} 616 At ftarving Virtue, and at Virtue's fools; An honest name; the harpy hand and maw 620 The throne his fhelter, venal laws his fort, Now turn your view, and mark, from Celtic* night To prefent grandeur, how My Britain rose. 625 Bold were those Britons who, the carelefs fons 635 640 Great-Britain was peopled by the Celtae or Gauls. cave and direction of all religious matters. Whofe only fort was British hearts, repell'd, Beneath an Empire's yoke *, a ftubborn Ifle, 645 650 The North + remain'd untouch'd, where those who The Roman Empire. 660 + Caledonia, inhabited by the Scots and Picts, whither a great many Britons, who would not fubmit to the Romans, retired. The wall of Severus, built upon Adrian's rampart, which ran for eighty miles quite across the country from the mouth of the Tyne to Solway-Frith, Irruptions of the Scots and Picts. The Roman Empire being miferably torn by the northern nations, Britain was for ever abandoned by the Romans in the year 426 or 427. Deaf to his woes, the deep*. Forlorn, around Silurian fwains, and Boadicea ‡ taught 665 Then (fad relief!) from the bleak coaft that hears Blood where, unquell'd, a mighty spirit glow'd : 675 The Britons, applying to Aetius the Roman general for affiftance, thus expreffed their miferable condition:-" We "know not which way to turn us. ihe Barbarians drive us "to fea, and the fea forces us back to the Barbarians; between "which we have only the choice of two deaths, either to be "fwallowed up by the waves, or butchered by the sword." + King of the Silures, famous for his great exploits, and accounted the beft general Great-Britain had ever produced. The Silures were esteemed the bravest and moft powerful of all the Britons; they inhabited Herefordshire, Radnorfhire, Brecknockfire, Monmouthshire, and Glamorganshire Queen of the Iceni. Her ftory is well known. It is certain that an opinion was fixed and general among them (the Goths) that death was but the entrance into another life; that all men who lived lazy and unactive lives, and died natural deaths, by fickness or by age, went into vaft caves under ground, all dark and miry, full of noifome creatures ( In Odin's hall, whose blazing roof refounds 680 685 On which afcends my British reign. Untam'd 690 They brought an happy government along, Form'd by that Freedom which, with fecret voice, Impartial Nature teaches all her fons, 695 And which of old thro' the whole Scythian mafs Prevail'd the General-king, and Chieftain-thanes. ufual to fuch places, and there for ever grovelled in endless ftench and mifery. On the contrary, all who gave themselves. to warlike actions and enterprizes, to the conqueft of their neighbours, and the flaughter of their enemies, and died in battle, or of violent deaths upon bold adventures or refolutions, went immediately to the vaft hall or palace of Odin, their God of War, who eternally kept open houfe for all fuch guests, where they were entertained at infinite tables, in perpetual feafts and mirth, caroufing in bowls made of the fculls of their enemies they had flain, according to the number of whom every one in thefe manfions of pleasure was the most honoured and be entertained. Sir W. Temple's Elay on Heroic Virtue. In many a field, by civil fury ftain'd, Bled the difcordant Heptarchy *, and long (Educing good from ill) the battle groan'd, Ere, blood-cemented, Anglo-Saxons faw Egbert + and Peace on one united throne. No fooner dawn'd the fair disclosing calm Of brighter days, when, lo! the North anew, 700 705 The Danish Raven ‡, lur'd by annual prey, 710 The miserable coaft. Before them stalk'd, Rapine and Murder, all with blood befmear'd, Without or ear, or eye, or feeling heart; 715 While close behind them march'd the fallow Power Of defolating Famine, who delights In grafs-grown cities, and in defert fields; The feven kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxons, confidered as being united into one common government, under a general in chief, or monarch, and by the means of an ailembly-general, or wittenagemot. + Egbert, king of Weffex, who, after having reduced all the other kingdoms of the Heptarchy under his dominion, was the first king of England. A famous Danish ftandard was called Reafan, or Raven, The Danes imagined that before a battle, the Raven wrought upon this ftandard clapt its wings, or hung down its head, in token of victory or defeat, |