Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Läseboken - Stories of the Earlier History of England - 88. The Invasion of Britain by Julius Cæsar - 89. The Saxons
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
88
Läsebok. N:o 76 — 77. 88
chains to be taken off, and ever after treated him with great
kindness. The Romans kept possession of Britain for four
hundred years, during which time they had to defend it from
many incursions of the Picts and Scots, the fierce and
warlike inhabitants of the northern parts of the island.
The Roman empire was now declining, and every year
soldiers were called from Britain to defend their own country.
At last they all returned, and the f>ritons were left quite
defenceless. They had been for a long time unaccustomed to
arms, the Romans fighting all their battles for them; and
now the Picts, taking advantage of their weak condition,
attacked them without mercy. They were in such distress that
they sent a letter to Rome entreating help, which they called
»The Groans of the Britons», and in which they said, »The
barbarians chase us into the sea, the sea throws us back upon
the barbarians, and we have only the hard choice left us of
perishing by the sword, or perishing by the waves». But
the Romans were too much engaged in their own wars to
grant them any aid; so, at last, the Britons, labouring under
domestic evils, and threatened with invasions, were resolved
to send a deputy to Germany to invite over the Saxons for
their protection and assistance.
b) 89. The Saxons.
It was a British Prince named Vortigern who took this
resolution, and who made a treaty of friendship with Hengist
and Horsa, two Saxon chiefs. Both of these names, in the
old Saxon language, signify Horse; for the Saxons, like many
other nations in a rough state, were fond of giving men the
names of animals, as Horse, Wolf, Bear, Hound. The
Indians of North America, — a very inferior people to the
Saxons, though — do the same to this day.
Hengist and Horsa drove out the Picts and Scots; and
Vortigern, being grateful to them for that service, made no
opposition to their settling themselves in that part of
England which is called the Isle of Thanet*, or to their inviting
over more of their countrymen to join them. But Hengist
had a beautiful daughter named Rowena**; and when at a
feast, she filled a golden goblet to the brim with wine, and
gave it to Vortigern,;’ saying in a sweet voice, »Dear King,
thy health!» the king fell in love with her. My opinion is,
that the cunning Hengist meant him to do so, in order that
the Saxons might have greater influence with him; and that
the fair Rowena came to that feast, golden goblet and all, on
purpose.
* Thanet.
i i, i
** Hoivena.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
