on the ruin of britain-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


with　all　their　hearts；　as　the　poet　says；〃With　their　unnumbered
vows　they　burden　heaven；〃　that　they　might　not　be　brought　to　utter
destruction；　took　arms　under　the　conduct　of　Ambrosius　Aurelianus；
a　modest　man；　who　of　all　the　Roman　nation　was　then　alone　in　the
confusion　of　this　troubled　period　by　chance　left　alive。　　His
parents；　who　for　their　merit　were　adorned　with　the　purple；　had
been　slain　in　these　same　broils；　and　now　his　progeny　in　these
our　days；　although　shamefully　degenerated　from　the　worthiness
of　their　ancestors；　provoke　to　battle　their　cruel　conquerors；
and　by　the　goodness　of　our　Lord　obtain　the　victory。

26。　After　this；　sometimes　our　countrymen；　sometimes　the　enemy；
won　the　field；　to　the　end　that　our　Lord　might　in　this　land　try
after　his　accustomed　manner　these　his　Israelites；　whether　they
loved　him　or　not；　until　the　year　of　the　siege　of　Bath…hill；　when
took　place　also　the　last　almost；　though　not　the　least　slaughter
of　our　cruel　foes；　which　was　（as　I　am　sure）　forty…four　years　and
one　month　after　the　landing　of　the　Saxons；　and　also　the　time　of
my　own　nativity。　　And　yet　neither　to　this　day　are　the　cities　of
our　country　inhabited　as　before；　but　being　forsaken　and　overthrown；
still　lie　desolate；　our　foreign　wars　having　ceased；　but　our　civil
troubles　still　remaining。　　For　as　well　the　remembrance　of　such
terrible　desolation　of　the　island；　as　also　of　the　unexpected
recovery　of　the　same；　remained　in　the　minds　of　those　who　were
eyewitnesses　of　the　wonderful　events　of　both；　and　in　regard
thereof；　kings；　public　magistrates；　and　private　persons；　with
priests　and　clergymen；　did　all　and　every　one　of　them　live　orderly
according　to　their　several　vocations。　　But　when　these　had　departed
out　of　this　world；　and　a　new　race　succeeded；　who　were　ignorant
of　this　troublesome　time；　and　had　only　experience　of　the　present
prosperity；　all　the　laws　of　truth　and　justice　were　so　shaken　and
subverted；　that　not　so　much　as　a　vestige　or　remembrance　of　these
virtues　remained　among　the　above…named　orders　of　men；　except　among
a　very　few　who；　compared　with　the　great　multitude　which　were
daily　rushing　headlong　down　to　hell；　are　accounted　so　small　a
number；　that　our　reverend　mother；　the　church；　scarcely　beholds
them；　her　only　true　children；　reposing　in　her　bosom；　whose
worthy　lives；　being　a　pattern　to　al　men；　and　beloved　of　God；
inasmuch　as　by　their　holy　prayers；　as　by　certain　pillars　and　most
profitable　supporters；　our　infirmity　is　sustained　up；　that　it　may
not　utterly　be　broken　down；　I　would　have　no　one　suppose　I　intended
to　reprove；　if　forced　by　the　increasing　multitude　of　offences；
I　have　freely；　aye；　with　anguish；　not　so　much　declared　as　bewailed
the　wickedness　of　those　who　are　become　servants；　not　only　to　their
bellies；　but　also　to　the　devil　rather　than　to　Christ；　who　is　our
blessed　God；　world　without　end。





End