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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/1949.txt b/1949.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..197e809 --- /dev/null +++ b/1949.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1150 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of On the Ruin of Britain, by Gildas + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: On the Ruin of Britain + +Author: Gildas + +Posting Date: February 4, 2012 [EBook #1949] +Release Date: November, 1999 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON THE RUIN OF BRITAIN *** + + + + +Produced by Bert Olton + + + + + + + + + + +On The Ruin of Britain (De Excidio Britanniae) + +by Gildas + + + +Translation by J.A. Giles + + + +The Works of Gildas surnamed "Sapiens", or The Wise. + + + +I. The Preface + + +1. Whatever in this my epistle I may write in my humble but well +meaning manner, rather by way of lamentation than for display, +let no one suppose that it springs from contempt of others or that +I foolishly esteem myself as better than they; for alas! the subject +of my complaint is the general destruction of every thing that is +good, and the general growth of evil throughout the land;--but +that I rejoice to see her revive therefrom: for it is my present +purpose to relate the deeds of an indolent and slothful race, rather +than the exploits of those who have been valiant in the field*. +I have kept silence, I confess, with much mental anguish, compunction +of feeling and contrition of heart, whilst I revolved all these +things within myself; and, as God the searcher of the reins is +witness, for the space of even ten years or more, [my inexperience, +as at present also, and my unworthiness preventing me from taking +upon myself the character of a censor. But I read how the +illustrious lawgiver, for one word's doubting, was not allowed +to enter the desired land; that the sons of the high-priest, for +placing strange fire upon God's altar, were cut off by a speedy +death; that God's people, for breaking the law of God, save two +only, were slain by wild beasts, by fire and sword in the deserts +of Arabia, though God had so loved them that he had made a way +for them through the Red Sea, had fed them with bread from heaven, +and water from the rock, and by the lifting up of a hand merely +had made their armies invincible; and then, when they had crossed +the Jordan and entered the unknown land, and the walls of the +city had fallen down flat at the sound only of a trumpet, the +taking of a cloak and a little gold from the accursed things caused +the deaths of many: and again the breach of their treaty with the +Gibeonites, though that treaty had been obtained by fraud, brought +destruction upon many; and I took warning from the sins of the +people which called down upon them the reprehensions of the prophets +and also of Jeremiah, with his fourfold Lamentations written in +alphabetical order. I saw moreover in my own time, as that prophet +also had complained, that the city had sat down lone and widowed, +which before was full of people; that the queen of nations and +the princess of provinces (i.e. the church), had been made +tributary; that the gold was obscured, and the most excellent +colour (which is the brightness of God's word) changed; that the +sons of Sion (i.e. of holy mother church), once famous and clothed +in the finest gold, grovelled in dung; and what added intolerably +to the weight of grief of that illustrious man, and to mine, +though but an abject, whilst he had thus mourned them in their +happy and prosperous condition, "Her Nazarites were fairer than +snow, more ruddy than old ivory, more beautiful than the saphire." +These and many other passages in the ancient Scriptures I regarded +as a kind of mirror of human life, and I turned also to the New, +wherein I read more clearly what perhaps to me before was dark, +for the darkness fled, and truth shed her steady light-I read +therein that the Lord had said, "I came not but to the lost sheep +of the house of Israel;" and on the other hand, "But the children +of this kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there +shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth:" and again, "It is not +good to take the children's meat and to give it to dogs:" also, +"Woe to you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites!" I heard how +"many shall come from the east and the west and shall sit down +with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven:" and on +the contrary, "I will then say to them 'Depart from me, ye workers +of iniquity!'" I read, "Blessed are the barren and the teats +which have not given suck;" and on the contrary, "Those, who were +ready, entered with him to the wedding; afterwards came the other +virgins also, saying 'Lord, Lord, open to us:' to whom it was +answered, 'I do not know you.'" I heard, forsooth, "Whoever shall +believe and be baptized, shall be saved, but whoever shall not +believe shall be damned." I read in the words of the apostle that +the branch of the wild olive was grafted upon the good olive, but +should nevertheless be cut off from the communion of the root of +its fatness, if it did not hold itself in fear, but entertained +lofty thoughts. I knew the mercy of the Lord, but I also feared +his judgment: I praised his grace, but I feared the rendering to +every man according to his works: perceiving the sheep of the +same fold to be different, I deservedly commended Peter for his +entire confession of Christ, but called Judas most wretched, for +his love of covetousness: I thought Stephen most glorious on +account of the palm of martyrdom, but Nicholas wretched for his +mark of unclean heresy: I read assuredly, "They had all things +common:" but likewise also, as it is written, "Why have ye +conspired to tempt the Spirit of God?" I saw, on the other hand, +how much security had grown upon the men of our time, as if there +were nothing to cause them fear. These things, therefore, and +many more which for brevity's sake we have determined to omit, +I revolved again and again in my amazed mind with compunction +in my heart, and I thought to myself, "If God's peculiar people, +chosen from all the people of the world, the royal seed, and holy +nation, to whom he had said, 'My first begotten Israel,' its +priests, prophets, and kings, throughout so many ages, his +servant and apostle, and the members of his primitive church, were +not spared when they deviated from the right path, what will he do +to the darkness of this our age, in which, besides all the huge +and heinous sins, which it has common with all the wicked of the +world committed, is found an innate, indelible, and irremediable +load of folly and inconstancy?" "What, wretched man (I say to +myself) is it given to you, as if you were an illustrious and +learned teacher, to oppose the force of so violent a torrent, +and keep the charge committed to you against such a series of +inveterate crimes which has spread far and wide, without +interruption, for so many years? Hold thy peace: to do otherwise, +is to tell the foot to see, and the hand to speak. Britain has +rulers, and she has watchmen: why dost thou incline thyself thus +uselessly to prate?" She has such, I say, not too many, perhaps, +but surely not too few: but, because they are bent down and pressed +beneath so heavy a burden, they have not time allowed them to take +breath. My senses, therefore, as if feeling a portion of my debt +and obligation, preoccupied themselves with such objections, and +with others yet more strong. They struggled, as I said, no short +time, in fearful strait, whilst I read, "There is a time for +speaking, and a time for keeping silence." At length, the creditor's +side prevailed and bore off the victory: if (said he) thou art not +bold enough to be marked with the comely mark of golden liberty +among the prophetic creatures, who enjoy the rank as reasoning +beings next to the angels, refuse not the inspiration of the +understanding ass, to that day dumb, which would not carry forward +the tiara'd magician who was going to curse God's people, but in +the narrow pass of the vineyard crushed his loosened foot, and +thereby felt the lash; and though he was, with his ungrateful +and furious hand, against right justice, beating her innocent +sides, she pointed out to him the heavenly messenger holding the +naked sword, and standing in his way, though he had not seen him.] + +* Notwithstanding this remark of Gildas, the Britons must have +shown great bravery and resolution in their battles against the +Saxons, or they would not have resisted their encroachments so +Long. When Gildas was writing, a hundred years had elapsed, and +The Britons still possessed a large portion of their native country. + +Wherefore in zeal for the house of God and for his holy law, +constrained either by the reasonings of my own thoughts, or by +the pious entreaties of my brethren, I now discharge the debt so +long exacted of me; humble, indeed, in style, but faithful, as I +think, and friendly to all Christ's youthful soldiers, but severe +and insupportable to foolish apostates; the former of whom, if I +am not deceived, will receive the same with tears flowing from +god's love; but the others with sorrow, such as is extorted from +the indignation and pusillanimity of a convicted conscience. + +2. I will, therefore, if God be willing, endeavour to say a few +words about the situation of Britain, her disobedience and subjection, +her rebellion, second subjection and dreadful slavery--of her +religion, persecution, holy martyrs, heresies of different kinds--of +her tyrants, her two hostile and ravaging nations--of her first +devastation, her defence, her second devastation, and second +taking vengeance--of her third devastation, of her famine, and +the letters to Agitius*-of her victory and her crimes--of the +sudden rumour of enemies--of her famous pestilence-of her counsels--of +her last enemy, far more cruel than the first-of the subversion +of her cities, and of the remnant that escaped; and finally, of +the peace which, by the will of God, has been granted her in +these our times. + +* Or Aetius + + + +II. The History + + +3. The island of Britain, situated on almost the utmost border +of the earth, towards the south and west, and poised in the divine +balance, as it is said, which supports the whole world, stretches +out from the south-west towards the north pole, and is eight +hundred miles long and two hundred broad[1], except where the +headlands of sundry promontories stretch farther into the sea. +It is surrounded by the ocean, which forms winding bays, and is +strongly defended by this ample, and, if I may so call it, +impassable barrier, save on the south side, where the narrow sea +affords a passage to Belgic Gaul. It is enriched by the mouths +of two noble rivers, the Thames and the Severn, as it were two +arms, by which foreign luxuries were of old imported, and by +other streams of less importance. It is famous for eight and +twenty cities, and is embellished by certain castles, with walls, +towers, well barred gates, and houses with threatening battlements +built on high, and provided with all requisite instruments of +defence. Its plains are spacious, its hills are pleasantly +situated, adapted for superior tillage, and its mountains are +admirably calculated for the alternate pasturage of cattle, where +flowers of various colours, trodden by the feet of man, give it +the appearance of a lovely picture. It is decked, like a man's +chosen bride, with divers jewels, with lucid fountains and abundant +brooks wandering over the snow white sands; with transparent +rivers, flowing in gentle murmurs, and offering a sweet pledge +of slumber[2] to those who recline upon their banks, whilst it +is irrigated by abundant lakes, which pour forth cool torrents +of refreshing water. + +[1] The description of Britain is given in very nearly the same +terms, by Orosius, Bede, and others, but the numbers denoting +the length and breadth and other dimensions, are different in +almost every MS. Copy. + +[2] "Soporem" in some MSS., "saporem" in others; it is difficult +from the turgidity and superabundance of the style to determine +which is the best meaning. + + +4. This island, stiff--necked and stubborn--minded, from the +time of its being first inhabited, ungratefully rebels, sometimes +against God, sometimes against her own citizens, and frequently +also, against foreign kings and their subjects. For what can +there either be, or be committed, more disgraceful or more +unrighteous in human affairs, than to refuse to show fear to God +or affection to one's own countrymen, and (without detriment to +one's faith) to refuse due honour to those of higher dignity, to +cast off all regard to reason, human and divine, and, in contempt +of heaven and earth, to be guided by one's own sensual inventions? +I shall, therefore, omit those ancient errors common to all the +nations of the earth, in which, before Christ came in the flesh, +all mankind were bound; nor shall I enumerate those diabolical +idols of my country, which almost surpassed in number those of +Egypt, and of which we still see some mouldering away within or +without the deserted temples, with stiff and deformed features +as was customary. Nor will I call out upon the mountains, fountains, +or hills, or upon the rivers, which now are subservient to the +use of men, but once were an abomination and destruction to them, +and to which the blind people paid divine honour. I shall also +pass over the bygone times of our cruel tyrants, whose notoriety +was spread over to far distant countries; so that Porphyry, that +dog who in the east was always so fierce against the church, in +his mad and vain style added this also, that "Britain is a land +fertile in tyrants."* I will only endeavour to relate the +evils which Britain suffered in the times of the Roman emperors, +and also those which she caused to distant states; but so far as +lies in my power, I shall not follow the writings and records of +my own country, which (if there ever were any of them) have been +consumed in the fires of the enemy, or have accompanied my exiled +countrymen into distant lands, but be guided by the relations of +foreign writers, which, being broken and interrupted in many places +are therefore by no means clear. + +* Gildas here confuses the modern idea of a tyrant with that +of an usurper. The latter is a sense in which Britain was said +to be fertile in tyrants, viz. In usurpers of the imperial dignity. + +5. For when the rulers of Rome had obtained the empire of the +world, subdued all the neighbouring nations and islands towards +the east, and strengthened their renown by the first peace which +they made with the Parthians, who border on India, there was a +general cessation from war throughout the whole world; the fierce +flame which they kindled could not be extinguished or checked by +the Western Ocean, but passing beyond the sea, imposed submission +upon our island without resistance, and entirely reduced to +obedience its unwarlike but faithless people, not so much by fire +and sword and warlike engines, like other nations, but threats +alone, and menaces of judgments frowning on their countenance, +whilst terror penetrated to their hearts. + +6. When afterwards they returned to Rome, for want of pay, as +is said, and had no suspicion of an approaching rebellion, that +deceitful lioness (Boadicea) put to death the rulers who had been +left among them, to unfold more fully and to confirm the enterprises +of the Romans. When the report of these things reached the senate, +and they with a speedy army made haste to take vengeance on the +crafty foxes,* as they called them, there was no bold navy on +the sea to fight bravely for the country; by land there was no +marshalled army, no right wing of battle, nor other preparation +for resistance; but their backs were their shields against their +vanquishers, and they presented their necks to their swords, whilst +chill terror ran through every limb, and they stretched out their +hands to be bound, like women; so that it has become a proverb +far and wide, that the Britons are neither brave in war nor faithful +in time of peace. + +* The Britons who fought under Boadicea were anything but "crafty +foxes." "Bold lions" is a much more appropriate appellation; they +would also have been victorious if they had half the military +advantages of the Romans. + + +7. The Romans, therefore, having slain many of the rebels, and +reserved others for slaves, that the land might not be entirely +reduced to desolation, left the island, destitute as it was of +wine and oil, and returned to Italy, leaving behind them taskmasters, +to scourge the shoulders of the natives, to reduce their necks to +the yoke, and their soil to the vassalage of a Roman province; +to chastise the crafty race, not with warlike weapons, but with +rods, and if necessary to gird upon their sides the naked sword, +so that it was no longer thought to be Britain, but a Roman island; +and all their money, whether of copper, gold, or silver, was +stamped with Caesar's image. + +8. Meanwhile these islands, stiff with cold and frost, and in a +distant region of the world, remote from the visible sun, received +the beams of light, that is, the holy precepts of Christ, the true +Sun, showing to the whole world his splendour, not only from the +temporal firmament, but from the height of heaven, which surpasses +every thing temporal, at the latter part, as we know, of the reign +of Tiberius Caesar, by whom his religion was propagated without +impediment, and death threatened to those who interfered with its +professors. + +9. These rays of light were received with lukewarm minds by the +inhabitants, but they nevertheless took root among some of them +in a greater or less degree, until the nine years' persecution +of the tyrant Diocletian, when the churches throughout the whole +world were overthrown, all the copies of the Holy Scriptures +which could be found burned in the streets, and the chosen pastors +of God's flock butchered, together with their innocent sheep, +in order that not a vestige, if possible, might remain in some +provinces of Christ's religion. What disgraceful flights then +took place-what slaughter and death inflicted by way of punishment +in divers shapes,--what dreadful apostacies from religion; and +on the contrary, what glorious crowns of martyrdom then were +won,--what raving fury was displayed by the persecutors, and patience +on the part of the suffering saints, ecclesiastical history informs +us; for the whole church were crowding in a body, to leave behind +them the dark things of this world, and to make the best of their +way to the happy mansions of heaven, as if to their proper home. + +10. God, therefore, who wishes all men to be saved, and who calls +sinners no less than those who think themselves righteous, magnified +his mercy towards us, and, as we know, during the above-named +persecution, that Britain might not totally be enveloped in the +dark shades of night, he, of his own free gift, kindled up among +us bright luminaries of holy martyrs, whose places of burial and +of martyrdom, had they not for our manifold crimes been interfered +with and destroyed by the barbarians, would have still kindled +in the minds of the beholders no small fire of divine charity. +Such were St. Alban of Verulam, Aaron and Julius, citizens of +Carlisle, * and the rest, of both sexes, who in different places +stood their ground in the Christian contest. + +* Or Caerleon. + +11. The first of these martyrs, St. Alban, for charity's sake +saved another confessor who was pursued by his persecutors, and +was on the point of being seized, by hiding him in his house, and +then by changing clothes with him, imitating in this example of +Christ, who laid down his life for his sheep, and exposing himself +in the other's clothes to be pursued in his stead. So pleasing +to God was this conduct, that between his confession and martyrdom, +he was honoured with the performance of wonderful miracles in +presence of the impious blasphemers who were carrying the Roman +standards, and like the Israelites of old, who trod dry-foot an +unfrequented path whilst the ark of the covenant stood some time +on the sands in the midst of Jordan; so also the martyr, with a +thousand others, opened a path across the noble river Thames, +whose waters stood abrupt like precipices on either side; and +seeing this, the first of his executors was stricken with awe, +and from a wolf became a lamb; so that he thirsted for martyrdom, +and boldly underwent that for which he thirsted. The other holy +martyrs were tormented with divers sufferings, and their limbs +were racked in such unheard of ways, that they, without delay, +erected the trophies of their glorious martyrdom even in the gates +of the city of Jerusalem. For those who survived, hid themselves +in woods and deserts, and secret caves, waiting until God, who +is the righteous judge of all, should reward their persecutors +with judgment, and themselves with protection of their lives. + +12. In less than ten years, therefore, of the above-named persecution, +and when these bloody decrees began to fail in consequence of the +death of their authors, all Christ's young disciples, after so +long and wintry a night, begin to behold the genial light of heaven. +They rebuild the churches, which had been levelled to the ground; +they found, erect, and finish churches to the holy martyrs, and +everywhere show their ensigns as token of their victory; festivals +are celebrated and sacraments received with clean hearts and lips, +and all the church's sons rejoice as it were in the fostering +bosom of a mother. For this holy union remained between Christ +their head and the members of his church, until the Arian treason, +fatal as a serpent, and vomiting its poison from beyond the sea, +caused deadly dissension between brothers inhabiting the same house, +and thus, as if a road were made across the sea, like wild beasts +of all descriptions, and darting the poison of every heresy from +their jaws, they inflicted dreadful wounds upon their country, +which is ever desirous to hear something new, and remains constant +long to nothing. + +13. At length also, new races of tyrants sprang up, in terrific +numbers, and the island, still bearing its Roman name, but casting +off her institutes and laws, sent forth among the Gauls that bitter +scion of her own planting Maximus, with a great number of followers, +and the ensigns of royalty, which he bore without decency and +without lawful right, but in a tyrannical manner, and amid the +disturbances of the seditious soldiery. He, by cunning arts rather +than by valour, attaching to his rule, by perjury and falsehood, +all the neighbouring towns and provinces, against the Roman state, +extended one of his wings to Spain, the other to Italy, fixed +the seat of his unholy government at Treves, and so furiously +pushed his rebellion against his lawful emperors that he drove +one of them out of Rome, and caused the other to terminate his +most holy life. Trusting to these successful attempts, he not +long after lost his accursed head before the walls of Aquileia, +whereas he had before cut off the crowned heads of almost all +the world. + +14. After this, Britain is left deprived of all her soldiery +and armed bands, of her cruel governors, and of the flower of +her youth, who went with Maximus, but never again returned; and +utterly ignorant as she was of the art of war, groaned in amazement +for many years under the cruelty of two foreign nations--the +Scots from the north-west, and the Picts from the north. + +15. The Britons, impatient at the assaults of the Scots and Picts, +their hostilities and dreadful oppressions, send ambassadors to +Rome with letters, entreating in piteous terms the assistance of +an armed band to protect them, and offering loyal and ready +submission to the authority of Rome, if they only would expel their +foes. A legion is immediately sent, forgetting their past rebellion, +and provided sufficiently with arms. When they had crossed over +the sea and landed, they came at once to close conflict with their +cruel enemies, and slew great numbers of them. All of them were +driven beyond the borders, and the humiliated natives rescued +from the bloody slavery which awaited them. By the advice of their +protectors, they now built a wall across the island from one sea +to the other, which being manned with a proper force, might be a +terror to the foes whom it was intended to repel, and a protection +to their friends whom it covered. But this wall, being made of +turf instead of stone, was of no use to that foolish people, who +had no head to guide them. + +16. The Roman legion had no sooner returned home in joy and +triumph, than their former foes, like hungry and ravening wolves, +rushing with greedy jaws upon the fold which is left without a +shepherd, and wafted both by the strength of oarsmen and the +blowing wind, break through the boundaries, and spread slaughter +on every side, and like mowers cutting down the ripe corn, they +cut up, tread under foot, and overrun the whole country. + +17. And now again they send suppliant ambassadors, with their +garments rent and their heads covered with ashes, imploring +assistance from the Romans, and like timorous chickens, crowding +under the protecting wings of their parents, that their wretched +country might not altogether be destroyed, and that the Roman +name, which now was but an empty sound to fill the ear, might +not become a reproach even to distant nations. Upon this, the +Romans, moved with compassion, as far as human nature can be, at +the relations of such horrors, send forward, like eagles in their +flight, their unexpected bands of cavalry by land and mariners +by sea, and planting their terrible swords upon the shoulders of +their enemies, they mow them down like leaves which fall at the +destined period; and as a mountain-torrent swelled with numerous +streams, and bursting its banks with roaring noise, with foaming +crest and yeasty wave rising to the stars, by whose eddying +currents our eyes are as it were dazzled, does with one of its +billows overwhelm every obstacle in its way, so did our illustrious +defenders vigorously drive our enemies' band beyond the sea, if +any could so escape them; for it was beyond those same seas that +they transported, year after year, the plunder which they had +gained, no one daring to resist them. + +18. The Romans, therefore, left the country, giving notice that +they could no longer be harassed by such laborious expeditions, +nor suffer the Roman standards, with so large and brave an army, +to be worn out by sea and land by fighting against these unwarlike, +plundering vagabonds; but that the islanders, inuring themselves +to warlike weapons, and bravely fighting, should valiantly protect +their country, their property, wives and children, and, what is +dearer than these, their liberty and lives; that they should not +suffer their hands to be tied behind their backs by a nation which, +unless they were enervated by idleness and sloth, was not more +powerful than themselves, but that they should arm those hands +with buckler, sword, and spear, ready for the field of battle; +and, because they thought this also of advantage to the people +they were about to leave, they, with the help of the miserable +natives, built a wall different from the former, by public and +private contributions, and of the same structure as walls generally, +extending in a straight line from sea to sea, between some cities, +which, from fear of their enemies, had there by chance been built. +They then give energetic counsel to the timorous natives, and +leave them patterns by which to manufacture arms. Moreover, on +the south coast where their vessels lay, as there was some +apprehension lest the barbarians might land, they erected towers +at stated intervals, commanding a prospect of the sea; and then +left the island never to return. + +19. No sooner were they gone, than the Picts and Scots, like +worms which in the heat of the mid-day come forth from their +holes, hastily land again from their canoes, in which they had +been carried beyond the Cichican* valley, differing one from +another in manners, but inspired with the same avidity for blood, +and all more eager to shroud their villainous faces in bushy hair +than to cover with decent clothing those parts of their body which +required it. Moreover, having heard of the departure of our friends, +and their resolution never to return, they seized with greater +boldness than before on all the country towards the extreme north +as far as the wall. To oppose them there was placed on the heights +a garrison equally slow to fight and ill adapted to run away, a +useless and panic-struck company, who slumbered away days and +nights on their unprofitable watch. Meanwhile the hooked weapons +of their enemies were not idle, and our wretched countrymen were +dragged from the wall and dashed against the ground. Such premature +death, however, painful as it was, saved them from seeing the +miserable sufferings of their brothers and children. But why +should I say more? They left their cities, abandoned the protection +of the wall, and dispersed themselves in flight more desperately +than before. The enemy, on the other hand, pursued them with +more unrelenting cruelty than before, and butchered our countrymen +like sheep, so that their habitations were like those of savage +beasts; for they turned their arms upon each other, and for the +sake of a little sustenance, imbrued their hands in the blood of +their fellow countrymen. Thus foreign calamities were augmented +by domestic feuds; so that the whole country was entirely destitute +of provisions, save such as could be procured in the chase. + +* The meaning of this expression is not known. O'Connor thinks +it is the Irish Sea. + + +20. Again, therefore, the wretched remnant, sending to Aetius, +a powerful Roman citizen, address him as follow:--"To Aetius,* +now consul for the third time: the groans of the Britons." And +again a little further, thus:--"The barbarians drive us to the +sea; the sea throws us back on the barbarians: thus two modes of +death await us, we are either slain or drowned." The Romans, +however, could not assist them, and in the meantime the discomfited +people, wandering in the woods, began to feel the effects of a +severe famine, which compelled many of them without delay to yield +themselves up to their cruel persecutors, to obtain subsistence: +others of them, however, lying hid in mountains, caves and woods, +continually sallied out from thence to renew the war. And then +it was, for the first time, that they overthrew their enemies, who +had for so many years been living in their country; for their +trust was not in man, but in God; according to the maxim of Philo, +"We must have divine assistance, when that of man fails." The +boldness of the enemy was for a while checked, but not the +wickedness of our countrymen; the enemy left our people, but the +people did not leave their sins. + +* Or Agitius, according to another reading. + +21. For it has always been a custom with our nation, as it is +at present, to be impotent in repelling foreign foes, but bold +and invincible in raising civil war, and bearing the burdens of +their offences: they are impotent, I say, in following the standard +of peace and truth, but bold in wickedness and falsehood. The +audacious invaders therefore return to their winter quarters, +determined before long again to return and plunder. And then, +too, the Picts for the first time seated themselves at the extremity +of the island, where they afterwards continued, occasionally +plundering and wasting the country. During these truces, the +wounds of the distressed people are healed, but another sore, +still more venomous, broke out. No sooner were the ravages of +the enemy checked, than the island was deluged with a most +extraordinary plenty of all things, greater than was before known, +and with it grew up every kind of luxury and licentiousness. It +grew with so firm a root, that one might truly say of it, "Such +fornication is heard of among you, as never was known the like +among the Gentiles." But besides this vice, there arose also +every other, to which human nature is liable and in particular +that hatred of truth, together with her supporters, which still +at present destroys every thing good in the island; the love of +falsehood, together with its inventors, the reception of crime +in the place of virtue, the respect shown to wickedness rather +than goodness, the love of darkness instead of the sun, the +admission of Satan as an angel of light. Kings were anointed, +not according to god's ordinance, but such as showed themselves +more cruel than the rest; and soon after, they were put to death +by those who had elected them, without any inquiry into their +merits, but because others still more cruel were chosen to succeed +them. If any one of these was of a milder nature than the rest, +or in any way more regardful of the truth, he was looked upon +as the ruiner of the country, every body cast a dart at him, and +they valued things alike whether pleasing or displeasing to God, +unless it so happened that what displeased him was pleasing to +themselves. So that the words of the prophet, addressed to the +people of old, might well be applied to our own countrymen: +"Children without a law, have ye left God and provoked to anger +the holy one of Israel?* Why will ye still inquire, adding +iniquity? Every head is languid and every heart is sad; from the +sole of the foot to the crown, there is no health in him." And +thus they did all things contrary to their salvation, as if no +remedy could be applied to the world by the true Physician of all +men. And not only the laity did so, but our Lord's own flock and +its shepherds, who ought to have been an example to the people, +slumbered away their time in drunkenness, as if they had been +dipped in wine; whilst the swellings of pride, the jar of strife, +the griping talons of envy, and the confused estimate of right +and wrong, got such entire possession of them, that there seemed +to be poured out (and the same still continueth) contempt upon +princes, and to be made by their vanities to wander astray and +not in the way. + +* Isa. I. 4,5. In most of these quotations there is great verbal +variation from the authorised version: the author probably quoted +from memory, if not from the Latin version. + +22. Meanwhile, God being willing to purify his family who were +infected by so deep a stain of woe, and at the hearing only of +their calamities to amend them; a vague rumour suddenly as if on +wings reaches the ears of all, that their inveterate foes were +rapidly approaching to destroy the whole country, and to take +possession of it, as of old, from one end to the other. But yet +they derived no advantage from this intelligence; for, like frantic +beasts, taking the bit of reason between their teeth, they +abandoned the safe and narrow road, and rushed forward upon the +broad downward path of vice, which leads to death. Whilst, +therefore, as Solomon says, the stubborn servant is not cured +by words, the fool is scourged and feels it not: a pestilential +disease morally affected the foolish people, which, without the +sword, cut off so large a number of persons, that the living +were not able to bury them. But even this was no warning to them, +that in them also might be fulfilled the words of Isaiah the +prophet, "And God hath called his people to lamentation, to baldness, +and to the girdle of sackcloth; behold they begin to kill calves, +and to slay rams, to eat, to drink, and to say, 'We will eat and +drink, for to-morrow we shall die.'" For the time was approaching, +when all their iniquities, as formerly those of the Amorrhaeans, +should be fulfilled. For a council was called to settle what was +best and most expedient to be done, in order to repel such frequent +and fatal irruptions and plunderings of the above-named nations. + +23. Then all the councillors, together with that proud tyrant +Gurthrigern [Vortigern], the British king, were so blinded, that, +as a protection to their country, they sealed its doom by inviting +in among them like wolves into the sheep-fold), the fierce and +impious Saxons, a race hateful both to God and men, to repel the +invasions of the northern nations. Nothing was ever so pernicious +to our country, nothing was ever so unlucky. What palpable +darkness must have enveloped their minds-darkness desperate and +cruel! Those very people whom, when absent, they dreaded more +than death itself, were invited to reside, as one may say, under +the selfsame roof. Foolish are the princes, as it is said, of +Thafneos, giving counsel to unwise Pharaoh. A multitude of whelps +came forth from the lair of this barbaric lioness, in three cyuls, +as they call them, that is, in there ships of war, with their +sails wafted by the wind and with omens and prophecies favourable, +for it was foretold by a certain soothsayer among them, that they +should occupy the country to which they were sailing three hundred +years, and half of that time, a hundred and fifty years, should +plunder and despoil the same. They first landed on the eastern +side of the island, by the invitation of the unlucky king, and +there fixed their sharp talons, apparently to fight in favour of +the island, but alas! more truly against it. Their mother-land, +finding her first brood thus successful, sends forth a larger +company of her wolfish offspring, which sailing over, join +themselves to their bastard-born comrades. From that time the +germ of iniquity and the root of contention planted their poison +amongst us, as we deserved, and shot forth into leaves and branches. +the barbarians being thus introduced as soldiers into the island, +to encounter, as they falsely said, any dangers in defence of +their hospitable entertainers, obtain an allowance of provisions, +which, for some time being plentifully bestowed, stopped their +doggish mouths. Yet they complain that their monthly supplies +are not furnished in sufficient abundance, and they industriously +aggravate each occasion of quarrel, saying that unless more +liberality is shown them, they will break the treaty and plunder +the whole island. In a short time, they follow up their threats +with deeds. + +24. For the fire of vengeance, justly kindled by former crimes, +spread from sea to sea, fed by the hands of our foes in the east, +and did not cease, until, destroying the neighbouring towns and +lands, it reached the other side of the island, and dipped its +red and savage tongue in the western ocean. In these assaults, +therefore, not unlike that of the Assyrian upon Judea, was fulfilled +in our case what the prophet describes in words of lamentation; +"They have burned with fire the sanctuary; they have polluted on +earth the tabernacle of thy name." And again, "O God, the gentiles +have come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they +defiled," &c. So that all the columns were levelled with the +ground by the frequent strokes of the battering-ram, all the +husbandmen routed, together with their bishops, priests, and +people, whilst the sword gleamed, and the flames crackled around +them on every side. Lamentable to behold, in the midst of the +streets lay the tops of lofty towers, tumbled to the ground, stones +of high walls, holy altars, fragments of human bodies, covered +with livid clots of coagulated blood, looking as if they had +been squeezed together in a press;* and with no chance of being +buried, save in the ruins of the houses, or in the ravening +bellies of wild beasts and birds; with reverence be it spoken +for their blessed souls, if, indeed, there were many found who +were carried, at that time, into the high heaven by the holy +angels. So entirely had the vintage, once so fine, degenerated +and become bitter, that, in the words of the prophet, there was +hardly a grape or ear of corn to be seen where the husbandman +had turned his back. + +25. Some therefore, of the miserable remnant, being taken in +the mountains, were murdered in great numbers; others, constrained +by famine, came and yielded themselves to be slaves for ever to +their foes, running the risk of being instantly slain, which truly +was the greatest favour that could be offered them: some others +passed beyond the seas with loud lamentations instead of the voice +of exhortation. "Thou hast given us as sheep to be slaughtered, +and among the Gentiles hast thou dispersed us." Others, committing +the safeguard of their lives, which were in continual jeopardy, +to the mountains, precipices, thickly wooded forests, and to the +rocks of the seas (albeit with trembling hearts), remained still +in their country. But in the meanwhile, an opportunity happening, +when these most cruel robbers were returned home, the poor remnants +of our nation (to whom flocked from divers places round about our +miserable countrymen as fast as bees to their hives, for fear of +an ensuing storm), being strengthened by God, calling upon him +with all their hearts, as the poet says,--"With their unnumbered +vows they burden heaven," that they might not be brought to utter +destruction, took arms under the conduct of Ambrosius Aurelianus, +a modest man, who of all the Roman nation was then alone in the +confusion of this troubled period by chance left alive. His +parents, who for their merit were adorned with the purple, had +been slain in these same broils, and now his progeny in these +our days, although shamefully degenerated from the worthiness +of their ancestors, provoke to battle their cruel conquerors, +and by the goodness of our Lord obtain the victory. + +26. After this, sometimes our countrymen, sometimes the enemy, +won the field, to the end that our Lord might in this land try +after his accustomed manner these his Israelites, whether they +loved him or not, until the year of the siege of Bath-hill, when +took place also the last almost, though not the least slaughter +of our cruel foes, which was (as I am sure) forty-four years and +one month after the landing of the Saxons, and also the time of +my own nativity. And yet neither to this day are the cities of +our country inhabited as before, but being forsaken and overthrown, +still lie desolate; our foreign wars having ceased, but our civil +troubles still remaining. For as well the remembrance of such +terrible desolation of the island, as also of the unexpected +recovery of the same, remained in the minds of those who were +eyewitnesses of the wonderful events of both, and in regard +thereof, kings, public magistrates, and private persons, with +priests and clergymen, did all and every one of them live orderly +according to their several vocations. But when these had departed +out of this world, and a new race succeeded, who were ignorant +of this troublesome time, and had only experience of the present +prosperity, all the laws of truth and justice were so shaken and +subverted, that not so much as a vestige or remembrance of these +virtues remained among the above-named orders of men, except among +a very few who, compared with the great multitude which were +daily rushing headlong down to hell, are accounted so small a +number, that our reverend mother, the church, scarcely beholds +them, her only true children, reposing in her bosom; whose +worthy lives, being a pattern to al men, and beloved of God, +inasmuch as by their holy prayers, as by certain pillars and most +profitable supporters, our infirmity is sustained up, that it may +not utterly be broken down, I would have no one suppose I intended +to reprove, if forced by the increasing multitude of offences, +I have freely, aye, with anguish, not so much declared as bewailed +the wickedness of those who are become servants, not only to their +bellies, but also to the devil rather than to Christ, who is our +blessed God, world without end. + + + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of On the Ruin of Britain, by Gildas + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON THE RUIN OF BRITAIN *** + +***** This file should be named 1949.txt or 1949.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/9/4/1949/ + +Produced by Bert Olton + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Whatever in this my epistle I may write in my humble but well +meaning manner, rather by way of lamentation than for display, +let no one suppose that it springs from contempt of others or that +I foolishly esteem myself as better than they; -for alas! the subject +of my complaint is the general destruction of every thing that is +good, and the general growth of evil throughout the land;--but +that I rejoice to see her revive therefrom: for it is my present +purpose to relate the deeds of an indolent and slothful race, rather +than the exploits of those who have been valiant in the field*. +I have kept silence, I confess, with much mental anguish, compunction +of feeling and contrition of heart, whilst I revolved all these +things within myself; and, as God the searcher of the reins is +witness, for the space of even ten years or more, [my inexperience, +as at present also, and my unworthiness preventing me from taking +upon myself the character of a censor. But I read how the +illustrious lawgiver, for one word's doubting, was not allowed +to enter the desired land; that the sons of the high-priest, for +placing strange fire upon God's altar, were cut off by a speedy +death; that God's people, for breaking the law of God, save two +only, were slain by wild beasts, by fire and sword in the deserts +of Arabia, though God had so loved them that he had made a way +for them through the Red Sea, had fed them with bread from heaven, +and water from the rock, and by the lifting up of a hand merely +had made their armies invincible; and then, when they had crossed +the Jordan and entered the unknown land, and the walls of the +city had fallen down flat at the sound only of a trumpet, the +taking of a cloak and a little gold from the accursed things caused +the deaths of many: and again the breach of their treaty with the +Gibeonites, though that treaty had been obtained by fraud, brought +destruction upon many; and I took warning from the sins of the +people which called down upon them the reprehensions of the prophets +and also of Jeremiah, with his fourfold Lamentations written in +alphabetical order. I saw moreover in my own time, as that prophet +also had complained, that the city had sat down lone and widowed, +which before was full of people; that the queen of nations and +the princess of provinces (i.e. the church), had been made +tributary; that the gold was obscured, and the most excellent +colour (which is the brightness of God's word) changed; that the +sons of Sion (i.e. of holy mother church), once famous and clothed +in the finest gold, grovelled in dung; and what added intolerably +to the weight of grief of that illustrious man, and to mine, +though but an abject, whilst he had thus mourned them in their +happy and prosperous condition, "Her Nazarites were fairer than +snow, more ruddy than old ivory, more beautiful than the saphire." +These and many other passages in the ancient Scriptures I regarded +as a kind of mirror of human life, and I turned also to the New, +wherein I read more clearly what perhaps to me before was dark, +for the darkness fled, and truth shed her steady light-I read +therein that the Lord had said, "I came not but to the lost sheep +of the house of Israel;" and on the other hand, "But the children +of this kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there +shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth:" and again, "It is not +good to take the children's meat and to give it to dogs:" also, +"Woe to you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites!" I heard how +"many shall come from the east and the west and shall sit down +with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven:" and on +the contrary, "I will then say to them 'Depart from me, ye workers +of iniquity!'" I read, "Blessed are the barren and the teats +which have not given suck;" and on the contrary, "Those, who were +ready, entered with him to the wedding; afterwards came the other +virgins also, saying 'Lord, Lord, open to us:' to whom it was +answered, 'I do not know you.'" I heard, forsooth, "Whoever shall +believe and be baptized, shall be saved, but whoever shall not +believe shall be damned." I read in the words of the apostle that +the branch of the wild olive was grafted upon the good olive, but +should nevertheless be cut off from the communion of the root of +its fatness, if it did not hold itself in fear, but entertained +lofty thoughts. I knew the mercy of the Lord, but I also feared +his judgment: I praised his grace, but I feared the rendering to +every man according to his works: perceiving the sheep of the +same fold to be different, I deservedly commended Peter for his +entire confession of Christ, but called Judas most wretched, for +his love of covetousness: I thought Stephen most glorious on +account of the palm of martyrdom, but Nicholas wretched for his +mark of unclean heresy: I read assuredly, "They had all things +common:" but likewise also, as it is written, "Why have ye +conspired to tempt the Spirit of God?" I saw, on the other hand, +how much security had grown upon the men of our time, as if there +were nothing to cause them fear. These things, therefore, and +many more which for brevity's sake we have determined to omit, +I revolved again and again in my amazed mind with compunction +in my heart, and I thought to myself, "If God's peculiar people, +chosen from all the people of the world, the royal seed, and holy +nation, to whom he had said, 'My first begotten Israel,' its +priests, prophets, and kings, throughout so many ages, his +servant and apostle, and the members of his primitive church, were +not spared when the deviated from the right path, what will he do +to the darkness of this our age, in which, besides all the huge +and heinous sins, which it has common with all the wicked of the +world committed, is found an innate, indelible, and irremediable +load of folly and inconstancy?" "What, wretched man (I say to +myself) is it given to you, as if you were an illustrious and +learned teacher, to oppose the force of so violent a torrent, +and keep the charge committed to you against such a series of +inveterate crimes which has spread far and wide, without inter- +ruption, for so many years? Hold thy peace: to do otherwise, is +to tell the foot to see, and the hand to speak. Britain has +rulers, and she has watchmen: why dost thou incline thyself thus +uselessly to prate?" She has such, I say, not too many, perhaps, +but surely not too few: but, because they are bent down and pressed +beneath so heavy a burden, they have not time allowed them to take +breath. My senses, therefore, as if feeling a portion of my debt +and obligation, preoccupied themselves with such objections, and +with others yet more strong. They struggled, as I said, no short +time, in fearful strait, whilst I read, "There is a time for +speaking, and a time for keeping silence." At length, the creditor's +side prevailed and bore off the victory: if (said he) thou art not +bold enough to be marked with the comely mark of golden liberty +among the prophetic creatures, who enjoy the rank as reasoning +beings next to the angels, refuse not the inspiration of the +understanding ass, to that day dumb, which would not carry forward +the tiara'd magician who was going to curse God's people, but in +the narrow pass of the vineyard crushed his loosened foot, and +thereby felt the lash; and though he was, with his ungrateful +and furious hand, against right justice, beating her innocent +sides, she pointed out to him the heavenly messenger holding the +naked sword, and standing in his way, though he had not seen him.] + +* Notwithstanding this remark of Gildas, the Britons must have +shown great bravery and resolution in their battles against the +Saxons, or they would not have resisted their encroachments so +Long. When Gildas was writing, a hundred years had elapsed, and +The Britons still possessed a large portion of their native country. + +Wherefore in zeal for the house of God and for his holy law, +constrained either by the reasonings of my own thoughts, or by +the pious entreaties of my brethren, I now discharge the debt so +long exacted of me; humble, indeed, in style, but faithful, as I +think, and friendly to all Christ's youthful soldiers, but severe +and insupportable to foolish apostates; the former of whom, if I +am not deceived, will receive the same with tears flowing from +god's love; but the others with sorrow, such as is extorted from +the indignation and pusillanimity of a convicted conscience. + +2. I will, therefore, if God be willing, endeavour to say a few +words about the situation of Britain, her disobedience and subjection, +her rebellion, second subjection and dreadful slavery--of her +religion, persecution, holy martyrs, heresies of different kinds +--of her tyrants, her two hostile and ravaging nations--of her first +devastation, her defence, her second devastation, and second +taking vengeance--of her third devastation, of her famine, and +the letters to Agitius*-of her victory and her crimes--of the +sudden rumour of enemies--of her famous pestilence-of her counsels +--of her last enemy, far more cruel than the first-of the subversion +of her cities, and of the remnant that escaped; and finally, of +the peace which, by the will of God, has been granted her in +these our times. + +* Or Aetius + + + +II. The History + + +3. The island of Britain, situated on almost the utmost border +of the earth, towards the south and west, and poised in the divine +balance, as it is said, which supports the whole world, stretches +out from the south-west towards the north pole, and is eight +hundred miles long and two hundred broad[1], except where the +headlands of sundry promontories stretch farther into the sea. +It is surrounded by the ocean, which forms winding bays, and is +strongly defended by this ample, and, if I may so call it, +impassable barrier, save on the south side, where the narrow sea +affords a passage to Belgic Gaul. It is enriched by the mouths +of two noble rivers, the Thames and the Severn, as it were two +arms, by which foreign luxuries were of old imported, and by +other streams of less importance. It is famous for eight and +twenty cities, and is embellished by certain castles, with walls, +towers, well barred gates, and houses with threatening battlements +built on high, and provided with all requisite instruments of +defence. Its plains are spacious, its hills are pleasantly +situated, adapted for superior tillage, and its mountains are +admirably calculated for the alternate pasturage of cattle, where +flowers of various colours, trodden by the feet of man, give it +the appearance of a lovely picture. It is decked, like a man's +chosen bride, with divers jewels, with lucid fountains and abundant +brooks wandering over the snow white sands; with transparent +rivers, flowing in gentle murmurs, and offering a sweet pledge +of slumber[2] to those who recline upon their banks, whilst it +is irrigated by abundant lakes, which pour forth cool torrents +of refreshing water. + +[1] The description of Britain is given in very nearly the same +terms, by Orosius, Bede, and others, but the numbers denoting +the length and breadth and other dimensions, are different in +almost every MS. Copy. + +[2] "Soporem" in some MSS., "saporem" in others; it is difficult +from the turgidity and superabundance of the style to determine +which is the best meaning. + + +4. This island, stiff--necked and stubborn--minded, from the +time of its being first inhabited, ungratefully rebels, sometimes +against God, sometimes against her own citizens, and frequently +also, against foreign kings and their subjects. For what can +there either be, or be committed, more disgraceful or more +unrighteous in human affairs, than to refuse to show fear to God +or affection to one's own countrymen, and (without detriment to +one's faith) to refuse due honour to those of higher dignity, to +cast off all regard to reason, human and divine, and, in contempt +of heaven and earth, to be guided by one's own sensual inventions? +I shall, therefore, omit those ancient errors common to all the +nations of the earth, in which, before Christ came in the flesh, +all mankind were bound; nor shall I enumerate those diabolical +idols of my country, which almost surpassed in number those of +Egypt, and of which we still see some mouldering away within or +without the deserted temples, with stiff and deformed features +as was customary. Nor will I call out upon the mountains, fountains, +or hills, or upon the rivers, which now are subservient to the +use of men, but once were an abomination and destruction to them, +and to which the blind people paid divine honour. I shall also +pass over the bygone times of our cruel tyrants, whose notoriety +was spread over to far distant countries; so that Porphyry, that +dog who in the east was always so fierce against the church, in +his mad and vain style added this also, that "Britain is a land +fertile in tyrants."* I will only endeavour to relate the +evils which Britain suffered in the times of the Roman emperors, +and also those which she caused to distant states; but so far as +lies in my power, I shall not follow the writings and records of +my own country, which (if there ever were any of them) have been +consumed in the fires of the enemy, or have accompanied my exiled +countrymen into distant lands, but be guided by the relations of +foreign writers, which, being broken and interrupted in many places +are therefore by no means clear. + +* Gildas here confuses the modern idea of a tyrant with that +of an usurper. The latter is a sense in which Britain was said +to be fertile in tyrants, viz. In usurpers of the imperial dignity. + +5. For when the rulers of Rome had obtained the empire of the +world, subdued all the neighbouring nations and islands towards +the east, and strengthened their renown by the first peace which +they made with the Parthians, who border on India, there was a +general cessation from war throughout the whole world; the fierce +flame which they kindled could not be extinguished or checked by +the Western Ocean, but passing beyond the sea, imposed submission +upon our island without resistance, and entirely reduced to +obedience its unwarlike but faithless people, not so much by fire +and sword and warlike engines, like other nations, but threats +alone, and menaces of judgments frowning on their countenance, +whilst terror penetrated to their hearts. + +6. When afterwards they returned to Rome, for want of pay, as +is said, and had no suspicion of an approaching rebellion, that +deceitful lioness (Boadicea) put to death the rulers who had been +left among them, to unfold more fully and to confirm the enterprises +of the Romans. When the report of these things reached the senate, +and they with a speedy army made haste to take vengeance on the +crafty foxes,* as they called them, there was no bold navy on +the sea to fight bravely for the country; by land there was no +marshalled army, no right wing of battle, nor other preparation +for resistance; but their backs were their shields against their +vanquishers, and they presented their necks to their swords, whilst +chill terror ran through every limb, and they stretched out their +hands to be bound, like women; so that it has become a proverb +far and wide, that the Britons are neither brave in war nor faithful +in time of peace. + +* The Britons who fought under Boadicea were anything but "crafty +foxes." "Bold lions" is a much more appropriate appellation; they +would also have been victorious if they had half the military +advantages of the Romans. + + +7. The Romans, therefore, having slain many of the rebels, and +reserved others for slaves, that the land might not be entirely +reduced to desolation, left the island, destitute as it was of +wine and oil, and returned to Italy, leaving behind them taskmasters, +to scourge the shoulders of the natives, to reduce their necks to +the yoke, and their soil to the vassalage of a Roman province; +to chastise the crafty race, not with warlike weapons, but with +rods, and if necessary to gird upon their sides the naked sword, +so that it was no longer thought to be Britain, but a Roman island; +and all their money, whether of copper, gold, or silver, was +stamped with Caesar's image. + +8. Meanwhile these islands, stiff with cold and frost, and in a +distant region of the world, remote from the visible sun, received +the beams of light, that is, the holy precepts of Christ, the true +Sun, showing to the whole world his splendour, not only from the +temporal firmament, but from the height of heaven, which surpasses +every thing temporal, at the latter part, as we know, of the reign +of Tiberius Caesar, by whom his religion was propagated without +impediment, and death threatened to those who interfered with its +professors. + +9. These rays of light were received with lukewarm minds by the +inhabitants, but they nevertheless took root among some of them +in a greater or less degree, until the nine years' persecution +of the tyrant Diocletian, when the churches throughout the whole +world were overthrown, all the copies of the Holy Scriptures +which could be found burned in the streets, and the chosen pastors +of God's flock butchered, together with their innocent sheep, +in order that not a vestige, if possible, might remain in some +provinces of Christ's religion. What disgraceful flights then +took place-what slaughter and death inflicted by way of punishment +in divers shapes,--what dreadful apostacies from religion; and +on the contrary, what glorious crowns of martyrdom then were won, +--what raving fury was displayed by the persecutors, and patience +on the part of the suffering saints, ecclesiastical history informs +us; for the whole church were crowding in a body, to leave behind +them the dark things of this world, and to make the best of their +way to the happy mansions of heaven, as if to their proper home. + +10. God, therefore, who wishes all men to be saved, and who calls +sinners no less than those who think themselves righteous, magnified +his mercy towards us, and, as we know, during the above-named +persecution, that Britain might not totally be enveloped in the +dark shades of night, he, of his own free gift, kindled up among +us bright luminaries of holy martyrs, whose places of burial and +of martyrdom, had they not for our manifold crimes been interfered +with and destroyed by the barbarians, would have still kindled +in the minds of the beholders no small fire of divine charity. +Such were St. Alban of Verulam, Aaron and Julius, citizens of +Carlisle, * and the rest, of both sexes, who in different places +stood their ground in the Christian contest. + +* Or Caerleon. + +11. The first of these martyrs, St. Alban, for charity's sake +saved another confessor who was pursued by his persecutors, and +was on the point of being seized, by hiding him in his house, and +then by changing clothes with him, imitating in this example of +Christ, who laid down his life for his sheep, and exposing himself +in the other's clothes to be pursued in his stead. So pleasing +to God was this conduct, that between his confession and martyrdom, +he was honoured with the performance of wonderful miracles in +presence of the impious blasphemers who were carrying the Roman +standards, and like the Israelites of old, who trod dry-foot an +unfrequented path whilst the ark of the covenant stood some time +on the sands in the midst of Jordan; so also the martyr, with a +thousand others, opened a path across the noble river Thames, +whose waters stood abrupt like precipices on either side; and +seeing this, the first of his executors was stricken with awe, +and from a wolf became a lamb; so that he thirsted for martyrdom, +and boldly underwent that for which he thirsted. The other holy +martyrs were tormented with divers sufferings, and their limbs +were racked in such unheard of ways, that they, without delay, +erected the trophies of their glorious martyrdom even in the gates +of the city of Jerusalem. For those who survived, hid themselves +in woods and deserts, and secret caves, waiting until God, who +is the righteous judge of all, should reward their persecutors +with judgment, and themselves with protection of their lives. + +12. In less than ten years, therefore, of the above-named persecution, +and when these bloody decrees began to fail in consequence of the +death of their authors, all Christ's young disciples, after so +long and wintry a night, begin to behold the genial light of heaven. +They rebuild the churches, which had been levelled to the ground; +they found, erect, and finish churches to the holy martyrs, and +everywhere show their ensigns as token of their victory; festivals +are celebrated and sacraments received with clean hearts and lips, +and all the church's sons rejoice as it were in the fostering +bosom of a mother. For this holy union remained between Christ +their head and the members of his church, until the Arian treason, +fatal as a serpent, and vomiting its poison from beyond the sea, +caused deadly dissension between brothers inhabiting the same house, +and thus, as if a road were made across the sea, like wild beasts +of all descriptions, and darting the poison of every heresy from +their jaws, they inflicted dreadful wounds upon their country, +which is ever desirous to hear something new, and remains constant +long to nothing. + +13. At length also, new races of tyrants sprang up, in terrific +numbers, and the island, still bearing its Roman name, but casting +off her institutes and laws, sent forth among the Gauls that bitter +scion of her own planting Maximus, with a great number of followers, +and the ensigns of royalty, which he bore without decency and +without lawful right, but in a tyrannical manner, and amid the +disturbances of the seditious soldiery. He, by cunning arts rather +than by valour, attaching to his rule, by perjury and falsehood, +all the neighbouring towns and provinces, against the Roman state, +extended one of his wings to Spain, the other to Italy, fixed +the seat of his unholy government at Treves, and so furiously +pushed his rebellion against his lawful emperors that he drove +one of them out of Rome, and caused the other to terminate his +most holy life. Trusting to these successful attempts, he not +long after lost his accursed head before the walls of Aquileia, +whereas he had before cut off the crowned heads of almost all +the world. + +14. After this, Britain is left deprived of all her soldiery +and armed bands, of her cruel governors, and of the flower of +her youth, who went with Maximus, but never again returned; and +utterly ignorant as she was of the art of war, groaned in amazement +for many years under the cruelty of two foreign nations--the +Scots from the north-west, and the Picts from the north. + +15. The Britons, impatient at the assaults of the Scots and Picts, +their hostilities and dreadful oppressions, send ambassadors to +Rome with letters, entreating in piteous terms the assistance of +an armed band to protect them, and offering loyal and ready +submission to the authority of Rome, if they only would expel their +foes. A legion is immediately sent, forgetting their past rebellion, +and provided sufficiently with arms. When they had crossed over +the sea and landed, they came at once to close conflict with their +cruel enemies, and slew great numbers of them. All of them were +driven beyond the borders, and the humiliated natives rescued +from the bloody slavery which awaited them. By the advice of their +protectors, they now built a wall across the island from one sea +to the other, which being manned with a proper force, might be a +terror to the foes whom it was intended to repel, and a protection +to their friends whom it covered. But this wall, being made of +turf instead of stone, was of no use to that foolish people, who +had no head to guide them. + +16. The Roman legion had no sooner returned home in joy and +triumph, than their former foes, like hungry and ravening wolves, +rushing with greedy jaws upon the fold which is left without a +shepherd, and wafted both by the strength of oarsmen and the +blowing wind, break through the boundaries, and spread slaughter +on every side, and like mowers cutting down the ripe corn, they +cut up, tread under foot, and overrun the whole country. + +17. And now again they send suppliant ambassadors, with their +garments rent and their heads covered with ashes, imploring +assistance from the Romans, and like timorous chickens, crowding +under the protecting wings of their parents, that their wretched +country might not altogether be destroyed, and that the Roman +name, which now was but an empty sound to fill the ear, might +not become a reproach even to distant nations. Upon this, the +Romans, moved with compassion, as far as human nature can be, at +the relations of such horrors, send forward, like eagles in their +flight, their unexpected bands of cavalry by land and mariners +by sea, and planting their terrible swords upon the shoulders of +their enemies, they mow them down like leaves which fall at the +destined period; and as a mountain-torrent swelled with numerous +streams, and bursting its banks with roaring noise, with foaming +crest and yeasty wave rising to the stars, by whose eddying +currents our eyes are as it were dazzled, does with one of its +billows overwhelm every obstacle in its way, so did our illustrious +defenders vigorously drive our enemies' band beyond the sea, if +any could so escape them; for it was beyond those same seas that +they transported, year after year, the plunder which they had +gained, no one daring to resist them. + +18. The Romans, therefore, left the country, giving notice that +they could no longer be harassed by such laborious expeditions, +nor suffer the Roman standards, with so large and brave an army, +to be worn out by sea and land by fighting against these unwarlike, +plundering vagabonds; but that the islanders, inuring themselves +to warlike weapons, and bravely fighting, should valiantly protect +their country, their property, wives and children, and, what is +dearer than these, their liberty and lives; that they should not +suffer their hands to be tied behind their backs by a nation which, +unless they were enervated by idleness and sloth, was not more +powerful than themselves, but that they should arm those hands +with buckler, sword, and spear, ready for the field of battle; +and, because they thought this also of advantage to the people +they were about to leave, they, with the help of the miserable +natives, built a wall different from the former, by public and +private contributions, and of the same structure as walls generally, +extending in a straight line from sea to sea, between some cities, +which, from fear of their enemies, had there by chance been built. +They then give energetic counsel to the timorous natives, and +leave them patterns by which to manufacture arms. Moreover, on +the south coast where their vessels lay, as there was some +apprehension lest the barbarians might land, they erected towers +at stated intervals, commanding a prospect of the sea; and then +left the island never to return. + +19. No sooner were they gone, than the Picts and Scots, like +worms which in the heat of the mid-day come forth from their +holes, hastily land again from their canoes, in which they had +been carried beyond the Cichican* valley, differing one from +another in manners, but inspired with the same avidity for blood, +and all more eager to shroud their villainous faces in bushy hair +than to cover with decent clothing those parts of their body which +required it. Moreover, having heard of the departure of our friends, +and their resolution never to return, they seized with greater +boldness than before on all the country towards the extreme north +as far as the wall. To oppose them there was placed on the heights +a garrison equally slow to fight and ill adapted to run away, a +useless and panic-struck company, who slumbered away days and +nights on their unprofitable watch. Meanwhile the hooked weapons +of their enemies were not idle, and our wretched countrymen were +dragged from the wall and dashed against the ground. Such premature +death, however, painful as it was, saved them from seeing the +miserable sufferings of their brothers and children. But why +should I say more? They left their cities, abandoned the protection +of the wall, and dispersed themselves in flight more desperately +than before. The enemy, on the other hand, pursued them with +more unrelenting cruelty than before, and butchered our countrymen +like sheep, so that their habitations were like those of savage +beasts; for they turned their arms upon each other, and for the +sake of a little sustenance, imbrued their hands in the blood of +their fellow countrymen. Thus foreign calamities were augmented +by domestic feuds; so that the whole country was entirely destitute +of provisions, save such as could be procured in the chase. + +* The meaning of this expression is not known. O'Connor thinks +it is the Irish Sea. + + +20. Again, therefore, the wretched remnant, sending to Aetius, +a powerful Roman citizen, address him as follow:--"To Aetius,* +now consul for the third time: the groans of the Britons." And +again a little further, thus:--"The barbarians drive us to the +sea; the sea throws us back on the barbarians: thus two modes of +death await us, we are either slain or drowned." The Romans, +however, could not assist them, and in the meantime the discomfited +people, wandering in the woods, began to feel the effects of a +severe famine, which compelled many of them without delay to yield +themselves up to their cruel persecutors, to obtain subsistence: +others of them, however, lying hid in mountains, caves and woods, +continually sallied out from thence to renew the war. And then +it was, for the first time, that they overthrew their enemies, who +had for so many years been living in their country; for their +trust was not in man, but in God; according to the maxim of Philo, +"We must have divine assistance, when that of man fails." The +boldness of the enemy was for a while checked, but not the +wickedness of our countrymen; the enemy left our people, but the +people did not leave their sins. + +* Or Agitius, according to another reading. + +21. For it has always been a custom with our nation, as it is +at present, to be impotent in repelling foreign foes, but bold +and invincible in raising civil war, and bearing the burdens of +their offences: they are impotent, I say, in following the standard +of peace and truth, but bold in wickedness and falsehood. The +audacious invaders therefore return to their winter quarters, +determined before long again to return and plunder. And then, +too, the Picts for the first time seated themselves at the extremity +of the island, where they afterwards continued, occasionally +plundering and wasting the country. During these truces, the +wounds of the distressed people are healed, but another sore, +still more venomous, broke out. No sooner were the ravages of +the enemy checked, than the island was deluged with a most +extraordinary plenty of all things, greater than was before known, +and with it grew up every kind of luxury and licentiousness. It +grew with so firm a root, that one might truly say of it, "Such +fornication is heard of among you, as never was known the like +among the Gentiles." But besides this vice, there arose also +every other, to which human nature is liable and in particular +that hatred of truth, together with her supporters, which still +at present destroys every thing good in the island; the love of +falsehood, together with its inventors, the reception of crime +in the place of virtue, the respect shown to wickedness rather +than goodness, the love of darkness instead of the sun, the +admission of Satan as an angel of light. Kings were anointed, +not according to god's ordinance, but such as showed themselves +more cruel than the rest; and soon after, they were put to death +by those who had elected them, without any inquiry into their +merits, but because others still more cruel were chosen to succeed +them. If any one of these was of a milder nature than the rest, +or in any way more regardful of the truth, he was looked upon +as the ruiner of the country, every body cast a dart at him, and +they valued things alike whether pleasing or displeasing to God, +unless it so happened that what displeased him was pleasing to +themselves. So that the words of the prophet, addressed to the +people of old, might well be applied to our own countrymen: +"Children without a law, have ye left God and provoked to anger +the holy one of Israel?* Why will ye still inquire, adding +iniquity? Every head is languid and every heart is sad; from the +sole of the foot to the crown, there is no health in him." And +thus they did all things contrary to their salvation, as if no +remedy could be applied to the world by the true Physician of all +men. And not only the laity did so, but our Lord's own flock and +its shepherds, who ought to have been an example to the people, +slumbered away their time in drunkenness, as if they had been +dipped in wine; whilst the swellings of pride, the jar of strife, +the griping talons of envy, and the confused estimate of right +and wrong, got such entire possession of the, that there seemed +to be poured out (and the same still continueth) contempt upon +princes, and to be made by their vanities to wander astray and +not in the way. + +* Isa. I. 4,5. In most of these quotations there is great verbal +variation from the authorised version: the author probably quoted +from memory, if not from the Latin version. + +22. Meanwhile, God being willing to purify his family who were +infected by so deep a stain of woe, and at the hearing only of +their calamities to amend them; a vague rumour suddenly as if on +wings reaches the ears of all, that their inveterate foes were +rapidly approaching to destroy the whole country, and to take +possession of it, as of old, from one end to the other. But yet +they derived no advantage from this intelligence; for, like frantic +beasts, taking the bit of reason between their teeth, they +abandoned the safe and narrow road, and rushed forward upon the +broad downward path of vice, which leads to death. Whilst, +therefore, as Solomon says, the stubborn servant is not cured +by words, the fool is scourged and feels it not: a pestilential +disease morally affected the foolish people, which, without the +sword, cut off so large a number of persons, that the living +were not able to bury them. But even this was no warning to them, +that in them also might be fulfilled the words of Isaiah the +prophet, "And God hath called his people to lamentation, to baldness, +and to the girdle of sackcloth; behold they begin to kill calves, +and to slay rams, to eat, to drink, and to say, 'We will eat and +drink, for to-morrow we shall die.'" For the time was approaching, +when all their iniquities, as formerly those of the Amorrhaeans, +should be fulfilled. For a council was called to settle what was +best and most expedient to be done, in order to repel such frequent +and fatal irruptions and plunderings of the above-named nations. + +23. Then all the councillors, together with that proud tyrant +Gurthrigern [Vortigern], the British king, were so blinded, that, +as a protection to their country, they sealed its doom by inviting +in among them like wolves into the sheep-fold), the fierce and +impious Saxons, a race hateful both to God and men, to repel the +invasions of the northern nations. Nothing was ever so pernicious +to our country, nothing was ever so unlucky. What palpable +darkness must have enveloped their minds-darkness desperate and +cruel! Those very people whom, when absent, they dreaded more +than death itself, were invited to reside, as one may say, under +the selfsame roof. Foolish are the princes, as it is said, of +Thafneos, giving counsel to unwise Pharaoh. A multitude of whelps +came forth from the lair of this barbaric lioness, in three cyuls, +as they call them, that is, in there ships of war, with their +sails wafted by the wind and with omens and prophecies favourable, +for it was foretold by a certain soothsayer among them, that they +should occupy the country to which they were sailing three hundred +years, and half of that time, a hundred and fifty years, should +plunder and despoil the same. They first landed on the eastern +side of the island, by the invitation of the unlucky king, and +there fixed their sharp talons, apparently to fight in favour of +the island, but alas! more truly against it. Their mother-land, +finding her first brood thus successful, sends forth a larger +company of her wolfish offspring, which sailing over, join +themselves to their bastard-born comrades. From that time the +germ of iniquity and the root of contention planted their poison +amongst us, as we deserved, and shot forth into leaves and branches. +the barbarians being thus introduced as soldiers into the island, +to encounter, as they falsely said, any dangers in defence of +their hospitable entertainers, obtain an allowance of provisions, +which, for some time being plentifully bestowed, stopped their +doggish mouths. Yet they complain that their monthly supplies +are not furnished in sufficient abundance, and they industriously +aggravate each occasion of quarrel, saying that unless more +liberality is shown them, they will break the treaty and plunder +the whole island. In a short time, they follow up their threats +with deeds. + +24. For the fire of vengeance, justly kindled by former crimes, +spread from sea to sea, fed by the hands of our foes in the east, +and did not cease, until, destroying the neighbouring towns and +lands, it reached the other side of the island, and dipped its +red and savage tongue in the western ocean. In these assaults, +therefore, not unlike that of the Assyrian upon Judea, was fulfilled +in our case what the prophet describes in words of lamentation; +"They have burned with fire the sanctuary; they have polluted on +earth the tabernacle of thy name." And again, "O God, the gentiles +have come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they +defiled," &c. So that all the columns were levelled with the +ground by the frequent strokes of the battering-ram, all the +husbandmen routed, together with their bishops, priests, and +people, whilst the sword gleamed, and the flames crackled around +them on every side. Lamentable to behold, in the midst of the +streets lay the tops of lofty towers, tumbled to the ground, stones +of high walls, holy altars, fragments of human bodies, covered +with livid clots of coagulated blood, looking as if they had +been squeezed together in a press;* and with no chance of being +buried, save in the ruins of the houses, or in the ravening +bellies of wild beasts and birds; with reverence be it spoken +for their blessed souls, if, indeed, there were many found who +were carried, at that time, into the high heaven by the holy +angels. So entirely had the vintage, once so fine, degenerated +and become bitter, that, in the words of the prophet, there was +hardly a grape or ear of corn to be seen where the husbandman +had turned his back. + +25. Some therefore, of the miserable remnant, being taken in +the mountains, were murdered in great numbers; others, constrained +by famine, came and yielded themselves to be slaves for ever to +their foes, running the risk of being instantly slain, which truly +was the greatest favour that could be offered them: some others +passed beyond the seas with loud lamentations instead of the voice +of exhortation. "Thou hast given us as sheep to be slaughtered, +and among the Gentiles hast thou dispersed us." Others, committing +the safeguard of their lives, which were in continual jeopardy, +to the mountains, precipices, thickly wooded forests, and to the +rocks of the seas (albeit with trembling hearts), remained still +in their country. But in the meanwhile, an opportunity happening, +when these most cruel robbers were returned home, the poor remnants +of our nation (to whom flocked from divers places round about our +miserable countrymen as fast as bees to their hives, for fear of +an ensuing storm), being strengthened by God, calling upon him +with all their hearts, as the poet says,--"With their unnumbered +vows they burden heaven," that they might not be brought to utter +destruction, took arms under the conduct of Ambrosius Aurelianus, +a modest man, who of all the Roman nation was then alone in the +confusion of this troubled period by chance left alive. His +parents, who for their merit were adorned with the purple, had +been slain in these same broils, and now his progeny in these +our days, although shamefully degenerated from the worthiness +of their ancestors, provoke to battle their cruel conquerors, +and by the goodness of our Lord obtain the victory. + +26. After this, sometimes our countrymen, sometimes the enemy, +won the field, to the end that our Lord might in this land try +after his accustomed manner these his Israelites, whether they +loved him or not, until the year of the siege of Bath-hill, when +took place also the last almost, though not the least slaughter +of our cruel foes, which was (as I am sure) forty-four years and +one month after the landing of the Saxons, and also the time of +my own nativity. And yet neither to this day are the cities of +our country inhabited as before, but being forsaken and overthrown, +still lie desolate; our foreign wars having ceased, but our civil +troubles still remaining. For as well the remembrance of such +terrible desolation of the island, as also of the unexpected +recovery of the same, remained in the minds of those who were +eyewitnesses of the wonderful events of both, and in regard +thereof, kings, public magistrates, and private persons, with +priests and clergymen, did all and every one of them live orderly +according to their several vocations. But when these had departed +out of this world, and a new race succeeded, who were ignorant +of this troublesome time, and had only experience of the present +prosperity, all the laws of truth and justice were so shaken and +subverted, that not so much as a vestige or remembrance of these +virtues remained among the above-named orders of men, except among +a very few who, compared with the great multitude which were +daily rushing headlong down to hell, are accounted so small a +number, that our reverend mother, the church, scarcely beholds +them, her only true children, reposing in her bosom; whose +worthy lives, being a pattern to al men, and beloved of God, +inasmuch as by their holy prayers, as by certain pillars and most +profitable supporters, our infirmity is sustained up, that it may +not utterly be broken down, I would have no one suppose I intended +to reprove, if forced by the increasing multitude of offences, +I have freely, aye, with anguish, not so much declared as bewailed +the wickedness of those who are become servants, not only to their +bellies, but also to the devil rather than to Christ, who is our +blessed God, world without end. + + + + + +End of this Project Gutenberg Etext of On The Ruin Of Britain + diff --git a/old/otrob10.zip b/old/otrob10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..777273a --- /dev/null +++ b/old/otrob10.zip |