ancient black Character is called English. You have a Specimen as follows, viz. The Roman. The Italic. The English. The Old English is feldom ufed but in Acts of Parliament, Proclamations, &c. The Roman is chiefly in Vogue for Books and Pamphlets, intermixed with Italic, to diftinguish proper Names, Chapters, Arguments, Words in any Foreign Language, Texts of Scripture, Citations from Authors, Speeches or Sayings of any Perfon, emphatical Words, and whatever is strongly fignificant. The Ufe of Capitals, or great Letters, is to begin every Name of the fupreme Being, as God, Lord, Almighty, Father, Son, &c. All proper Names of Men and Things, Titles of Distinction, as King, Duke, Lord, Knight, &c. must also begin with a Capital. So ought every Book, Chapter, Verfe, Paragraph, and Sentence after a Period. A Saying, or Quotation from any Author fhould begin with a Capital; as ought every Line in a Poem. I and O, when they stand single, must always be Capitals; any Words, particularly Names or Subftantives, may begin with a Capital; but the common Way of beginning every Subftantive with a Capital is not commendable. Captitals are likewise often used for Ornament, as in the Title of Books; and alfo to express Numbers, and Abbreviations. A A concife ACCOUNT of ANCIENT BRITAIN. CHAP. I. NGLAND and Scotland, though but one E Hand, are two Kingdoms, viz. the King dom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, The The whole Island was anciently called Albion, which feems to have been foftened from Alpión; because the Word Alp, in fome of the original Western Languages, generally fignifies very high Lands, or Hills; as this Ile appears to those who approach it from the Continent. It was likewife called Olbion, which in the Greek fignifies happy; but of those Times there is no Čertainty in Hiftory, more than that it had the Denomination, and was very little known by the reft of the World. The People that firft lived in this Island, according to the best Hiftorians, were the Gauls, and afterwards the Britons. Thefe Britons were tall, well made, and yellow hair'd, and lived frequently a hundred and twenty Years, owing to their Sobriety and Temperance, and the Wholfomeness of the Air. The Ufe of Cloaths was scarce known among them. Some of them that inhabited the Southern Parts, covered their Nakedness with the Skins of Wild Beafts carelessly thrown over them, not fo much to defend themfelves against the Cold, as to avoid giving Offence to Strangers that came to traffic with them. By way of Ornament they used to cut the Shape of Flowers, and Trees, and Animals, on their Skin, and afterwards painted it of a Sky Colour, with the Juice of Woad that never wore out. They lived in Woods, in Huts covered with Skins, Boughs, or Turf. Their Towns or Villages were a confused Parcel of Huts, placed at a little Distance from each other, without any Order or Distinction Diftinction of Streets. They were generally in the Middle of a Wood defended with Ramparts, or Mounds of Earth thrown up. Ten or a Dozen of them, Friends and Brothers, lived together, and had their Wives in common. Their Food was Milk and Flesh got by Hunting, their Woods and Plains being well flocked with Game. Fish and tamne Fowls, which they kept for Pleafure, they were forbid by their Religion to eat. Their chief Commerce was with the Phoenician Merchants; who, after the Discovery of the Ifland, exported every Year great Quantities of Tin, with which they drove a very gainful Trade with distant Nations. In this Situation were the Ancient Britons, when Julius Cæfar, the firft Emperor of Rome, and a great Conqueror, formed a Defign of invading their Ifland; which the Britons hearing of, they endeavoured to divert him from his Purpose by fending Ambaffadors with Offers of Obedience to him, which he refused, and in the 55th Year before the coming of our Saviour upon Earth, he embarked in Gaul (that is France) a great many Soldiers on board eighty Ships. At his Arrival on the Coast of Britain, he fees the Hills and Cliffs that ran out into the Sea covered with Troops, that could eafily prevent his Landing, on which he failed two Leagues farther to a plain and open Shore; which the Britons perceiving, fent their Chariots and Horfe that Way, whilft the rest of their Army advanced to support them. The Largenefs of Cæfar's Vef C 2 fels fels hindered them from coming near the Shores fo that the Roman Soldiers faw themselves under a Neceffity of leaping into the Sea, armed as they were, in order to attack their Enemies, who stood ready to receive them on dry Ground. Cæfar perceiving his Soldiers did not exert their usual Bravery, orders fome fmall Ships to get as near the Shore as poffible, which they did, and with their Slings, Engines, and Arrows, fo pelted the Britons, that their Courage began to abate. But the Romans were unwilling to throw themselves into the Water, till one of their Standard-Bearers leaped in firft with his Colours in his Hand, crying out aloud, Follow me, Fellow Soldiers, unlefs you will betray the Roman Eagle into the Hands of the Enemy. For my Part, I am refolved to difcharge my Duty to Cæfar and the Commonwealth, Whereupon all the Soldiers followed him, and began the Fight. But their Refolution was not able to compel the Britons to give Ground; nay, it was feared they would have been repelled, had not Cæfar caufed armed Boats to fupply them with Recruits, which made the Enemy fall back a little. The Romans improving this Advantage, advanced, and getting firm Footing on Land, preffed the Britons fo vigorously, that they put them to the Rout. The Britons, aftonished at the Roman Valour, and fearing a more obstinate Refiftance would but expofe them to greater Mischiefs, fent to fue for Peace and offer Hoftages, which Cæfar accepted, and a Peace was concluded four Days after their Landing. Thus hav |