twelve hundred years ago--the period when he lived and wrote
his lachrymable history.

"The iland of Britaine placed in the ballance of the divine
poising hand (as they call it) which weigheth the whole
world, almost the uttermost bound of his earth towards the
South and West; extending itself from the South-West, out
towards the North pole, eight hundred miles in length; and
containing two hundred in breadth, besides the fare
outstretched forelands of sundry promonteries, embraced by
the embowed bosomes of the ocean sea; with whose most
spacious, and on every side (saving only the Southern
Streights, by which we sale to Gallehelgicke) impassable
enclosure (as I may call it) she is strongly defended;
enriched with the mouths of two noble floods, Thames and
Severne, as it were two armes (by which out-landish
commodities have in times past been transported into the
same) besides other rivers of lesser account, strengthened
with eight and twenty cities, and some other castles, not
meanly fenced with fortresses of walls, embattled towers,
gates, and buildings (whose roofes being raised aloft with a
threatening hugenesse, were mightily in their aspiring
toppes compaced) adorned with her large spreading fields,
pleasant seated hils, even framed for good husbandry, which
over-mastereth the ground, and mountains most convenient for
the changeable pastures of cattell; whose flowers of sundry
collours, troden by the feete of men, imprint no unseemly
picture on the same, as a spouse of choice, decked with
divers jewels; watered with cleere fountains, and sundry
brokes, beating on the snow-white sands, together with
silver streames sliding forth with soft sounding noise, and
leaving a pledge of sweet savours on their bordering bankes,
and lakes gushing out abundantly in cold running
rivers."--_Epistle of Gildas_, Transl. 1638, 12mo. p. 1,
after the prologue.

Whoever looks into that amusing and prettily-printed little
book, "_Barclaii Satyricon_," 1629, 18mo., will find a
description of Germany, similar, in part, to the
preceding.--"Olim sylvis et incolis fera, nunc oppidis
passim insignis; nemoribus quoque quibus immensis tegebatur,
ad usum decusque castigatis." p. 316.]

"In the example of GONZALO, with whom Philemon is perfe