on the ruin of britain-第4章

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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　bod