A.D. 434. THE ROMANS WITHDRAW FROM BRITAIN.

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wrote a book about the life of the blessed Martin, died. He in his old age was seduced by the Pelagians, but, acknowledging his fault in having been too talkative, he kept silence to the day of his death, making amends by his silence for the evil that he had done by talking.

A.D. 427. Cœlestinus was appointed pope. He occupied the Roman chair seven years, one month, and nine days. And the see was vacant twenty-one days. The same year, Theodosius the younger succeeded to the empire, and reigned twenty-seven years.

A.D. 428. Valentinian the younger, the son of Constantius, was created emperor at Ravenna, and Placida, his mother, had the title of Augusta given her.

A.D. 429. Nestorius, bishop of Constantinople, revealed his faithless heresy. He asserted that the blessed Virgin Mary was not the mother of God, but only of a man, so that he made one person of the flesh, and another of the Deity. And he did not believe that there was one only Christ in the world and in the flesh; but he preached that there were two separate persons, one the Son of God, and the other the Son of Man.

A.D. 430. The devil appeared to the Jews in Crete in the figure of Moses, and promised to lead them across the sea with dry feet to the land of promise; and then exulted when many lost their lives. The rest who were saved were all con

verted to Christ.

A.D. 431. The ferocious nations of the Vandals, Alans, and Goths crossed over from Spain to Africa, and polluted every place with fire, and sword, and rapine, and also with Arrian impiety. But the blessed Augustine, bishop of Hippo, and likewise an illustrious teacher of all the churches, departed to the Lord in the third month of the siege of Hippo, to escape seeing the ruin of his city.

A.D. 432. The Vandals, after having taken Carthage, devastated Sicily. The same year, Clodoveus became king in Gaul, and reigned seventeen years.

A.D. 433. Palladius was ordained by pope Cœlestinus, and sent as the first bishop to the Scots who believed in Christ. A.D. 434. When the Romans withdrew from Britain, the Picts and Scots returned with the Norwegians and Dacians, and took possession of the whole island, which was almost

destitute of all its original inhabitants, from the northern coast as far down as the wall which the Romans had erected for the defence of the country. And after this, the enemy attacked the wall, and loosened its joints, and with iron hooks threw down the Britons who were placed on the high ramparts of the walls to resist it, against the bulwarks. For they were without a ruler; ignorant how to fight, and always inclined to flee. On which account, those who were able to escape from this calamity sought hiding-places in the thicknesses of the groves, in lairs and secret places of the earth. At last, when they had abandoned their cities, the miserable people were torn to pieces like lambs by wolves. Why need I dwell on the story? They again sent a letter filled with tearful lamentations to Etius, the Roman governor and consul, which contained, these words among others :

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The groans of the Britons to Etius, the consul, greeting. "The sea drives us on the barbarians, and the barbarians drive us to the sea; and between the two, two kinds of death arise. We are either drowned or stabbed."

But when the Romans had told them that they were not inclined any longer to exhaust themselves with such laborious expenses for them, the messengers departed in grief, and reported their repulse to their fellow-citizens.

These are the transactions of the eighth year of the reign of the younger Theodosius. In this year the tribute of Britain ceased, which had been paid to the Roman senate ever since the time of Julius Cæsar.

CH. VII.-A.D. 435 TO 464.

The Britons receive a king from Brittany-Attila-Vortigern— Saint Germain-Wars between the Britons and the Picts and Scots-The Saxons are invited into Britain-Meroveus, king of the Franks-The Saxons arrive in Britain—Are defeated by Vortigern-The council of Chalcedon-Vortimer-Horso -Hengist-Death of Vortimer-Return of Hengist―The Saxons destroy the British Churches-Merlin.

A.D. 435. Guithelin, archbishop of London, flourished, a man remarkable for his learning and virtues. He, as soon as he was made aware of the calamitous state of Britain, and of its desertion by the Romans, being filled with pity, crossed the sea to the Lesser Britain, which had formerly been called

A.D. 435.

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Armorica, or Læcania, to entreat assistance for his brethren. The king of that country at that time was Aldroenus, the fourth successor of Conan, to whom the tyrant Maximus had given that kingdom. And he, when he saw that venerable man, received him with due honour. But the archbishop, relating the cause of his arrival, burst into tears, and said, "Your nobleness is sufficiently aware, O king, how Maximus, who conferred this kingdom on you and your predecessors, deprived our island of its soldiers, and also robbed it of its men and women of the highest rank, and we and our fellowcitizens have suffered great misery, having become a mere object of prey and plunder to all nations. We are not only oppressed by the enemy, but we are dying of hunger, being deprived of every sort of food, except what we can obtain by our skill in hunting.

We, therefore, cut off from all other hope, approach your grace, O most serene king, imploring you to come in person to bring us assistance; and to dispose of the kingdom, which will then be your due after you have expelled the barbarians, at your own pleasure; and to govern the people, and to restore to its ancient state a country which in old time subjugated very distant kingdoms." And when the archbishop, in a very long speech, had said this and a great deal more, the king replied in the following manner :

"There was once a time when I would not have refused to receive the island of Britain, but now that disasters have fallen on it, it has become less valuable in my eyes, and odious in those of my nobles. But because my grandfathers and greatgrandfathers possessed that island, I give you my brother Constantine, and two thousand soldiers with him. And if God permit, he will deliver the country from its enemies, and, being invested with the crown, he will possess the kingdom, with honour and glory." The king had scarcely made an end of speaking, when the archbishop addressed Constantine, a man of great reputation as a soldier, in the following cheerful words:- -"Christ is victorious! Christ is king! Christ is emperor! May the grace of Christ, therefore, stand by the king of Britain, who is our defence, that he may restore our miserable island to its former dignity." In short, ships were made ready on the shore, and the number of troops that I have already stated was enlisted from the different parts of the

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kingdom. And they having embarked and set sail, landed prosperously in the harbour of Totness. And not long after, the Britons who had been dispersed in caves and hidingplaces flocked together, and engaging the enemy in battle, gained the victory by the energy of the new king and the merits of the blessed Guithelin.

After this, an assembly was held at Chichester, where they raised Constantine to the throne, and gave him a wife descended from a noble race of Roman blood, who had been educated by the care of the blessed Guithelin, archbishop of London; and by her, in process of time, he had three illustrious sons, namely, Constans, Aurelius Ambrosius, and Uther Pendragon. Constans, his first-born, he devoted to God, giving him to the church of Amphibalus, at Winchester, when he took upon himself the orders of a monk; Aurelius Ambrosius and Pendragon he committed to the archbishop of London to be educated.

A.D. 436. Sixtus became pope. He sat in the Roman chair eight years and eighteen days. He rebuilt in an admirable manner the church of Saint Mary, the Mother of the Lord, which had originally been a temple of Liber Pater.

A.D. 437. Eudoxia, the wife of Theodosius, the emperor, returned from Jerusalem, bringing with her the remains of the blessed proto-martyr Saint Stephen, which were found in the church of Saint Lawrence, and are piously worshipped by the faithful.

A.D. 438. Bleda and Attila, who were brothers, and kings of many nations, laid waste Illyricum and Thrace.

A.D. 439. Maximus, bishop of Turin, flourished, a man of great learning in the Holy Scriptures.

A.D. 440. Petronius, bishop of Bologna, in Italy, a man of great holiness of life, deeply versed in monastic studies, and highly accomplished in secular literature, died.

A.D. 441. Julian, the bishop, and Cœlestine, flourished, being both followers of Pelagius.

A.D. 442. Leporius, a presbyter, adopted the doctrine of Pelagius, presuming on the purity of his own life, by which, of his own will alone and through his own unassisted efforts, without any assistance from God, he thought that he had obtained grace. At length, however, he was convinced of his error, and composed a book of recantation, written in the spirit of the true Catholic faith.

A.D. 445.

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A.D. 443. Leo the First became bishop of Rome, and sat in the Roman chair twenty-one years, one month, and nine days. And the see was vacant twenty-one days.

A.D. 444. Victor of Marseilles, an orator, who wrote a book on Genesis addressed to his son Ethereus, but who was not possessed of much learning in the Holy Scriptures, died.

A.D. 445. Constantine, king of the Britons, one day, when he was going out hunting, was assassinated with a knife by a certain Pict, who was in his train, in a very dense thicket. On his death, a dissension arose among the nobles as to who should be raised to the kingdom; for the sons of the deceased king, Aurelius Ambrosius and Uther Pendragon, had been sent into Lesser Britain to be educated. And even if they had been present, they would have been incapable of becoming kings, because of their tender age. Then Vortigern, the consul of the Genvisei, who was labouring with all his might to become king, went to Winchester, and took Constans, the monk, the son of Constantine, out of the cloister, and conducted him to London, and although the people scarcely approved of the measure, because he was a monk, raised him to the kingdom. For Guithelin, the archbishop of London, was dead, and there was no one else who would have presumed to make him king. But Vortigern took upon himself the part of a bishop, and with his own hands placed the crown on his head.

Constans, therefore, being made king, committed the regulation of all the affairs of the kingdom to Vortigern. But Vortigern, being a crafty man, committed the castles and fortifications of the kingdom to his own guards, and began to deliberate with himself how he might most cunningly betray the king. Therefore, he took the treasures of the king into his own custody, and every day he augmented the number of his soldiers and servants. Then he wrote to the king, and advised him to take into his service a hundred Picts (whom he knew to be inclined and ready for any kind of fraud or treachery), to protect his person day and night from any attack of his enemies.

The king having given his consent, the before-mentioned number of Picts was admitted into the private household of the king. And Vortigern enriched them to such a degree with military pay, and so pampered them with the most delicate food, that they almost adored him, and used to assert loudly