Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1911-11-10
mr. Noaxr1 EvcAnz1e Ae, seAbzWoGzP

raised the Eagle of his legion, and
| then jumped into the water.
Follow me. my comrades" he cried,
| If you would not see your Eagle
taken by the enemy. II | die l shall
have done my duty to Rome, and to
my general" So the old story goes,
familiar to every schoolboy and re-
membered. perhaps. by that soldier
who stood at the salute in Kensington
Gardens.
But whatever stories we may weave
about the boat that has been dug up
from the London mud after nineteen
hundred years or so. at least II has
come to US as a reminder OF the civili-
xation which was enthroned upon the
Thames at London. which carved
great roads through the forest lands,
which built temples and palaces,
baths and terraced gardens, fortified
camps and strong walls. north and
south, east and west, in this island OF
ours. before England" had name
In history. They did their work well.
those Romans, and though fifteen hun
dred years have passed since the last
OF them went away into the ghost
world. leaving Britain prey to savage
hordcs. leaving their temples anc
their terraces to be the hiding places
of wolves until the stones fell among
the tangled weeds. England has still
many memorials OF their rule. Our
motor cars speed upon the highways
down which the Roman legions
marched Straight from London to
Chester goes Waiting street, and the
Fosse way from Bath to Lincoln. Err
mine street is still high road from
London to York. and the Via Mariti- |
ma" (the seaside road) still winds it's
way along the sea coast OF Wales to |
Pembrokeshire.
Hardly a year passes but a plow
turns up pot full of coins which bear
the image and the superscription OF
Claudius or Constantine, or some
great emperor whose edicts carried as
tar as this misty isle. The PEASANTS
spade unearths a tesselated pavement
which formed the floor of a Roman
villa, or stone rudely
,arved by Roman soldier who in
'cribed his homage to Mars or Diana
md the old gods in whose worship he
ound courage and beauty. Britain
vas no mere outpost OF empire held
,recariously by little garrison
mong hostile tribes. IL was Roman
'rovince. where for nearly four hun
red years the Roman law ruled, and
civilization noble and strong and
eautiful In its well-ordered system
fas raised among conquered people,
rho yielded. after the first struggle,
lady TO their conquerors. IL is not )
ifiicult TO reconstruct that Roman /
utilization In Britain. to conjure up /
he picture or that civil life In such :
tiles as Bath. aud York, st. Adams a
nd Lincoln. where stones of Roman 0
are found In the walls OF &
orman churches and English battle Il
rents. The cfiicers OF vespasian and Y
everus. Titus and Constantine. were Il
entlsmen OF Roman dignity and vaior.
nd their life In Britain reflected the
,lendor. the. luxury and the beauty
lat they had known In the imperial
~.
Most OF us have forgotten those !.
Iings. Yet they have moral for :
zee which has founded an empire i
eater than that OF Rome. and. like !,
e Romans. has given Its law TO many :
r colonies The Roman empire has !;
'rishsd. Tor after strength came :
and the seeds OF vice and
xury were rcaped In a harvest OF de-
ructlon How Is It with us In i'm
rial LondonT There are some who
ar the distant rumbling OF new u
orid forces beating against the fab "
, OF our imperial system The world OF
anges. and no man may foretell .he OF
ings that are to come But always n
} may look back and learn the moral C
the past. and listen to the voices h
at speak from old graves :,
PHILIP G,BES o.