History of the Anglo-Saxons - From the Earliest Period to the Norman Conquest; Second Edition by Thomas Miller
CHAPTER I. - THE DAWN OF HISTORY.
Obscurity of early history—Our ancient monuments a mystery—The Welsh Triads—Language of the first inhabitants of Britain unknown—Wonders of the ancient world
CHAPTER II. - THE ANCIENT BRITONS.
The Celtic Tribes—Britain known to the Phœnicians and Greeks—The ancient Cymry—Different classes of the early Britons—Their personal appearance—Description of their forest-towns—A British hunter—Interior of an ancient hut—Costume of the old Cymry—Ancient armour and weapons—British war-chariots—The fearful havoc they made in battle.
CHAPTER III. - THE DRUIDS.
Interior of an old British forest—Druidical sacrifice—Their treasures—Their mysterious rites and ceremonies—The power they possessed—Their belief in a future state—Their wild superstitions—An arch-Druid described—Their veneration for the mistletoe—Description of the Druids offering up sacrifice—The gloomy grandeur of their ancient groves—Contrast between the idols of the Druids and the heathen gods of the Romans.
CHAPTER IV. - LANDING OF JULIUS CÆSAR.
Cæsar's reasons for invading Britain—Despatches Volusenus from Gaul to ivreconnoitre the island—Is intimidated by the force he finds arranged along the cliffs of Dover—Lands near Sandwich—Courage of the Roman Standard-bearer—Combat between the Britons and Romans—Defeat and submission of the Britons—Wreck of the Roman galleys—Perilous position of the invaders—Roman soldiers attacked in a corn-field, rescued by the arrival of their general—Britons attack the Roman encampment, are again defeated, and pursued by the Roman cavalry—Cæsar's hasty departure from Britain—Return of the Romans at spring—Description of their armed galleys—Determination of Cæsar to conquer Britain—Picturesque description of the night march of the Roman legions into Kent—Battle beside a river—Difficulties the Romans encounter in their marches through the ancient British forests—Cæsar's hasty retreat to his encampment—The Roman galleys again wrecked—Cessation of hostilities—Cassivellaunus assumes the command of the Britons—His skill as a general—Obtains an advantage over the Romans with his war-chariots—Attacks the Roman encampment by night and slays the outer guard—Defeats the two cohorts that advance to their rescue, and slays a Roman tribune—Renewal of the battle on the following day—Cæsar compelled to call in the foragers to strengthen his army—Splendid charge of the Roman cavalry—Overthrow and retreat of the Britons—Cæsar marches through Kent and Surrey in pursuit of the British army—Crosses the Thames near Chertsey—Retreat of the British general—Cuts off the supplies of the Romans, and harasses the army with his war-chariots—Stratagems adopted by the Britons—Cassivellaunus betrayed by his countrymen—His fortress attacked in the forest—Contemplates the destruction of the Roman fleet—Attack of the Kentish men on the encampment of the invaders—The Romans again victorious—Cassivellaunus sues for peace—Final departure of Cæsar from Britain.
CHAPTER V. - CARACTACUS, BOADICEA, AND AGRICOLA.
State of Britain after the departure of Cæsar—Landing of Plautius—His skirmishes with the Britons in the marshes beside the Thames—Arrival of the Roman emperor Claudius—Ostorius conquers and disarms the Britons—Rise of Caractacus—British encampment in Wales—Caractacus defeated, betrayed by his step-mother, and carried captive to Rome—Death of the Roman general Ostorius—Retreat of the Druids to the Isle of Anglesey—Suetonius attacks the island—Consternation of the Roman soldiers on landing—Massacre of the Druids, and destruction of their groves and altars—Boadicea, queen of the Iceni, assumes the command of the Britons—Her sufferings—She prepares for battle, attacks the Roman colony of vCamaladonum—Her terrible vengeance—Her march into London, and destruction of the Romans
CHAPTER I. - THE DAWN OF HISTORY.
Obscurity of early history—Our ancient monuments a mystery—The Welsh Triads—Language of the first inhabitants of Britain unknown—Wonders of the ancient world
CHAPTER II. - THE ANCIENT BRITONS.
The Celtic Tribes—Britain known to the Phœnicians and Greeks—The ancient Cymry—Different classes of the early Britons—Their personal appearance—Description of their forest-towns—A British hunter—Interior of an ancient hut—Costume of the old Cymry—Ancient armour and weapons—British war-chariots—The fearful havoc they made in battle.
CHAPTER III. - THE DRUIDS.
Interior of an old British forest—Druidical sacrifice—Their treasures—Their mysterious rites and ceremonies—The power they possessed—Their belief in a future state—Their wild superstitions—An arch-Druid described—Their veneration for the mistletoe—Description of the Druids offering up sacrifice—The gloomy grandeur of their ancient groves—Contrast between the idols of the Druids and the heathen gods of the Romans.
CHAPTER IV. - LANDING OF JULIUS CÆSAR.
Cæsar's reasons for invading Britain—Despatches Volusenus from Gaul to ivreconnoitre the island—Is intimidated by the force he finds arranged along the cliffs of Dover—Lands near Sandwich—Courage of the Roman Standard-bearer—Combat between the Britons and Romans—Defeat and submission of the Britons—Wreck of the Roman galleys—Perilous position of the invaders—Roman soldiers attacked in a corn-field, rescued by the arrival of their general—Britons attack the Roman encampment, are again defeated, and pursued by the Roman cavalry—Cæsar's hasty departure from Britain—Return of the Romans at spring—Description of their armed galleys—Determination of Cæsar to conquer Britain—Picturesque description of the night march of the Roman legions into Kent—Battle beside a river—Difficulties the Romans encounter in their marches through the ancient British forests—Cæsar's hasty retreat to his encampment—The Roman galleys again wrecked—Cessation of hostilities—Cassivellaunus assumes the command of the Britons—His skill as a general—Obtains an advantage over the Romans with his war-chariots—Attacks the Roman encampment by night and slays the outer guard—Defeats the two cohorts that advance to their rescue, and slays a Roman tribune—Renewal of the battle on the following day—Cæsar compelled to call in the foragers to strengthen his army—Splendid charge of the Roman cavalry—Overthrow and retreat of the Britons—Cæsar marches through Kent and Surrey in pursuit of the British army—Crosses the Thames near Chertsey—Retreat of the British general—Cuts off the supplies of the Romans, and harasses the army with his war-chariots—Stratagems adopted by the Britons—Cassivellaunus betrayed by his countrymen—His fortress attacked in the forest—Contemplates the destruction of the Roman fleet—Attack of the Kentish men on the encampment of the invaders—The Romans again victorious—Cassivellaunus sues for peace—Final departure of Cæsar from Britain.
CHAPTER V. - CARACTACUS, BOADICEA, AND AGRICOLA.
State of Britain after the departure of Cæsar—Landing of Plautius—His skirmishes with the Britons in the marshes beside the Thames—Arrival of the Roman emperor Claudius—Ostorius conquers and disarms the Britons—Rise of Caractacus—British encampment in Wales—Caractacus defeated, betrayed by his step-mother, and carried captive to Rome—Death of the Roman general Ostorius—Retreat of the Druids to the Isle of Anglesey—Suetonius attacks the island—Consternation of the Roman soldiers on landing—Massacre of the Druids, and destruction of their groves and altars—Boadicea, queen of the Iceni, assumes the command of the Britons—Her sufferings—She prepares for battle, attacks the Roman colony of vCamaladonum—Her terrible vengeance—Her march into London, and destruction of the Romans
