ing, the greateft depth of thought, and a capacity in every refpect the moft comprehenfive. Upon the whole, I have always confidered him, both in his lifetime and fince his death, as approaching as nearly to the idea of a perfectly wife and virtuous man, as perhaps the nature of human frailty will permit. I ever am, dear Sir, Most affectionately your's, OF THE Confequences of the battle of Haftings-Submiffion of the English-Settlement of the government-King's return to Normandy Difcontents of the English - Their infurrections-Rigors of the Norman government New infurrections-New rigors of the government- Introduction of the feudal lavo Innovation in eccle- fiaftical government-Infurrection of the Norman barons - Difpute about inveftitures-Revolt of prince Robert THE Saxons, the Heptarchy. of Mercia of Effexof The BRITONS. 1. HE curiofity, entertained by all civilized CHA P. nations, of enquiring into the exploits and adventures of their ancestors, commonly excites a regret that the hiftory of remote ages fhould always be fo much involved in obfcurity, uncertainty and contradiction. Ingenious men, poffeffed of leifure, are apt to push their researches beyond the period, in which literary monuments are framed or preferved; without reflecting, that the history of past events is immediately loft or disfigured, when intrufted to memory and oral VOL. I B I. CHAP. tradition, and that the adventures of barbarous nations, even if they were recorded, could afford little or no entertainment to men born in a more cultivated age. The convulfions of a civilized ftate ufually compose the most inftructive and most interefting part of its hiftory; but the fudden, violent, and unprepared revolutions, incident to Barbarians, are fo much guided by' caprice, and terminate fo often in cruelty, that they difguft us by the uniformity of their appearance; and it is ratherfortunate for letters that they are buried in filence and oblivion. The only certain means, by which nations can indulge their curiofity in researches concerning their remote origin, is to confider the language, manners, and cuftoms of their ancestors, and to compare them with thofe of the neighbouring nations. The fables, which are commonly employed to fupply the place of true history, ought entirely to be difregarded; or if any exception be admitted to this general rule, it can only be in favour of the ancient Grecian fictions, which are fo celebrated and fo agreeable, that they will ever be the objects of the attention of mankind. Neglecting, therefore, all traditions or rather tales concerning the more early hiftory of Britain, we fhall only confider the ftate of the inhabitants, as it appeared to the Romans on their invafion of this country: We fhall briefly run over the events, which attended the conqueft made by that empire, as belonging more to Roman than British ftory: We fhall haften through the obfcure and uninterefting period of Saxon 1 |