25. It is supposed that many of them were killed by the Romans in the isle of Anglesea, where the chief Druid always resided; and that all the rest fled to Scotland, or the Isle of Man.
26. The Romans, however, were themselves heathens, when they first settled in Britain, and worshipped a number of false gods; but their gods were different from those of the Druids, and the rites and ceremonies of their religion were different too.
27. But, in course of time, many of the Romans became Christians, and Christianity was taught in Britain, where the heathen temples were converted into Christian churches, and the Britons, as well as the Romans, at length learned to worship the one true God.
28. The Romans had kept possession of Britain for more than three hundred years, when it happened that great armies of barbarians went to fight against Rome, and all the soldiers were sent for, to try to drive them away again; so that this country was left unprotected, for it was the Roman soldiers who had kept enemies from coming here.
29. The Britons hoped they would come back again, as they did more than once; but affairs got worse and worse at Rome, so the rulers there sent word to the British princes, that they did not wish to keep the island any longer, therefore the Britons might consider themselves a free people. But was freedom a blessing to them? I think we shall find it was not.
QUESTIONS.
3. By whom was Britain first invaded?
4. When did the Romans again appear?
5. Was this conquest a good or bad thing for the Britons, and why?
8. What occasioned the revolt of the Iceni?