A.D. 325. Three British bishops (of York, London, and Richborough) at the Council of Arles, 314 and Bible translated into Celtic.

In the later Roman period, decline of the central power (removed to Byzantium-Constantinople-by Constantine, 329), and decadence of trade, commerce, and agriculture.

Southern Britain " was subjected by the Roman arms: but she received only a faint tincture of Roman arts and letters" (Macaulay),

and the Germanic invasion swept away most of the traces of the Roman conquest. Traces of the Roman occupation in terminations of names of places-chester, -caster, -cester (for castra, camp"), -coln (colonia, "colony "),—remains of camps, occasional discoveries of coins, urns, tablets, foundations of buildings, &c.

66

PERIOD OF

THE SAXON* INVASIONS & THE HEPTARCHY,

A.D. 450-827.

Historical evidence of the Invasion.

'Hengist and Horsa, Vortigern and Rowena, Arthur and Mordred, are mythical persons whose very existence may be questioned, and whose adventures may be classed with those of Hercules and Romulus" (Macaulay). "The main facts may be taken as certain, that a great Germanic immigration into Britain took place during the 5th century, and that it was effected not by one great movement, but by a number of unconnected expeditions of successive squadrons under independent chiefs" (Creasy).

Home of the Invaders.

"The tribes by whom Britain was invaded appear principally to have proceeded from the country called FRIESLAND" (Palgrave). "They were Germans of the sea-coast between the Eyder and the Yssel, of the islands that lie off that coast, and of the water-systems of the lower Eyder, the lower Elbe, and the Weser" (Creasy).

Character of the Invaders.

"Of all the barbarous nations known either in ancient or modern times the Germans seem to have been the most distinguished, both by their manners and political institutions, and to have carried to the highest pitch the virtues of valour and love of liberty; the only virtues which can have place among an uncivilised people where justice and humanity are commonly neglected. Kingly government, even when established among the Germans, for it was not universal, possessed a very limited authority; and though the sovereign was usually chosen among the royal family, he

"Saxons" denoted a confederacy of tribes, extending from Denmark to the mouths of the Rhine. The origin of the name is unknown.

was directed in every measure by the common consent of the nation over whom he presided. When any important affair was transacted, all the warriors met in arms; the men of greatest authority employed persuasion to engage their consent; the people expressed their approbation by rattling their armour, or their dissent by murmurs; there was no necessity for a nice scrutiny of votes among a multitude who were usually carried with a strong current to one side or the other, and the measure thus suddenly chosen by general agreement, was executed with alacrity and prosecuted with vigour. Even in war princes governed more by example than by authority. But in peace the civil union was in a great measure dissolved, and the inferior leaders administered justice after an independent manner, each in his particular district. These were elected by the votes of the people in their great councils; and though regard was paid to nobility in the choice, their personal qualities, chiefly their valour, procured them, from the suffrages of their fellow-citizens, that honourable but dangerous distinction. The warriors of each tribe attached themselves to their leader with the most devoted affection and most unshaken constancy" (Hume). 'They had no cities, but only walled towns where each man dwelt in his own homestead. Slavery existed, . . . but of a very mitigated kind. The domestic virtues flourished nowhere more than in the German home" (Creasy).

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Religion of the Invaders.

...

"The religion of the Anglo-Saxons, in general, was evidently a compound of the worship of the celestial bodies, or SABÆISM, as it is termed, AND of HERO-WORSHIP," especially of ODIN (or Woden), deified first leader" (Palgrave).

"their

Partial expulsion of the Britons.-The invaders did not wholly expel the Britons from the conquered territory:

Historical and philological evidence leads " to the belief that it was only the male part of the British population which was thus swept away, and that by reason of the union of the British females with the Saxon warriors the British element was largely preserved in our nation" (Creasy).

The country was slowly conquered, and large tracts remained in the hands of the natives.

"Part of the Britons retained possession of STRATHCLYDE and CUMBRIA, extending from Alcluyd, now called (Dunbreton or) Dumbarton-the Dun or fortress of the Britons-to the southern borders of Lancashire; whilst the ridge of mountains not unaptly termed the British Apennines separated them from Northumbria. Another great mass of British population continued in possession of DAMNONIA or Devonshire, with its dependency CERNAW or Cornwall, which countries the Saxons called West Wales... Lastly, the noblest of the Britons maintained themselves in CAMBRIA or West Wales" (Palgrave).

The "WELSH" was the German name for "Foreigners."

A.D.

450. The Germanic Immigration begun by the Jutes under Hengist and Horsa. The federal monarchy of the Britons under Vortigern overthrown, and the kingdom of Kent founded by Hengist, to whom the

A. D.

*

Isle of Thanet had been ceded by Vortigern for his aid against the Picts.

490. Saxons under Ella found the kingdom of South Saxony (Sussex and Surrey).

519. Saxons under Cerdic found the kingdom of West Saxony (or Wessex,-the district south of the Thames and west of Sussex, excepting Cornwall).

527. Saxons under Ercenwin (Escevine) found the kingdom of East Saxony (Essex, Middlesex, and part of

to

Herts).

547 Angles under Ida, &c., establish the kingdom of Northumbria, -the district between the Humber and the Forth (where were British kingdoms of Deifyr and Berneich).

617.

575. Angles under Uffa found the kingdom of East Anglia (Norfolk, or North-folk, Suffolk, or South-folk, and Cambridgeshire).

582. Northumbrian Angles settle in the Marche, † or "Mercia"

(midland district,—between the Thames and the Humber, and east of the Severn), the kingdom of Mercia being established by Cridda, 585.

Frequent wars between the kingdoms, the boundaries and number of which were constantly varying,

and "the Anglo-Saxon states were miserably divided by intestine feuds " (Palgrave).

Occasionally an enforced union of all or part under the strongest king, who took the title of Bretwalda (“ ruler of Britain ") or Bretenwalda (“widely-ruling”),

66

a chief ambitious enough and strong enough to claim and to exact from the other kings of the island (or at least from the other kings of the greater parts of it) an acknowledgment of his superiority" (Creasy).

596. Christianity re-introduced by Augustine, and 40

monks sent by Pope Gregory. King Ethelbert of Kent (son-in-law of the Christian king of the Franks of

* Thanet (called by the Britons Ruim) was then separated from the rest of Kent by a broad estuary, the Wantsumu.

† German word for "frontier" or "limit" (whence "Lord of the Marches," "Lord Marcher," Latinised Marchio, "marquis ").

A. D.

Paris, Charibert) is converted: church at Canterbury built for Augustine.

"The first of a long series of salutary revolutions" (Macaulay). 604. Sebert of East Saxony converted: he builds St. Peter's Church (Westminster Abbey) on site of Apollo's temple, and St. Paul's on site of Diana's temple.

655. Penda of Mercia, who had desolated the country and slaughtered the Christian converts, is slain by Oswy of Northumbria.

688. Ina becomes King of West Saxony: he subdues the Britons of Somerset, and draws up a code of laws. 725. Ina retires to Rome, builds a college, and institutes Peter's Pence for its support.

755. Offa of Mercia builds a rampart (Offa's Dyke) against the Welsh, from the Dee to the Wye.

787. The Danes, or Norsemen, first attack southern Britain.

Danes and Anglo-Saxons were originally kindred in race, language, and institutions: but "a change had taken place in the Anglo-Saxons [their conversion to Christianity] in their settlement here, which had broken off every tie between them and their Scandinavian kinsmen;" the Dane "hated as a renegade him who, once proud of the same descent from the Asas, had left his warrior faith for the new creed of the mass and the monk" (Creasy). "The love of a predatory life seems to have attracted adventurers of different nations to the Scandinavian seas, from whence they infested, not only by maritime piracy but continual invasions, the northern coasts both of France and Germany. The causes of their sudden appearance are inexplicable, or at least could only be sought in the ancient traditions of Scandinavia. . . . They adopted an uniform plan of warfare both in France and England; sailing up navigable rivers in their vessels of small burden, and fortifying the islands which they occasionally found, they made these intrenchments at once an asylum for their women and children, a repository for their plunder, and a place of retreat from superior force. After pil

laging a town they retired to their strongholds or their ships" (Hallam).

827. Egbert, King of West Saxony, the last Bretwalda (or Bretenwalda), founds the Anglo-Saxon Monarchy:* is crowned "King of the West Saxons," at Winchester.

The following is a list of the kings of the several kingdoms of "the Heptarchy":

(1) Kent-Hengist, d. 488; Esce, 488-512; Octa, 512-534; Ymric, 534-568; Ethelbert, 568-616; Eabald, 616-640; Ercombert, 640-664; Egbert, 664-673; Lothaire, 673-685; Edric, 685-686; Withred, 686—695;

A. D.

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"It is certain that he only obtained a partial and uncertain dominion over the greater part of five" of the kingdoms of the Heptarchy (Brougham). "The kingdoms of Mercia, East Anglia, and Northumberland remained under their ancient line of sovereigns; nor did either Egbert or his five immediate successors assume the title of any other crown than Wessex" (Hallam). "Still it is clear that the general body of the Anglo-Saxon populations of the island acquired, under Egbert, an amount of unity and common nationality such as had been unknown before" (Creasy). Step by step smaller kings or independent Ealdormen admitted the supremacy of a more powerful king. Then, in a second stage the smaller state was absolutely incorporated with the greater. Its ruler now, if he continued to rule at all, ruled no longer as an independent or even as a vassal sovereign, but as a mere magistrate, acting by the deputed authority of the sovereign of whom he held his office. The settlement made by Cerdic and Cynric on the southern coast grew, step by step, by the incorporation of many small kingdoms and independent Edbert, 695-725; Edelbert, 725-760; Alric, 725-760; Edbert II., 760794; Cuthred, 794-798; Baldred, 798-805.

(2) South Saxony-Ella, 490-514; Cissa, 514-580; [under the kings of West Saxony]; Ethelwulf, 634-688; Authum, 722-754.

(3) West Saxony-Cerdic, 519-534; Cynric, 534-560; Ceaulin, 560-594; Ceolric, 594-598; Ceolulf, 598-611; Cinigisil, 611-614; Cinchelme, 614— 643; Cenwald, 643-674; Æscevine, 674-676; Centwin, 676-686; Ceadwald, 686-688; Ina, 688-727; Cuthred, 740-754; Cenwulf, 754-784; Buthric, 784-800; Egbert, 800-827, who founded the united Monarchy of the AngloSaxons.

(4) East Saxony-Ercenwin, 527-587; Sleda, 587-604; Sebert, 604-616; Sexted and Seward, 616-623; Sigebert the Little, 623-653; Sigebert the Good, 653-655; Swithelin, 655-670; Sigheri, 670-683; Seba, 683-694; Sigherd and Seofred, 694-705; Offa, 705-707; Seolred, 707-746; Swithred, 746.

(5) Northumbria-Ida, 547-559; Adda, 559-566; Glapa, 566-570; Theodwald, 570-572; Frethulf, 572-579; Theodric, 579-586; Ethelric, 586-590; Ethelfrid, 590-624; Edwin, 624-633; Oswald, 633-643; Oswy, 643-670; Egfrid, 670-685; Alfred, 685-705; Osred I., 705-716; Cenred, 716-718; Oswic, 718-730; Ceolulf, 730-737; Egbert, 737-758; Oswulf, 758-759; Edilwald, 759-765; Ailred, 765-774; Ethelred, 774-779; Alfwald I., 779-789; Osred II., 789-790; Ethelred again, 790-796; Osbald, 796-797; Ardulf, 797-807; Alfwald II., 807-810; Andred, 810-827.

(6) East Anglia-Uffa, 575-578; Titullus, 578-599; Redwald, 599-624; Erpenwald, 624-633; Sigebert, 633--644; Egric, 644; Annas, 644-654; Ethelric, 654-655; Ethwald, 655-664; Aldwulf, 664-679; Alfwald, 679749; Beorna, 749-790; Ethelred, 790-792; Ethelbert, 792-810.

(7) Mercia Cridda, 585-597; Wibba, 597-616; Cheorl, 616-625; Penda, 625-653; Peada, 653-659; Wolfhere, 659-675; Ethelred, 675704; Cenred, 704-709; Ceolred, 709-716; Ethelbald, 716-757; Offa, 757 -794; Egfrid, 794-796; Cenwulf, 796-819; Cenelm, 819; Ceolulf, 819821; Bernulf, 821-823; Ludican, 823-825; Wiglaff, 825-826; Bertwulf, 826-828; Burdred, 828.