"It may be a fair sight in a Roman's eyes, Beric, but nought1 could be fouler2 to those of a Briton. To me every one of those blocks of brick and stone weighs down and helps to hold in bondage3 this land of ours; while that temple they have dared to rear to their gods, in celebration of their having conquered Britain, is an insult and a lie. We are not conquered yet, as they will some day know to their cost. We are silent, we wait, but we do not admit that we are conquered."
"I agree with you there. We have never fairly tried our strength against them. These wretched divisions have always prevented our making an effort to gather; Cassivelaunus and some of the Kentish tribes alone opposed them at their first landing, and he was betrayed and abandoned by the tribes on the north of the Thames. It has been the same thing ever since. We fight piecemeal4; and while the Romans hurl5 their whole strength against one tribe the others look on with folded hands. Who aided the Trinobantes when the Romans defeated them and established themselves on that hill? No one. They will eat Britain up bit by bit."
"Then you like them no better for having lived among them, Beric?"
"I like them more, but I fear them more. One cannot be four years among them, as I was, without seeing that in many respects we might copy them with advantage. They are a great people. Compare their splendid mansions7 and their regular orderly life, their manners and their ways, with our rough huts, and our feasts, ending as often as not with quarrels and brawls8. Look at their arts, their power of turning stone into lifelike figures, and above all, the way in which they can transfer their thoughts to white leaves, so that others, many many years hence, can read them and know all that was passing, and what men thought and did in the long bygone. Truly it is marvellous."
"You are half Romanized, Beric," his companion said roughly.
"I think not," the other said quietly; "I should be worse than a fool had I lived, as I have done, a hostage among them for four years without seeing that there is much to admire, much that we could imitate with advantage, in their life and ways; but there is no reason because they are wiser and far more polished, and in many respects a greater people than we, that they should come here to be our masters. These things are desirable, but they are as nothing to freedom. I have said that I like them more for being among them. I like them more for many reasons. They are grave and courteous9 in their manner to each other; they obey their own laws; every man has his rights; and while all yield obedience10 to their superiors, the superiors respect the rights of those below them. The highest among them cannot touch the property or the life of the lowest in rank. All this seems to me excellent; but then, on the other hand, my blood boils in my veins11 at the contempt in which they hold us; at their greed, their rapacity12, their brutality13, their denial to us of all rights. In their eyes we are but savages15, but wild men, who may be useful for tilling the ground for them, but who, if troublesome, should be hunted down and slain16 like wild beasts. I admire them for what they can do; I respect them for their power and learning; but I hate them as our oppressors."
"That is better, Beric, much better. I had begun to fear that the grand houses and the splendour of these Romans might have sapped your patriotism17. I hate them all; I hate changes; I would live as we have always lived."
"But you forget, Boduoc, that we ourselves have not been standing19 still. Though our long past forefathers20, when they crossed from Gaul wave after wave, were rude warriors22, we have been learning ever since from Gaul as the Gauls have learned from the Romans, and the Romans themselves admit that we have advanced greatly since the days when, under their Caesar, they first landed here. Look at the town on the hill there. Though 'tis Roman now 'tis not changed so much from what it was under that great king Cunobeline, while his people had knowledge of many things of which we and the other tribes of the Iceni knew nothing."
"What good did it do them?" the other asked scornfully; "they lie prostrate23 under the Roman yoke24. It was easy to destroy their towns while we, who have few towns to destroy, live comparatively free. Look across at Camalodunum, Cunobeline's capital. Where are the men who built the houses, who dressed in soft garments, who aped the Romans, and who regarded us as well nigh savage14 men? Gone every one of them; hewn down on their own hearthstones, or thrust out with their wives and families to wander homeless--is there one left of them in yonder town? Their houses they were so proud of, their cultivated fields, their wealth of all kinds has been seized by the Romans. Did they fight any better for their Roman fashions? Not they; the kingdom of Cunobeline, from the Thames to the western sea, fell to pieces at a touch and it was only among the wild Silures that Caractacus was able to make any great resistance."
"But we did no better, Boduoc; Ostorius crushed us as easily as Claudius crushed the Trinobantes. It is no use our setting ourselves against change. All that you urge against the Trinobantes and the tribes of Kent the Silures might urge with equal force against us. You must remember that we were like them not so many ages back. The intercourse25 of the Gauls with us on this eastern sea coast, and with the Kentish tribes, has changed us greatly. We are no longer, like the western tribes, mere26 hunters living in shelters of boughs27 and roaming the forests. Our dress, with our long mantles28, our loose vests and trousers, differs as widely from that of these western tribes as it does from the Romans. We live in towns, and if our houses are rude they are solid. We no longer depend solely29 on the chase, but till the ground and have our herds30 of cattle. I daresay there were many of our ancestors who set themselves as much against the Gaulish customs as you do against those of the Romans; but we adopted them, and benefited by them, and though I would exult32 in seeing the last Roman driven from our land, I should like after their departure to see us adopt what is good and orderly and decent in their customs and laws."
"There is one thing certain," he said after a pause, "either they must go altogether, not only here but everywhere--they must learn, as our ancestors taught them at their two first invasions, that it is hopeless to conquer Britain--or they will end by being absolute masters of the island, and we shall be their servants and slaves."
"That is true enough," Beric agreed; "but to conquer we must be united, and not only united but steadfast35. Of course I have learned much of them while I have been with them. I have come to speak their language, and have listened to their talk. It is not only the Romans who are here whom we have to defeat, it is those who will come after them. The power of Rome is great; how great we cannot tell, but it is wonderful and almost inconceivable. They have spread over vast countries, reducing peoples everywhere under their dominion36. I have seen what they call maps showing the world as far as they know it, and well nigh all has been conquered by them; but the farther away from Rome the more difficulty have they in holding what they have conquered.
"That is our hope here; we are very far from Rome. They may send army after army against us, but in time they will get weary of the loss and expense when there is so little to gain, and as after their first invasions a long time elapsed before they again troubled us, so in the end they may abandon a useless enterprise. Even now the Romans grumble37 at what they call their exile, but they are obstinate38 and tenacious39, and to rid our land of them for good it would be necessary for us not only to be united among ourselves when we rise against them, but to remain so, and to oppose with our whole force the fresh armies they will bring against us.
"You know how great the difficulties will be, Boduoc; we want one great leader whom all the tribes will follow, just as all the Roman legions obey one general; and what chance is there of such a man arising--a man so great, so wise, so brave, that all the tribes of Britain will lay aside their enmities and jealousies40, and submit themselves to his absolute guidance?"
"If we wait for that, Beric, we may wait for ever," Boduoc said in a sombre tone, "at any rate it is not while we are tranquil41 under the Roman heel that such a man could show himself. If he is to come to the front it must be in the day of battle. Then, possibly, one chief may rise so high above his fellows that all may recognize his merits and agree to follow him."
"That is so," Beric agreed; "but is it possible that even the greatest hero should find support from all? Cassivelaunus was betrayed by the Trinobantes. Who could have united the tribes more than the sons of Cunobeline, who reigned42 over well nigh all Britain, and who was a great king ruling wisely and well, and doing all in his power to raise and advance the people; and yet, when the hour came, the kingdom broke up into pieces. Veric, the chief of the Cantii, went to Rome and invited the invader43 to aid him against his rivals at home, and not a man of the Iceni or the Brigantes marched to the aid of Caractacus and Togodamnus. What wonder, then, that these were defeated. Worse than all, when Caractacus was driven a fugitive44 to hide among the Brigantes, did not their queen, Cartismandua, hand him over to the Romans? Where can we hope to find a leader more fitted to unite us than was Caractacus, the son of the king whom we all, at least, recognized and paid tribute to; a prince who had learned wisdom from a wise father, a warrior21 enterprising, bold, and indomitable--a true patriot18?
"If Caractacus could not unite us, what hope is there of finding another who would do so? Moreover, our position is far worse now than it was ten years ago. The Belgae and Dumnonii in the southwest have been crushed after thirty battles; the Dobuni in the centre have been defeated and garrisoned45; the Silures have set an example to us all, inflicting46 many defeats on the Romans; but their power has at last been broken. The Brigantes and ourselves have both been heavily struck, as we deserved, Boduoc, for standing aloof47 from Caractacus at first. Thus the task of shaking off the Roman bonds is far more difficult now than it was when Plautius landed here twenty years ago. Well, it is time for me to be going on. Won't you come with me, Boduoc?"
"Not I, Beric; I never want to enter their town again save with a sword in one hand and a torch in the other. It enrages48 me to see the airs of superiority they give themselves. They scarce seem even to see us as we walk in their streets; and as to the soldiers as they stride along with helmet and shield, my fingers itch49 to meet them in the forest. No; I promised to walk so far with you, but I go no farther. How long will you be there?"
"Two hours at most, I should say."
"The sun is halfway50 down, Beric; I will wait for you till it touches that hill over there. Till then you will find me sitting by the first tree at the spot where we left the forest."
Beric nodded and walked on towards the town. The lad, for he was not yet sixteen, was the son of Parta, the chieftainess of one of the divisions of the great tribe of the Iceni, who occupied the tract51 of country now known as Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridge, and Huntingdon. This tribe had yielded but a nominal52 allegiance to Cunobeline, and had held aloof during the struggle between Caractacus and the Romans, but when the latter had attempted to establish forts in their country they had taken up arms. Ostorius Scapula, the Roman proprietor53, had marched against them and defeated them with great slaughter54, and they had submitted to the Roman authority. The Sarci, the division of the tribe to which Beric belonged, had taken a leading part in the rising, and his father had fallen in the defence of their intrenchments.
Among the British tribes the women ranked with the men, and even when married the wife was often the acknowledged chief of the tribe. Parta had held an equal authority with her husband, and at his death remained sole head of the subtribe, and in order to ensure its obedience in the future, Ostorius had insisted that her only son Beric, at that time a boy of eleven, should be handed over to them as a hostage.
Had Parta consulted her own wishes she would have retired55 with a few followers56 to the swamps and fens57 of the country to the north rather than surrender her son, but the Brigantes, who inhabited Lincolnshire, and who ranged over the whole of the north of Britain as far as Northumberland, had also received a defeat at the hands of the Romans, and might not improbably hand her over upon their demand. She therefore resigned herself to let Beric go.
"My son," she said, "I need not tell you not to let them Romanize you. You have been brought up to hate them. Your father has fallen before their weapons, half your tribe have been slain, your country lies under their feet. I will not wrong you then by fearing for a moment that they can make a Roman of you.
"You have been brought up to lie upon the bare ground, to suffer fatigue58 and hardship, hunger and thirst, and the rich food and splendid houses and soft raiment of the Romans should have no attraction for you. I know not how long your imprisonment59 among them may last. For the present I have little hope of another rising; but should I see a prospect60 of anything like unity61 among our people, I will send Boduoc with a message to you to hold yourself in readiness to escape when you receive the signal that the time has come. Till then employ your mind in gaining what good you may by your residence among them; there must be some advantage in their methods of warfare62 which has enabled the people of one city to conquer the world.
"It is not their strength, for they are but pigmies to us. We stand a full head above them, and even we women are stronger than Roman soldiers, and yet they defeat us. Learn then their language, throw your whole mind into that at first, then study their military discipline and their laws. It must be the last as much as their discipline that has made them rulers over so vast an empire. Find out if you can the secret of their rule, and study the training by which their soldiers move and fight as if bound together by a cord, forming massive walls against which we break ourselves in vain. Heed63 not their arts, pay no attention to their luxuries, these did Cunobeline no good, and did not for a day delay the destruction that fell upon his kingdom. What we need is first a knowledge of their military tactics, so that we may drive them from the land; secondly64, a knowledge of their laws, that we may rule ourselves wisely after they have gone. What there is good in the rest may come in time.
"However kind they may be to you, bear always in mind that you are but a prisoner among the oppressors of your country, and that though, for reasons of policy, they may treat you well, yet that they mercilessly despoil65 and ill treat your countrymen. Remember too, Beric, that the Britons, now that Caractacus has been sent a prisoner to Rome, need a leader, one who is not only brave and valiant66 in the fight, but who can teach the people how to march to victory, and can order and rule them well afterwards. We are part of one of our greatest tribes, and from among us, if anywhere, such a leader should come.
"I have great hopes of you, Beric. I know that you are brave, for single handed you slew67 with an arrow a great wolf the other day; but bravery is common to all, I do not think that there is a coward in the tribe. I believe you are intelligent. I consulted the old Druid in the forest last week, and he prophesied68 a high destiny for you; and when the messenger brought the Roman summons for me to deliver you up as a hostage, it seemed to me that this was of all things the one that would fit you best for future rule. I am not ambitious for you, Beric. It would be nought to me if you were king of all the Britons. It is of our country that I think. We need a great leader, and my prayer to the gods is that one may be found. If you should be the man so much the better; but if not, let it be another. Comport69 yourself among them independently, as one who will some day be chief of a British tribe, but be not sullen70 or obstinate. Mix freely with them, learn their language, gather what are the laws under which they live, see how they build those wonderful houses of theirs, watch the soldiers at their exercises, so that when you return among us you can train the Sarci to fight in a similar manner. Keep the one purpose always in your mind. Exercise your muscles daily, for among us no man can lead who is not as strong and as brave as the best who follow him. Bear yourself so that you shall be in good favour with all men."
Beric had, to the best of his power, carried out the instructions of his mother. It was the object of the Romans always to win over their adversaries71 if possible, and the boy had no reason to complain of his treatment. He was placed in the charge of Caius Muro, commander of a legion, and a slave was at once appointed to teach him Latin. He took his meals with the scribe and steward72 of the household, for Caius was of noble family, of considerable wealth, and his house was one of the finest in Camalodunum. He was a kindly73 and just man, and much beloved by his troops. As soon as Beric had learned the language, Caius ordered the scribe to teach him the elements of Roman law, and a decurion was ordered to take him in hand and instruct him in arms.
As Beric was alike eager to study and to exercise in arms, he gained the approval of both his teachers. Julia, the wife of Caius, a kindly lady, took a great fancy to the boy. "He will make a fine man, Caius," she said one day when the boy was fourteen years old. "See how handsome and strong he is; why, Scipio, the son of the centurion74 Metellus, is older by two years, and yet he is less strong than this young Briton."
"They are a fine race, Julia, though in disposition75 as fierce as wild cats, and not to be trusted. But the lad is, as you say, strong and nimble. I marked him practising with the sword the other day against Lucinus, who is a stout76 soldier, and the man had as much as he could do to hold his own against him. I was surprised myself to see how well he wielded77 a sword of full weight, and how active he was. The contest reminded me of a dog and a wild cat, so nimble were the boy's springs, and so fierce his attacks. Lucinus fairly lost his temper at last, and I stopped the fight, for although they fought with blunted weapons, he might well have injured the lad badly with a downright cut, and that would have meant trouble with the Iceni again."
"He is intelligent, too," Julia replied. "Sometimes I have him in while I am working with the two slave girls, and he will stand for hours asking me questions about Rome, and about our manners and customs."
"One is never sure of these tamed wolves," Caius said; "sometimes they turn out valuable allies and assistants, at other times they grow into formidable foes78, all the more dangerous for what they have learned of us. However, do with him as you like, Julia; a woman has a lighter80 hand than a man, and you are more likely to tame him than we are. Cneius says that he is very eager to learn, and has ever a book in his hand when not practising in arms."
"What I like most in him," Julia said, "is that he is very fond of our little Berenice. The child has taken to him wonderfully, and of an afternoon, when he has finished with Cneius, she often goes out with him. Of course old Lucia goes with them. It is funny to hear them on a wet day, when they cannot go out, talking together--she telling him stories of Rome and of our kings and consuls81, and he telling her tales of hunting the wolf and wild boar, and legends of his people, who seem to have been always at war with someone."
After Beric had resided for three years and a half at Camalodunum a great grief fell on the family of Caius Muro, for the damp airs from the valley had long affected82 Julia and she gradually faded and died. Beric felt the loss very keenly, for she had been uniformly kind to him. A year later Suetonius and the governor of the colony decided83 that as the Sarci had now been quiet for nearly five years, and as Caius reported that their young chief seemed to have become thoroughly84 Romanized, he was permitted to return to his tribe.
The present was his first visit to the colony since he had left it four months before. His companion, Boduoc, was one of the tribesmen, a young man six years his senior. He was related to his mother, and had been his companion in his childish days, teaching him woodcraft, and to throw the javelin85 and use the sword. Together, before Beric went as hostage, they had wandered through the forest and hunted the wolf and wild boar, and at that time Boduoc had stood in the relation of an elder brother to Beric. That relation had now much changed. Although Boduoc was a powerful young man and Beric but a sturdy stripling, the former was little better than an untutored savage, and he looked with great respect upon Beric both as his chief and as possessing knowledge that seemed to him to be amazing.
Hating the Romans blindly he had trembled lest he should find Beric on his return completely Romanized. He had many times, during the lad's stay at Camalodunum, carried messages to him there from his mother, and had sorrowfully shaken his head on his way back through the forest as he thought of his young chief's surroundings. Beric had partially86 adopted the Roman costume, and to hear him talking and jesting in their own language to the occupants of the mansion6, whose grandeur87 and appointments filled Boduoc with an almost superstitious88 fear, was terrible to him. However, his loyalty89 to Beric prevented him from breathing a word in the tribe as to his fears, and he was delighted to find the young chief return home in British garb90, and to discover that although his views of the Romans differed widely from his own, he was still British at heart, and held firmly the opinion that the only hope for the freedom of Britain was the entire expulsion of the invaders91.
He was gratified to find that Beric had become by no means what he considered effeminate. He was built strongly and massively, as might be expected from such parents, and was of the true British type, that had so surprised the Romans at their first coming among them, possessing great height and muscular power, together with an activity promoted by constant exercise.
Beric had fallen back upon the customs of his people as thoroughly as if he had never dwelt in the stately Roman town. He was as ready as before to undertake the longest hunting expeditions, to sleep in the forest, to go from sunrise to sunset without breaking his fast. When not engaged in hunting he practised incessantly92 hurling93 the javelin and other warlike exercises, while of an evening he frequently related stories of Roman history to any chiefs or other guests of his mother, on which occasions the humbler followers would gather thickly in the background, evincing an interest even greater than that which they felt in the songs and legends of the bards96.
Beric generally chose stories relating to periods when Rome was hardly pressed by her foes, showing how the intense feeling of patriotism, and the obstinate determination to resist, in spite of all dangers, upon the part of the population, and the discipline and dogged valour of the soldiers, saved her from destruction. He was cautious to draw no parallel openly to the case of Britain. He knew that the Romans were made acquainted, by traitors97 in their pay, with much that passed among the native tribes, and that at first they were sure to interest themselves in his proceedings98. At present there could be no thought of a rising, and the slightest sign of disaffection might bring disaster and ruin upon his tribe. Only when some unexpected event, some invasion of the rights of the Britons even more flagrant than those that had hitherto taken place, should stir the smouldering fire of discontent, and fan it into a fierce flame of revolt from end to end of Britain, could success be hoped for.
No Roman could have found fault with Beric's relation of their prowess or their valour; for he held them up to the admiration99 of his hearers. "No wonder Rome is great and powerful," he said, "when its people evince so deep a love of country, so resolute100 a determination in the face of their enemies, so unconquerable a spirit when misfortune weighs upon them."
To the men he addressed all this was new. It was true that a few princes and chiefs had visited Rome, occasionally as travellers desiring to see the centre of her greatness, more often as exiles driven from Britain by defeat in civil strife101, but these had only brought back great tales of Rome's magnificence, and the Britons knew nothing of the history of the invaders, and eagerly listened to the stories that Beric had learned from their books in the course of his studies. The report of his stories spread so far that visits were paid to the village of Parta by chiefs and leading men from other sections of the Iceni to listen to them.
Oratory103 was among the Britons, as among most primitive105 tribes, highly prized and much cultivated. Oral tradition among such peoples takes the place of books among civilized106 nations. Story and legend are handed down from father to son, and the wandering bard95 is a most welcome guest. Next only to valour oratory sways and influences the minds of the people, and a Ulysses had greater influence than an Ajax. From his earliest childhood Beric had listened to the stories and legends told by bards in the rough palace of his father, and his sole schooling107 before he went to Camalodunum had been to learn these by heart, and to repeat them with due emphasis and appropriate gesture. His father had been one of the most eloquent108 and influential109 of the chiefs of the Iceni, and had early impressed upon him the importance of cultivating the power of speech.
His studies in Roman history, too, had taught him the power exercised by men with the gift of moving multitudes by their words; he had learned from books how clearly and distinctly events could be described by a careful choice of words, and attention to form and expression, so that almost unconsciously to himself he had practised the art in his relations of the tales and legends of British history to Berenice and her mother. Thus, then, the manner no less than the matter of his recitals110 of Roman story, gained him a high estimation among his hearers, and he was already looked upon as a young chief likely to rise to a very high position among the Iceni. Among the common herd31 his glowing laudations of Roman patriotism, devotion, and sacrifice, caused him to be regarded with disfavour, and the epithet111 "the Roman" was frequently applied112 to him. But the wiser spirits saw the hidden meaning of his stories, and that, while holding up the Romans as an example, he was endeavouring to teach how much can be done by patriotism, by a spirit of self sacrifice, and by unity against a common foe79. Parta was also proud of the congratulations that distinguished113 chiefs, famed for their wisdom throughout the tribe, offered to her on the occasion of their visits.
"Beric will be a great chief," one of the wisest of these said to her; "truly his sojourn114 among the Romans has done great things for him. It would be well, indeed, if every noble youth throughout the island were to have such schooling, if he had your son's wit in taking advantage of it. He will be a great orator104; never among our bards have I heard narrations115 so clear and so well delivered; although the deeds he praises are those of our oppressors, one cannot but feel a thrill of enthusiasm as he tells them. Yea, for the moment I myself felt half a Roman when he told us of the brave youth who thrust his hand into the flames, and suffered it to be consumed in order to impress the invader with a knowledge of the spirit that animated116 the Romans, and of the three men who held against a host the bridge that their friends were breaking down behind them.
"If he could stir me thus by his tales of the deeds of our enemies, what will it be when some day he makes the heroes of Britain his theme, and calls upon his countrymen to imitate their deeds! I have heard him called 'the Roman,' Parta. Now that I have listened to him I know that he will, when the time comes, be one of Rome's most formidable foes. I will tell you now that Prasutagus, our king, and his queen Boadicea, spoke117 to me about Beric, and begged me to come hither to see for myself this youth of whom they had heard reports from others, some saying that he had returned a Roman heart and soul, while others affirmed that, while he had learned much from them, he had forgotten nothing of the injuries he had received at their hands in the death of his father, and the disaster of the tribe. I shall know now what to tell them. To Prasutagus, whose fear of the Romans is even greater than his hatred118 for them, I shall say that the lad is full of the glories of Roman story, and that there is no fear of his doing or saying aught that will excite the anger or suspicion of the Romans. To Boadicea, who hates the Romans far more than she fears them, I shall tell the truth, and shall inform her that when the time comes, as assuredly it some day will, that the Iceni are called upon to defend their liberties against Rome, in Beric she will find a champion of whom I predict that he will be worthy119 to take his place in our history by the side of Caractacus and Cassivelaunus. May our gods avert120 that, like them, he fall a victim to British treachery!"
After leaving Boduoc, Beric crossed the bridge built by the Romans over the Stour, and entered the city. Camalodunum was the chief seat of the Roman power in England. Although but so short a time had elapsed since Claudius had occupied it, it was already a large city. A comparatively small proportion, however, was Roman work, but all bore the impress of Roman art and civilization, for Cunobeline, whose capital it had been, was a highly enlightened king, and had introduced Roman ways and methods among his people. Men instructed in their arts and architecture had been largely employed in the building of the town, and its edifices121 would have borne comparison with those in minor122 towns in the Roman provinces.
The conquerors123, therefore, found much of their work done for them. The original possessors of the houses and of the highly cultivated lands lying round the town were ejected wholesale124, and the Romans, establishing themselves in their abodes125 and farms, then proceeded to add to, embellish126, and fortify127 the town. The 2nd, 9th, and 14th Legions were selected by Claudius to found what was called the colony, and to take possession of the surrounding country. Plautius was appointed propraetor, or governor, and establishing himself in the royal palace of Cunobeline, his first step was to protect the city from renewed attacks by the Britons. He accordingly erected128 vast works to the westward129 of the town, extending from the sea to the river, by which means he not only protected the city from attack, but gained, in case of an assault by overpowering numbers, the means of retiring safely to Mersea Island, lying a short distance from the shore.
A council house and a tribunal were erected for the Roman magistrates130; temples, a theatre, and baths raised. The civilian131 population increased rapidly. Architects, artists, and musicians, decorators, skilled artisans, and traders were attracted from the mainland to the rising city, which rapidly increased in wealth and importance. Conspicuous132 on the most elevated position stood a temple erected to the honour of Claudius, who was raised by the grateful legionaries to divine rank. So strong and populous133 was the city that the Trinobantes, during the years that had elapsed since the Romans took possession of it, remained passive under the yoke of their oppressors, and watched, without attempting to take part in them, the rising of the Iceni and Brigantes, the long and desperate war of the Silures and Ordovices under Caractacus, and the reduction of the Belgae and Dumnonii from Hampshire to Cornwall by Vespasian. Yet, had their spirit remained unbroken, there was an opportunity for revenge, for a large part of the veteran legionaries had been withdrawn134 to take part in the struggle against the western tribes. The tribe had, however, been disarmed135, and with Camalodunum on the north, and the rising towns of London and Verulamium on the south, they were cut off from other tribes, and could not hope for final success, unless the powerful Iceni, who were still semi-independent, rose in the national cause. Whether their easy defeat of this tribe soon after the occupation of Camalodunum had rendered the Romans contemptuous of their fighting powers, or that they deemed it wiser to subdue136 the southwest and west of England, and to strike a heavy blow at the Brigantes to the north before interfering137 with a powerful tribe so close to their doors, is uncertain; but doubtless they felt that so long as Prasutagus reigned there was little fear of trouble in that quarter, as that king protested himself the friend and ally of Rome, and occupied himself wholly in acquiring wealth and adding to his personal possessions.
The scene in Camalodunum was a familiar one to Beric. The streets were thronged138 with people. Traders from Gaul and Italy, Roman artisans and workmen, haughty139 legionaries with shield and helmet, civil officials, Greek players, artists and decorators, native tribesmen, with the products of their fields or the spoils of the chase, walking with humble94 mien140; and shopkeepers sitting at the open fronts of their houses, while their slaves called the attention of passersby141 to the merits of the goods. Here were the rich products of Eastern looms142, there the cloths and linen143 of Rome, further on a smith's shop in full work, beyond that a silversmith's, next door to which was a thriving trader who sold unguents and perfumes, dyes for the ladies' cheeks and pigments144 for their eyebrows145, dainty requisites146 for the toilette, and perfumed soap. Bakers147 and butchers, vendors148 of fish and game, of fruit, of Eastern spices and flavourings abounded149.
Druggists and dealers150 in dyes for clothing and in the pigments used in wall decorations and paintings were also to be found; and, in fact, this Roman capital of a scarcely subjugated151 country contained all the appliances for luxury and comfort that could be found in the cities of the civilized provinces.
The only shops at which Beric paused were those of the armourers and of the scribes, at some of which were exhibited vellums with the writings of the Greek and Roman poets and historians; and Beric muttered to himself, "If I am ever present at the sack of Camalodunum these shall be my share of the spoil, and I fancy that no one is likely to dispute their possession with me."
But he did not linger long. Boduoc would be waiting for him, and he could not hurry over his visit, the first he had paid since his absence; therefore he pushed on, with scarce a glance at the stately temple of Claudius, the magnificent baths or other public buildings, until he arrived at the villa102 of Caius Muro, which stood somewhat beyond the more crowded part of the town.
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1
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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2
fouler
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| adj.恶劣的( foul的比较级 )；邪恶的；难闻的；下流的 | |
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3
bondage
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| n.奴役，束缚 | |
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piecemeal
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| adj.零碎的；n.片，块；adv.逐渐地；v.弄成碎块 | |
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5
hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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6
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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mansions
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| n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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brawls
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| 吵架，打架( brawl的名词复数 ) | |
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courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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rapacity
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| n.贪婪，贪心，劫掠的欲望 | |
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13
brutality
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| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
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14
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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17
patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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18
patriot
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| n.爱国者，爱国主义者 | |
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19
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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forefathers
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| n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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23
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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24
yoke
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| n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶 | |
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intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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26
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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28
mantles
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| vt.&vi.覆盖（mantle的第三人称单数形式） | |
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solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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30
herds
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| 兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众 | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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exult
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| v.狂喜，欢腾；欢欣鼓舞 | |
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33
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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malediction
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| n.诅咒 | |
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steadfast
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| adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的 | |
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dominion
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| n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图 | |
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grumble
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| vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声 | |
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38
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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tenacious
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| adj.顽强的，固执的，记忆力强的，粘的 | |
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40
jealousies
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| n.妒忌( jealousy的名词复数 )；妒羡 | |
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41
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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42
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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43
invader
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| n.侵略者，侵犯者，入侵者 | |
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44
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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45
garrisoned
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| 卫戍部队守备( garrison的过去式和过去分词 )； 派部队驻防 | |
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46
inflicting
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的现在分词 ) | |
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47
aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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48
enrages
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| 使暴怒( enrage的第三人称单数 ) | |
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49
itch
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| n.痒，渴望，疥癣；vi.发痒，渴望 | |
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50
halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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51
tract
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| n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林) | |
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52
nominal
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| adj.名义上的；(金额、租金)微不足道的 | |
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53
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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54
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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57
fens
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| n.（尤指英格兰东部的）沼泽地带( fen的名词复数 ) | |
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58
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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59
imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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60
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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unity
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| n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调 | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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63
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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64
secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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65
despoil
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| v.夺取，抢夺 | |
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66
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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67
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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68
prophesied
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| v.预告，预言( prophesy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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69
comport
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| vi.相称，适合 | |
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70
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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71
adversaries
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| n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 ) | |
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72
steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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73
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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74
centurion
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| n.古罗马的百人队长 | |
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75
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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77
wielded
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| 手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的过去式和过去分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响） | |
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foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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80
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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81
consuls
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| 领事( consul的名词复数 )； （古罗马共和国时期）执政官 （古罗马共和国及其军队的最高首长，同时共有两位，每年选举一次） | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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83
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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84
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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85
javelin
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| n.标枪，投枪 | |
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86
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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92
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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93
hurling
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| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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94
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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bard
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| n.吟游诗人 | |
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bards
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| n.诗人( bard的名词复数 ) | |
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traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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98
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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100
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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101
strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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102
villa
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| n.别墅，城郊小屋 | |
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103
oratory
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| n.演讲术；词藻华丽的言辞 | |
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orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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105
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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schooling
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| n.教育；正规学校教育 | |
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eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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influential
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| adj.有影响的，有权势的 | |
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recitals
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| n.独唱会( recital的名词复数 )；独奏会；小型音乐会、舞蹈表演会等；一系列事件等的详述 | |
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111
epithet
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| n.（用于褒贬人物等的）表述形容词，修饰语 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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narrations
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| 叙述事情的经过，故事( narration的名词复数 ) | |
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116
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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117
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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118
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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120
avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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121
edifices
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| n.大建筑物( edifice的名词复数 ) | |
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122
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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123
conquerors
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| 征服者，占领者( conqueror的名词复数 ) | |
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124
wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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125
abodes
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| 住所( abode的名词复数 )； 公寓； （在某地的）暂住； 逗留 | |
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126
embellish
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| v.装饰，布置；给…添加细节，润饰 | |
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127
fortify
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| v.强化防御，为…设防；加强，强化 | |
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128
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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129
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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130
magistrates
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| 地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 ) | |
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131
civilian
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| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
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132
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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133
populous
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| adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的 | |
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134
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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135
disarmed
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| v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒 | |
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136
subdue
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| vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制 | |
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137
interfering
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| adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词 | |
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138
thronged
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| v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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139
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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140
mien
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| n.风采；态度 | |
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141
passersby
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| n. 过路人(行人,经过者) | |
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142
looms
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| n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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143
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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144
pigments
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| n.（粉状）颜料( pigment的名词复数 )；天然色素 | |
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145
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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146
requisites
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| n.必要的事物( requisite的名词复数 ) | |
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147
bakers
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| n.面包师( baker的名词复数 )；面包店；面包店店主；十三 | |
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148
vendors
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| n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方 | |
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149
abounded
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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150
dealers
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| n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者 | |
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151
subjugated
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| v.征服，降伏( subjugate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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