Stories from English History

s ago, when this England of

e English had not yet come to the land where we live. In those days, the count

s and swamps, and with great forests, where dangerous wild animals lived: wolves

re were no chimneys to let out the smoke. Their villages were only collections of huts surrounded by a fence or stockade, and a ditch to ke

nd hanging over their shoulders. In summer they went about with their chests and shoulders a

ut so brave that we like t

there lived in the country which is now Italy another people called the Romans

itain, with its cold climate and savage inhabitants, but they were a very ambitious p

the Emperor Claudius became their chief; but Claudius wished to win glory by makin

ve people, he sent against them an army of forty th

lways appearing above the horizon, their anger and dismay knew no bounds. They knew that the Romans were the bravest and most

e gold and silver eagles which they carried for standards, landed from their vessels and marched on their way to the pla

d withstood the Romans who had come to their shores a hundred years before, and how the grea

ummon the chiefs and their followers,

l remained unsubdued. Sometimes the Romans won, and sometimes the Britons were masters of the day. The Romans were trained soldiers, while t

me of the other chiefs, having been defeated many times, were forced to make peace with the invaders, Caradoc refused to yield

eld the Romans in check. The invaders, who did not know the country, were unable to penetrate far among these va

nt part of the country. At a time when the Romans were least expecting it, a band of these wild, red-headed warriors would appear, yelling their war-cries as they let fly

e mountains became full of desperate men who had been driven from their homes, but were still d

w that the country would never be subdued s

d of a body of men almost as numerous as the Roman army. For nine years these Britons had remained unconquered; and the brave ban

ons met on the

er, which was joined by a torrent rushing down by the side of a steep hill. Caradoc ordered his men to take up their station

ng upon the crests of the soldiers' helmets and upon the points of their spears, and the Britons almost s

before a man left his post Caradoc c

Your liberty, or your eternal slavery, dates from this hour. Remember y

plied by a great shout; then rushing down the hill, the

raged, and neither side app

rts. Many fell and were swept away by the current. Others struggled onward, to be received by sa

lves and pressed onwards, holding up their shields to ward off the blows rained down upon them. The hillside became a seething mass of combatants; the wild, active Britons flying hither and

Romans and Britons were mingle

oft copper swords of the Britons had been blunted upon the steel breast-plates of t

longer to resist the Romans. Caradoc's two brothers were taken priso

ut of his mother-in-law, and asked her for shelter. She gave him a wolf-skin to lie

old woman sat a

ounded, half-fainting chieftain t

he country; of the villages which would be burned, and of

on began to think less of other p

e Romans to come this way and find out that she

her no longer; that her few belongings might be taken away from he

corner, and frowning a little with the pain

o her face as she rea

d peeping from the door of the hut she saw some fly

tched the soldiers beating the bushes and brambles with their swords in

lter of the rocks and trees, so that the sol

looking, wrinkled old woman stood before them, trying to

m the hiding-place of a captive far more important tha

man,' said one of the so

'Wait a little,' she said; 'what are you going to giv

h other; and then one of t

oman shoo

mans would like very much to catch him. You must give me fa

t. From the old woman's manner, she evident

r prisoner is of such importance, yo

s of course a very rich man, and no doubt he woul

'my prisoner may wake up and

her, her little short steps covering the ground as quickly as their long, steady strides. They were almos

the old woman's little greedy eyes we

an,' he said, 'who

eeth. 'He is a very great man,' she said, 'and

id the general; 'we can talk

s a traitor, and the general thought this old woman

ld have seen how pale and weary he was! He thought I would shelter him, because he is my son-in-law, but after he had fallen a

gold; it is your fee for delivering the British leader into our hands. Come and show u

r delight at getting so much money prevented her from

at the doorway, the general entered, followed by two soldiers leading between t

sleep, then he sat up a

his mother-in-law

o having his hands bound behind

hut and disappeared wit

life she felt as

h she was now one of the richest women in

er prisoners in the Roman camp, his wife

egged all the prisoners to have courage, and to

he other prisoners were carried on board the vessels of the conquerors; and aft

nd of Britain had at last been subdued, and when the victorious ge

chariot decked with flowers and garlands. All the citizens came out to see him, and the balconies and even the roof

past in fighting array; their helmets and spears garlanded with flowers and with wreaths

only people who took

en in the war; Caradoc with his wife and daughter and the other pris

with downcast eyes and sad faces, but Caradoc marched along with so proud a bearing that the spectators wondered at the courage shown by this savage chi

nd at the gaily dressed people who thronged the streets. Sometimes he looked up into the sunny I

e could envy me my mud cottage and my few fields

taly to see the famous chief, began to think it was

eror wished to meet this g

laudius, who, in royal garments of purple

his calm, brave eyes, and did not

ish chief was a truly great man. He ask

rful city,' replied Caradoc, 'and tha

to those who have been bold enough to

reat people like the Romans should have such a custom. After having defeated a man, what greater glory is to be won by putting him to dea

wise and fearless reply that he had him res

not say whether the brave chief was allowed to return to Britain, or whe

ive land the best, and that he would have liked to end his days among the brave