The sun., 1889-12-15

in the western section OF England But We do
not md even there traces Of q RomRnlzinR in
huence upon the life Of the Saxon conquerors,
because for century and q half the civiliza-
ton OF the Romanizsd Briton had been rapid
ly detorioratinR under the appalling dangers
and caiamitles which had made hell OF one OF
the fairest provinces Of the Roman empire. BY
the time Wessex had Incorporated Cornwall.
and MoroiR had extended its bounds to the
Bevern, the harassed and hopeless natives Of
the most lately wasted districts had retained
but vestige Of all their forefathers had In
harited from Rome
MIR. Church recognizes that the Roman ocou-
patton Of the island tsouth Of the wal. of
Antonine) was complete. Tho remains Of
their houses, their camps, their worship, their
domestic life. literally abound" On this head
he might as we have said. have desoRnted at
great length, and ret have put telling fact In
every sentence. Nor" he eontihnet, was
the occupation simply military. Il II SUM-
Client, Tor proof Of this, 10 point to the remains
OF such houses Rs are to bo seen at BiQnoF
(near Chichester) and Chedworth In Glouces-
tershire. II IL clear that wealthy Romans took
MP their abode In the island OF Britain; and
wealthy men do not live In o country TINT is
not thoroughly settled" How their Roman
civilization would gradually be lost by the
Dritons flying from the Saxon sayages who
had laid waste their homes. and driven to
seek refuge In the caverns which had
been the habitation OF their prehistoric fore
fathers. 10 foreibly illustrated in a remarkable
passage. apparently quoted from Prof. Fro0-
man, which 10 based upon actual discoveries IN
certain caves Of the Yorkshire moorlands. The
reader win be GLAD to sec this passage repro
duced; This haunt OF primitive man lag
lonely and undisturbed till the sword Of the
English invaders drove the Roman provincials
for shelter to the moorA The hurry OF their
fight may be gathered from the relics their
caye-liie has left behind II. There was clearly
little time TO do more than TO drive OF the cat
tie. the swine. the goats. whose bones lay
scattered round the hearth flre at the mouth Of
the cave. where they served the wretchsd fugi-
tives for food. The women must have buckled
hastily their brooches OF bronze or part- t-colored
enamel. the peculiar workmanship OF Celtic
Britain. and snatched up a few household
implements IS they hurried away. The
men. no doubt, Rirded on as hastily the
swords. Whose dainty sword hilts Of ivory
and bronze still remain 10 tell the tale Of
their DOOM and hiding in their breast whnt
money the house contained from coins Of Ira
jan to the wretched 'minions' that told OF the
empires decay. mounted their horses to pro-
tect their flight. At nightfall all were crouch
ing beneath the dripping roof of the cave or
round the fire that was blazing ct its mouth, |
and long suffering began 10 which fuRitives |
lost year by year the memory Of tho civilization
from which they came. A few charred bones |
horses for food: reddened pebbles mark the |
hour when the new vessels they wrought We're |
cooked by dropping heated stones tothe pot !
A time seems to have come when their very l
spindies were exhausted. and the women who |
wovo in that dark retreat made spindle whorls 4
from the bones that lay about them"