long became a Frankish kingdom (A.D. 418). The movements of the various German tribes in Germany itself, and the encroachments of barbarian races, drove the Goths and other nations into Italy, where they took firm root, and it is a Gothic historian1 who relates how, after the death of Valentinian III., Roine was in the course of twenty years occupied by eight "tyrants" in succession. The last of them, contemptuously styled Augustulus, was in 476 deposed by Odoacer, the captain of the Herulian guard, who, despising the empty name of emperor, governed the country for a while with wisdom and success under the modest title of Patrician, until he in his turn was defeated and soon after treacherously slain by Theodoric, the founder of the Gothic dynasty in Italy (A.D. 493). NOTE. VAGUE KNOWLEDGE OF BRITAIN. CONSIDERING the light estimation in which all the countries that they termed barbarous were held by the Greeks and Romans, is not surprising to find even their best writers abounding in fables and idle fancies, when mentioning a region so remote as Britain. They speak of the country of "the painted Britons," "the horrid Britons," as adjoining Thule, the region of enchantments; and both Strabo and Diodorus Siculus gravely affirm that men live in the neighbouring isle of Ierne with difficulty on account of the cold, and are cannibals. But perhaps the most remarkable instance of how little was really known of Britain after ages of Roman occupation is to be found in the following passage from Procopius, who lived in the sixth century, was a man of action, an extensive traveller, and a senator, yet felt it necessary, "lest he should be charged with ignorance," though evidently not a believer himself, to mix with his History of the Gothic Warm so wild a fiction as the following : "In the northern ocean lies the island Brittia, not far from the continent, but as much as 200 stadia, right opposite to the outlets of the Rhine, and is between Britannia and the island Thule. For Britannia lies 1 Jornandes, bishop of Ravenna, in the sixth century. somewhere towards the setting sun, at the extremity of the country of the Spaniards, distant from the continent not less than 4,000 stadia. "In this isle of Brittia, men of ancient time built a long wall, cutting off a great portion of it for the soil, and the men, and all other things are not alike on both sides: for on the eastern side of the wall there is a wholesomeness of air in conformity with the seasons, moderately warm in summer, and cool in winter. Men inhabit here, living much as other men. The trees with their appropriate fruits flourish in season, and their cornlands are as productive as others, and the district appears sufficiently fertilized by streams. But on the western side all is different, insomuch indeed that it would be impossible for a man to live there even half an hour. Vipers and serpents innumerable, with all other kinds of wild beasts, infest that place; and what is most strange, the natives affirm that if any one, passing the wall, should proceed to the other side, he would die immediately, unable to endure the unwholesomeness of the atmosphere. Death also attacking such beasts as go thither, forthwith destroys them. But as I have arrived at this point of my history, it is incumbent on me to record a tradition very nearly allied to fable, which has never appeared to me true in all respects, though constantly spread abroad by men without number, who assert that themselves have been agents in the transactions, and also hearers of the words. I must not, however, pass it by altogether unnoticed, lest when thus writing concerning the island of Brittia I should bring upon myself an imputation of ignorance of certain circumstances perpetually happening there. "They say then that the souls of men departed are always conducted to this place; but in what manner I will explain immediately, having frequently heard it from men of that region relating it most seriously, although I would rather ascribe their asseverations to a certain dreamy faculty which possesses them. On the coast of the land over against this island Brittia, in the ocean, are many villages, inhabited by men employed in fishing and in agriculture; who for the sake of merchandize pass over to this island. In other respects they are subject to the Franks, but they never render them tribute; this burden, as they relate, having been of old remitted to them for a certain service, which I shall immediately describe. The inhabitants declare that the conducting of souls devolves on them in turn. Such of them, therefore, as on the ensuing night are to go on this occupation in their turn of service, retiring to their dwellings as soon as it grows dark, compose themselves to sleep, awaiting the conductor of the expedition. All at once, at night, they perceive that their doors are shaken, and they hear a certain indistinct voice summoning them to their work. Without delay arising from their beds they proceed to the shore, not understanding the necessity which thus constrains them, yet nevertheless compelled by its influence. And here they perceive vessels in readiness, wholly void of men, not, however, their own, but certain strange vessels, in which embarking they lay hold on the oars, and feel their burden made heavier by a multitude of passengers, the boats being sunk to the gunwale and rowlock, and floating scarce a finger above the water. They see not a single person, but having rowed for one hour only, they arrive at Brittia: whereas when they navigate their own vessels, not making use of sails, but rowing, they arrive there with difficulty even in a night and a day. Having reached the island and been released from their burden, they depart immediately, the boats quickly becoming light, suddenly emerging from the stream, and sinking in the water no deeper than the keel. These people see no human being, either while navigating with them, nor when released from the ship. But they say that they hear a certain voice there, which seems to announce to such as receive them the names of all who have crossed over with them, describing the dignities which they formerly possessed, and calling them over by their hereditary titles. And also if women happen to cross over with them, they call over the names of the husbands with whom they lived." In spite of the historian's distinction in this passage of Brittia and Britain, he afterwards mentions many circumstances which shew conclusively they are in reality one and the same, and that it is Britain which he speaks of, as the place of disembodied spirits. THE original country of the Saxons cannot be regarded as fully ascertained. A tale accepted as authentic by Witikind of Corbie, in the tenth century, represents them as arriving in ships, and settling themselves by force among the Thuringians, in the time of the emperor Vespasian, and from the idolatrous estimation in which they are known to have held the war-horse, it has been conjectured that they probably came from the country eastward of the Baltic, that form of paganism prevailing in those regions even to comparatively recent times. The first direct mention of them, however, is that by Ptolemy, who, before the close of the second century, speaks of the tribes on the shore and the islands at the mouth of the Elbe, as Saxons, and pirates. Of the form of government prevailing at that time among them, we know little more than that, as with other barbarous nations, it was based on their idolatry. Their chiefs claimed descent from Woden, the god of war, and they had many other deities, the names of a A chief of priestly as well as warlike character, styled Sigge Fridulfsen, came from the region near the Caspian sea into the north of Europe, probably not long before the Christian era. The Northern Sagas describe him as the wisest and best of men, and he was after death confounded with their deity by the rude natives, grateful for some degree of civilization imparted. some of whom are still preserved in our English tongue, little altered, in those of the days of the week. War being the only honourable occupation, each chief habitually set forth to plunder the richer nations which had fallen under the Roman sway; and although when they first appeared on the coasts of the provinces their vessels were mere boats, and their arms were rude, and scanty in supply, their daring courage compensated these disadvantages. Each chief appears to have been wholly independent, acknowledging no superior, but we may fairly conclude from what is recorded of other nations, that confederacies were formed among them under some distinguished leader when any rich prize was in prospect; and thus, and by the junction of other tribes whom the Romans had not been able fully to subdue, as well as by actual colonization in many quarters, the Saxons so extended themselves that their name became, before the close of the third century, a general one for the sea rovers of the North, without implying any national affinity, being, according to one theory, derived from the long knife ("seax") which at first formed their principal weapon. Soon, however, either from the spoils of the vanquished or their own industry, or both, they were provided also with long spears and ponderous battleaxes, and their vessels, now denominated chiules, or war-ships, were of sufficient size to convey a body of several hundred men each. Such a number of hardy pirates suddenly landing in countries disarmed by the jealous policy of their rulers, had little to fear from the comparatively unwarlike provincials, and what had been at first a mere plundering incursion often gave birth to a fixed settlement, which steadily grew in importance as the Roman power declined; and it is the opinion of many writers that scattered bodies of Saxons were thus established on various parts of our coast long before the |