Augustine Preaching before Ethelbert
In the year 596 Augustine with forty other priests landed in Kent. The name of the king of that part was Ethelbert, whose wife Bertha was a Christian. Ethelbert allowed Augustine to preach before him in the open air ; and very soon he saw how wrong it was to worship idols, and was baptized in the Christian faith. The Britons soon followed the good example shown them by Ethelbert, and gave up their false gods, and became Christians.
Romans teaching the Britons to Build
The Romans built many cities, the names of some of which you know, such as London, and York, and Bath. They taught the people how to plough the fields and to sow corn, that they might have bread to eat. They brought to the country many fruits and vegetables which were quite new to the poor Britons. They showed them how to spin and to weave, and soon they left off dyeing their skins, and began to clothe themselves like their masters; and when they saw the houses which were built by the Romans, they left their dark caves and their rude huts. The Britons were also taught to read and to write, and to speak the Roman language. Nor should I forget to tell you, that the cruel Druids were all destroyed by one of the Roman generals.
Landing of the Romans
Druids
ALTHOUGH these Britons did not worship images, they believed that there were many gods and their religion was very different from that which is taught us in the Bible. They had priests who were called DRUIDS, who lived mostly in the forests, and taught the people that the Oak was a sacred tree. They worshipped the mistletoe, a plant which grows on the branches of the oak and on other trees. This mistletoe was cut off every year, with a golden knife, by the chief Druid, amid great rejoicing, and was very carefully preserved. The priests wore white linen robes, and let their beards grow very long to distinguish them from the rest of the people. The savages obeyed them because they knew more than anybody else, and tried to find out medicines to cure those who were ill. They used various means to make the people give them presents. On a certain day, at the beginning of winter, they obliged all persons to put out their fires, and light them again from the fire of the sacred altar, telling them, that by so doing they would have good fortune throughout the year; but if any one did not act as they wished, they would not allow him to enter their temples, and his friends were forbidden to give him any help.
Ancient Britons
The country we live in is a large island, called BRITAIN. It is divided into two parts : the northern part is now named SCOTLAND, and the southern part, ENGLAND. At first there were no houses, gardens, or fields, such as we see now; but most of the island was covered with great forests and marshes. The people who lived in it were called BRITONS, and were wild, ignorant savages. In summer they went about naked ; and in winter they clothed them-selves with the skins of the wild beasts which they killed in hunting. Their hair was allowed to grow very long, and they stained their bodies of a blue colour, to frighten their enemies. They ate acorns and other wild fruits, and lived in caves, or in huts made of branches of trees covered over with mud. These were generally built together in little villages in the midst of forests. Their time was chiefly spent in hunting in the woods, or in fishing. For the latter, they used small boats called coracles, made of wicker-work covered with skins. They were often at war with each other, and fought with a rude kind of spear and arrows, of which the heads were made of sharp pieces of stone. The Britons were divided into many tribes. Each tribe had a chief, who led them in battle, and ruled over them in time of peace.