iversis manipulis, sine rectore, sine affectibus mutuis,
quasi ex alio genere mortalium repente in unum collecti, numerus magis
quam colonia--Tacit. Annal. XIV. 27.

BOOK II

CHAPTER I.

THE ENTRY AND SETTLEMENT OF THE SAXONS, AND THEIR CONVERSION TO
CHRISTIANITY.

[Sidenote: A.D. 447.]

After having been so long subject to a foreign dominion, there was among
the Britons no royal family, no respected order in the state, none of
those titles to government, confirmed by opinion and long use, more
efficacious than the wisest schemes for the settlement of the nation.
Mere personal merit was then the only pretence to power. But this
circumstance only added to the misfortunes of a people who had no
orderly method of election, and little experience of merit in any of the
candidates. During this anarchy, whilst they suffered the most dreadful
calamities from the fury of barbarous nations which invaded them, they
fell into that disregard of religion, and those loose, disorderly
manners, which are sometimes the consequence of desperate and hardened
wretchedness, as well as the common distempers of ease and prosperity.

At length, after frequent elections and deposings, rather wearied out by
their own inconstancy than, fixed by the merit of their choice, they
suffered Vortigern to reign over them. This leader had made some figure
in the conduct of their wars and factious. But he was no sooner settled
on the throne than he showed himself rather like a prince born of an
exhausted stock of royalty in the decline of empire than one of those
bold and active spirits whose manly talents obtain them the first place
in their country, and stamp upon it that character of vigor essential to
the prosperity of a new commonwealth. However, the mere settlement, in
spite of the ill administration of government, procured the Britons some
internal repose, and some temporary advantages over their enemies, the
Picts. But having been long habituated to defeats, neither relying on
their king nor on themselves, and fatigued with the obstinate attacks of
an enemy whom they sometimes checked, but could never remove, in one of
their national assemblies it was resolved to call in the mercenary aid
of the Saxons, a powerful nation of Germany, which had been long by
their piratical incursions terrible not only to them, but to all the
adjacent countries. This resolution has been generally condemned. It has
been said, that they seem to have th