But I should never finish my chapter, and you would be very tired, if I were to try to tell you every one of the names of the British towns that the Romans improved; in all, I dare say, they are more than a hundred.
They also made good roads throughout the country, some of which remain in use to this day.
CHAPTER VI.
How the Romans left Britain; and how the Angles and Saxons came and conquered the country, and behaved cruelly to the people.
Everything seemed to be going on well with the Britons and Romans, when a great misfortune happened, which I must tell you about.
Most of the great men in Rome had grown very idle and careless, because they had become so rich and strong that they could do what they pleased, and make everybody else obey them. And they let the soldiers in Rome be quite idle, instead of keeping them busy about useful things. So they forgot how to fight properly, and when a great many enemies came to fight against Rome, the soldiers there could not drive them away, and they sent, in a hurry, to Britain, for all the good Roman soldiers that were there, as well as the strongest and best Britons, to go and defend them; so Britain was left without enough men to take care of the towns, and the old men, and the women, and the children.
It happened that very soon after the best Britons had gone away to Rome, a number of people, called Angles and Saxons, came in ships to Britain, and landed. You will remember the Angles, because these were the people who changed the name of half of Britain into Englaland, which we now call England.
At first they took all the gold and silver and clothes and food they could find, and even some of the little children to make servants of, and carried them off in their ships to their own country.
Afterwards the Britons sent to ask their help against some fierce enemies, called the Picts and Scots, who had invaded South Britain from the northern part, which we now call Scotland. So two brothers came over first, who were called Hengist and Horsa; Horsa was slain in battle at Aylesford in Kent, but Hengist made himself king over a part of Britain.
And when the other Saxons and Angles saw what good and useful things were to be had in Britain, they determined to go there too. Some of them said they would only rob the Britons, and some said they would try to conquer the whole country, and take it for their own; and so, after a great deal of fighting, they did. But although a great many of the bravest Britons had been taken to Rome, some of the others joined together, to try and defend their country.