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friendship between the oppreffor and the oppreffed. Even in peace, the latter think themselves entitled to the rights of war against the former. We will, if you think good, enter into a treaty with you according to our manner, which is, not by figning, fealing, and taking the gods to witnefs, as is the Grecian cuftom'; but by doing actual fervices. The Scythians are not used to promife; but to perform without promifing. And they think an appeal to the gods fuperflu ous; for that thofe, who have no regard for the esteem of men, will not hesitate to offend the gods, by perjury. You may therefore confider with yourself, whether you had better have a people of such a character, and fo fituated to have it in their power either to` ferve you, or to annoy you, according as you treat them, for allies, or for enemies.

W

HEN I reflect on the causes of the war, and the cire cumftances of our fituation, I feel a ftrong perfuafion that our united efforts on the present day will prove the beginning of univerfal liberty to Britain. For none of us are hitherto debafed by flavery; and we have no profpect of a fecure retreat behind us, either by land or fea, whilft the Roman fleet hovers around. Thus the ufe of arms, which is at all times honourable to the brave, here offers the only fafety even to cowards. In all the battles which have yet been fought with various fuccefs against the Romans, the refources of hope and aid were in our hands; for we, the

nobleft

nobleft inhabitants of Britain, and therefore ftationed in its deepest receffes, far from the view of fervile fhores, have preserved even our eyes unpolluted by the contact of subjection. We, at the fartheft limits both of land and liberty, have been defended to this day by the obfcurity of our fituation and of our fame. The extremity of Britain is now disclosed; and whatever is unknown becomes an object of importance. But there is no nation beyond us; nothing but waves and rocks; and the Romans are before us. The arrogance of thefe invaders it will be in vain to encounter by obfequiousness and fubmiffion. These plunderers of the world, after exhaufting the land by their devaftations, are rifling the ocean: ftimulated by avarice, if their enemy be rich; by ambition, if poor : unfatiated by the Eaft and by the Weft: the only people who behold wealth and indigence. with equal avidity. To ravage, to flaughter, to ufurp under falfe titles, they call empire; and when they make a defert, they call it peace.

Thefe are

Our wives and

OUR children and relations are by the appointment of nature rendered the dearest of all things to us. torn away by levies to foreign fervitude. fifters, though they fhould efcape the violation of hoftile force, are polluted under the names of friendship and hospitality. Our eftates and poffeffions are confumed in tributes ; our grain in contributions. Even the powers of our bodies are worn down amidst stripes and insults in clearing woods and draining marshes. Wretches born to flavery are first bought, and afterwards fed by their masters: Britain continually buys, continually feeds her own fervitude. And as among domeftic flaves every new comer ferves for the fcorn and derifion of his fellows; fo, in this ancient household of the world, we, as the laft and vileft, are fought

out

out for deftruction. For we have neither cultivated lands, nor mines, nor harbours, which can induce them to preserve us for our labours; and our valour and unfubmitting spirit will only render us more obnoxious to our imperious maf ters; while the very remoteness and secrecy of our fituation in proportion as it conduces to fecurity, will tend to inspire fufpicion. Since then all hopes of forgivencfs are vain, let thofe at length affume courage, to whom glory, to whom fafety is dear. The Brigantines, even under a female leader, had force enough to burn the enemy's fettlements, to storm their camps; and, if success had not introduced negligence and inactivity, would have been able entirely to throw off the yoke and fhall not we, untouched, unfubdued, and ftruggling not for the acquifition, but the continuance of liberty, declare at the very firft onset what kind of men Caledonia has referved for her defence?

CAN you imagine that the Romans are as brave in war as they are infolent in peace? Acquiring renown from our discords and diffenfions, they convert the errors of their ermies to the glory of their own army; an army compounded of the most different nations, which as fuccefs alone has kept together, misfortune will certainly diffipate. Unless, indeed, you can suppose that Gauls, and Germans, and (I blush to say it) even Britons, lavishing their blood for a 'foreign ftate, to which they have been longer foes than fubTerror jects, will be retained by loyalty and affection ! and dread alone, weak bonds of attachment, are the ties by which they are reftrained; and when thefe are once broken, those who ceafe to fear will begin to hate. Every incitement to victory is on our fide The Romans have no wives to animate them no parents to upbraid their flight Most of them have either no habitation, or a distant one,

Few

Few in number, ignorant of the country, looking around in filent horror at the woods, feas, and a haven itself unknown to them, they are delivered by the gods, as it were, imprisoned and bound, into our hands. Be not terrified with an idle shew, and the glitter of filver and gold, which can neither protect nor wound. In the very ranks of the enemy we fhall find our own bands. The Britons will acknowledge their own cause. The Gauls will recollect their former liberty. The Germans will defert them, as the Ufipii have lately done. Nor is there any thing formida ble behind them Ungarrifoned forts; colonies of invalids; municipal towns diftempered and distracted between unjuft masters, and ill-obeying fubjects. Here is your general; here your army. There, tributes, mines, and all the train of fervile punishments; which whether to bear eternally, or inftantly to revenge, this field must determine. March then to battle, and think of your ancestors and your pofterity.

CHA P. VII.

THE EARL OF ARUNDEL's SPEECH, PROPOSING AN ACCOMMODATION BETWEEN HENRY II. AND

STEPHEN.

IN the midst of a wide and open plain, Henry found Stephen encamped, and pitched his own tents within a quarter of a mile of him, preparing for a battle with all the eagerness, that the defire of empire and glory could excite, in a brave and youthful heart, elate with fuccefs. Stephen also much wished to bring the contest between them to a speedy decifion: but, while he and Euftace were confulting with William of Ipres,in whofe affection they moft confided, and by whose private advice they took all their

measures,

measures, the earl of Arundel, having affembled the English nobility, and principal officers, Spoke to this effect :

T is now above fixteen years, that on a doubtful and dif

IT

puted claim to the crown, the rage of civil war has almost continually infefted this kingdom. During this melancholy period how much blood has been fhed! What devaftations and mifery have been brought on the people! The laws have loft their force, the crown its authority: licentioufnefs and impunity have fhaken all the foundations of public fecurity. This great and noble nation has been delivered a prey to the basest of foreigners, the abominable fcum of Flanders, Brabant, and Bretagne, robbers rather than foldiers, reftrained by no laws, divine or human, tied to no country, fubject to no prince, inftruments of all tyranny, violence, and oppreffion. At the fame time, our cruel neighbours, the Welch and the Scotch, calling themselves allies or auxiliaries to the Empress, but in reality enemies and deftroyers of England, have broken their bounds, ravaged our borders, and taken from us whole proyinces, which we never can hope to recover; while, instead of employing our united force against them, we continue thus madly, without any care of our public fafety or national honour, to turn our fwords against our own bofoms. What benefits have we gained, to compenfate all these loffes, or what do we expect! When Matilda was miftrefs of the kingdom, though her power was not yet confirmed, in what manner did the govern ! Did she not make even those of her own faction and court regret the king? Was not her pride more intolerable still than his levity, her rapine, than his profufenefs? Were any years of his reign fo grievous to the people, fo offensive to the nobles, as the first days of her's? When fhe was driven out, did Ste