Having thus given our young readers a transient idea of the present state of South-Britain; we shall now proceed to give a succinct account of the ancient state of England, which, in regard to its constitution, was originally a monarchy, under the primitive Britons; after that, a province, subordinate to the Romans; then an heptarchical government under the Saxons; then again a kingdom in subjection to the Danes; next after them, under the power and dominion of the Normans; but at present, (after all the before-mentioned revolutions,) a monarchy again under the English; of all which we shall treat, as briefly as possible, in their proper order.

The whole island was anciently called Albion, which seems to have been softened from the word Alpion; because the word Alp, in some of the original western languages, generally signifies high lands, or hills, as this isle appears to those who approach it from the Continent.  It was likewise called Olbion,


which, in the Greek language, signifies happy; but of those times there is no certainty in history, more than that it had the denomination, and was very little known by the rest of the world. [Wikipedia states that the name is perhaps of Celtic origin or older, associating it with the Proto-Indo-European root meaning both "white" and "mountain".]

As the name of Britain, however, excepting that of Albion, or Olbion, just before mentioned, has been liable to as many derivations as the origin of the Britons; we shall content ourselves (for brevity's sake) with the following extract from Camden, who has given (in our humble opinion at least) the best and most natural derivation of the term.

"The ancient Britons (says he) painted their naked bodies and small shields with woad of an azure-blue colour, which by them was called Brith; on this account the inhabitants received the common appellation from the strangers who came into the island to traffic from the coasts of Gaul, or Germany; to which the Greeks, by adding the word tania, or country, formed the word Britannia, or the country of the painted men, and the Romans afterwards called it Britannia."

Here it may be observed, that the Romans were extremely fond of giving their own terminations to many uncivilized countries, and of forming easy and pleasant sounds out of the harshest and most offensive, to such elegant tongues and ears as their own. [Wikipedia states that Britannia is from the P-Celtic name for the Picts (the "painted people"): Prydyn.]


Their government, like that of the ancient Gauls, consisted of several small nations, under divers petty Princes, apparently the original governments of the world, deduced from the natural force and right of paternal dominion; such were the hords [sic] among the Goths, the clans in Scotland, and the septs in Ireland: but whether these small British principalities descended by succession, or were elected according to merit, is uncertain.

Their language and customs were, for the most part, the same with those of the Gauls before the Roman conquests in that province; but they were entirely governed in their religion and laws by their Druids, Bards, and Eubates.

Their Druids were held in such high veneration by the people, that their authority was almost absolute.  No public affairs were transacted without their approbation; nor could any malefactor (though his crimes were ever so heinous) be put to death without their consent.

Their Bardi, or Bards, were priests of an inferior order of their Druids; their principal business being to celebrate the praises of their heroes in verses and songs, which were set to music and sung to their harps.


Their Eubates were a third sort of priests, who applied themselves to the study of philosophy.

Each order of these priests led very simple and innocent lives, and resided either in woods, caverns, or hollow trees.  Their food consisted of acorns, berries, or other mast [the freedictionary defines this as "the nuts of forest trees accumulated on the ground"]; and their drink was nothing but water.  By this abstemious course of life, however, they procured an universal esteem, not only for their superior knowledge, but their generous contempt of all those enjoyments of life which all others so highly valued, and so industriously pursued.

They were a great and glorious people, fond of liberty and property; but peculiarly remarkable for their rigid virtue, and their readiness to die with pleasure for the good of their country.  They long lived in a perfect state of peace and tranquility till the year of the world 3950 [counting from 4004 BC], at which time its monarchy, by the boundless envy and ambition of Julius Cæsar, (when Rome was in the meridian of all her glory) was totally subverted, and Britannia became a province subordinatte [sic] to the Romans.


Cæsar, at his first landing on the island, found it not under a sole monarchy, but divided into divers provinces, or petty kingdoms.

Soon after having defeated Cassibelan [various spellings: Wikipedia has Cassivellaunus; in the Mabinogion his name is spelled as Caswallawn], and taken several British provinces, he left the


island, and the Romans entirely abandoned it for ninety years and upwards.

However, in the year of our Lord 42, Claudius Cæsar, the 5th Emperor of Rome, sent his General Plautius, with great force, into Britain, and following him soon after in person, subdued a great part of the island, by which means he procured the title of Britannicus.

In the year 50, London is supposed to have been built by the Romans.

In this year Ostorius, the Roman general, defeated Caractacus [Caradoc, Caradawg, etc.], the chief of the British Princes, and having taken him prisoner, carried him to Rome.

The Christian religion, about this time, was first planted in Britain.

In the year 61, the Britons, under the conduct [leadership] of Boadicea [Boudica, Boudicca], a British Queen, destroyed 70,000 Romans.

The next year Suetonius, the Roman general, defeated the Britons, and killed 80,000 of them upon the spot; whereupon Boadicea poisoned herself.

In the year 63, the gospel was first preached in Britain by Joseph of Arimathea, and eleven of St. Philip's disciples.


1.   First persecution was begun by Nero, soon after he had burnt the city of Rome, which was in the year 65.


2.   The second, by Flavius Domitian, in the year 83.
3.   The third, by Ulpius Trajan, in the year 111.
4.   In the year 162, the fourth was raised by Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, and his associate Lucius Verus.
5.   The fifth was begun by Septimus Severus, in the year 193.
6.   In 235, the sixth was raised by Maximinus.
7.   Trajanus began the seventh in the year 253.
8.   In 255, the eighth was raised by Valerianus.
9.   Valerianus Aurelianus began the ninth in the year 272.  And
10. Dioclesian [should be Diocletian] and Maximianus carried on the tenth with the utmost severity.

After the Romans, however, had been in the possession of Britain for near 500 years, they left it to its ancient inhabitants again, who being at that time sunk into the lowest state of degeneracy, were soon after invaded by the Scots and the Picts; and trembling at the approaching storm, they were prevailed on by Vortigern, their chief monarch, about the year 447, to send a deputation to the Saxons, who were the only persons (as he insinuated) capable of giving them that aid and assistance which the unhappy situation of their affairs immediately required.  This plausible pretence of that Prince succeeded, and one and all concurred in his opinion; and by the resolution which they then took thereupon, they


brought on the total destruction of their country.

Ambassadors from the Britons were accordingly sent to Witigisel [more commonly Wihtgisl], the then Saxon general, who immediately summoned an assembly to hear what the Britons had to propose.  The latter (like men in absolute despair) offered to submit to any terms that their said assembly should think proper, provided they did but protect and stand by them so far in their pressing necessities, as to enable them to drive their enemies out of their country.  The proposal was approved of, and the negociation [sic] accordingly concluded.

The terms were, that the Saxons should send 9000 men into Britain, who were to be put into possession of the Isle of Thanet, and to be paid and maintained likewise at the expence [sic] of the Britons.

Hengist and Horsa, both sons of the Saxon General Witigisel, who were brave and resolute men, fit for, and fond of such an expedition, were appointed, in the year 450, to command the Saxon troops intended for the relief of Britain.

Tho' these two heroes arrived at Ebbesfleet, in the island of Thanet, with 1500 men only, instead of 9000, yet they were received with the utmost respect by Vortigern, who put them immediately, according to promise, in full possession of that island.

As the Picts and Scots, at that time, were advancing their forces against the Britons,


Hengist joined Vortigern, and inspiring the British troops with new courage, a battle was fought near Stamford, in Lincolnshire, wherein the Picts and Scots were so absolutely defeated, that they were obliged to abandon their conquests, and retire into their own country.

Hengist had a beautiful daughter, named Rowena, with whom Vortigern fell deeply in love, and demanded her in marriage of her father, who, ever attentive to enlarge his dominions, refused his consent, unless the amorous Briton would put him in possession of the whole county of Kent.  The terms were readily accepted, and the match concluded.  In short, this love-sick passion, this seemingly trivial circumstance, occasioned the greatest revolution that had ever been felt in Britain.



The third was the kingdom of the West Saxons, founded by Cerdic in 419; and contained Cornwall, Devonshire, Dorsetshire, Wiltshire, Somersetshire, and Hampshire, with the Isle of Wight and Berkshire, though the remains of the Britons likewise inhabited Cornwall: the principal places were Winchester, Southampton, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Dorchester, Sherborne, and Exeter: it continued till the Norman Conquest, being 547 years, and ended in 1066, having been governed by 17 monarchs, during the heptarchy, of whom five were Pagans, and 12 Christians: the last of whom was Egbert, who, in 829, became sole monarch of England.


The fourth was the kingdom of the East Saxons, and contained Middlesex, Essex, and


part of Hertforshire; where the principal places were London and Colchester: it was founded in 527, by Erkenwin, and continued 220 years, ending in 747; having been governed by 12 monarchs, of whom two were Pagans, and the rest Christians.

The fifth was the kingdom of Northumberland, founded by Ina, in 547, and contained Lancashire, Yorkshire, Durham, Cumberland, Westmoreland, Northumberland, and part of Scotland, as far as Edinburgh Frith [Forth]: the principal places being York, Durham, Carlisle, Hexham, and Lancaster: it continued 245 years, and ended in 792; having been governed by 20 Princes, of whom four were Pagans, and the rest Christians, whose subjects were Angles, and called the Northumbrian Angles.


The sixth was the kingdom of the East Angles, which contained Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire, with the Isle of Ely; where the principal places were Norwich, Thetford, Ely, and Cambridge.  It was founded by Uffa in 575, and continued 218 years, ending in 792, when it was united to the kingdom of the Mercians.



The seventh and last was the kingdom of the Mercians, or the Middle Angles, founded by Cridda in 582; and contained Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Rutlandshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, part of Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Nottinghamshire, and Cheshire;  the principal places being Lincoln, Nottingham, Warwick, Leicester, Coventry, Litchfield, Northampton, Worcester, Gloucester, Derby [pronounced Darby], Chester, Shrewsbury, Stafford, Oxford, and Bristol: it continued 292 years, and ended in 874; having been governed by 18 monarchs, of whom four were Pagans, and the rest Christians.


In the year 829, Egbert, the 17th King of the West Saxons, became sole monarch of all the seven kingdoms, and was crowned at Winchester, in Hampshire, by the unanimous consent both of the clergy and laity, King of England;  and immediately afterwards a proclamation was published, whereby it was ordered, that no future distinctions should be kept up among the Saxon kingdoms; but that they should all pass under the common name of England.


Though Egbert was a wise and fortunate Prince, and though the English were a brave and numerous people, after the expulsion of the Picts and Scots; yet no sooner was he well established on the throne, but this island was exposed to new invasions.

In 832, the Danes, having made two descents before, landed a third time with great force at the Isle of Sheppey, in Kent; and in some few months afterwards at Charmouth, in Dorsetshire, with 18,000 men.

In 835, they landed again in Cornwall; but Egbert was then prepared for them, and gave them a total defeat.  They renewed their depredations, however, in 836, but were again repulsed.  Soon after which, this Prince having reigned King of the West Saxons 36 years, and sole monarch of England upwards of eight, died as great as he lived, and was buried at Winchester, where he was crowned.  He was the father, in short, of the English monarchy, and therefore justly entitled to the name of Egbert the Great.


Ethelwulf, the elder surviving son of Egbert, succeeded his father in 836.  Till he became a King, he had been only a priest, or, at most, only bishop of Winchester.  He obtained, however, a dispensation from Pope Gregory IV. and assumed a secular life.


In the first year of his reign, the Danes landed at Southampton, in Hampshire, but were routed with great slaughter.  In 837, however, they made a second descent upon Portland, in Dorsetshire, and succeeded in their attempt.

In 838, they made another descent about Romney, in Kent, with such success, and great slaughter, that they over-ran the country.

In short, they made fresh visits for several years afterwards successively, for the sake of plunder only, without the least intention of making a settlement in the kingdom.

Ethelwulf, however, in 852, assembled a numerous army, with the assistance of his brother Athelstan, met them at Okely, in Surry [sic]; and there, after a desperate engagement, proved so victorious, that the slaughter of their enemies was almost incredible.

In 855, Ethelwulf went to Rome, in order to pay a visit to the Pope in person; and, on receiving his benediction, he not only gratified the vanity of the papal see by his devotion, but satisfied likewise its most avaricious expectations by his royal bounty.

In 857, after having reigned one and twenty years, he divided his kingdom between his two eldest sons, Ethelbald and Ethelbert, and soon after died, and was buried at Winchester.