hich is called the Isle of Thanet, or
to their inviting over more of their countrymen to join them. But
HENGIST had a beautiful daughter named ROWENA; and when, at a feast, she
filled a golden goblet to the brim with wine, and gave it to VORTIGERN,
saying in a sweet voice, 'Dear King, thy health!' the King fell in love
with her. My opinion is, that the cunning HENGIST meant him to do so, in
order that the Saxons might have greater influence with him; and that the
fair ROWENA came to that feast, golden goblet and all, on purpose.

At any rate, they were married; and, long afterwards, whenever the King
was angry with the Saxons, or jealous of their encroachments, ROWENA
would put her beautiful arms round his neck, and softly say, 'Dear King,
they are my people! Be favourable to them, as you loved that Saxon girl
who gave you the golden goblet of wine at the feast!' And, really, I
don't see how the King could help himself.

Ah! We must all die! In the course of years, VORTIGERN died--he was
dethroned, and put in prison, first, I am afraid; and ROWENA died; and
generations of Saxons and Britons died; and events that happened during a
long, long time, would have been quite forgotten but for the tales and
songs of the old Bards, who used to go about from feast to feast, with
their white beards, recounting the deeds of their forefathers. Among the
histories of which they sang and talked, there was a famous one,
concerning the bravery and virtues of KING ARTHUR, supposed to have been
a British Prince in those old times. But, whether such a person really
lived, or whether there were several persons whose histories came to be
confused together under that one name, or whether all about him was
invention, no one knows.

I will tell you, shortly, what is most interesting in the early Saxon
times, as they are described in these songs and stories of the Bards.

In, and long after, the days of VORTIGERN, fresh bodies of Saxons, under
various chiefs, came pouring into Britain. One body, conquering the
Britons in the East, and settling there, called their kingdom Essex;
another body settled in the West, and called their kingdom Wessex; the
Northfolk, or Norfolk people, established themselves in one place; the
Southfolk, or Suffolk people, established themselves in another; and
gradually seven kingdoms or states arose in England, which were called
the Saxon Heptarchy. The poor Britons, falling back before these crowds
of figh