historic girls-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！



enemy　of　our　house；　Cassivellaunus；　do？　what　Caractacus？　what　the

brave　queen　Boadicea？　When　the　Roman　drove　them　to　despair　they

raised　the　standard　of　revolt；　sounded　their　battle　cries；　and

showed　the　Roman　that　British　freemen　could　fight　to　the　death

for　their　country　and　their　home。　And　thus　should　we　do；　without

fear　or　question；　and　see　here　again　in　Britain　a　victorious

kingdom　ruled　once　more　by　British　kings。〃



〃Nay；　nay；　my　daughter；〃　said　cautious　King　Coel；　〃your　words　are

those　of　an　unthinking　girl。　The　power　of　Rome〃



But　the　Prince　Carausius；　as　the　girl's　brave　words　rang　out；

gave　her　an　admiring　glance；　and；　crossing　to　where　she　stood；

laid　his　hand　approvingly　upon　her　shoulder。



〃The　girl　is　right；　uncle；〃　he　said；　breaking　in　upon　the　king's

cautious　speech。　〃Too　long　have　we　bowed　the　neck　to　Roman

tyranny。　We；　free　princes　of　Britain　that　we　are；　have　it　even

now　in　our　power　to　stand　once　again　as　altogether　free。　The

fleet　is　mine；　the　people　are　yours；　if　you　will　but　amuse　them。

Our　brothers　are　groaning　under　the　load　of　Roman　tribute；　and

are　ripe　to　strike。　Raise　the　cry　at　Camalodunum；　my　uncle；　cry：

'Havoc　and　death　to　Rome！'　My　fleet　shall　pour　its　victorious

sailors　upon　the　coast；　the　legions；　even　now　full　of　British

fighters；　shall　flock　to　out　united　standards；　and　we　shall

ruleEmperors　in　the　North；　even　as　do　the　Roman　conquerors　rule

Emperors　in　the　South。〃



Young　blood　often　sways　and　leads　in　council　and　in　action；

especially　when　older　minds　are　over…cautious　or　sluggish　in

decision。　The　words　of　Carausius　and　Helena　carried　the　day　with

Coel　the　king；　already　smarting　under　a　sense　of　ill…treatment　by

his　Roman　over…lords。



The　standard　of　revolt　was　raised　in　Camalodunum。　The　young

admiral　hurried　back　to　France　to　make　ready　his　fleet；　while

Coel　the　king；　spurred　on　to　action　by　the　patriotic　Helena；　who

saw　herself　another　Boadiceathough；　in　truth；　a　younger　and

much　fairer　onegathered　a　hasty　following；　won　over　to　his

cause　the　British…filled　legion　in　his　palace…town；　and；

descending　upon　the　nearest　Roman　camps　and　stations；　surprised；

captured；　scattered；　or　brought　over　their　soldiers；　and

proclaimed　himself　free　from　the　yoke　of　Rome　and　supreme　prince

of　Britain。



Ambition　is　always　selfish。　Even　when　striving　for　the　general

good　there　lies；　too　often；　beneath　this　noble　motive　the　still

deeper　one　of　selfishness。　Carausius　the　admiral；　though

determined　upon　kingly　power；　had　no　desire　for　a　divided

supremacy。　He　was　determined　to　be　sole　emperor；　or　none。　Crafty

and　unscrupulous；　although　brave　and　high…spirited；　he　deemed　it

wisest　to　delay　his　part　of　the　compact　until　he　should　see　how

it　fared　with　his　uncle；　the　king；　and　then；　upon　his　defeat；　to

climb　to　certain　victory。



He　therefore　sent　to　his　uncle　promises　instead　of　men；　and　when

summoned　by　the　Roman　governor　to　assist　in　putting　down　the

revolt；　he　returned　loyal　answers；　but　sent　his　aid　to　neither

party。



King　Coel　after　his　first　successes　knew　that；　unaided；　he　could

not　hope　to　withstand　the　Roman　force　that　must　finally　be

brought　against　him。　Though　urged　to　constant　action　by　his　wise

young　daughter；　he　preferred　to　do　nothing；　and；　satisfied　with

the　acknowledgment　of　his　power　in　and　about　his　little　kingdom

on　the　Colne；　he　spent　his　time　in　his　palace　with　the　musicians

that　he　loved　so　well；　and　the　big　bowl　of　liquor　that　he　loved；

it　is　to　be　feared；　quite　as　dearly。



The　musiciansthe　pipers　and　the　harperssang　his　praises；　and

told　of　his　mighty　deeds；　and；　no　doubt；　their　refrain　was　very

much　the　same　as　the　one　that　has　been　preserved　for　us　in　the

jingle　of　Mother　Goose：



　　　　　〃O；　none　so　rare　as　can　compare

　　　　　　With　King　Cole　and　his　fiddlers　three。〃





But　if　the　pleasure…loving　old　king　was　listless；　young　Helena

was　not。　The　misty　records　speak　of　her　determined　efforts；　and

though　it　is　hard　to　understand　how　a　girl　of　fifteen　can　do　any

thing　toward　successful　generalship；　much　can　be　granted　to　a

young　lady　who；　if　the　records　speak　truth；　was；　even　while　a

girl；　〃a　Minerva　in　wisdom；　and　not　deficient　in　statecraft。〃



So；　while　she　advised　with　her　father's　boldest　captains　and

strengthened　so　wisely　the　walls　of　ancient　Colchester；　or

Camalodunum；　that　traces　of　her　work　still　remain　as　proof　of　her

untiring　zeal；　she　still　cherished　the　hope　of　British　freedom

and　release　from　Rome。　And　the　loving　old　king；　deep　in　his

pleasures；　still　recognized　the　will　and　wisdom　of　his　valiant

daughter；　and　bade　his　artists　make　in　her　honor　a　memorial　that

should　ever　speak　of　her　valor。　And　this　memorial；　lately

unearthed；　and　known　as　the　Colchester　Sphinx；　perpetuates　the

lion…like　qualities　of　a　girl　in　her　teens；　who　dared　withstand

the　power　of　Imperial　Rome。



And　still　no　help　came　from　her　cousin；　the　admiral。　But　one　day

a　galley　speeding　up　the　Colne　brought　this　unsigned　message　to

King　Coel：



〃To　Coel；　Camalodunum；　Greeting：



〃Save　thyself。　Constantius　the　sallow…faced；　prefect　of　the

Western　praetorians；　is　even　now　on　his　way　from　Spain　to　crush

thy　revolt。　Save　thyself。　I　wait。　justice　will　come。〃



〃Thou　seest；　O　daughter；〃　said　King　Coel　as　Helena　read　the

craven　missive；　〃the　end　cometh　as　I　knew　it　would。　Well；　man　can

but　die。〃　And　with　this　philosophic　reflection　the　〃jolly　old

soul〃　only　dipped　his　red　nose　still　deeper　into　his　big　bowl；

and　bade　his　musicians　play　their　loudest　and　merriest。



But　Helena；　〃not　deficient　in　statecraft；〃　thought　for　both。　She

would　save　her　father；　her　country；　and　herself；　and　shame　her

disloyal　cousin。　Discretion　is　the　better　part　of　valor。　Let　us

see　how　discreet　a　little　lady　was　this　fair　young　Princess

Helena。



The　legions　came　to　Camalodunum。　Across　Gaul　and　over　the　choppy

channel　they　came；　borne　by　the　very　galleys　that　were　to　have

succored　the　British　king。　Up　through　the　mouth　of　Thames　they

sailed；　and　landing　at　Londinium；　marched　in　close　array　along

the　broad　Roman　road　that　led　straight　up　to　the　gates　of

Camalodunum。　Before　the　walls　of　Camalodunum　was　pitched　the

Roman　camp；　and　the　British　king　was　besieged　in　his　own

palace…town。



The　Roman　trumpets　sounded　before　the　gate　of　the　beleaguered

city；　and　the　herald　of　the　prefect；　standing　out　from　his　circle

of　guards；　cried　the　summons　to　surrender：



Coel　of　Britain；　traitor　to　the　Roman　people　and　to　thy　lord　the

Emperor；　hear　thou！　I　n　the　name　of　the　Senate　and　People　of

Rome；　I；　Constantius　the　prefect；　charge　thee　to　deliver　up　to

them　ere　this　day's　sun　shall　set；　this；　their　City　of

Camalodunum；　and　thine　own　rebel　body　as　well。　Which　done　they

will　in　mercy　pardon　the　crime　of　treason　to　the　city；　and　will

work　their　will　and　punishment　only　upon　theethe　chief　rebel。

And　if　this　be　not　done　within　the　appointed　time；　then　will　the

walls　of　this　their　town　of　Camalodunum　be　overthrown；　and　thou

and　all　thy　people　be　given　the　certain　death　of　traitors。〃



King　Coel　heard　the　summons；　and　some　spark　of　that　very

patriotism　that　had　inspired　and　incited　his　valiant　little

daughter　flamed　in　his　heart。　He　would　have　returned　an　answer　of

defiance。　〃I　can　at　least　die　with　my　people；〃　he　said；　but　young

Helena　interposed。



〃Leave　this　to　me；　my　father；〃　she　said。　〃As　I　have　been　the

cause；　so　let　me　be　the　end　of　trouble。　Say　to　the　prefect　that

in　three　hours'　time　the　British　envoy　will　come　to　his　camp　with

the　king's　answer　to　his　summons。〃



The　old　king　would　have　replied　otherwise；　but　his　daughter's

entreaties　and　the　counsels　of　his　captains　who　knew　the

hopelessness　of　resistance；　forced　him　to　assent；　and　his　herald

made　answer　accordingly。



Constantius　the　prefecta　manly；　pleasant。　looking　young

commander；　called　Chlorus　or　〃the　sallow；〃　from　his　pale

face；sat　in　his　tent　wit