt intellect, hut forhore making any remark.
" I perceive thy incredulity, young man," itaid tlie Arch Druid ; " but I can assure thee, that 111) my reputation as a seer is pledged to the fullilmeiit ot' my prediction."
"The erent may, or may not ukc place," Mid t'udens ; " and indeed I incline much to the negative myself, for I'olydetus gave a very faToumble i«)>ort of our general to Ute Roman emperor: but, however, be that as it may, how the dog>star, though animated by the dog Anubis, who sita at the feet of his mintress Isis in her new temple at Home — how the dog-star, I say, can acqoira or impart such knowledge of futurity, is, I ackuoirlodge, altoi;cthcr beyond my conception ; and 1 suppose, iiitlier, that tlie Chaldean art is not communicable to a stranger. And yet, methinks," added he, after n pause, " 1 would almost die to learn such a secret."
To this the Arch Draid reined.
G4
stonkmbngk; or,
" Our art Is, indeed, incommunicable to ■ stranger, and its mysteries not to be lightly broAclied to any person ; but as tliou art my son, I care not to reveal to tliec the datA by wliicli 1 arrived at this conclusion, u it will rurni).h thi^c with a key to the secrets of our ■ art. II10U muHt know, then, that though thy ™ general's obioequtousness to thy Kniperor's freedmnn —how dost thou coll him i" ■
" Polyclelus f" interposed l*udcn».
" Ay, to Polyclctns," continued the Arch Druid, " pleased his slavish vanity ; and though that bauble which he ga\'e liim well seconded his efforts; yet Ms nmster, Nero, is contempti- bly jealous of Suctonius's reputation, which so ^ infinitely transoeiids his own ; and is only f anxious to find some protest for recalling him. Thou must know, besides, that thy generalf not acquainted with the nature of our seas, cared not to bring up his ships to tlie hnrhoar; but let tliera lie oft' our Kent coast, thinking them safe enough, as it was summer weather. Now, all these thtiigx I was perfectly aware of before I commenced star-gaiJng.— But to come to my prophecy. — It happened tliat I was watching the dog-star one evening, when 1 saw at once, by its baleful red look, (for you
I
TBI lOMANS IN DRITAIS.
65
most know that it looked Ulce a Urge goutte of 1)Iood dropped on lead ; so ciinson, and yet so dull (lid it apjienr) ; well, uit I wm aaying, 1 at once Uiat we should have a fearful tem- I knew witat the consequence of a tem- pest would he to tlie Roman uliipis, namely, that tlicy would all be wrecked ; and I guessed what would be the effect of this miKhanoc to Sue-
' tonius, when the Emperor should hear of it, through your general's old enemy, the Pro- curator. I, therefore, naturally enough pre- dicted his recol. Part of wtiat I foresaw has been realized, for tlie wrecks of thy ships hare
[iitdeed strewed our coast; and thou mayest
pdepend upon it, as I before stated, that messen- gcrs have ere now been dispatched from Konie
' who will rcaliM the remainder."
Pudena was much struck with the sagacity
^ttpon whidt tliis vaticination was based, and sail),
** I wonder not, father, that your native land ia filled with your fame ; but I envy less your fame tlian your knowledge of futurity."
" Envy neither," replied the Arch Druid, **hut least of all the tatter, my son; forrash and foolish were tliat man, who would, even if he could, draw aside tlic veil which liidcs futurity.
66
STONCnENOB ; OR,
I
Oh I if all the steeps and precipices of life; the veanaame deserts, and tlie datigeroiu mountains which we have to pass, were to bunt on our view at once, how few would attempt the pilgrimage ; or having attempud, would not ■ gladly lay down their staff on the tint oppor- tunity ! Dut, happily, our horizon is bounded- It recedes, indeed, ti-t ve ndvatic«, as Uiough to urge us onward ; hut it hides til from our sight which it is not necessary for us to behold."
^Vhile tliey were thus conversing, two or three little twigs came fluttering down tbe tube, or funnel, before ulluded to. The Arch Druid gaOiered tht^m up, imd putting them into a frame to decipher tlicm, tuld I'udcns that he had just had a summons to go and inspect the sacred bull which was to he sacrificed in the evening and asked Pudens to accompany him ; adding] witli a smile :
" You see another use of this funnel, whJdi is, that it enables me to receive communica* tions of what is Mtirring abroad, in a manner which appears to tlie uninitiated almost super- human. If, for instance, I ant oonsultcd rw- pecting tbe distant operations of an enemy, 1 secretly dispatch my messenger to tlie top of the hill which overroufs this cave, and which
4
TBB ROMANH IN BHrTAt.V.
67
comroaads a very extcn&ive prospect. Here is a small enclosure, in tlie centre of whici) u the terniiniitioii of tins tube. From this eminence my tBcxsenj^cr reconnoitres the enemy, and makes me acquainted with the number and disposition of their forces, by throwing dovn this tube a symbolical leaf or tirig;,* such as that which 1 now hold in my hand, and the interpretation of which I have gircn thee. But, howcTcr, 1 roust not neglect my summons, and perhaps thou wouldst like to accompany me."
So saying, ho reached down a scroll from the shelf, and putting it in his bfMom, led the way through two or tlircc winding passages, and as many dark caverns, until they arrived at a landing place, which communicated by five or six steps with the entrance of the cave. Thio WW an aperture of about fuur feet and a half square, with large stones on eadi side, and n rude arch on tiie top ; and was so well con-
* HifcmiM ttmt ta b« nadc to tliU lynibolical cuodc of ooMCjlnf iafmiBatiM by Ui« b*nl Talitiia, itliO MJt^
Chicroflbv BartlsnfthcWrtl;
tmitt ntt^lAr //rrk Dinnrr.
6B stokehenob; on,
cealed, that Pudena vas utterljr unable to find it on his return, though within a few yards of it.*
■ BotlMe,>peikingof oneof tlietec&Te>)U7a,"TIiuca*^ or undergrouiid puMge »u aoireU eoDCcaled, thmt thoafh I had been io it in the year 173S, yet, when I came ugtln too.- amine it io the year 1 752, 1 wu ■ long wbile before I conld find it.
I
CHAPTER VI.
Sometlmo vilbin my *lu()t>,la muy anudent wood, Wbow olitu lirinnl top* grcK I'litrbui' Am wlt^KHXli 'Vht fenrkiu llrlilih print, under an ^foi »*k, TaUnit ■ nillk-vfaite bull, Kntlunetl villi tin yo\u. And wiib an aic ot gold Intm that Jor«Ta ucred tree Tb< mittleioei'iildown i tlietiwitii ■ bended knee On th' unlicirn allar Uld. |)ul to tlie hallowtil llMt, AnJwhilalin ibt (hBrpflaniv llir Irrmbllnx flnli Mi>lrc*, At ihfir iiniDg fury inoied ^irhfn all ilic mt oditrc) franonncing ihcir datirri tlic ucrlfice bcforci Up lo th' eternal HraTcna tticlr blnodinl haoda did rear, And vhiliiiiliemiinniiriR(iroail*<Vn*huddmdaa vilbfrar. Pnacli'd lo lliv b«aidl<o youth (be aour* immorlal atalr. To oth(t bodi«i still han it should tmlgnu (D).
DKtVlOll's rCILT0LBI«H, 9TH (OHC.
As the Aich Druid and Pa(Ieiii wnlked through the mazes of the sacred grove, which surrounded, «ml indeed covered the Arch Druid's CKve, and tlie rehcs of wliich still rcUtia tha name of Grorely Wood, the old man told his son that the ceremony of gathering the mis- tletoe would take place in the evening, and tttat he would thut have a fair op|wrtunity of being
70 STONEBENQE; OB,
in some measure initiated into the mysteries ot Dtiiidism.
The conversation then tamed on the road proposed to be made by the Romans ; which the Arch Druid rightly conjectured would in- vade his domains. After the old sage bed listened attentively, but sorrowfully, to all the information which Pudena could communicate respecting it, he said,
" Ah ! my son, I have spent the greater part of my life in observing the connexions of events, and their dependencies on one another. The chain of existence is so inextricably ioter- woven, that the minutest lint cannot be touched without affecting the whole aeries."
Whilst he was saying this, he took up a stone which was lying in his path, and direct- ing the attention of Pudens to it, continued —
" You see, my son, under this stone an ant's nest. These ants live principally on the larva of a litUe insect which inserts itself into the bark of the oak, and destroys the acorn ; the acorn is the food of the dormouse and squirrel ; and they are the prey of the hawk and the eagle. Now, by removing the stone, I oblige the ants to seek some other dweUing; the in- sect destroys the acorn j and the result is, that
THB ROMANS IN BRITAIN'.
71
the dormouse, the xquirrcl, tbo liawk, anil tlie eagle must all seek their food eUewliere.
"Innamera)>le otiier clumges ore the conse- quence o( tills ;* fur there is not a blade of grass which has not its peculiar parasites, and b not the bond of connexion bctn-oen a thou- sand different animals. I instance these to sliew you that the mighty eagle is not uninter- ested in the fate of the little ant; and that no change can take place without producing others. Ai it is in the world of insects, so it la in the world of men. If this road ho made, we Druids, who resembhi yonder busy ants, shall toil here no longer, and the Homan co^Ie will, at one swoop, destroy the labour of centuries. Yes, and our religion — the reli^on of unknown ages, duration — will give phioe to the speculations of yesterday. Verily, verily, the oak of the forest vrUl be laid low, and the muHhioom spring up in iu place 1"
The object of tlie Arch Druid's walk was to make lite necessary arrangements with the OTute for the ensuing ceremony. Among the principal of these amiigcinents may be reck- oned the inspection of the sacred bull by the
■ On this ikbjcti Mc 5l tiatK'i lUudn de la NMwie. I Etude 1, kwwl.p. 20.
7*
8TONEHENOE; OR,
chief Orate; whose dutjr it was to see that it* snowy hide was unsullied bjr ■ black hnir, ftnd who, having carefully examined it, sealed it with hiH aignet.
When tlie time arrived for them to attend tlie ceremony of gathering the mistletoe, iht Arch Druid placed in Pudens's hand the famous talisman, called the Adder's stone,(E) without which, he staled, it would endangers stranger's life to intrude upon their mysteries. lie also cautioned htm to observe tlie strictest sileoce, AS 11 brvnch of it would expose him to the risk of having a large piece cut out of hia robe \
Armed with this mysterious passport, and clad as a Noviciate, Pudens accompanied the Arch Druid, who went forth in his white rubesi carrying liis golden sickle, and conducted torch-hearers through the mazes of the grov till they came to an open space In which a wide spreading oak, whose venerable trunk was shaded with the sacred mistletoe. Under this oak vas an alt&r, around which were ranged distinct circles of Dniids, Ovatcs, and Bards; interspersed amungnt whom were a great num- ber of NoviciutCK who came to receive instroc- tion.
Two fires were burning at a few yards dts*
bes,
lby|
4
TIIR ROUAMS l:< BRITAIN-.
73
from each otiicr, between which it was ■!»ry for cvury person who apprunched the talur to pMS, by way of lustntion. First 111 proces»ion marched the Arch Druid, bearing before liiin hi^i sacred sickle, who took his »eat ou A large stone placed against the trunk of tlie o«lc, whtcli xerred also as «n eminence on wlitdi to stand and lop the ttacred braiiehes.
'Ilieii came tlie Warden of Bclen's fane, witJi hin attendants bearing some iiucred fire, which they laid on a pavement let into the earth. Next followed the 0\-ates, leading the snowy bull. After ttiem came nine femnles, with long white robe*, tutd diahevetled hair flowing in wild confusion down to their brazen girdles. They walked in triple rank, the middle triplet bearing the mystical caldron, one on each side, and one bending over it behind, as tliough watcliing it, Icat ita contents should be sullied by the admixture of any less pure ingrwlienta ; and as their charge was ratlicr an onerous one they relieved each other sucoessively. Tliis caldron, the rim of which was adorned with pearls, was a large brazen tripod, of peculiar sanctity, and contained new milk, and the purest dew. They placed tlieir sacred burden
VOL. I. ■
7*
8TO>fBUBNOB; OB,
I
on the hoif fire, and ranged themselres at • distance, and at equal intervals around it. ■
Then foUoncd Uioso who bore the varicnu articles which were to form the ingredients of this mystical preparation ; and as this was cod- udcrcd a very importaot, and certainly waa a TCry curious part of the worship, I shall bo some- what minute iu my description of it. Each person, as he bore his oblation, prcrioos to throwing it into the atldron, swore by tbe msoent moon that lie lind conformed with tlie requisite eeremonies. t'irst came a Druid* bearing aome dried leares of the verrain, which he declared be Imd gathered when tbe dog* star rose, and neither sun nor moon beemed upon it, having fir-tt propitiated tlie earth with honey and the buncy-^oinb, and <irawn a cdrcle round it, and dug it up with au iron instrument held in his kit liaitd. Ho also said that he had wared it aloft when separated from the ground, and bad dried it i» Ute sliade, tlte leaves, and stalk, and root apart. Next came a Drui<l with some samolus, or marsh-wort, which he declared he had gathered with his left hand, liuring first duly fasted ; and that while galliering it he had not looked behind
* Bofluc, 94. Pilar, ^^ 3> P- *<>■
I
Tile BOUANi IN BRITAIN.
'btni.* Immediately succeeding him caiae unu- th«r, bcuing in his hand a banch of selago, or
kJiedge-hyssop, which be profeaaed to have Rtbervd with his right band, and not to have
fallowed any instrument of iron to touch ; which
ITight band he also declared tiad been wrapped in a doak taken ^m aoma aacr«d pervon, fiir-
I tivcly, with his left hand. He likewise stated that he bad been, at the time of ^thcring it, clothed in a white ji;anncnt, h is feet being washed and unrorcred, and that he had prcrioosly
L offered a sacnfice of bread and mcthe^lin ; and
[liaTing gathered it, tliat iie had placed it imme'
jdiaiely in a new napkin. An almost similar form of adjuration watt used by a person tbrow-
|ing into the caldron a handful of white trefoil or shamrock. t Nothiiig now remained to complete the mystical contents of the ode-
[bratcd "caldron of the fire plants," bat the mistletoe.
■ Pbn]r,n>t.2,B91.
t Tht Inriicd KuUiiK of llie Mf tholoc; ofUie Draidi, lUin tb>t " Uw ueroll, from (he form of lu l«n> diipUyios tha I nplcriAa* Ifcm to one, Ihe gf«al wcrM Incukaloil t>y theit [lrUdi,"<ad l'to«i"nfhUB(o( Uiix pUot bring oaLnrallf im> pmud Bllh * pmic figarf uf > Cmctnt, vhirh vni alio a »• end t]rm\ii)i •mODglbtn," km brld pccnturlj uircd uoonc Uw UruUi^DOT. ^ MS.
B 2
76
stonbdbnoe; ok
Wliile the ceretnonie* deacribed were in tbe course of peribrmatioe, and u soon as Uie as> Mcmbly had ranged themaelTes in a circle, a boy of about twelve years of age, whose garb be- tokened hia sacred office, curried an oiiaque glass vessel to tbe Arch Dniid filled with dew ; upon which, the latter rose from his scat, and went thrice round the assembly, dipping tux o&ken branch in the dew, and sprinklitig them, —
IJcm Icr MCio* putldicamlulll undft, Sptrgrn* rora levl.
TtHOlU IN. t. V.129.
The whole ssscmbly now jmned in prayer,
walking three times in procession round tlie altar and onk from cast to west, witli their right hand aloft, and extended towards these ■acred objects. That part of Ute henvcna in which the moon was expected to rise, now began to change its <liirk hlue into a light grey, and the surrounding stars grew pale. Gra- dually it bectune lighter and lighter, till tlie moon keemcd to burst forth with unwonted splendour. At this moment the bards atnick up iu chorus a strain which, whether it was really melodious or whether it» melody waa
I
TtlK ROUAN-a IS nRITAlN.
71
RoAened by the stillness of tlic night-ur, »n<I rendered more elfective by the solemnitiea with which it was accompanied— thrilled upon the ear like a symphony of celestial masic. The burthen of the strain seemed to be the following : —
HYMN TO THE QIJEBN OP HEAVEN.
ill)), ibou bcauccon* Quem of Nl^hlt Who dMt teach maoklBd ihelr laMi
When tiiiatulshed tttmt Uiy ligbt, Brif bl«r |[Iori«» tbc« nmil (
Wuiog, nniDg, t» our tft
Ttioa miy*ld]4i]^, bat cult not ili«.
So Ike Mul KlcMcd from liCr,
Anitn«le* Kin> other torm t U ii lixnd lb* •IwMik of nrife,
on, uM ihe (bunder itorin, Uchulng rendi lu ubln ibroud, And r«Te^ It la ilw dead.
Or, II ra»M wm Ui delight.
Bat Mune tr«c* of earth nmuia^^
Ho(«rin)t, than, in retJoi mon bt^h^ TUl It kite iu hlMt ilruni,
'Mi4 tb« ralabow It ippran,
lUlt la giofj, half to totr*.
Tbui from if li«t« to ipbvre H <r«ad«, TIU ii bMn ao Ult>l aT wrtli ;
Till mofabraDW ontj bleod* In MiBltiiw and it* birtb ;
And Um bewn* ot hmTcn mt
Mirrvr'd o* in ipoikM bmit.
79
iTOKBIIENGB; OS,
So wItcD icimc pan lake Krene lai*ini brinin'* nloriiiu* shMn, Scarc« to ua toknow ia jpira TlDti oCcurlb from liuci of beaven.
The moon having by this time completely risen above tlic horizon, the Arch Druid tore down a branch of the miaUctoe with bis golden sickle, and weaving it into a chaplct, placed it round the horns of the sacred victim. With one hand on the rictim's head, and the other up- nused towards heaven, he made a abort in- vocation } and having poured a Ubation of vine on the altar, atid over the animal's forehead, delivered him to the chief ovate, who slew him and cot off his hc«d. The head was then brought to the Arclt Druid, who, after sprink- ling the congregation with sacrificial blood,' pronounced this imprecation over it, —
If au|[liiof ill, yt lioly Puircn! \t hurt in ilore for ui or oar*. Now on thii >potk«t vicltm** bM^ Dc Ihc foil vUU of cutifli ihcd; Nor lv( Ili« licbtnliig* of jrour wraih, 'rhoHjIi vcll-ilnorvfj. our bosom tcMlw.
■The cprinkllog of blood U ptfUrsUrljr nktBtionrJ by tfae bAdi, ■* " la MCTcdiled cuitotn of th« CtUm.''.—Celt.
jtu,, p. as.
I
I
I
THE ROUANS IN BRITAIN.
79
^M This hc*d wu aftemrda buried in the ^P eartii . * The body of the boll iru then flayed ; and the inedible parts of the inside having been removed, and cabes of whcatcn flour and honey baring been made to supply their place, the cxtrcmitiea were lopped off, and the remainder prepared for the feast, with which the ceremony was closed, and which indeed constituted the only meal partalcen of by those engaged in these rites during the day ; it being a sacred ordinance among them to sacrifice fasting.
While this was heing prepared, the Arcb Druid gathered a few more boughs of mistletoe, and threw a few of the leaves into the brazen caldron. As soon as the contents of the cal- dron began to simmer, the draidcsscs performed a very extraordinary kind of dance around the •■end vessel, sometimes in distinct trios, and flOmetimes in a connected circle accompanying their rapid evolutions with vaticinations and incantations of the wilde«t and most mysterioux kind. When the decoction was complete, part of the precious contents was poured opoii the alur by way of libation, and part of it
* Hedli wul horai o( oira hare frt^onitljr bnn fooad I' borM Msr Uie place* of DruidJod avnMf.—D^vli' itylh.
tW
nrONRIIRNGK; Oil
was distributed among tlic druids, who had brought cniisu with tltem to receive it. The Arch Druid then proceeded to interrogate the disciples us to their progress in druidical lore, Slid tliey onswered hU questions in triads. That, for instance, he asked them, "What are the principal objects of Uruidism?" nnd they answered: —
"To make men brave in battle }
" To teach tlicm tliat souU are immortal
'* And that another life awaits them at death."*
Again, he asked them, " What are the prin> cipal duties of mankind ?" and they rcpUcd :—
"To worship the godsj
"To do no evil j
"And to exercise forlJtadc."t
Other questions were, " Wliat arc the foan-j datiuns of judgment; and what arc the founds tions of leaming ?" to which they answered :^]
'* The foundations of tnie judgment arc,—
"Bold deaigii;
"Frequent practice ;
"And £requcnt mistakes."
** The foundations of learning are,^
" Seeing much ;
• Pompaoliu Mda., Ub. ill, e. 2. |DIpf«Da LMfU |>i«eiii.
THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN.
81
" Suffering much ;
" Aim) stud^ng much."*
But it would t)e tedious to cite more ex- •milleii, particuUrljr as the greater number of them x«bted to historicBl and mythological traditions, in whicli names are altered, and events but olmcurely recorded.
When the Arch Druid had concluded tliis examination of the younger graduates, he addressed the audience generally on the doc- trines of Druidism, particularly with reference to Uie immortality of the soul.
His eloquence will be beat estimated by the erfccu which it produced, which was such a contempt of death, and in some instances such an impatience of mortality, as might well ■hamc the practical unbelief of professors of the more suhtimc myatorics of Christianity.
The following exquisite lines may be con- [fidvrecl to contain a summary of the Draidical loctrinea relative to the transmigration of souls : —
Ai lliiaM(b * lorrii ntf, «h«R from liauil lo tiuJ The <l]r(a( fODltn Ireniniit tli«ir thliUDR linnd— ftwu tnm* lo franc tk« ufintik^uiahnl loul, lUfMlf f»t»n lit! it tncli ihe |iwl.
> ■ • • •
• CiUd in • Noic to RklunI of C>
82 STON£BENae; oBj
A* * brl|[ltt H*rr that, (ron Ml w fnlt la ta»nf n oi&M dMc«aAafikri|[hl thmuf li all. Find* tome f*ir ngion where, eacb lahyriotli pMWd, Id on« fuU Uke of light il roU kl lutt
The Arch Druid, after recapitulating tbe priticipil arguments in support of his doctrine, and adverting to its high antiquityi and the illuKtrious persons who had professed and transmitted it> thus concludol his address ;-^
" Such, brethren, such,'' sud he. " arc the outlines of u religion which has heeti preserved to OS Jrora tJio wreck of the world ; and which a tltousand moons liave heard inculcated from these holy groves : but," said he, slowly raising hia hand, and assuming a solemnity of tone and manner which awed the ossombly into the most profound sUencc, while he pointed to the moun, whose pale crcHcent contrasted stiikiiigly with the livid gUre of the sacrifidal fire, "but, my friends, alas! ere another moon shall wax itr wime, the sounds of our harps shnll be hushed, and our grores shall echo to no sound but the moaiiings of the nightwind. Yonder sickle declares that our suRimvr is ended, and that other hands shall reap ottt harrest. Haste, then, to your banquet and feut while you may."
THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN.
CUAPTER VII.
OIJ Saniu wu buill on t ilr; iMina bill,
A grrnl nMnf jrckn ngo : Tru * Komam Iowa of autuflk mA mows,
Ai ita tMttf nii» Aom j Bui •liU lonpr to in ■ plaiu btto*
A Briliih cilf iComt, Aid iMqien' cat*, inj <tniM*' frau Adoro'd lib* n«ifbboitriag wood.
OLD BILL40.
On Ute morniDg after the celebration of the ithering of the mUlleto«, rudetu arose with a Itnott wixvoiu desire to be further inituted into [t)ie myHteries of Dnudisiii. His mind hul been BO powerfull}' impressed by what be had seen [and heard, that the imagery of his dreams vns [composed of a fantastic tissue of moonlight I scenery ; of vhich tlie mystic dance around the I caldron, the sacrificial fire, the choir of harpers, [the sacred oak, and the nascent moon, fonned [the materials. As he had partaken of the feast BWhich concluded tlic ceremony with an appc-
fH
STONE IIBNCR ; OB,
tite whetted bjr a previous fast, he had made an unaparing meal ; and it is probably owing to this circumstance that his dreamit were of a very appalling character. Evcrjtiiiiig was dit- tortcd into an image of terror: the sacrtftdal tire seemed to be designed for the Druids tbem- selres ; ttie Ovate's knife seemed directed ngiiinst his father's bosom ; the wWd vaticina- tion of the nine virgins were converted into the shrieks of cnptive «-om«n ; and t)i« hnrpa when struck seemed to emit lugubrious mumtors, the harden of which was that their summer vas ended, and that other hands shouhl reap their harvest. I sliould not have related an " idle dre«m," were it not that n reliearsul of it by Pudcns confirmed the Arch Druid's credence ill his own evil auguries, and made him believe that his vaticinations had been divinely in- spired.
Truth is a sacred thing, and ought not to be trifled with ; and those who habituate them- Selves to impose upon others^ will oveiituallv impose upon themselves. " Fiuffunl timut ere- dmique." The Areh Druid's lunar prediction affords a singular illustration of the truth of tliis remark. He had been accustomed to k-J present to otiiers tlie results of his sagacity as
I
TnB ROUANS in BRITAIN.
85
the elfecU of inspiration ; and he no«r 1)eli«ved his own deluHton. The fact was, that he Itail heard what Pudens had told liim rcitpectiiig the intersection of the Roman road, and, gating upon the moon, had seen that the weatlier would be favourahle to the undertaking, and upon these dau he had cumc to tlie very natu- ral conclusion, that the davs of the sojourn of the Druids around their sanctuarif of Stone- hengc were numbered. Vtt, notfrithstanding all tlic steps in the mental process were so ob* Ttously Ute deductions of li is own astuteness; and notwithstanding he had so recently ex- plained to Pudens the grounds of a simitar pre- diction relative to the recal of Suetonius, he now deceived Ai'iwwffwitK the belief tliat h« was gifted with supernatural prcscionce ! Treat- ing his own prediction, therefore, as inspired, and thinking it corroborated by tiie dream of Pudens, whicli his own judgment, if unbiassed, would liave otherwise instantly accounted for, he resolved to lose no furtlier time, but to make immediate prepamuons for his departure into Wales.
He .proposed, however, licfore he took his leave, to intf oduoe his long lust u>n to the King', to whose court he would ha\-e forthvith re- paired, but tluit Pudens requested Uie poat>
86
STONftllKNOB; on.
I
ponemtnt of the visit for one more day in order to allow him an opportunity of being made a little furtlier ncqiuintcd witli the mysteries of Druiclism. M
As » legitimate dMoendant of the race of Druids, Ihidens waa enabled to dispenae with a long and irknoine initiation, to which he would otherwise hare been subjected; and was, at once, introduced to those secrets which manjr liad spent their lives in exploring, and otliera had gained an immortality for attempting to reveal secrets which had been rescued from the wreck of a de.luged world, and had entailed divine honours on all concerned in their pr^ serx-ation or traiismisiion (F).
Gladly would he have Imgcrwl in the Arch Druid's cave until be had penetrated cvcrj' re- cess of the chambers of hidden knowledge ; bnt time only allowed him to stand on the tbre»- hold and look wiUun. The very obscurity, however, which prevailed there, seemed to im- part greater sublimity to the truths thus dimly shadowed forth.
On the morrow, the Arch Druid and Pudeim proceeded to the royal residence, wliich was not far from Old Sarum. On their way thitlier tliey deviated a Utile frooi their direct course, aitd ascended a hill com-
I I
TDB ROMAXS IN BRITAIN.
87
Handing an cxtcmirc view of tlic surrounding [country, which they puised to survey. A [grove at tho foot of the hill was rendered still laiore bcftutiful by the ricb tints of autumn } Itnd hein^ begirt on every side by an uninea- tured expanse of heath, which, like a suraaier I Ko, continually varied its hue u tl>e slukdows flitted over, it &tood out like one of those ver^ daiit islands in the western ocean, which poeta I have feigned to be tho abodea of tho bleased. [Tlie tiny undulations of a stream, glittering lliero and there amid the sombra plain^ now lost [to Night, now sparkling in the van, added to [he [illusion \ as tt seemed to Teaembletbe phosphoric ck left by some pasnng ship — the BeeUng [saemoriat of its course tlirough tlioie sullen [leas. While Pudens was expatiating on this [loenery his e^e caught a view of Stoaeheoge j fvery indistinct, indeed, but sufEctent to enable : him to rccogoiM) it as the scene of his midnight I ftdrcntora.
The .\rch Druid perceiving the object of his r curiosity, directed bis attcotion to a British ' town on the slope of a hilL, about as far dis- I tant to the left as Stoncbenge was to the right. '•' Yonder," said he, " where thou canst see • few glittering white specks, is one of our prin- cipal towns, called Sorbiodunum; a place known.
88
STOXEBBNOS; OK,
I
and colehrated, b^ the ancient Greeks. Tliey used to rail it the City of the Sun, from llie round teinpl« at which thou wast looking, which they deemeil sacred to ApoUo; and this grove they styled * the llarjKr's Grorc,' from the bsrds who inhahitcd it."
Pudcns immediately rcmcmhered that he bad read a description of this scene in an old Gredc writing when ho was at Marscillex ; and although he had wholly forgotten it until thus recalled, . every word of it seemed now impressed upon ■ h\» memory; and it dclightod him to reflect that though the haughty Romans might aflect to despise his native country, yet, that tlie mild- ness of her climate, the fertility of her soil, and, above all, the pomp of tier religion, had been the admiration, and the theme of the more intellectuid Greeks. As he compared the grove— the round temple — and the long stoled burds,wit]i the description of them tlirte centuries and a half ago, and attested with liis own eyes the reality of that which he woold otherwise have considered a fiction ; he seemed to have realized some of the earliest visions of his youth, for none of tlie novelties of which he had heard or read had so powerfully excited his curiosity (G).
Here let us follow tlic example of Pud«na
1 I
TUB ROMANH IN BRITAIN.
89
and the Arch Druid, and jwiuc to contemplate a scene which nttroctol tins notice, and exerctned the descriptive povrcrs of a stranger, tliree oenturiea and a half before the era of our talc. Were any person to write a history of Old Saruni and ita ndghbourhood, be would, in cir«.-t, write an epitome of the * pictorial his- tory of England.' We have lately accn, in tile diafrnnchiscmcnt of tltta ancient borough, /Ae Irium/A of denoeracffi • little before we might hare seen in ita representation of our colonial posw&Kiuns in India, /Ac triumph iff emnmeree ; and in cariicr ages, when it reared ita castled brow in defiance of its sovereign, King Stephen, we idiould have seen /A« IriumpA offeudaHtm. Iteverting to a former period, when the air wns resonant with Uie matins and vespers of cowled monkR, we should have seen the triumph of Monachiimt : a few years pre- vioui, when a Roman city frowned from ita summit, and overlooked, and overawed a sub- ject nation, we should have seen the triumph of eon^uett : and reverting to a still earlier era, we should have seen in the "grove," and "the round temple," and "tlie city in its vicinity inhabited by harpers hymning the praisea of kpollo;" — in thcao sacred antiquities we should
M
STOKBBBMOK ; OR,
have Bccn the triumph of Onidum f Wbodoea not respond to the poetry of Boirles awakened bjr this scene ?
Htra itooil the Clt^ of Ih* Sun : look tannil !
Ooit tlioii noI ICC > rIMunlry buii),
Druldi nnd btnli upon th« lummit lUad, or ilii* foratkeai bui majcatlc mound > Do>t llinu not li«*r, nl liinet, Uit accliimiDg aouuU
Of barpa, it urticn the barila, in long •Cray.
Bail'd ibc uocndiag goU of nlgbt and if ? No, all it buibM ; duth'i atIlln«M bow ptofoaad I
In iftiT yrnn, htm llir c»tlii«tnil rmw,
M'lioic prclam now in yonder flln(^ repoM, Amon; the mighly of tiiua p«l mnj [
Fur then bcr hhC of r»t religion cbow, Tbcr* itlll Id Hrann ■iccndt (Iia holy Uy,
A nd nerer ataj her ahrini! in wrerk noi tiieact clow.
Oh Time 1 Time ! what magician ever evoked •uch virions as Uiou ? Uidst thou shift the scenes fur the trembling propliet on the banks of the Tigris, when the monardiies of the world passed in succession before his entranced gaze ? or didst thou unroll for the rapt apostle, on the lone sliorcs of Patmos, tlie apocalrptic panorama, whereon tlio long series of thy triumphs were depicted, until Thou, thyself, wcrt siccn wrestling with Eternity ? I ask thee not, dread enchanter, to mirror forth the/utvn to my riow; for, like Saul, I might shrink from
THE BOlIANa tH BRITAIN.
91
tfae sight ; bat, oh, rerea] to mo the irrevocable j>atl .'
The Brittsb town Sorl^iodanum, whicti had been pointed to by the Arch Druid, and which wu the capital of the kingdom, lay in a \'ale at the foot of the hill now called Old Sarum.* It was situated on tlie banks of a branch of the Avon in t)>e confines of a forest called Qroveley Wood ; which, in those days, extended to the beautiful doaiain now kuowu as Clarendon Park, and which was, indeed, but a continua- tion of it, and former! a rerdant s'"''c> K*^^ fully divcrxi^ing the dreary monotony of Salisbury Plain. ^ Sorbiodunum possessed all those adranta^ wtuch iCem to have determined the choice of our ancestora in the selection of sites for their towDS. It was protected from the essteiiy wind by the hill of Old Saram, well vstcred by the Avon, and the skirts of the forest af- forded luxurious pasturage for tlic flocks of the inhabitants, and supplied fu«l, and acorns for their swine.
One might have suppoited that when the RoraAna became masters of this place, they
P •OUSamn'>UoaiMlwuaacicnil7CBlkd"B*nS»rEta9, or Ibe Clbidd d( tht ScniccTm."
92
8T0NRIIB\0iC ; ORj
would have been contented with these local re- commendations ; bat DO, they preferred a mon commanding situation, from which they oouU vatch and check their refractory subjects, Bftd. therefore, transferred the tovn, or rather the name of tltc ton'n, to a city which tbcy built on the summit of the bleak sterile hill trf' OU Sarum.*
I h&vo been thus minute in porticutarinsf the different sites of the Roman and British towns of the same name, as nothing is moR indicative of the genius of a i>cople than the dioioc of the sites of tlieir towns; and nothiis lias caused more difficulty to antiquaries tliH inattention to this subject.
To return, however, to the Britith town >- beside the shelter and defence which Sorbio' dunum received from the wood on the soath and east, and the river on the west ; it wu for-
*Th> choice of Uia Roinni*, like tboM of ib* CtukH*- niiuif, hu brcn tbe lubiect of mnoy an epIgruH, •aasfa
■lilcli ihc liiUaiting ioc* not ucoi llic worn i —
Eti lilii (lerMtus lympbM, «ed copla ctcUi, Sccril ibi tvDtu*, ted Pltiloncl«*itel.
Wtttr (lure** Mom, bat cbalk in pleatj U««| And (bote *«cei naU* tli*l FliUoinel dauiea, Tb* h*nh«rtau>ic of the wiail iiippllts.
CiAmh'* Ctmilm,p. U«.
h
TtIK ROMANS IN llltlTAIN.
9S
ttfied hy a re^lar rampart and fosse, made particularly strong on Uic north, where it was moat exposed. Its contiguity to the great national temple at Stonchcngc, from which itwas distant about kvc miles, made it a favourite KMdence of thoxe who ofiiciated there in a religious capacity, and had acquired for it tbe nameof'TheCityof Harpers." It had.indeed, fomterly been deemed sacred, and appropriated exclosively to tJie residence of the tninistcrs of religion and their dependants ; but when rcUgion itself fdC thfl shock of internal di&scnsions, and theae hc^y precincts were intruded upon by con- tending chiefs; itsmore peaecful inhabitants trcrv glad to shore their rich pastangc, streams, and groves, with tliose who were belter able tlian thcmsclTes to defend them. Having, tliercfore, for a conaidcrable time past become a royal city, its btul<lings assumed a more substantial cha- racter tlinn tlie Htmple tents and huts which the early inlwbiUnts uf Briton were accostonied to erect, for ten)]K>iary ecoummodatioii during their foraging or prvdatory excurNionx. The habitations were large round cabins, built prin- cipally of timber, on foundations of stone or chalk, and roofed with a sloping covering of skins or reeds. They seemed arranged with
94
RTONEHENOK: OB,
considerable regarJ txi order, in direct lines, i nearlj- equal distances one from another, but incrca£ing in siae and mde adornments as ther ■])proaich«d the residence of the chief. Bchiod tlicm were hovels for their csttic, nearly Mjoare, wnttied nnd thatched with rushes: and unce- meiited chnik walls inclosed ilic whole premises. The appe«rnn(;coftJie Arch Druid nx hi* passed through the town seemed to excite univenal atteniioti. Some of tlie inhibitanta were sitting atthe door of their cabins stringing their harps; others were repniring the instruments of the diase ; some of the noblest of tbe women were seen washing their garments in tbe stream, and otliers Firranging the plumes, or adorning the mantles of ihcJr husbnnds aitd brothers : but all left their rcspc«tivc employments, and Bome with music, some witb shouting, the women dancing, and the men leaping with wild gesticv- lations, ran to welcome tlie Arcli Druid who tbejr thoaght bad brought a prisoner to their King; and who wss obliged to interpose bis authoritr to rescue Pudens from the menaces of n hun- dred hostile javelins, The dogs of the city joined in the chorus, and added to the deafoi- ing clamour, amid which the party proceeded to the paUcc of the chief.
Tni ROMAHa IN BRITAIN.
CHAPTER VIII.
VTe nm* to lb UU of tb« King, wh«r« It roM In Dir mUit o( rtKkj, on wb«*c dtrk alila vtn ihc murk* ot ktrrami at old. Brvwt oilit bcml around oith Uicir axiuL Tlir Ihirfc biKh f* mvtav a«>r. Half lijd in h«r tliaitjr gtorr, RoitTUM ntoa ik Mag. Her vhite band* omt« on tilt barp. I bthtU bcx blue mllinf tjva. Sbc ■«a IJkr a , Afltll of btaND half (otd«d ia Ui( tkirt or a cloud.
Oiiuf.
i
Tub royal mansion, better known by the name of Uie White Uouse> was built of wood on a foundation of dialk, and differed but little from tii« otiter bouses in Sorbiodunuin, except in iu inipehor atae, and tbe whiteneas and xmootbntas of tbe materials with vbicli it was con&tructcd, and from which it derived ita name; and ■.■xcvpting also tJiat the doorway wax foniKd by a duuhlv, instead of a single arch, and that it had apertures in the widls to admit the light. It ia worthy of remark that tbe recent introductiona of these novelties, had
96
btonkhbnob; ob,
made those who had received nU tbcir lij^ from Uicir doorways exclaim loudly against the new-fangled &ndes brought over by the KoRinns, and prognosticiite evil to the. country from these new lighU !
The palace was only one itory in height, and seemed an aAsembloge of distinct buildingi, rather than a house comprising dlS'crcnt apart* mcnts, A strong tenco of palisades surrounded the royal domains, including likewise many dwellings occupied by the officers and at- tendants of the court, and formed a barrier of a horse-shoe shape, the two extremities of which extended to the margin of the strvam. As a furtlier defence, this stream, in other places narrow and fordable, vraa here artificiallj deepened and widened, and tlic hanks made precipitous.
The mansion itself — so to apeak — consisted of a hall, a parlour, or more private apartment, two or three bed-rooms, a buttery, a stable, a dog-kennel, a granary, and an oren or bake- house, besides hovels for cattle, sl^rcliousei^ and other otlicea ; and it was iturrouiided by the habitations of tlie twenty-four grt;at officcn of tlie court.
On the arrival of the Arch Druid and Pudeni
TIIK BOUANS m BRITAIN.
97
(t the gate, the porter was summoned to his aty by two huge bull-dogs, %rh>ch would have disputed the way with a oouple of lions, u readily as with the less formidable aDimals which carried the visitors. The porter, recog- nising the Arch Druid's milk-white mule, re- strained his dogs, and drawing the mighty bolt, obscquivusly tJircw open the gnlc ; nt the same time winding a rude horn, to give intimation of tlie arrival of so distinguished a guest. When tliey reached the palace, the door of tlte King's private opnrtnient bcini; <t{>en, they oat^ht sight of tlte King amuKtng himi»clf snth the harp. Tlie Arch Druid would hmve waited the oon- elusion of the strain, but as the King's dogs disturbed their master, he proceeded at once to the royal parlour leaving Pudeiis in the ludl. ' As tlie Arch Druid remained closeted a con-
I aiderablc time, during which he related Pudens' I strange history to the King, our hero had an opjMrtunity of minutely surveying tlic apart- ment. The walla were hung with arms, musi- cal instruments, and trophies of the war and the chase, among which were to be seen the honis of tlie stag and buffalo, a large circuUr I shield made of widcer coated witli hronie, a VOL. I. r
9»
btonekengb; or.
liu^ bniz«n celt or species of battle-axe, and t,} harp and clirotta or kind of violin. A more ' elevated seat, in fashion not unlike our modern chairs, and oorered n-ith a lienr-skin, seemed designed foMoyalty ; and benches cushioned with the skins of wolves nnd foxes, seemed to Ibl61 less honourable uses. Tlie fire-place consisted merely of a Inrgc slab of stone let into the centre of the floor, upon which «-era_ piled immense logs of wood, wliich madsf Oasian's expression ' flnming oaks* no exi^ gented motunymy for a fire. ^
Pudens bad hardly completed his obserro-1^ tions, vben he was ushered into the royal presence. The King was a middle-aged, tinr< tiol'lookini; chief, with long mustachios on hit upper lip, and hair turned back upon the ctowti of the head, and falling down in long bushy curls behind. On hi* entrance, his host drank to him out of a shell studded with gems, and then presented it to Pudens ; such being tbe customary mode of salutation.
The son of the King was in one comer fitf the apartment, very busily employed in string- ing and adorning a bow ; while at his feet nt two favourite hounds, the wbitc-brcastetl Braa, who frcquaitly brought down three deer in tbe
TUB ROMANS IN BKITAIS.
99
oouneof one chose, bimI a sarly, supennniuUid, Htrongly-huilt Manchester liound, who growled It recognition when addressed by the name of Luath (H). The King eyed I*udena with a kind of cautious cariosit)- as he stood before them in his Iloman girb; and his son's countenance certainly diaplnyed as much defiance as hos- pitality, as he seemed measuring his Umbs with his eye, a> though to compare tlieir relative strength. But a few momenta nerTod to ditpel ull their distrust of the stranger ; for when the King, from whose mind tlie n|){>carnnce of Pudena had for a moment obliterated what be had just beard respeotii^ his parentuge, com* menccd the conrcrsation witli tJtc nddreas,
" Young Roman—"
"Sire," iatcrrupted Pudens, speaking in Gallic, " I am not a Roman, but a Bri- ton."
The old man's eyeti spaikled with pleasure at Uiis declaration ; and his son, unused to sup- press emotions of any kind, gave a violent cheer, and s|>ringiitg from liiv seat, squeezed the hand of Pudens till the blood alniont burst through Uie skin, as a testimony of the satis- faction whteh he felt. Pudons, it mutt be ae- knowledged, felt a little discooocrted at this
F 2
too
STONKHFNnE; OR,
I
embrace, and somewhat at a Ioks how to con- strue it ; more particular!}- as the gruff, somno- lent Luatli, seemed lo regard it as of such an equivocal cliaracter that he felt half disposed to summon his Isst^-hbing energy for an attack, and ^vc a preliminary growl. Bran, however, more sagaciously interpreting his mast'^'s movements, advanced, and seemed to emulate the rudeness and fervency of the sala- tation.
FSidens was not left long in a state of doubt M to the precise nature of his reception; for the young chief advancing, and exclaiming '* You are a Briton, then, are you f**— unfastened a gold ton]ue, or collar, from his neck, and presented it to Pudcns, at the same time welcoming him to his father's " ball of ahdla." ■
Our hero still further raised the estimation with which his new hosts began to regard him, by endeavouring to place the torque round his own neck, whidi was of course accepted by them as a oumplimcntary adoption of the national badge.
When this brief interview was over, and while the feast was preparing, Pudcna and Brennus, (for that u-as the name of the young chief,) strulkd about the royal domain, and
I
TUE ROMANS IN BRITAIN.
lOl
directed their atcps towards the stream, wlilcli, Bs I have stated before, formed oue of its bouiidKrifis. A large meadow, cultivated some- what in the manner of more modem parks, and acrOM which frequently bounded tlic wi1<l d««r from its oorertin the neighbouring wood, :tl <lown to ita willowy banks. A« they approacbed tliis stream, the yout^ cliief •aid,
" At the end of tii%» walk, is a very farouritc resort of Hoscrana, and it ia not uiilJkoly tliat we sliall find her there ; for »he wiU sometinies ait under yon oak till the sun doubles her shadow."
On being asked who Roscrana might be, he answered,
" Koscraiia Lit my Mater ; and she would I shoot an arrow as straight as Boadicea, if it were not that she is so fond of listening to old Morgan, the bard, telling his long stories.**
While they were thuB convcniing, tJicy emerged from a little gruvc-l'die walk formed of birch trees, with here and tliere an oak in- terposed, which liod interrupted tlieir vicm-; and within a few yards of tliem, they belield tlie objects of their conversation. The King's daughter was sitting in a nistic bower, and
lOf
BTONBHBNGR ; OH,
ber waa « very old silrcr-haircd bard, tmcbing her the harp. At the sound of their footstcps, she raised her head, and in so doing, disturbed a profusion of gIos«y ringlets whicb seemed to nestle fondly on bcr neck and shoulders. When licr dark blue eye caught a Tiew of tlic struiiger's, n blush for a moment mantled her ulie«k, while at the same time there flitted rapidly across ber brow something like a frovn of displeasure at the unexpected intrusion.
The momentary excitement tlius produced, however, imparted animation and dignity to her beautiful countcnanec. She was but a girl in age, not being mure than fifteen or sixteen years old, but of a graceful and symmetric figure : and there was something in the artleav nesa of her manners, and picturcs(|ue wildnest of her costume, which added much to the diarm of her appearance. She wits dressed in a loose kind of plaid tunic of various colount, tlifi graceful folds of which seemed to flow irom B curiously carved fibula, on her shoulder. Around her snowy neck a masHire gold cliahi wu seen spariding amid the darker treasea of her long hair. Her brother, advancing a few steps before Pudens, told her that his compa-
I I
TBK HOIIANS IN BBITAIN.
nion wu & stranger come from Caesar's country; at which piece of iatelligence Roscrana showed symptoms of surprise amounting al- moal to terror; for the name of their God Taraiiis, tlie TliutidcriT, v/as not more terrible to ttie Britoiis thiui tiint of Cicaar. Nor did the first timid glance at the fine manly figure of Pudens wholly allay lier upprelicnsionis, for she was not sure that the stranger was not Cffissr himself.
His good-humoured counteiianoe, and kindly manner, however, soon dispelled her reserve ; and before their conversation wils ended, slic c^■en ventured to ask several <juestion»i relative to the ladies of Home ; as, for instunee, whe- ther they were not very beautiful— and whe- tlicr they did not play the harp very well? Nor can we suspect her of any coquetry in tliese interrogatories, if when she uttered them, she did, with tasteful negligence, tlirow back her h«ir from her shaded eyes, and carelessly sweep her white hand over the strings of her harp! 1 must do Pudt-ns the justice to say, that be answered these questions very properly f and satisfactorily. Ilie Roman ladies, poor things 1 had no tuirps ; and though they were
104
8T0NBHBNOB.
pretty, they were not n> pretty as his fair catechist.
To the great reHef of the young chie^ yrho -waxed visibly impatient of this petty conver- sation, their dialogue was cut short by the sound of the faom, which summoned them to their repast.
BOOK SECOND.
Ipas cfo DirduiM Rntupiaa per Kquora puppu DicMM, (t PkndraudiM ngaum Tetui InofteoB BmnAmqne Arrir^fimqae duces pri*cliiiique BeliDuni.
MILTON'i LATIN FOBN , BPITAPHtUM DAMONIS, 162.
Rriuial Ihf legend* ■!! bare chunii for rae
Sinee fint the Trojani plow'd onr Keatiih tea ;
Bm puting o'er Beltnai's dark reign.
Nor lingering witfa Pandraiian Inogen;
I'll bute, Anringui, to ipeak tiij fame.
Nor that! bold Brennni mourn a ilighted aame.
F .S
107
CHAPTER !.
Ttu«i Thomos rote, witit lurp in band,
Wbia at tbe f«Mt wu dons ; (In mintml itrifc, in faiiy Unit,
lite cUtn burl) be won.) ITuib'J wurr ibc tbrong. both linib and loagat.
Anil harprr* for onrj pnh | And ansril lunti liun'ij on llielr *wunl*,
Aod hurkcn'i) to tbe ulc. TUOMU TUK NIIYNRB, t. Ill, tollDtn MIHITRSU.
As it is my intention to intiodaGO the reader I to the court of itie BiitUh King vtho flounshed in tlic middle of the 6rst century, it may be as well, perhaps, to make a. brief remark on tlio state of eivilizBtiou in this island at that tim«. One hundred years had now elapsed since Cicsar's inTasion, and daring this period many Koman stations bod been established here, and conHtant intercourse, friendly or hostile, had subHistcd between the Britons and their con- querors. In the description which Tacitas gives US of the destruction of Camelodonum at the commencement of Boadicea's revolt, be
loa
stokshrncik; or.
I
mentions temples, and theatres, and council cbanibers, as existing tliere ; and hints that the strt-ots were more remarkable for the beauty of ■ the building, thsn for the defence which they afforded tiic inhabitants. In the progress of his narrative of this event, he also relates that ae~ vcnty thousand persons were slidn in the cities of London and Verulamium, in ponsequence of their attachment to tiie Hoinans ; from which may be inferred the populousness of those places and their connection with their foreign allies. Indeed, this unrivnllcd liistonan has not left the progress of civihzaHon to mere inference ; for lie has expressly told us, when narrating events which luippened a year or two subHequent to this period, that, at this time, the Britjuns hud acquired a taste fur luxunes.*
As the territories in whicli our tale is laid were, as yet, unconquercd, however, Roman refinements had exerted only an indirect in- fluence over them ; and had not disjilaocd those primitive manners and customs wliich were soon to pass away for ever. Here and tlicre a mind more elevated than tlie common order, had
I
I
ru.^grif.i. 16.
THE ROMANS IK BRITAIN. 109
caught the rays of cirilisation, and seemed to rejoice in its own solitary brightnoxs ; but the ' crowd WIS teft in darknuss below, for the illu* mination wsis by nu mcaiiit general. Among these more fuvoured individuals was the King, to whose court we have conducted our hero ; who was no other than Arriragus, the British Hector; not unknown to the Roman Satirist Juvenal, and not unsung by his native chroniclers :—
Wui neier King more hifthty magnifiJe, Nor dmldc of Romuia, thot wu Artira^.
• PENfEK.
Arviragus was the son of Cymbelinc, orer whose historj' Shakspeare lias thrown such a halo of glory. Who has not read, and who, having read, can ever forget the fortunes of Arriragus and his brother ; stolen from their father by a banished courtier, and educated as peasants, until their innate magnanimity, burst- ing through the trammels of rusticity— asserted its chum to those dignities of which they had been unlawfully deprived ?
Wiien was the inborn greatness of a noble mind ever so magnilicently developed as in that drama ; or so bcautiliilty apostrophized as in the following hnes .' —
O thon Goddrtt, TlMu diriM Ntturt, ho* thyulC Uiou blaxoa'at
no
ktokkubnob; ob.
In that two princely boyt '. Tliry are (Cotla
Aa xc|il.jr», blowing b«low ihe riolcl.
Not WHf Ktii(t liU twcvt hnd : tail yti u rangbi
Tlieir iDjral blood rachaTd, m Um rtxtcu wind,
Thil by ihv lop doth ttkc tlic uiouaulo pins,
Aad amkc blm ilonp to Uic viilr ! Ti« vonderful
Tliit >n Inrklbic inKlnct thociM Inrae ihtm
ToroyaUy unlurnrdi honour tiolanfbti
Cirility nut Men from other ; r^our,
That vildly grows in iIipid, but yield) a cr«p
Aa If It bad b(CD *oireri. cvMk. act 4, a. S, '
Such was the davm of Uiat day, wbicb was now in its meridian ; xntl Imppily lie w)io thus watched and described that danm, was stiU alive to mark nnd to rejoice in tlic perfect day. Belarius, the banished lord, nlio had stolen the young princes, but who had made coni)>en- _«ation for the theft in the education n-hidi he bestowed on them, is, in sooth, the reno- nblc bard whom 1 have mcnUoncd under the name of old Morgan :
Mya«ir, ndnriiiD, ilml nm Marr*n ratl'd,
Tbey take fat natural fiiljer. cvmbbumk.
Aa old Morgan was no unimportant persoQ^e in the court of Arvintgu-s, 1 must now en- deavour to make my readers better acquainted with him. and 1 do nut know that I can de- scribe him so well in any other Utnguagc as in tliat of Spenser :
TUB B0UAK8 l.V BRITAIN. HI
H* n> u old, M man, h*ir blind Ami >ll ilnivpit in bis fnbic cone,
Tel liwiy rigour mud in Uli ininil,
Aod rccompcnit him wllli h lii'IUr Kont ;•
Wuk body wrll a cliangril fur mind'i redoublMl Torvc.
Thn mu or infinite rcmcmbnince wtm. And Ibingi totvgKinr. tlir^uKb manjr Bjcra hdd. *
VTbich hf n'Ciirrtrd Hlill u Ihcydid pui,
N« tuffrrcd llicm to ptriali ibrniiKli long rid, Ai &il thingi eU the wbieh ilic icitrld iluih vrtil.
FABBV gtrssM. B. 2, CAN, 9, t. U.
This venerable s«ge, whose early life hud been I spent in camps until his body vca.% marked with [Roman swords, and who had heeii banished I from tlie court ai Cymbeline upon a false ac- I Cusatiori ; had lived in comparative soIitu<Ie and exile for twenty years ; when, tutored by ad- I versity, a-t he admirjibly expressed it, he
' lii'trd *t h»ni-Jt rrcriloiii ; p«iJ
More pious drbti to bmt-cD, Uian in all
Tbc fore end of hit linw. cvmbblink.
On the restoration of Arvirtigtis and his elder [brother to their roynl rank, and to the arms of ] their delighted father Cymbeline, Bclarius was [reinstated in his confiscated possessions: hav- [ing first parted with his dcnrcr treasure, the
* "ScoTM," utcli*n|e.
us
stosebenob; ob.
two young princes, with this tearful bened>c- tion, addressed to his sovereign; —
GndaiHilr, Her* an j^our *nna apin -, tai I mual tOM Two of the iirect'tC n>cn)HHiion( in the woridt The brncdiKioa of th«e corrrlng buTeu Pull «B ihclr btnila like (lev i tor lliey arc wonky Tftinlax bravgn wHIi liar*.
With this pntlietic invocation in our romcin- brencc> it will nut appear xurprixing, tliat on tlic succession of Arviragux to the crown, the good old man could not remain absent from the court of his pupil and adopted son ; who kindly made but one condition on receiving him into his household, namely, that be ahould retain hix assumed name Morgan, aa being the one most famihar to him, and rfr- <^ing to his memory the paternal lundnen witli which he had tended the youth of hinuelf and hrotlier. Here, then, ho was spending on honourable, and by no means idle or useless, old age ; the bard and chronicler of the nation, the coundllor of the King, and the tutor of hit ^ children. |
But it is high tinae to proceed to the dinner table ; fur if wc prolong our intioductions the dinner will be spoiled.
THE ROMANS IN BBITAIN.
113
The King determined to welcome the Arch Druid and his newly discovered relative with a |lrJlospital>le entertainment ; and, therefore, com- manded that the principal members of hw household should be summoned, which was done by striking a particular boaa of a lat^c cir- HcuUr shield which hung in his hall. The disdam ^■or steward, upon whom the duty of supervising ^Vthe necessary preparations devolved, was basily employed in seeing that the seats were duly sprinkled with an infusion of vervain, to make the guests merry ; nnd, what was, per- haps, of more importance, in superintending I the cooking of the venison, which was dressed by being laid upon a bed of flaming fern, covered with a layer of smooth flat stones, and ■nothcr of fern above it. If the duties of this distinguished peritonage were arduous and re-
■ S|>un.sible, however, he had his reward, as may be inferred from the following privileges at- tached to his office: — He ranked Itigh in the royal household, was supplied with three gar-
Iments from the royal wardrobe, and had a share of the royal beverage from every cask, in the following singular proportions — as much plain ale as he cotdd reoclk with his whole middle £nger immersed ; as much spiced ale as covered
J
114
stotteiienob; or,
I
his finger plunged in as faros Uie second joint; aiidmeacl to tlie first joint 1 M
Tlie tables grunncd under the weight ot venison, swine's flrsh, and, indeed, almost ercr]r spedes of animal food, except hares, hea*, gee^e, and (ish , (I) ThcKingsat atascoall table, a little more elevated than the otlicrs, at tlie upper end of the hall, and at his right hand were the Arch Druid and Pudcns ; Hoacrana and her favourite, old Morgan, on the left. A few chidf) and nobles of distinguished rank lat at anotlicr tabic, over which Brcnnus pre* sided, as the pettU/u or mayor of the ]mUce. and below them were ranged, according to their right of precedence, the great ofiScera of the household, whose number, inclnsire of tlie Bard, amounted to twenty-four. Among these was the Qrand Falconer, whose office was not only so dignified as to make him a meet com- panion for royalty, which sumetimes coode- soended to rewanl extraordinary success in sport} by holding his stirrup ; but wns, likewise, deemed so important that he wax restricted to three draughts of strong liquor at the King's tolile, lest intoxics.tion should cause him to forget his master's hawks ! A little l>clow bim in rank and situation, was tlie Silentiary, whose duty, (and it was by no means a sinecure), con-
TIIK ROMANS IH BRITAIN.
115
BUted in interposing to prevent rude or «xce.s- ■ive noises in the hall, by striking « column with his wand. Tlirn c&mc the pcn-cenydd, or SDWter of the King's hounds, the mcddyd, or nted tnaker to his loajestjr, the cneddys, or royal physiciati, the Htewanl, butler, and cook ; and, not to forget a very important dignitary, whose rank was considerably above that of the royal phystdan, the gmilh ! But it would be tedious to enumente all their ofiiices ; suffice it to say that tlie King's but«her was neither for- gotten nor despised ; die curator of the lights |>eld ■ conRpicuoUK xUition ; and the porter was considered as one whom tltc King delighted to honour.
The King was arrayed particularly sump- tuously on t]iis occasion. " Ilis head, tlte likeness of a kingly-cruwn bad on," consisting of a fillet, worn over hi» long curly hair, •domed witli two or three rows of pearls, or aporry Britixh diamonds. His beard was sliareii. but he liad lung mustachios on his Up ; a gold torque of elaborate work- iship ornamented bis neck, and he wore a ring on bia middle finger. Ilis tartan, or plajd luntc, was chequered with clilfeTent colours, as were also his braticv, or breeches ; varying, in thit reipeott&oiB those of the nobility, whoso
116
btoneiience; or,
I
garments consisted of five colours only ;* and over his tunic he wore a short blue cloak, called a 8aic or Hagam. He also wore pcntagona] wooden shoi;4 ornamented with studs, and a girdle decorated with little devices in gold, from which was suspended a silver chain, to which was attached a knife having a handle curioosly carved out of the tusks of tlie widrus.
Pudviis VIM obliged to appear in the Roman mihtary habit, for his wardrobe was not particu- larly well supplied. However, choice could scarcely have improved tliat which was the result of necessity ; fur his toll manly figure, dark locks, and radiant black eyes, assorted well with hisajrray.
There was something whidt struck Pudens as being very remarkable in tlie costume of flome of tlie courtiers, namely, the close ainu- ■ larity which it bore to that of royalty. Thus the porter's septi-oolored robe differed no other- wise from the King's, except in its not appear- ing ao new. This phenomenon was thus ei* plained : — The mayor received three royal suits |>er annum ; ttiesc suits, after having been
*TIif Kinir and Qatra nlftht baTs ■erca colour* in Ibtir tad»i Ui*fr*duaU*,bari«i •■■ilav»lt«,iii|lDn]*ii«d Udir* ' Btc; offiMn unit ]roui>| gvniUintD of quality ibnc ( maiaa ■oldier* iwa i aod commun ptoplv one.
I
I
THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN. 117
worn till th« arris's] of a fresh supply, devolved upon tiie sUvranl, anil from liim <lcsccndc<l to the liutler, and so on in rotation, until, (wear and tear excepted, as uur lauyerv say,) they invested tlic outward nian of the porter, or, perhaps, some less dignified personage, hia predecessor's coat advanced to wear !
After the meats were removed, and while the mead was still in circulation, instead of immediately calling upon old Morgan fur hiB song, An-iragus seeing the curiosity, not to say mistrust, wliicb the presence of his guest iti Koman armour seemed to excite, introduced Pudens to them in a speech aa kind, but not as courtly, as that with which Philario intro- duces Poslhumua to his friends :
Hart toat* the Briion i In bini Iw ao nnirrtiitnrit aman^il joa, as luiti, wilh genUciurn of j-oar br(Fdio|:, ID ■ itrangcr of hii (|uiiUly. f bnrcch jrou all, be bctlcT kii»wo to Ibi* Kcndcniin. vbnin I coinmriiJ ui you *■ ■ niililc Trirnd el tnln*; tiow wnrtlry hr i>, I will Into lo ■ppcnr brrnflrr, raider Ibiin Uoty him >n kin own hrnring. CTMBELINB, «<1 l,e<.'BNB i.
He did, however, story Pudens in his own hearing, so far as to relate, or to advert to some of the more remarkable passages of his eventful history, and to request him to favour tlie com- pany with the details.
IIB
btonebknor; or,
T)i«se, which were told hjr thidcnSf with tew exaggemtions as an honest treyoUcr would make, and with all tlie spirit of a gcncrous- liearted youtti, neither cunccitcd nor diHidcnt, excited general applause; so mucli so, indeed, that the ardent young chief, seizing him by the hand, interrupted liim in the midst of one of his narratives, and insisted upon the whole assembly's immediately drinking a huge pota- tion of ftpioed mead in honour of the British stranger. But no one seemed to feel more interest in the relation than Koscrana. As she listened with her fncc upturned, and her large blue eyea fixed on the speaker, her motionless ringlets betokened her attention, iind the changes which passed over her countomoce,^ evinced her interest and sympathy. H
Another ample potatioTt of mead followed the conclusion of tlie story ; and after ■ tittle general conversation, and remarkn on the lumative, a strain was called for from old Morgan's lyre. The venerable bard was cheered by the warm-hearted encoumgoments of Brennus ; and after a few preliminary notei^ i utd « brief invocatory kind of prelude, fai ■ which he interwove the must affectionate prayer for tite monarch and his family, mentioning
TIIK ROMANS IN BHITAIS'.
119
lis daughter under the metaphor of a ftunh«am, tsent to dissolve the anow of old age, And w«l- tcoroing Pudens as tlic bright-helmed stranger, rto their halls and their shells, and praying ^that the mildew of lienven might never sully : shield ; his K;cd couotcnancc grew grndually nore radiant, and hi» voice and hand less ' quarering and tremulous.
The burthen of the song was the early Ufe and adventures of Arnragus, and a particular instance of valour which he had displayed in a contest with Vespasian, the future Emperor of Rome, in which he had lust a brother and
Ijncd a CTOwn. S '
la Bumbrn high, the witching laic
Tbt pMt pOUc'cl kluilK)
No sflcr bsnl might cVr «Tiil TboM aumbFrt to prolong.
Ytl fngmcDla ot the lofty slrain Plo«1 44IWT1 lb« tide of yrtn.
At hiioynnl nn Ihv itoriiij aiaia A inrtcd wrfck nppcurt.
From these fraginenls we collect the follow- ng brief pitrliculurs : — Guiderius, the elder brother of Arviragus, who succeeded to the Lthrone of his fnlher Cymbeline, having refused pay tribute to Konie, his realms were i-aded by Aulus Plautius, and afterwards
i«r
«to\bbengb; or,
by the Emperar CUadius in person (K). In tlie course of this iavasion, a battle was fought near Southampton, between Vespasian and Guidcrius, in wfaicli a Roman in British dis- guise entered the ro^al camp and slew the King. Arvirngus perceiving the death of bis brother, nnd fearing the diacoura^ng effect which it would hare upon the army, aaaumed the mynl biinner, nnd his brother's crown and xbield, and revenged his death in a decirirc ■ victory over Vespasian, whom our chruniclen say be would bare shun, but fur the timely succour of his son Titus (L). Tlie heroic feau performed by Arviragus in tills encounter, the Terror of which made the traitor who had as- sassinated his lirother fall upon his own awoni, were the theme of the poet's inspiration ; and some antiquaries have supposed that it u A in reference to this vietory of tlie Briton that the Roman courtier Vciciito wishing to flatter Dumitian, nnd to extol his valour above that of his father Ves])n«ian, promises him that he ahall unhorse Arviragus.
I
I
RcBPm ktinucoi cKpIc*, tot il« UiDonr BrlluiMt Kxtidrl ArvinfuB,
lUT. MT. 4. at.
TBB ROMA^8 IN BRITAtN'.
121
Kiny thi-r hi* new lord (hall oira, Orfrvm hit ftritiih Hmrini hi'n^I'KuK l!if»*'n. Tin- proud An-inj;!!! come tumbling duirn.
I am nfraid that this terec rccapitiiUtioii of tlie «v<^tK which formed the subject of old Morgan's song, will not cx«te hy any means so much interest as did liis well-strung IjTe. I had indeed thuiiglit of attempliitg a transla- tion of his wild strains j bat I remembered that Shakspcare, and Spenser, and Wunlsworth, had htboured in this harvest of tnidilional poetry ; and my little sheaf bowed down in homage to their nobler ones.
Til* Dilfthlirat chiefi of Biitiih tong Scoro'd not luch Irg:«iid> to pra)on|; t Tbry gUhia throuj^h Spcnur'i •clfia dream. And Diix lu MUton'i huTrnlv thtiiie.
sriiTT.
Without the poet's fire, however, the poet's harp had better he left to be swept by the winds ; and who that had witnessed the effects produced by old Morgan's spirit-stirring verses, would hope, in these unimpassioned days, to emulate them ? Glowina: as he proceeded, he seemed to communicate to his listeners the in>
VOL. I. 0
13S
STDNKIISNGS ; OR,
Bpiration whidi he fdt. Bvery breath was )iUNh«<I to thfi whirlwind shock of battle described. Martial ardour beamed firom the eyes of the youn^ warriors ; and big tears of generous denpair gushed from the eyea of the elder chiefs, at tbe Tecapitulation of exploit:! for which they now felt that thoir arms were nn-^ nerved by age. ^
Tlie deep pause of silence which foUnwvd, wxs broken by tbe young chief; who, riaing to replenish tlic shells, expressed the wish t)ut tbe whole Roman nrmy, with Civsar at their bead, were at their gBies, to affon] them an opportunity of shewing whether ihey were interior to their ancestors in courage !
When old ^[o^gBn's task was done, he, tha Arch Druid and Uoscrann, withdrew ; but the harp piissed from hand to hand, and Arviragux himself, who was no mean performer, sang a spirited piece, descriptive of Cuisar's fimt repulse from the British coasts.
I
He dyd liU TcnM kfnp, or Cunf rouc|iicr'(1. niii) liin inlKl>t]r hoatf. And bo* Dtd Tyojnn ticcroiuiincing kyofc, Wfnk'd all till aliitipliiit on ibc Brltiah COMW, And inadv hliii in tiii (alUr'd liMki lo Bi«. Till TjrDj-ui't dnth ud oppDrtunitj'.
rHiiTTBRtos'i SiiTTlK or nti1IX<
TUB BOilAKS IN BRITAIN.
123
i^
The mead a» well as the harp, tiowever, con- tinued to drculttte ; and soon the sung was as little regarded as the reiterated blows of the silentinry's wand aijainst the pillar.
Bed* of straw, with woolly coverlets, were inged tip;>n the floor of the dormitory ; and thither Fitdens rctiied while he was able; but 1 blush for the honour of my ancestors, that a n^rd for truth ulibgcs tne to stnte, that in this laudable act he was in the minority ; and that by far the greater number, among whom, alas ! bWBs our friend the young chief, were found ^hnder their aeaLt at break of day, where they
Tliirk « aulumntl le*tts t)ul itrov Ibi braok* la ValUmhtMa,—
Pp'
until made to perceive the evil plight in which they were, by the entrance of the porter.
We may supjjose tliis dignified fanctuary, hose hi^h and importtnt office it was to irovide fresh rushes for the dour, and to kindle tlic fire in the hall, asked these princes, poten- tates, and warriors, as Satuu erst asked his myrmidons, whom be found in a still more FKwkward predicament, whetlier they had
o 3
124
BTONSHENGE J OB,
■ eboten ttiia pUtcc Aftvr the toil oifiaitixg to rcpoM Tlitir wearied Tirtue, for the eiK tbcf found To tlunilrer there ?
And we will hope that on being similarly in- terrogated,
ThcT henrd and wm abaik'd, while up they sprung.
HILTOM, V. ■.., BOOK 1, P. II.
»
THB ROMANS IN BRITAIN.
125
CHAPTER 11.
I (poke of iDMt diiMlniai chhttcc*^— V noring kccuIfbU. hj Ockod nod Held { Of liur4rMdih 'tcapci i' lUe Immlntot deadly bmcli j or btiog akttk hy the iniolcnt he. And lold lo tUmry ; of niy mlcmplioa thenor^ And portanK in mjr UaTela' liiatorjr i
TbiM Alogt lo tuair, IVoiild nmiilfviuonn wriuonljr inclinR :
• » " • •
She larcd mi! for tbr dan^ra I hud pisicd ; And I liivi-rl \icT lliDt ihe did pily ilinni.
oTnr.i.i.o, *<rT I, »c, 3.
Tub conviviality of the rorai tablv was not so bannk'ss in its effects upon Pudcns, as his comparative moderation might have justified him in expecting; for tlie wound tn his shoul- der which he, as well as his historian, had almost forgotten, was found on the morrow Co be very much inflnmcd. His jwle and fevered countenance attntctcd tlie nttention of Arvi- ngus. who* on being informed of the caus^ told him that he must submit to two or three
9I«
RTONEIIEVGK ; OR,
days' uninterrupted repose ; and ailded, that he would not act unwisely in placing liinixclf under the medical care of Koscraiia, who irui wrdl- m acquainted with tlio nature of almost every plant, from the trefoil to the mistletoe. * Hti household surgeon he said could abscize, aiH' patate, or cauterise; hut as his retuunervtiod wu the garment soiled nith blood, he was thought to excel ut those ciise« in which the U blood flowed rather freely. f
Pudens very resignedly sabmittcd himself to the care of his young and beautiful iiurM; who, attended by her herbn-oinnn. tJw archetype of the functionary who at the pre- sent day scatters herbs before the King at a coronation, proceeded to examine the wound, and to prepare the neirenwry medicaments.
Whether it was that the wound was of a
I
* To the reader fkcniliar wilh irorki of roRiniKw, ii *ni not ii|i|>ciir«t ull ciUaonlinary lli*l Rairnm* ww ■ pco4rim in l)u licahiig nrl; for in tlic lain of cblralry we rrW, dui tlw niuH d«p«nite woasdi wrra brnleil, ■* woU tu ^td^kt^t, hy ll>« U'tin. Dut Ihi* nccoinplitbinrnt *■• ncqairril iovf before tbv ii^v uf rliintlry, ut niiy br infvrrol Troui U» proficiency' «r one of Omihii'i c»nt«ni|>nnnn, wSlfb h ibut iktcribed!— "She can dole the wcxiiiJ of til* labuBl^ (bi hnow* the biitin)[-pUfr of every herb of Ihr muuntkiai *■) ■bo know* ulicr<;they WnlVc lliclr hcadi bj lb* hanki u| the McrN tlrMiiit."
I
I
THB BOUANS IN BRITAIN. 12/
more serious nature ttwn wss at fintt appre- liended, or from some otlier oausi^ I wilt nut take upon mc to determine ; hut Dcrtain it is> that it required firqucnt dressing, Etnd that the dressing was a very lengthy operation: al- though to jtidge by tht: putioncu with which it was suhniitled to, by no meiuut painful. An* other singular symptom remains to be men- tioned, namely, tliat the nearer I'udenn approached convmiesccnt'c, the more dilatory the process became ; tliis, however, 1 presume, ■rose from t)ie wise eatition of Koscrana, knowing that patients require more care, ■inasmuch w they are more venturesome, Hthe nearer they approximate to a pvriect reoo- Jreryi
B Aa violent exercise was interdicted, Pudeiis
^ could not accompany ^Vrviragua or his son on
tlieir hunting excursions, which formed their
principal amusements ; and as the Arch Druid
was much occupied with his arrangements in
t providing an asylum for hb religion, his principal companions were Koscrana and old Morgan. He oould only repay the kindness and assiduities of the former, by he^iting the time spent in her society with Itie description of the different countries in which he had spent his ruving life, and the adventures
■ B|K:ilfc LI I
in
128
vtonebknoe; or«
which had befullen tiim; — but will it appew surpnzing that KoNcmia seemed bcradf b this manner wctl requited fur nil her laboani lie who would think bo, roust have furtoeda ver}' different opinion of wofnaa's lieart fntn that of Shakspcarc. Bcsidea the 'ronaatk adventurer of I'udens, and besides tlie fine figure of the narmlur, tliere was m> much refinemenl and delicacy in his manners, so much informs tion in his eloquent conversation, and sncli an delation and comprcthensiveness in his princi- ples and views — more especially when coin[>arcd with those of the persons with whom Ros- erana had been in the dally habit of oonvenu^ — that she listened to bim as to a being of a tiighcr order. 'I1ie gods do not regard man's ojferinga with Indifierence; nor did Pndeos receive with upatliy Uiat incense of all others the mo«t flnUeiing — the homage paid to intel- lectual superiority by a woman cu)Kthle of appreciating it!
Pudctis regarded Roscmna with an inteivst which it would be difficult to describe He ' viewed Iicr as an innocent, generous, bcae- tiful girl, who«e charming simplicity aeeawd tl>e only thing which identified her as a member of tlic unpolished society in which , ahc moved ; but whose superior gentle*
I
TUB NOUANS IN* BRITAIN.
IJ'J
I
nc«3, and occasional diipUy of cxtnordhiary mciital eiidowinenU, threw a line of risible iliminctton b«t«-ecn her and her utsoci&tes. Slie resembled, indeed, one of the satellites of the planet Saturn, connected in appearance and local proximity with the parent sphere; bat separated from it by a wide and radiant barrier, and seeming rather to belong to BBOther, and a loftier system, than to be fllniuDscribed by the same atmosphere.
The nordty of the drcumstaocea in which Pudcns found himself, and the uncertainty of the future, whicli seetiied to be tinged with the myiteriousness of the post, did not allow him to obtain a distinct vicv of his situation, or to form n settled plan of action. Hi* de*tinieti \ccme<l involved in too much ob- •curity for htm to wUh to connect them with thoae of aity one he lored ; and yet he eould oot forbear hojiing that they would not be distantly severed from those of Koscrmna.
'lite case was somewhat of a leas negative character with Koscrana. She was a child, in- deed, in years, but she had reached the age at which females were considered marriageable :tn Britain, and her mora) and inlelleclual character erinced singular precocity ; so that
03
130
KTONKIIKIftiS ; OK,
in her aflTectionti athe dispUyed at once tlic Btmplicity of a girl, and tlie fervency of ■ woman. Pudens' adventures, the «rond«n d* Rome, ami the raannors of the Komnn^. seemed at first to protniw: an inexhaustible theme (or ootiversation ; but attliough RosciBnn seemed never weary of listening to her compuiiaa'* perKona] iiarralive, yet tlie more rrmjaeDllj till;}' converged togctluT, the less curious ^e becaine about Home, and the more anxious to knovrwhat Pudens thought of Britain. Often (lid she artlessly suppose that the masnitic^nl palaces of Rome must have caused him to despise the meanneas of her father'a oak- shaded dwelling.
One day, in<lee(t, she gave ■ touching display of innocent passion, altliough she was perfbctly uncunscioua of the feelings which prompted her. Having tastefully arranged a little posy of flowers which she considered scarce, she presented tlicm to Pudens, asking him playfully, '* if Rome had such ftowen u those?"
it happened, unfortunately, that Pudcn« caught sight of a rose which had been gathered from a tree sent to Roscrana by some ac- quaintance of her's at the Roman station at
I
TlIK ROMANS IM BRITAIN,
Venta." tlie parent tre« having been brought over fnm Italy, by irame colunist resident tltcre. The flower was deemed a great rarity by RoBcraiiB, although neither she nor Pudeiitt knew that the rose was an exotic to Britain. Pudens, therefore, ansirered, that " Rome had her roses, indeed, though none !to sweet"
This htilc piece of gallantry softened, but could not Hubduc, the niorti6cation ot* Ros- cnna, on reflecting that she could not lind anytliing norel in ber own country — not so mudi even as a rose; and turning a&ide to a httle pet lamb, that was following hor, she gave Tcnt to her girlish feelings in tears, which she endeavoured to conceal by kisiting and caressing her woolly fat'ourite, and hiding her £act in its deecy neck ; at the same time utter- ing this iMsaiotuite addreKs:^" Ah! my httle lamb, they have ererytliing that u beautiful at Rome, except rach a dear httle creature as you."
Thia simple anecdote will, it is not impro- bable, draw down upon our heroine, and per- haps our author, the sneers of those who live in a more artificial state of society; but the apprehension is nerertht-lesa not suJScieiitly •WiKbnMr.
133
hto.n'UIIKNCe; or.
i
awful Co deter me from the ntentioQ of this ge- nuine expreitsion of unaffected — un8oplu9tic«U(l nature.
But it must not be supposed UiatBU Pudem' time, even dunng his convalescence, was spent in conversation with Roscntiw ; her tutor, old Moi^ii, hod hix full sliare of attention. It hud. for niuny years i>a^t, been Uie priiidptl nmuseinent of this ve.nerable bard to weave his oountry'A traditions iulolays; and now it n])i»:nTed U> t>e the delight nf his extrcnte «gc to communicate what lie hud tiiiu acquired.
Aa this legendary lore wbs more nord to-| Padcns than to «»y of the faaiily, he naturallf listened with more attention, and repaid the narrnlivc with warmer plaudits; consequently he soon became an especiid favourite of the old bard's. As might be expected, he knew but M little of the early heroes of his country, except ^ of the daring courage of *' Cassibelan,"
Fmdous in Cmar'i prsiici. an whit lea* Tbu in bi* Tcata dcwrrlnf it ;
J
and of the manly bearing of Caractacus before his conqueror at Kume. which had been the uA- mimlion and theme of the Koman historiiuu ; but no longer pica forignoranee now remained;]
THR ROMANS IN BRITAIN.
133
fur the half-blind minstrel found, in his harp, hisgTvatcst solace; nnd long practice had taught him to sweep its stiings so swcetlj*. tl»t Pudcns began to foci the most %'ivid interest in these national strains. Sometimes he would ti&tcti to the warlike exploits of Cassibelan, how that he vras
I
once at point OgigtatfiftUMt lo uintUr C«tar'> •vord.
At other times the more peaceful politics of his hrother Lud, (from whom London wtiich he had rebuilt derived its primitive name Lud's Town), would form the subject of the song divine. But, with the exception of his favourite theme — the inndents of the early life of Ilia sovereign, to which vrc have adverted in a former chaptor-^nothin;; seemed to make old Morgaui's patriotic pride swell more trium- phantly tliiui c'lntrastiiig the fratrlcidul conduct of Romulus and Uemus with tlie mitfrnaiiimous conduct of the brothers Artegal and Klidure. Tlie siweet poeny witii which Wordsworth has adorned the history of the two British chiefs, liardiy surpasses that of the jtatriarchal bard.
In this manner did l*udens spend many a pleasant hour in company with the old mtn-
134 ST0NKHBN6B; OB,
strel and Roscrana; fostering the bruised genns of patriotism till they had recovered from the eflecta of their early transportation. " At last," to have recourse to the B&cting lan- gusige of Spenser, which I acknowledge I can never repeat without deep emotion,
At lut quite riTliht with delight to hears
The myal offipriaft of hi* nstlTC laod.
He cryde i deir couotTT I O how dearly den*
Ousbt thy remembraiice and perpetnal bwtd
Be to thjr foiter ehilde, Uiat from thy band
Did common breath and nouriture receavs ;
How brutish i> it not to underBtand
How much to her we owe tbit all uk gave.
That gave unto ui all whatever good we hare.
F#ER¥ CUBEH, B.2, C, 10 V.69.
TUB ROMANS IX UBITAIN. 135
CHiVFfER III.
UljrwM^ with ■ bnvr (mbm,
I'dM lIieiD Ohio ilul iiiildljr >ii]r,
Tlic nine 1> tuiiir wbrn nc iui»l pari;
My hoDoar colli ms Ikucf away.
PirDRNfl K^emei) to make daily progress iii I the esteem niul nifeclion of tlie tnmily of kArvingus ; for he nut only renOered his sudcty very agreeahte to Koscrana and llie liard, but lie also contrived to ingratiate hintaelf in an espedal manner with the King. Arviru^us vmi a polite, warlike prince, and, 90 far from de- spising the youth of Pudens, drew from him ft great deal of information, very uiteful to hin] Mid his subjects ; particularly as to tlie Romatt mode of warfare, and tlie art of furtilication.
Nor did I'udens tail to obtain the friendship of Brcnnus, whose manly ainusemenU he shared as soon as his health allowed him to do so. On one of these occasions a little in> tadent occurred, which totally obliterated the
196
mONBHSN'QB ; OU,
somewhat unfiivoaTalile impression wludi tlie invalid's partiality to the peaceful pursuits of old Morgan and his &ir pupil bad, at first, made upon the young warrior.
I'udcns and Brcnnus vcrc one day trying thtir dexterity in throwing the javelin in the presence of Roscrana, whom they had ap- pointed tlicir arbitrcss. The young chief, taking liis stand at about fifty sliides from a rude %urc of a wolf cut in wood and fixed on a ■ pivot, which served as a mark, hurled his un- erring weapon so precisely to the centre that tlie figure remaitieci stationary ! Pudens now advanced with liiti braisen>headed missive, and, finding it impossible to surpass this throw in precision, took his aim at the wolPa head, thinking that he should display the force of tLe btov, aa well as the correctness of his aim, by making the figure revolve on its centre. Jtut as his hand was upnused with the weapon, and he had said " To Uic head," a real wolf rushed by at a Httlc distance beyond the goal, bearing away Itoscrana's pet lamb. She screamed, and her brother shouted; but Pudcns seising the op* portunity, hurled his javelin, with all his might. at the depredator, and actually pinned him to the earth by the naj>e of his neck. The young
TUB ROMANS IN BRITAIN.
diHrf testified hU applause by a long vocifera- tion ; and Roscranii, with more humanity than [ Oftution, ntn to secure her little favourite. Vn- Drtunatcly, in cn(I(^nvoari^g to rescue the Iamb, I«he iiberatcf] the wolf, vrbJch, as the javelin had lonly penetrated the skin, was but slightly jn-uunded, and immodiiitely tunicd upon her. idenx, seeing her dnnEfcr, flew to her relief. Ijind having smcd the fell beast by the throat, jrew its fury upon himself, and a violent strng- ie ensued. Our hero having no weapon tu inHirt a death ' Wound, his only expedient was to maintain his grasp unUI h« had strangled his assailant; which was, to the meantime, tearing his flesh with ht» claws. They lu^c;ed — they plunged — they rolled over each other ; but although the agonies of death rendered tJie writhing monster more clc)(|>entte, and hn nnbi^ntst's strength wns waning from tlte prutraetion of the etfurt, and from loss of blood, I'udens did not reUix his liuld until his enemy had yielded up his life.
Brennus had, during the latter part of this conflict, been leaning on his javelin, at a Uttlc distniine, enjoying the spectacle, and refusing to interfere, although implored so to do by the cries and tears of his sister. "Now give me
^
las
stonbiiemob; or>
your hand," Mid he to Pudenx, as soon u it KM o^tiTf " I never saw > mauli better fought in m)* life, and I did not like to deprive yoa of the triutnjili ; or I would have ended it much sooner for you. But were I in your place," he continued, " I would never cramp up my limbs ill nrmour if I could fight u> well without it. I nni afraid, however,'* he added, " thit here \% nnotltcr wcvk's laak for your nurse — what ssy yoa, Koscranar" H
RoBcnina's reply was prevented by Pudcnc, who, M iic arranged his soiled vestments, laai smilingly to her, " Nay, my kind nurse, be not alarmed, I have only received a few scratche* ; hut even if 1 had lie«n more scrioualy ban, I could not have nllowcd you more than twenty* four hours to ntten<l me; for, at tlie end uf ib*l time, I must take my leave of your hospitable house."
"That shall never be," said Brtnnus, ** ytn shall have whatever is oura to give : a ne* cbanot(M} shnll be made for you, as bandsomr as roy father's which you bo much admired : tou ahall choose your horses ; and you shall sbarc my dogs, my bovs and arrows, my haodng spears, and, indeed, you shall have whatenr you like ; but you shall not leave us." Pudenc
I
TUB BOlIANi IN BRITAIN.
I3»
ftuuretl him tliat Ihc Arcli Dniid had made his iimm{;ein«itts to part on l)ie murruw, and Uiat he tntist accompany him.
The idea of {larting had never before been Keriouily contemplated by Roscrana ; and she M'ept now beoause she reflected, for ttie 6rst time, that such a thing was possible; nor were her tears the lens hitter on account of her liaving just witnessed the dangers to which Pudctis had exposed hiiuscU' for bcr sake. He, for whom thoM taaia flowed, felt a strange uneasiness St ■edng her weep : but was less allected at this tight than by licr urtlessness in not at- tempting to conceal Ihetn, or to di^uisc the cautc. Site add«I her expressive intreatics to the more rade,but not lets sir.cere, persuasions of her brother ; and told Pudeoa that she had joat been pbiiining in her mind that she would ask him to instruct her in the Latin language ; and that, in return, old Moi^n, or herself, would tench him to play on the harp.
These frieiidly invitations of hi« family were very warmly seconded by the King; and, al- though th<-y were not successful in inducing the Arch Druid to cluinge his purposes, yet he ooniented to leave bis son behind bim. He would, indeed, hare gladly remained until his
140
stongbenge; or.
son's fortunes had suiitumcd a more settled chufacter, but t)iat lie well knew tlint it U tou late to fly for refuge when the citadel is be- sieged ; and, thcrcfure, ho resolved to curry off his pallaclium while it was prHCticable. He felt less unwillingucfls, too, to pumue tfait jonrney, long stul [lerilous as it might be, alone ; not only because he thought that it «u not impossible that Pudens*8 services m a mediator between Arvirogus and the Roouiu might sQun be called into requisition ; but be- cause he also thought that his son's on-n in- terests might be best promoted by prolon^in: his residence in hts present hospitable ([uuten. Aocustomed, as he was, to scan the heart, sod well acquainted nith all his suhtleticH ; he itcf^ cdvcd and understood the nature, and probably consequences, of the growing attaclimcnt be- tween Itoscrana and Pudcns, lung before citbtr of the parties concerned, or, indeed, any one besides himself, had susjiectcxl its existence.
He did not depart, however, until Ue had used his most strenuous endeavours to pcrnude Arv'iraguH immediately to send an nnhnroMC to ttie Romans to explain tJie ciTx:umsta[ice8 of the late affray.
" May Taranis send one of his bolts throagh
^<
THE ROMANS IN DRITAr.V.
my ca^qtie, ere I do that ;" said the |>ruu(l chief. " If the Romans have any thing to complain of, I« Uiem Kctid to me."
'• Niiy," !ui(I the Arch Druid, " thou Itnoweat lie severity of Suetonius, and that he is like a bull hayed into niadncu by that cur of a pro- curator, and will turn his harm agiiinst the first ^who crosses bis path."
^M " I<ct him turn his horns against me, tJien," ^nid Arviragas, fiercely; at the same time "clenching the handle of a loi^ hunting-knife hung at hilt side; "and I will sec whether I , cannot shorten them a little." ^P The Arch Druid found that it was in vain to ~ attempt to make the spirited prince promise any thing which he deemed would compromise his independence ; but he did not foil to im- press upon him the importance of strengthen- ing himself witli all the alliances in his power, and of being prepared for hostilities sllould any such arise. ^^ A person less acquainted with human nature than tlic .Vrcli Druid, and wishing to promote the union between his son and Kosnrana, would [bare felt himself in duty hound to deliver, by iTray of parting advice, a lengthy, dogmatical IdisconrM: on the eligibility of the mutch ; hut Afch Druid, on the contrarj-, said not a
U2
STONKIieNOB: OB,
word on the sulijrct tu Pudens, but Ntgadoiul; hinted to the old bard that the adventures ot his iton nould be nn unmeet suhjrct for fan lyre ; well knnn-itig, that by making a man ■ hero yon innke him irros'tKlihIt: tu the (mt.
1 will not describe the iwrting xccnc, for it vns n sad oitc : the rcnernhle Druid liked t»t the Bcvemncc of his new parental tie, and Pudcns felt more on the occasion than be had anticipated ; but Arvimgus's family vere m pleased with this fresh mark of thoir inmatr't ooii6dcncc, in casting himself and his fortune* entirely upon them, that they did all in their power to amuse him.
Among all his amusements, however, there was none which afforded him more pleasure than his new task of Latin preceptor. Koi- crana was not wholly ignorant of Latin, having acquired a partial knowledge of it in her in- fancy, from her grandfather Cymbcltne, who had spent much of liis youth in RoR>e, and having been further impro^'cd itk it by old Atiirgan, who, in earlier life had been thrown much into Itoman society. It is not surprising, tlicrefure, that as it was luercly re-opening m old Teiit, she seemed to make a rapid prograa under Pudena's tuition. She wat i
1
Tiie BOMAN8 IK BRITAIN.
U»
k
hjippy than when liHtoning tu the frafmenls of Roniun hUtory, v)iic)t iie would read or rc3«tc to her; and wlititi pUyfully etdlod upon tu re- iiiiinvrate him for itiiecdoles nf Lucretu, or the Mutlicr of the Gracchi, the would hcnTc uii uncnilal-forkigh thnt nhe had nu hcUcr heroine ttinn. perhapN, Cord«liit, the dutiful dau»litCT of old King liCsr. But, oh, who rouhl hear the touching story of that sweet *' chihl of iwtUK meek," ta Wordsworth style* bcr, liynmnl by one m lovely ** tierMlf, ami nnl prefer the beautiful aimplidty of tlie Mrain, lo the nioro liigldy-wrought hiBlory of thi- Btemer ivirtura of the Roiniin mmruns }
Delightful, hntTcvcr, as were the»c pursuits, tbdr influence was tou enervating for uian who is bom to Itcsr and to act. There is a moral in the talc of tlio enchantress Calypso ; and PudeiiK might as well have been east upnn her isle, AS becalmed in this sea of piriuurc, which would, probably, have been hia fate, hut for a singular little inndent, which deserves mention. Among the curiosities with which the kind-hcArt- ed chieftain soui^ht to amuse his gtiei^t, and the display of whidi alTorded himself, at lea«t, as much pteaturc an the sight of them did Pudens, was an old Roman swon), red with rust, lijccd
144 STUN'EHEN'GS; OS,
in a shield which it h&d h&lf-clefl in twun ! Tiie shield was highly omsnientei), and had, doubtless, belonged h> some Briton of dis- tinction ; but there was nothing remarkable in the sword to enable any person to divine what hand had wielded it. " There,'* swd Brennus, pointing to the relic with conscious pride, " there is the sword which my great uncle Nennius, wrested from the hand of JaUni Ceesar(N). It cost him his life, it ia tme, but it was worth that to disarm Ciesar ! I will send old Morgan, however," be added, " to tdl yos ail about it; fur he is never tired of making songs upon it, although I am sometimes tired of listening to them." So saying, with his usual impetuosity, he bounded off, and left Piidens to his own reflections.
It seemed as if the sight of this relic had touched some master chord of Pudens'a heart, whicli awoke into thrilling energy emotions which had long lain dormant ; as poets &in —
Tlic sntil of niiiiic sliiuibers JD the shell. Till wHkeil Hnd kindled by the mslter'i shell.
RnCBat.
He stood gazing ui)on this trophy for some moments, and his eyes filled with tears as be
TUB KOUANS IN BRITAIX.
145
rcTolrcd ill iiiii mind the eventful career of its once mighty possessor, and oontrasted the iinmorto] ftune of Cocsar wilJ] his own galling obscurity. " Oil, CiBsar, Ceesar," lie burst forth at last> "shall n Briton deem death cheaply purchased to disarni tlice ; und shall 1, to whose ears thy explbitx hnvc been fAiniliar front infancy, and whose lieiirt even nuw beats with tlie same love of glory ns prompted lliee to dbcorer a new world in order to vunquer it ; sltatl I slumber in the very scene* in which thou didst gathcf tliy laurels ? Furbi<l it, ye Gods t I ask not fortune, but deny me not fame: I aak not for a long life, but oh, let not my name perish !"
As Pudens thought himself unobseo'ed, he uttered the latter part of this pas&ionate apos- trophe aloud; and old Motion, who was crccpinf; along with the silent step of decrepi- tude, overheard it. " Oh, sock not fame witit such eagerness, my son," said he ; " it u an unxub^tantinl tiling ; it is like tlie lightning — it burns, hut warms not ; it dazzles, but lights nut ; and it too ofteji destroys the cloud which ^ves it birtli."
Pudens blushed at being thus surprised, but aoon recovered htnis«ir,and with great readiness
VOL.. I. II
btoskiiknok; or,
pursued the bard's simile, " Yes," said he, " but func resembles the lightning in anoUter particular, which you have not aieiitioned : tJicjr aic both kindled in hcaroa !'"
"'hvc," said the banl, pleased with tbe thouglit, as tretl aa vith the Tecling whtcli tti' apired it; "the love of fame is a gift of the gods, and partakes of their dirinc nature, and. in moderation, purifies the sou), even as lim liglitiiing olears the air. Nay, more than tJiat," he added, "alter musing for a moment or two^ it seoma to vouch the truth of what we DnuJs teach aatothc immortality of the soul ; for why should a youth, such as thou, rush on death fv the sake of glory if there were not somcthinj within which tells him that tlie worm doth not destroy all ? lie knows well, I ween, that hii helpless coqwe will httle hist the bray of tlie herald's trump, ^^'hat then should tempt hisi to throw away the elialice of life, when he lis* scarcely raised it to his lips, and thinks, b the simplicity of his heart, that it is tilled to the brim with bliss ? What should tempt hire. I say, to dash it aside almost untasted, were it not that nature tells him that his aoul U im- mortal ?"
Hie eloquent old man ponued this atnia
TUB BOUANB IN BRITAIN.
147
much further, as it v&s particularly bis wont as dcacri)>c<l l>y SliakEp<:arc,
To dnw hiio ■ proAt from kU thiap W mw ;
but, perhaps, sonae of my readers li&re the same horror as Brcnnus had of any thing prosy, and we will, thcrcfoTe, give him the sUp as Brennus did ; only adding that the sight of Oesar's sword socmod to inspire Podens with a new impdae and fresh energies, which dc- vdoped tbemselres in planning »voral iro- provenKnts in the royal domaius. Here the river was to be widened, there deepened ; this marsh was to be drained ; that hill to be levelted ; roftdi were to intersect tliem ; walls to surround them ; towers to defend tbero ; and, indeed, the whole place was to bo changed from a Jritisli palace to a Roman fortification.
U 3
148
VTONRIIENOE; OS,
CHAPTER IV.
WLIU Hip •on tliinct wilh prtn ti|thl,
Upon DiKiIrn and kDirPii 1 »hM decUra Tbe lav or nigUt accordins to right.
riuc (be kiog'i *eit Uue ftDd aqu«n. Let ncn mruurc tor Juatlcc'i Mkc
Be ptren tn liirtit of (>o<I inil niau, Thit Ihc pldintiiT hia eomptaint may make.
And llir diiffniliinl anavor — If )|0 <*n.
rju.GaATE'a nitc «Hn i-muorbi* or tub chcum
MMMoIiKULtll.
Soon after the Arch Druid'a departure. Ai- viragus and his judges held a royal assise; <i which, AS it is curioos to observe the laws, aod tlirough thciD the manners of nations in their infancy, wc shall giro a brief account.
The first day of nssiu: was spent at tlic King's house, in oHscsNiig and rccciring tbt crown rents, and also certain lines and ser- vices similar to tlie copyhold heriots of moden times ; and a more stirring scene has rarth been witnessed than ushered in tliat moninf'
THB ROMANS IN DBITAIN.
The rrealcing of wicker wagons, the loiring of
oxen, and tlto din of a thousand disputing
Toicea, awoke Pudena at break of Any; who
naturally enough supposed ttiat some battle
must have been recently fought, and that the
victors wore returning home laden witli the
spoil. He hastened to make inquiries ; but
instead of Slicing the King arrayed in the sc-
coutrciDcnts of war, bn saw him attired in
more than usual state, and one of Ma most
distinguished subjects holding his feet in his
bosom, and rubbing them with a flcsh-brush ;
I this personal service being the tenure under
[ which ho held bis hinds !
^b I'he bustle which had disturbed bis slumbers,
^he was informed, was occasioned by the arrival
j^of two or three uchelwyrs,or high-men, to pay
^■fcheir rent in kind ; and the nature and extent
' of the business transacted on that day, may be
estimated from the rent paid by these mag-
nates, each of whom held a fee of about one
^Biuodred acres of land from the King, for
P which they remitted to tlic royal stores a
I horse-load of the best wheat reduced to flour,
, one ox, a l)arrel of mead, nine palms in length,
^■ftnd eighteen in breadth, or two of hragct, or
^^fniip nf common ale, and 168 equal thrcavcs of
160
ATOKKHKNCB; OB,
Mta for Uic stable, a bow three yetn oU, ft salted gantmon three inches in thicknesa. and a pot of butter tltre« pnlms long tnd tbrcR broad !
I'u Uiese great men Muoceeded others, bring- ing straw and wood for the King's bed und &n, bows and arrows for his armoury, and houndi for tlie royal kennel. Those who brought manufactured articles of provision, wue obliged to take them to be weighed or mensured : the maues of butter were to be u large as a certain dish ; and it was india- peiuffthle that each loaf of oatmeal brad •liould he equal in breodtli to the mcaasrc of tlic arm from the etbow to the wrist, and so thick as not to bend, though held at the J extromity. S
Two days were thus consumed ; the third day was nppointcd for llie hearing of causes, and the adjustmcDt of ditTcFenDcs, before the King in person.
For tliis purpose, Arvingus, attended by hii Brawdyr Llys, or Court Justiciary, uid aoom of the ciders of the state, who were hereditary judges, adjourned to Old Sarum's mound, which was called the Hill of Assemblies. Here the King took his sent in the open air.
TDK mOMANS IN BRITAIN. 151
■vrith faia buck towards the sun, and hU judgei • little l>clow him.
The first case wai one of murder, in which b noble waa accusod of having slain a brother peer. Each of the parties, on appearing before the King, delirercd up his son as a ■(Itostage for his father's peaceable submission to the mytl sentence.
»l1ic accusation having been made in the tnost violent and mertacing language, it behoved the accused to establish his innocence, not by witnesses, but by compurgators of a certain »nnk. The testimony of twenty-four nobles as to general conduct would ha^-c been suffi- ^nt, although Lhey had been perfectly igno- rant of this particular transaction; but the culprit being unable to obtain so many peers, proposed substituting the oatlis of three hun- dred common men. Nothing could exceed the contemptuous indignation which this pro- posal drew foTtli from the aristocratic accuser, who branded his opponent's ignorance of the nature of erideiioe witli all the opprobrious tenns he could think of. The oflTender was, consequently, condemned to pay to the family of the deceased sixty-three cows as the ffwerth, or price of the murdered, answerrng to the
3
stoneiiknck; ottj
wercgild of the Saxons, and the suoceufal party remunerated the assistant judges for their favourable decision ; thereby shewing, t3int cheA]) jiiiiticu is qnittt a modem crotebci in England, and that —
It balh of ttlikii liiu* Imn ordcincd. Tbr igtiiniT of a rioac ihtill hr a leaer in Uie Milr.
Serenil of the retainers of the condemned chief were aAumnids tried as accessories to Uie crime ; but it is not necessary to detail their trials, or the issue of them ; suffice it to . say, that our forefathers guarded against tbel "glorious uncertainty of the law," by con-" ningly defining no less tlian nine qffarl/i or stages in ttie crime of murder, to each at which was allotted its peculiar penalty (O).
The next cause vrns one of a more singular cbaiacter ; Wing a claim to an estate, alleged to have been forfeited to tlte lord in conse- quence of a widow's breach of chastity. Tlw Doblcman won powerful, but the n-idow was poor, the small estate in question being lier only means of sabsistenee. Her son, who was one of the King's herdsmen, used every exertion to muster his friends on this oceosion;
THB ROMANS IN BRITAIN.
153
but tie had « fonnidiblc foe tooontcnd against. T^ie accuutioit was made by the nol>Ictiitin iii penon, iiid the Mon undertook his motJier's defence. The furmer made «n artful declama- tion, n-hich watt le.ts conrincing than ditticult to refute ; but the tatter, witli the untaught eloquence of nature, niado a passionate and aSccting apiieal to the judges. The witnesses were now brought fom-ard; but it unfortuuatclj' happened that the numbers were equal. Two hundred persons swore that they behcvcd the aocuKed guilty, and an equal number swore tliat tliey believed the rererae. It was the law ill such cases, that unless the witnesses on behalf of the defendant otitTuimbervd those for the plaintiff, the former should lose the cause. Putlcns, who fand anxiously watched the proceedings, and who felt inti-rested in tlie issue from being slightly acquainted with the herdsman ; who admired, too, the noble feeling wliich he had displayed in liis dutiful defence of his rootlier, had, with a military jjUnce, counted the numbers before tliey were atmoune- ed,ai>d gallopped off unobserved to endeavour, with the nssistnnce of Brcnnus, to bring to- getlier a little parly to supi>ort tlie widon'^ cause.
aS
1B4
htonkiiesor; on.
In the meantime, the King, who etHdentlj tndinnl t« the side uf the poor womnn, but could not give a legal sentence in licr favoor, proposed to the accuser, Uiat as the c%-idcnrr was ao nearly balanced, an appeal stionU be made to the I^ogan stone, which was in |>articular repute in «imiUr casca. A ahoal of applause burst forth from the multitude »l th» propoMtion, an it seemed to present Another cUanct^ of eftcajw; ; but the accuser refused U resort, to this test, and insisted on having tht number of the wttiiess«3 duly announced, and judgment given accordingly. Seeing, however, that the King H'lut very reluctant to comply with his request ; and being not a little con- oenied to preserve the royal favour, as he had a more important boon to ask of hit ■overeign, he made the following extruordinaij proposal —
" I am entitled," said he, " by the Uws of the great Dunwallo, Mulmutius, and the miglitr Mania (P), to the cot and cairn of tliit woman, and to dri\'e her forth to wander likt the spNrTow who has lust her liest, with M Iwme hut the green varth, and no friend bat tlic winds: if, however, she wilt ride ruttnil this mount on n black ram, in the direction ia
TBB ROMANS IX BRITAIM.
l&S
I
rhich the sun rides in his war-chariot through the clouds, confessing the char^ to be tnie> her land shall belong to her and hers, as long as tlie sun melts snow, or the cuckoo brings m spring."
Nothing can exceed the in<iignation with which the son listened to this speech ; and boundtn« forth at its close, he exclaimed, with a noble vehemence, — " May the eagles plurk out my eyes, and ttie wolves tear my I'mhs; — may the water 1 drink turn into blood, and the air I breathe into fire, before my mother shall do thus '."
The accuser, though irritated, felt awed by this burst of filial indignation, and contented himself with coldly demanding his right. Hie crier accordingly proceeded to count aloud the I'liumbcrof witnesses, beginning wiih tlio^e for the accuser. Two hundred was tlie number recorded for the accusation. He then began more closely to count those on behalf of the accused; and having reckoned one hundred and ninety-nine, was just about to pronounce the totail, when Pudens returned with his littlu party, who )niaiedi«teiy joined the compurga- tors, and swore by the great Teut, (the British
1
156
8TONBIISNOB} OR,
McTcuiy,) that they believed the poor widow] innocent. She was of course absolved from tlic chaxge, and continued still to hold the land as before; papng yearly to her landlord a tow three years old, nnd a reiHel of butter three ■ palms square. 1
The story of tJie black ram, howerer, wts not soon forgotten. It gave rise to a tenure fl by n-liicli latidit are still held at JBnbom, xa the ' picturesque neighbourhood of Newbury id Berkshire ; and which has been hurnoroudy noticed by ttie Spectator.*
lliis trirliiig anecdote of tlie black ram, would not, tliough of itself nthcr curious, hare induced the author to liaro allowed it to retard tlie progreaK of the narratiTe, had it not nfTordcd a striking illustratioTi of the truth of one of old Morgan's poetical remarks. The Tenerabk bard iras creeping fortli early in the momiag. when Pudens observed to him that it mnst liave been rather a iieverc frost, for that wl
m
* See No*, eu nnd €23, purlkuUrl]* the Ullcr, r«r iW pi nciinl «DTkinf ol il>i» tftcirt of Uouri! '
Till.- nulbor liii> bom Inrorniiril tlmt ilir Kurl of Crana It ilie loril of tti« iQanoT in vhich IhU tinfular cii vftiU.
TUB ROMANS IN BRITAIN.
157
t "^
Viranto
*•
ebs seemed to be stretched across their in CTCTf direction, as if to defy their progrea.
" All," Bttid the >age, " he vho sees tlie xingic imcr, an isolated and unconnected thing, 'vantoning idly in the breeze. Is npt to forget that Iw is giizing on thot which, in a few hours, will be inwoven in, and jierhapx form the prin- cipal support of, a most complicated and beautiful fabric. So we sometimes deem of f little or no importanoe, some passing event which proves to be a link to which is attached, ^_ and on which depends our future cliaracter or H destinies "
^1 Hie relevancy of these remarks will be better ^^estimated in the sequel ; in tlic mean while, we will resume our narrative. The manner in which Pudens had come forward in the widow's H defence, was soon known to the multitude, H with whom it so much ingratiated him, that V they hardly knew how sufficiently to evince their approbation of his conduct. Tliej' accom- panied him home in a kind of procession ; and the condemned captive, of but a few weeks since, entered the royal village now, like a hero returning in triumph.
STO.NKIIKNOK ; UB,
I
Pu(i«ns wait fond of glor^', and not invennble even to hs nieancitt species — popular appUiue. His ears had Imrdly been ref^ed by the fthont* ■ of the multitude si noo the time when Ue. haA heard ihcm in the Uoman theatre, on the oooa- sion of his having defended the General Auliu Flautiua ; and the diecrs of the crowd now recalled this scene of his bovhood (o hi* T^ tncmbrancc. One event after another of fab chequered Ufc passed in rcriew before him: and as he reflected on his present situation, he thought thut Fortuno and the gods would not have pratecti';d him in all the emergencies wlikb he had experienced^ had not Fate some brilliant destiny in reserve for him. 'I*hc kindly feeti^f; uf the crowd taught him also that be