in the sands of the wild sea-shore.

CHAPTER II--ANCIENT ENGLAND UNDER THE EARLY SAXONS

The Romans had scarcely gone away from Britain, when the Britons began to
wish they had never left it. For, the Romans being gone, and the Britons
being much reduced in numbers by their long wars, the Picts and Scots
came pouring in, over the broken and unguarded wall of SEVERUS, in
swarms. They plundered the richest towns, and killed the people; and
came back so often for more booty and more slaughter, that the
unfortunate Britons lived a life of terror. As if the Picts and Scots
were not bad enough on land, the Saxons attacked the islanders by sea;
and, as if something more were still wanting to make them miserable, they
quarrelled bitterly among themselves as to what prayers they ought to
say, and how they ought to say them. The priests, being very angry with
one another on these questions, cursed one another in the heartiest
manner; and (uncommonly like the old Druids) cursed all the people whom
they could not persuade. So, altogether, the Britons were very badly
off, you may believe.

They were in such distress, in short, that they sent a letter to Rome
entreating help--which they called the Groans of the Britons; and in
which they said, 'The barbarians chase us into the sea, the sea throws us
back upon the barbarians, and we have only the hard choice left us of
perishing by the sword, or perishing by the waves.' But, the Romans
could not help them, even if they were so inclined; for they had enough
to do to defend themselves against their own enemies, who were then very
fierce and strong. At last, the Britons, unable to bear their hard
condition any longer, resolved to make peace with the Saxons, and to
invite the Saxons to come into their country, and help them to keep out
the Picts and Scots.

It was a British Prince named VORTIGERN who took this resolution, and who
made a treaty of friendship with HENGIST and HORSA, two Saxon chiefs.
Both of these names, in the old Saxon language, signify Horse; for the
Saxons, like many other nations in a rough state, were fond of giving men
the names of animals, as Horse, Wolf, Bear, Hound. The Indians of North
America,--a very inferior people to the Saxons, though--do the same to
this day.

HENGIST and HORSA drove out the Picts and Scots; and VORTIGERN, being
grateful to them for that service, made no opposition to their settling
themselves in that part of England w