Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

open combat to obtain revenge or redress. When a person was challenged, he could not decline a combat without an entire loss of character. Sometimes a man would challenge a friend, even from levity, to contend with him for superiority in a private encounter. Hence the savage origin of the present custom of duelling.

33. Hospitality. With all their barbarism and ferocity, our ancestors were distinguished for unbounded hospitality to strangers. Every stranger was not only invited, but urged to enter their cabins, and partake freely of such refreshments as they afforded. The inhabitants of a village would even contend earnestly to obtain a stranger for a guest.

34. Feasting, and Gaming. Our ancestors were much addicted to feasting, and often spent whole nights in drinking and revelry. Their feasts were attended with songs and dancing; and ended often in fencing or mock-fights, which sometimes produced bloodshed.Their fondness for gaming was excessive; for they would stake not only their property, but their liberty, upon the cast of a die. Such was the origin of customs which, with some refinement or abatement, continue to characterize their descendants to this day.

35. Females. Our ferocious ancestors were not only brave men, but utter enemies to slavery.. Their love of freedom was inextinguishable; for they preferred death to slavery. Rather than be taken prisoners, they would put to death their wives and children, their sick and wounded, and then destroy their own lives. In this hatred of slavery, the men did not surpass the women. When advancing to battle, the females would sometimes mingle with the troops, and with cries and tears urge them to fight bravely; and when the troops gave way, they would rush among the fugitives, and with reproaches, compel them to renew the contest, and win the battle or perish in the attempt.

36. Religion. Our Pagan ancestors believed in one SUPREME BEING or GREAT SPIRIT, and in many subordinate deities, who presided over the elements. But they had neither statues, temples, nor altars. They worshipped the sun, the moon, and the earth; but they

performed their worship under trees, on the tops of hills, and around circles of stone.

QUESTIONS.

19. What was the state of Ancient Germany?
20. How did the original people of Germany subsist?
21. What was the ancient manner of eating?
22. What was the clothing of the ancient Germans?
23. What were the habitations of savage nations?
24. What were the festivals in ancient Europe?
25. What was the manner of dressing the hair?
26. How was the beard treated?

27. What ornaments were worn?

23. What were the employments of the German nations? 29. What kind of songs and music were used, and what was the origin of foot in poetry?

30. What learning had the ancient Germans?

31. What was the ruling passion of rude nations?

32. What was the origin of private combats or duels? 33. Were the rude nations of Germany hospitable?

34. What were the feasts and games of the Germans? 35. What was the character of males and females for bravery? 36. What was the religion of our pagan ancestors?

CHAPTER III.

SAXONS.

37. Of the Saxons and Angles. The ancestors of the English who first arrived in Britain are generally known by the name of Saxons. But a tribe of them were called Angies, a name formed from eng, or ing, which, in Saxon, signifies a meadow or plain. These were inhabitants of the flat lands or plains along the banks of the Elbe and Weser, and on the borders of the Baltic sea. From these, England, originally called Britain, derives its present name; and hence the word English.

38. The Romans conquered Britain, and had possession of it more than four hundred years. During

this time, they protected the Britons from their enemies the Scots and Picts. When the Roman troops had left the isle, the Britons were greatly harrassed by their enemies, and sent to the continent to invite the Saxons to come to their assistance. The first body of Saxons arrived in three ships, under Hengist and Horsa, in the year 449. They were received with joy by the Britons; and uniting with them, marched against the Picts and Scots, and defeated them in a bloody battle.

39. Settlement of the Saxons in England. The Saxons, being pleased with the country, soon formed the design of taking possession of it for their permanent residence. They then made a proposal, to which the Britons consented, that a re-enforcement should be invited from the continent. Accordingly Hengist and Horsa sent for additional troops, which came, to the number of five thousand.

40. Alarm of the Britons. With this army the Saxon chiefs determined on seizing a part of the territory of England. They made peace with the Picts, and began to quarrel with the Britons, about their provisions and promised rewards; and enforced their threats by fire and sword. The Britons, now awakened from their delusion, found that they had enemies instead of friends in the Saxon auxiliaries. Filled with consternation, some of the Britons fled to Gaul and settled in Britanny, in the north-western part of that country, now France; others took shelter in the woods, and others submitted to slavery.

41. War between the Britons and Saxons. Notwithstanding the cowardice and submission of many of the Britons, there were many who determined to resist the Saxons, and for this purpose put themselves under Vortimer, a son of Vortigern, their chief, whom they despised. Many battles were fought between the Britons and Saxons; in one of which Horsa was slain, and Hengist became sole commander of the Saxons. This illustrious chief gained a great victory over the Britons, at Crayford, which gave him possession of Kent, of which he assumed the title of King. This was the first Saxon Kingdom in England.

42. Conquest of the north of England. Hengist, with a view to strengthen his power, invited his son Octo from the continent. This chief collected a body of men, and sailed for England; and plundering the Orkneys on his way, he arrived on the coast of Northumberland, of which he took possession, together with all the country to the Frith of Forth. Hengist gained several victories over the Britons; and the last victory at Wippidfleet struck such terror into the Britons, that they gave him little further disturbance. He died in the year 488.

43. Kingdom of Sussex. The kings who succeeded Hengist maintained their dominion, not without some reverses. But Ethelbert, in a long and prosperous reign, gained many victories and enlarged his dominions. The success of these chiefs encouraged other Saxon chiefs to pass over to England. A body of Saxons arrived, and landed at Cymenshore, and defeated the Britons in a great battle, near Wittering. These successes enabled their leader Alla to take the title of King, and found the Kingdom of Sussex.

44. Kingdom of Wessex. Cerdic, another Saxon chief, with a band of warriors, arrived in Britain in the year 495, and landed in the west. On the day of landing he engaged and defeated an army of Britons, and from that time he was engaged in a war with them, without intermission, for twenty years, and with various success. But receiving re-enforcements from the continent, he prosecuted the war, gaining many victories, till he had established a petty kingdom, called Wessex, that is the kingdom of the West-Saxons. He died in the year 534.

45. Kingdom of East-Saxons, &c. Encouraged by these successes, other bodies of Saxons passed over to Britain, at different times, and established the kingdom of the East-Saxons, consisting of what are now the counties of Essex, Middlesex, and part of Hertfordshire. They also founded the kingdom of the East Angles, in the territory, now Cambridge, Suffolk, and Norfolk; also the kingdom of the Mercians, comprehending the middle counties from the river Severn to Yorkshire and

Lancashire. Other bodies of adventurers landed in the north, and founded the kingdom of Northumberland, which included the southern part of Scotland.

The seven petty states or kingdoms before named have been called the heptarchy. These kingdoms, after a series of wars and revolutions, which lasted two hundred years, were united under Egbert, in the year

827.

46. Of the Danes. Not many years after Egbert came into possession of England, the country began to be harrassed by the invasion and depredations of the Danes. It was during this period that the brave and humane King Alfred distinguished himself. He defended his country with great ability; but at last his forces were so weakened and dispirited, that he was abandoned, and he found it necessary to disguise himself as a rustic and take refuge in a cottage. On one occasion, the good woman of the house, who did not know the character of her guest, scolded him severely, for not turning some cakes baking before the fire; telling him he would be ready enough to eat them, though he would not take the pains to turn them.

47. Success of Alfred. King Alfred did not continue long in this disguise. He left the cottage, collected a few of the nobles, and erected a fort for his residence and protection. Hearing of the success of the earl of Devonshire over a party of Danes, he resolved to make a vigorous effort to recover his crown. For this purpose he collected his forces; but before hazarding a battle, he disguised himself and entered the camp of the Danes, as a harper, and spent several days in amusing them with his music and pleasantries. Having obtained a perfect knowledge of their camp, and observed their unguarded state, he left them, summoned the nobility with their men, attacked the Danes by surprise, and gained a complete victory. He then proposed to their chief Guthrum, that he and his followers should embrace the Christian religion, and join the English in opposing the ravages of the Danes. This proposition was accepted; Guthrum and his men were baptized and settled in England, A. D. 830.

« ZurückWeiter »