traces now remain. A few specimens are here engraved, which were discovered at Felmingham, in Suffolk°.

Independently of a somewhat doubtful passage in Gildas, there seems sufficient ground for the belief that the light of Christianity was diffused in our island as early as the apostolic age, as Clement of Rome says that St. Paul carried the Gospel to the extreme bounds of the West, a phrase used by other writers where Britain is unquestionably intended. St. Peter, St. Joseph of Arimathea, Aristobulus, and others, are also named, but with less probability, as agents in the conversion of Britain. The British Church is often spoken of by writers of the second and succeeding centuries; and, as such an anomaly as a Church without a hierarchy was then happily unknown, the episcopacy of our island doubtless dates earlier than the era of King Lucius, (circa 180,) whose story has most probably its foundation in truth; although, from the destruction of documents, no list of sees can be given on anything more than conjecture, and no names have come down to us preceding those of the signers of the decrees of the council of Arles (A.D. 314). The Christian population of Britain, evidently numerous at the time of the Diocletian persecution, appears to have steadily increased, and when the Romans withdrew from the island they left behind them a people universally professing the truths of the Gospel, but corrupting them by the rash and dangerous speculations of the Pelagian and other heresies, and soon to be driven into the more remote quarters of the country, where

• In the neighbourhood is Brampton, the Roman remains of which occasioned Sir Thomas Browne to write his Hydriotaphia, or Urn Burial.

their faith, purified by affliction, shone more brightly than it had done in the days of their prosperity. They were visited by many holy men from Ireland, (which had early received the Gospel, and had as yet escaped the ravages of the northern nations,) such as St. Piran, St. Ia, St. Gwythian, and others, who, inflamed by missionary zeal, in the fifth and sixth centuries, proceeded to the coast of Cornwall, and have left numerous memorials of their labours, not only in the names of villages, but in the sculptured crosses and humble oratories still found there P. To this period, prior to the coming of Augustine, and free from the influence of Rome, belongs the foundation of the Welsh sees of Caerleon or St. David (long considered metropolitan), Llandaff, St. Asaph and Bangor, which, as they gathered the scattered sheep to the fold, may be regarded as the living representatives of the Churches planted among us in the very earliest age of Christianity.

P One of the most interesting of these is the church of St. Piran, near St. Ives, which, after being for ages buried in the sand, (hence the name of the hamlet, Perran-zabuloe) was brought to light by its removal in 1835. It is of very small size (about 30 feet by 16) and simple architecture.

The foundation of Llandaff is sometimes ascribed to Lucius, but the succession of bishops cannot be traced higher than Dubritius, in the fifth or sixth century.

B.C. 57. DIVITIACUS, king of the Suessones (in north-eastern Gaul), has the supremacy in Britain.

B.C. 56. The Venetia obtain assistance from the Britons against the Romans.

B.C. 55. Caius Julius Cæsar prepares for an expedition into Britain.

The Britons, hearing of his preparations, dispatch ambassadors to Cæsar, who sends them back accompanied by Commius, king of the Atrebates".

Commius is imprisoned by the Britons.

Caius Volusenus is sent to the coast of Britain to announce the coming of Cæsar and procure information, but returns on the fifth day without having ventured to land.

The Veneti inhabited the southern coast of Gallia Lugdunensis, in the modern department of Morbihan.

b The Atrebates inhabited northern Gaul, in Artois, and the modern department Pas de Calais: there was also a tribe of Atrebates in Britain.

TANNICA

Cæsar sails from Gessoriacum (now Boulogne), August 25, and effects a landing after a severe contest near the South Foreland, August 26.

Ambassadors come from the Britons to Cæsar and a peace is concluded, August 30.

The Roman fleet greatly damaged by the high tides, on the same night.

The foraging parties of the Romans are assailed, and their camp unsuccessfully attacked by the Britons.

Cæsar, after losing many men in action with the Britons, accepts a promise of hostages, and retires to Gaul about September 20.

Cæsar having sent an account of his expedition to Rome, a twenty days' festival is in consequence decreed. Two only of the British states send the promised hostages.

Cæsar would appear to have retired somewhat precipitately from the island, as Xiphiline, in recording the speech which he ascribes to Bunduica (Boudicea) makes her speak of their ancestors having “driven far away that Julius Cæsar."

B.C. 54. Cæsar builds a fleet of light vessels, which he employs in a second invasion of Britain.

Sails from Itius Portus (near Gessoriacum) in May, having been detained 23 days by bad weather, and lands unopposed in Britain.

Cassivellaunus, as generalissimo of the Britons, collects a force to oppose the Romans.

The Roman fleet damaged by a storm.

A party of the Romans defeated, and the tribune Laberius killed. The Britons harass Cæsar's march.

Cæsar crosses the Tamesis (Thames).

"Cæsar attempting to pass a large river of Britain," says Polyænus, "Cassolaulus, king of the Britons, obstructed him with many horsemen and chariots. Cæsar

had in his train a very large elephant, an animal hitherto unseen by the Britons. Having armed him with scales of iron, and put a large tower upon him, and placed therein archers and slingers, he ordered them to enter the stream. The Britons were amazed on beholding a beast till then unseen, and of an extraordinary nature. As to the horses what need we write of them, since even among the Greeks horses flee at seeing an elephant though without harness; but thus towered and armed, and casting darts and slinging, they could not endure even to look upon the sight: the Britons therefore fled with their horses and chariots. Thus the Romans passed the river without molestation, having terrified the enemy by a single animal."

The tribes of the eastern and central parts of Britain come to terms with Cæsar c.

Cæsar takes the capital of Cassivellaunus, (afterwards Verulamium, now St. Alban's).

Cassivellaunus incites the tribes in Cantium (Kent) to attack the Roman camp.

Cassivellaunus is defeated, and surrenders.

Cæsar returns to Gaul before the end of September.

The Trinobantes, Cenimagni, Ancalites, Bibroci, Segontiaci, and Cassi, dwelling in the district from the Thames to the Wash, and westward as far as Hampshire, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire. The Trinobantes, whose king Imanuantius had been killed by Cassivellaunus, were the first to abandon the confederacy.