a

taken, and dolphins, as also whales; besides many sorts of shell-fish, such as mussels, in which are often found excellent pearls of all colors-red, purple, violet, and green but mostly white. There is also a great abundance of cockles, of which the scarlet dye is made most beautiful color, which never fades with the heat of the sun or the washing of the rain; but the older it is, the more beautiful it becomes. It has both salt and hot springs, and from them flow rivers which furnish hot baths, proper for all ages and both sexes, and arranged in separate places, according as each person may prefer. For water, as St. Basil says,2 receives the heating quality when it runs along certain metals, and becomes not only hot, but scalding. Britain has also many veins of metals, as copper, iron, lead, and silver; it has much and excellent jet, which is black and burns when fire is applied to it; when heated, it drives away serpents; being warmed by rubbing, it holds fast whatever is applied to it, like amber. The island was formerly embellished with twentyeight noble cities, besides innumerable castles, which were all strongly secured with walls, towers, gates, and locks.

From its lying almost under the North Pole, the nights are light in summer, so that at midnight the beholders. are often in doubt whether the evening twilight still continues, or that of the morning is coming on;3 for the sun, in the night, returns under the earth through the northern regions, at no great distance from them. For this reason the days are of a great length in summer, as, on the contrary, the nights are in winter, for the sun then withdraws into the southern parts, so that the nights are eighteen

1 So Tacitus, Pliny, Solinus, Ælian.

2 Hexaem. 4. 6, quoted from the Latin translation (cf. Migne, Patr. Lat. 53. 907).

8 Cf. Tacitus, Agric. 12 (Plummer).

hours long. Thus the nights are extraordinarily short in summer, and the days in winter, that is, of only six equinoctial hours; whereas in Armenia, Macedonia, Italy, and other countries of the same latitude, the longest day or night extends but to fifteen hours, and the shortest to nine.

This island at present, following the number of the books in which the divine law was written, contains five languages - those of the English, Britons, Scots, Picts, and Latins each examining and confessing one and the same knowledge of the highest truth and of true sublimity. The Latin tongue is, by the study of the Scriptures, become common to all the others.

At first this island had no other inhabitants but the Britons, from whom it derived its name, and who, coming over into Britain, as is reported, from Armorica, possessed themselves of the southern parts thereof. When they, beginning at the south, had made themselves masters of the greatest part of the island, it happened that the nation of the Picts from Scythia, as is reported putting to sea in a few long ships, were driven by the winds beyond the shores of Britain, and arrived on the northern coast of Ireland, where finding the nation of the Scots, they begged to be allowed to settle among them, but could not succeed in obtaining their request.

Ireland is the greatest island next to Britain, and lies to the west of it; but as it is shorter than Britain to the north, so on the other hand it runs out far beyond. it to the south, opposite to the northern parts of Spain,2 though a spacious sea lies between them. The Picts, as has been said, arriving in this island by sea, desired to

1 Namely Scandinavia, but the Picts were either a pre-Aryan race (Rhys, Plummer), or Celts of the Cymric rather than the Gaelic stock (Windisch Stokes).

2 Cf. Tacitus, Agric. 10.

have a place granted them in which they might settle. The Scots answered that the island could not contain them both; but we can give you good advice,' said they, 'what to do; we know there is another island, not far from ours to the eastward, which we often see at a distance when the days are clear. If you will go thither, you will obtain settlements; or if they should oppose you, you shall have our assistance.'

The Picts, accordingly, sailing over into Britain, began to inhabit the northern parts thereof, for the Britons were possessed of the southern. Now the Picts had no wives, and asked them of the Scots, who would not consent to grant them upon any other terms than that when any difficulty should arise, they should choose a king from the female royal race rather than from the male; which custom, as is well known, has been observed among the Picts to this day. In process of time, Britain, besides the Britons and the Picts, received a third nation, the Scots, who, migrating from Ireland under their leader Reuda, either by fair means or by force of arms secured to themselves those settlements among the Picts which they still possess. From the name of their commander, they are to this day called Dalreudins; for in their language Dal signifies a part.

Ireland, in breadth, and for wholesomeness and serenity of climate, far surpasses Britain, for the snow scarcely ever lies there above three days; no man makes hay in the summer for winter's provision, or builds stables for his beasts of burden. No reptiles are found there, and no snake can live there; for, though often carried thither out of Britain, as soon as the ship comes near the shore, and the scent of the air reaches them, they die. . . . The island abounds in milk and honey, nor is there any want

of vines, fish, or fowl; and it is remarkable for deer and goats. It is properly the country of the Scots, who, migrating from thence, as has been said, added a third nation in Britain to the Britons and the Picts. There is a very large gulf of the sea, which formerly divided the nation of the Picts from the Britons; which gulf1 runs from the west very far into the land, where, to this day, stands the strong city of the Britons, called Alcluith.2 The Scots, arriving on the north side of this bay, settled themselves there.

3. THE BRITONS SEND TO ROME FOR AID AGAINST THE PICTS AND SCOTS

Bk. 1, chap. 128

From that time the south part of Britain, destitute of armed soldiers, of martial stores, and of all its active youth, who had been led away by the rashness of the tyrants, never to return, was wholly exposed to rapine, as being totally ignorant of the use of weapons. Whereupon they suffered many years under two very savage foreign nations, the Scots from the west, and the Picts from the north.

On account of the irruption of these nations, the Britons sent messengers to Rome with letters in mournful manner, praying for succors, and promising perpetual subjection provided that the impending enemy should be driven away. An armed legion was immediately sent them, which, arriving in the island, and engaging the enemy, slew a great multitude of them, drove the rest out of the territories of their allies, and having delivered them from their cruel oppressors, advised them to build a wall between the two

1 The Firth of Clyde.

8 Largely from Gildas.

2 Now Dumbarton.

1

seas across the island, that it might secure them, and keep off the enemy; and thus they returned home with great triumph. The islanders raising the wall, as they had been directed, not of stone-as having no engineer capable of such a work but of sods, made it of no use. However, they drew it for many miles between the two bays or inlets of the sea which we have spoken of; to the end that where the defense of the water was wanting, they might use the rampart to defend their borders from the irruptions of the enemies. Of which work there erected, that is, a rampart of extraordinary breadth and height, there are evident remains to be seen at this day. It begins at about two miles' distance from the monastery of Abercurnig,2 on the west, at a place called in the Pictish language Peanfahel, but in the English tongue Penneltun, and running to the westward, ends near the city of Alcluith.

But the former enemies, when they perceived that the Roman soldiers were gone, immediately coming by sea, broke into the borders, trampled and overran all places, and, like men mowing ripe corn, bore down all before them. Hereupon messengers were again sent to Rome imploring aid, lest their wretched country should be utterly extirpated, and the name of a Roman province, so long renowned among them, should be overthrown by the cruelties of barbarous foreigners, and become utterly contemptible. A legion was accordingly sent again, and arriving unexpectedly in autumn, made great slaughter of the enemy, obliging all those that could escape to flee beyond. the sea; whereas before they were wont yearly to carry off their booty without any opposition. Then the Romans 1 The Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde.

2 Now Abercorn, not far from Edinburgh.

8 Moberly thinks after 411.

4 Bede has here taken literally a figurative expression of Gildas'.