four legions, with their auxiliaries and cavalry. Vespasian (afterwards Emperor) was appointed second in command; and in this situation gave the first proof of his extraordinary talents. If we may credit Suetonius, he fought thirty battles, in all of which he was victorious, and took more than twenty towns.

The Britons, divided by faction, and, perhaps, not sufficiently aware of the serious intention of the enemy, failed to take suitable measures for the defence of their coast. But Caractacus and Togodumnus, the sons of the deceased King Cunobeline, embodied their respective subjects, and opposed the Romans in several battles. They sustained defeat, and Togodumnus was slain; but the Britous still remained in arms, and offered no proposals of peace or submission.

The Emperor Claudius soon after arrived in Britain, and took the command of the army. He stayed for a short term only, but received the submissions of several princes, and appointed Aulus Plautius governor of the new province. Plautius is reported to have conducted the whole of the war with much success; but his victories appear to have produced little permanent. benefit to the design of the invaders.

governor of the Roman proWhen he arrived at his com

Ostorius Scapula was named vince in Britain, in the year 50. mand, it appears that the more patriotic of the Britons were so far from a state of terror and retreat, that they were engaged in committing acts of devastation on the nations which had formed alliances with the Romans. He commenced his administration with equal bravery and policy. He defeated the predatory Britons with considerable slaughter; and, as a mean of protecting the province from future incursions, he constructed a chain of forts along the northern border of the province, which appears to have been then formed by the rivers Severn, Upper (or Warwickshire) Avon,* and Nen, or Nyne. But an additional measure of precaution

In the passage of Tacitus, which forms the authority for this historical as

sertion,

precaution adopted by Ostorius, that of ordering the inhabitants of every suspected district to surrender their arms, led to a revolt; during which the Iceni, assisted by some neighbouring nations, hazarded a battle, and were overthrown.*

The government of Ostorius was of short duration, but prolific of memorable events. The Silures, under the conduct of the renowned Caractacus, made a desperate struggle for the preservation of their liberty, in the year 51. At this time was fought that celebrated battle in which Caractacus was utterly defeated. He retired for shelter to the court of Cartismandua, Queen of the Brigantes, by whom he was betrayed to the Conqueror. His native majesty of demeanour, when afterwards exposed at Rome, as a captive, in chains, and preceded by his enslaved family, has often employed the efforts of the pen and pencil.

Ostorius Scapula died in Britain, in the year 52; and Claudius appointed Aulus Didius as his successor in the government

of

sertion, the rivers noticed in connection with the line of forts drawn by Ostorius, are the Antona and the Severn. Mr. Whitaker (Hist. of Manchester, Vol. II. p. 259 and note) advances strong reasons for supposing that the river now termed the Upper Avon is the Antona of Tacitus.

• The suggestions towards a history of Roman and British politics, in the early stages of the Roman invasion of this island, are thus continued in the erudite work, of which I have ventured (p. 94 note,) to give a previous short extract. "The Celts, whose eyes had been shut to the interested plans of their Roman allies, had assisted Vespasian actively in the reduction of the Belgic power in the west; but began to be alarmed when they saw Ostorius, under the pretence of defending them against any farther encroachment of that people, erecting posts in their own territories. These, at the commencement, they regarded, perhaps, only as detached works; but they were awakened to their own danger when they saw, by the continuation of the line of forts from the mouth of the Nen towards the banks of the Severn, how completely the two great tribes of the Iceni would be divided from each other, and how, by the intersection of Saltways, the Ryknield, the Fosse, the Watling, and the Ermin Streets, their artful enemies had cut off all connection between the natives of the northern and those of the southern part of the island. The Iceai, therefore, flew to arms." Hist. of Hertfordshire. Arti- ele Early Inhabitants."

of the British province. The Silures, notwithstanding the loss they had sustained, continued to oppose the Romans with undaunted bravery; and they now gained for a leader Venusius, who had married the infamous Cartismandua. This woman was alike faithless to every trust. Her breach of fidelity towards her husband, which was evinced in the most open manner, led to a division of family interest and a civil war. The Romans fomented the quarrel, and lent aid to the queen; but not any events of great historical importance occurred in the progress of this war. Didius continued Proprætor during the short remainder of the reign of Claudius, and for the first three years of Nero, his successor in the empire.

In regard to the chief military operations of his government, he appears to have found sufficient employment in endeavours to restrain the incursions of the enemy.

Veranius succeeded Aulus Didius, but died in less than one year after his arrival, without performing any action worthy of record.

Suetonius Paulinus, one of the most celebrated generals of that age, was then appointed to the government. Encouraged by some victories which he obtained over different tribes, he invaded, in the year 61, the Isle of Anglesey, a district rendered sacred, in the opinion of the Britons, by the residence of the Archdruid, and which afforded an asylum to the fugitive enemies of the Roman government. The circumstances attending his triumph over the army which opposed him in Anglesey, are stated in that part of the "Beauties" which treats of North Wales. We there fiud, [and the assertion is supported by the authority of Tacitus,] that, by order of Suetonius, the sacred groves were cut down, the altars demolished, and many of the Druids were burned in their own fires.

While Suetonius was engaged in this conquest, an important war broke out on the contiuent of Britain. Prasutagus, King of the

H

• Beanties for North Wales, p. 143-144, apud Tacit Annal.

the Iceni, lately deceased, had adopted the narrow policy of eudeavouring to secure the safety of his own family and kingdom, in neglect of the interests of the common cause. In pursuit of this object, he named, in his last will, the emperor as his jointheir with his own two daughters. The Romans, who appear to have largely partaken at this period of the sanguinary and licentious character of their emperor, Nero, committed the most cruel outrages in consequence of this bequest. The Iceni repaired to arms, under the conduct of Boadicia, widow of Prasutagus; and were joined by the Trinobantes, and some other states, who were almost equally aggrieved by the tyranny of the Roman officers and soldiers. In the absence of Suetonius, the allied nations destroyed the settlement of Camulodunum; and, shortly after, encountered and defeated the ninth legion. On receiving intelligence of this formidable revolt, Suetonius marched his army to London, which city, though not honoured with the title of a colony, was populous and wealthy. He shortly, however, quitted this place, and the Britons entering it, under the command of Boadicia, put such of the inhabitants as remained to the sword. Verulamium (St. Albans) afterwards experienced the same dreadful visitation; and the British army, greatly increased in numbers, and flushed with success, sought the Romans, with a determination to try the issue of a contest in the open field. At this period, A. D. 61, was fought the battle so greatly distinguished in the annals of Britain for the heroic conduct of Boadicia, who, finding that the tumultuary valour of her numerous army was not able to cope with the military skill of the legions, preferred death to slavery, and put an end to her miseries by poison.

Though much weakened by the defeat which they sustained under Boadicia, the Britons still remained in arms; and, about the end of this year, or in the early part of the year 62, Suetomius was finally recalled. Between the date of his recal and the commencement of the reign of the Emperor Vespasian, the suceessive governors of Britain were named Petronius Turpilianus

Trebellius

Trebellius Maximus; and Vectius Bolanus. Each was inactive; and this want of enterprise must be chiefly attributed to the distracted state of politics at Rome.

The comparative tranquillity of the Britons terminated soon after the accession of Vespasian to the imperial throne. Petilius Cerealis was the first governor appointed by this Emperor; and, in the year 72, or 73, the Romans under his command made war upon the numerous and powerful tribe of the Brigantes, which they subdued, after several sanguinary battles.

Julius Frontinus, who succeeded to the government in the year 75, carried the Roman arms against the Silures; an enemy difficult of conquest, from the situation of their country, and from their native valour and love of liberty. This brave nation which had often been foremost in opposing the invader, was at length compelled by Frontinus to submit to the power of Rome.

A bright era now occurs in the annals of the Roman connec tion with Britain. The sword had hitherto been used as the undisguised instrument of ambition and avarice. A great general and wise politician arises at this period, and permanently secures the various triumphs of his arms, by introducing the arts of polished life to the usage of the Britons, and by teaching them to forget the opprobium of subjugation while emulous of imitating the manners of their conquerors. This was Julius Agricola, personally felicitous in having his actions recorded by Tacitus, one of the most eloquent historians of antiquity; famous in adding a large part of Britain to the map of the empire; and glorious in the clemency of his administration.

Agricola entered upon the government of Britain, late in the summer of the year 78. He found the troops retired into quar ters; for, up to this period, the war had been prosecuted in fair weather only, and the winter passed in pleasures unconnected with the great object of the invaders. But Agricola perceived the necessity of unremitting efforts against nations which did not fail to recover speedily from defeat; and he immediately drew together a chosen part of his army, and penetrated the country