History of the Anglo-Saxons - From the Earliest Period to the Norman Conquest; Second Edition by Thomas MillerCHAPTER I. - THE DAWN OF HISTORY.Obscurity of early history--Our ancient monuments a mystery--The Welsh Triads--Language of the first inhabitants of Britain unknown--Wonders of the ancient worldCHAPTER II. - THE ANCIENT BRITONS.The Celtic Tribes--Britain known to the Phoenicians and Greeks--The ancient Cymry--Different classes of the early Britons--Their personal appearance--Description of their forest-towns--A British hunter--Interior of an ancient hut--Costume of the old Cymry--Ancient armour and weapons--British war-chariots--The fearful havoc they made in battle.CHAPTER III. - THE DRUIDS.Interior of an old British forest--Druidical sacrifice--Their treasures--Their mysterious rites and ceremonies--The power they possessed--Their belief in a future state--Their wild superstitions--An arch-Druid described--Their veneration for the mistletoe--Description of the Druids offering up sacrifice--The gloomy grandeur of their ancient groves--Contrast between the idols of the Druids and the heathen gods of the Romans.CHAPTER IV. - LANDING OF JULIUS CÆSAR.Cæsar''s reasons for invading Britain--Despatches Volusenus from Gaul to ivreconnoitre the island--Is intimidated by the force he finds arranged along the cliffs of Dover--Lands near Sandwich--Courage of the Roman Standard-bearer--Combat between the Britons and Romans--Defeat and submission of the Britons--Wreck of the Roman galleys--Perilous position of the invaders--Roman soldiers attacked in a corn-field, rescued by the arrival of their general--Britons attack the Roman encampment, are again defeated, and pursued by the Roman cavalry--Cæsar''s hasty departure from Britain--Return of the Romans at spring--Description of their armed galleys--Determination of Cæsar to conquer Britain--Picturesque description of the night march of the Roman legions into Kent--Battle beside a river--Difficulties the Romans encounter in their marches through the ancient British forests--Cæsar''s hasty retreat to his encampment--The Roman galleys again wrecked--Cessation of hostilities--Cassivellaunus assumes the command of the Britons--His skill as a general--Obtains an advantage over the Romans with his war-chariots--Attacks the Roman encampment by night and slays the outer guard--Defeats the two cohorts that advance to their rescue, and slays a Roman tribune--Renewal of the battle on the following day--Cæsar compelled to call in the foragers to strengthen his army--Splendid charge of the Roman cavalry--Overthrow and retreat of the Britons--Cæsar marches through Kent and Surrey in pursuit of the British army--Crosses the Thames near Chertsey--Retreat of the British general--Cuts off the supplies of the Romans, and harasses the army with his war-chariots--Stratagems adopted by the Britons--Cassivellaunus betrayed by his countrymen--His fortress attacked in the forest--Contemplates the destruction of the Roman fleet--Attack of the Kentish men on the encampment of the invaders--The Romans again victorious--Cassivellaunus sues for peace--Final departure of Cæsar from Britain.CHAPTER V. - CARACTACUS, BOADICEA, AND AGRICOLA.State of Britain after the departure of Cæsar--Landing of Plautius--His skirmishes with the Britons in the marshes beside the Thames--Arrival of the Roman emperor Claudius--Ostorius conquers and disarms the Britons--Rise of Caractacus--British encampment in Wales--Caractacus defeated, betrayed by his step-mother, and carried captive to Rome--Death of the Roman general Ostorius--Retreat of the Druids to the Isle of Anglesey--Suetonius attacks the island--Consternation of the Roman soldiers on landing--Massacre of the Druids, and destruction of their groves and altars--Boadicea, queen of the Iceni, assumes the command of the Britons--Her sufferings--She prepares for battle, attacks the Roman colony of vCamaladonum--Her terrible vengeance--Her march into London, and destruction of the Romans