At last, when the Romans had gotten a part of Britain, they were obliged to build very strong walls all about their houses. And their houses and walls were made of good stone and brick, instead of the trunks and branches of trees such as the Britons used. And the Roman soldiers were obliged to keep watch always, because the Britons were trying every day to drive them away; and they kept good swords and spears, and great shields, covered with plates of iron; and they put pieces of iron on their backs and their breasts, and their arms and legs, and called it armour, so the bad swords of the Britons could hardly ever hurt a Roman; but their bows and arrows, which they managed very well, killed a good many.
However, the Romans remained masters at last, and they made the Britons cut down many of their woods, and turn the ground into corn-fields and gardens for them; and they forced them to dig the tin and copper out of the earth for them, and to fish in the seas and rivers, to find pearls for the Roman ladies; and the poor Britons were very unhappy, because they had lost their freedom, and could never do as they liked.
But I must end this long chapter. In the next I will tell you how God turned the unhappiness of the poor Britons into everything good for them.
CHAPTER IV.
How the Romans taught the Britons many things, and how some of them became Christians.
You remember, I hope, what you read in the first chapter, about the uncomfortable houses of the Britons, how badly they were dressed, and how often they were obliged to be hungry when they could not catch the birds or beasts in the woods.
Now when God allowed the Romans to come and take part of the country of the Britons, and to make servants of the people, He put it into the hearts of the Romans to teach the Britons most of the things they knew themselves; and the Romans who came to Britain wrote books, from which we learn the way in which these things were done.
By employing the Britons to help them to build their houses and walls, of stone or brick, they taught them how to make good ones for themselves; then by making them learn to spin and weave the wool that grew upon their sheep, they gave them means to make better clothes, both for winter and summer, than they had thought of before; and they left off staining their skins with the juice of plants, and began to wash themselves, and to keep their hair neat, and even to put on ornaments like the Romans.
When they saw how the Romans ploughed the fields, and made corn enough grow to make bread for everybody, as well as for the rich people, they began to do the same; and they began to like to have gardens for cabbages and onions, and apples and roses, all four of which the Romans taught them to plant, besides some other useful things which I have forgotten.
But, what was much better than all the rest, the Romans built some schools, and had school-masters to teach their children to read and write, and the little Britons were allowed to go to these schools as well as the little Romans; and, as the Britons were very clever, you may think how soon they learned to read and write, and how glad their fathers and mothers were to see them so improved.