on the ruin of britain-第5章

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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