s of rough flint for tools and
weapons. From flint too they produced fire. They lived by hunting
and fishing, and often had no homes but caves and rock shelters.
Following the Cave-Men came a race that had learned how to grind and
polish the stone of which they made their hatchets, knives, and
spears. This race cleared and cultivated the soil to some extent, and
kept cattle and other domestic animals.
[1] Reference Books on this Period will be found in the Classified
List of Books in the Appendix. The pronunciation of names will be
found in the Index. The Leading Dates stand unenclosed; all others
are in parentheses.
2. The Britons
Finally, a large-limbed, fair-haired, fierce-eyed people invaded and
conquered the island. They came from the west of Europe. They made
their axes, swords, and spears of bronze,--a metal obtained by melting
and mingling copper and tin. These implements were far superior to
any made of stone.
The new people were good farmers; they exported grain, cattle, and
hides to Gaul (France), and mined and sold tin ore to merchants who
came by sea from the eastern shore of the Mediterranean.
This strong and energetic race, known as Celts, eventually called
themselves Britons. By the time they had adopted that name they had
made a great step forward, for they had learned how to mine and
manufacture iron,--the most useful metal known to man; from it they
forged scythes, swords, and spears.
Such were the people Caesar met when he invaded Britain, fifty-five
years before the beginning of the Christian era. The great Roman
general called the Britons "barbarians"; but they compelled him to
respect them, for they were a race of hard fighters, who fearlessly
faced even his veteran troops.
3. The Religion of the Britons; the Druids.
The Britons held some dim faith in an overruling Power and in a life
beyond the grave. They offered human sacrifices to that Power, and
when they buried one of their warriors, they buried his spear with him
so that he might fight as good a battle in the next world as he had
fought in this one.
Furthermore, the Britons had a class of priests called Druids, who
seem to have worshiped the heavenly bodies. These priests also acted
as prophets, judges, and teachers. Caesar tells us that the Druids
instructed the youth about the stars and their motions, about the
magnitude of the earth, the nature of things, and "the might and power
of the immortal gods.
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