a short history of wales-第2部分

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　conquered；　then　as　simply　belonging　to　a　superior　race；　but　gradually　the　distinction　vanished。　The　language　remained　the　language　of　the　Celt；　it　is　called　an　Aryan　language；　a　language　as　noble　among　languages　as　the　Aran　is　among　its　hills。　　It　is　still　spoken　in　Wales；　in　Brittany；　in　Ireland；　in　the　Highlands　of　Scotland；　and　in　the　Isle　of　Man。　　It　was　also　spoken　in　Cornwall　till　the　eighteenth　century；　and　Yorkshire　dalesmen　still　count　their　sheep　in　Welsh。　　English　is　another　Aryan　tongue。

The　more　mixed　a　nation　is；　the　more　rich　its　life　and　the　greater　its　future。　　Purity　of　blood　is　not　a　thing　to　boast　of；　and　no　great　and　progressive　nation　comes　from　one　breed　of　men。　　Some　races　have　more　imagination　than　others；　or　a　finer　feeling　for　beauty；　others　have　more　energy　and　practical　wisdom。　　The　best　nations　have　both；　and　they　have　both；　probably；　because　many　races　have　been　blended　in　their　making。　　There　is　hardly　a　parish　in　Wales　in　which　there　are　not　different　types　of　faces　and　different　kinds　of　character。

The　wandering　of　nations　has　never　really　stopped。　　The　Celt　was　followed　by　his　cousinsthe　Angle　and　the　Saxon。　　These；　again；　were　followed　by　races　still　more　closely　related　to　themthe　Normans　and　the　Danes　and　the　Flemings。　　They　have　all　left　their　mark　on　Wales　and　on　the　Welsh　character。

The　migration　is　still　going　on。　　Trace　the　history　of　an　upland　Welsh　parish；　and　you　will　find　that；　in　a　surprisingly　short　time；　the　old　families；　high　and　low；　have　given　place　to　newcomers。　　Look　into　the　trains　which　carry　emigrants　from　Hull　or　London　to　Liverpool　on　their　way　westthey　have　the　blue　eyes　and　yellow　hair　of　those　who　came　two　thousand　years　ago。　　But　this　country　is　no　longer　their　goal；　the　great　continent　of　America　has　been　discovered　beyond。　　Fits　of　longing　for　wandering　come　over　the　Welsh　periodically；　as　they　came　over　the　Danescaused　by　scarcity　of　food　and　density　of　population；　or　by　a　sense　of　oppression　and　a　yearning　for　freedom。　　An　empty　stomach　sometimes；　and　sometimes　a　fiery　imagination；　sent　a　crowd　of　adventurers　to　new　lands。　　And　it　is　thus　that　every　living　nation　is　ever　renewing　its　youth。



CHAPTER　IIIROME



It　is　not　a　spirit　of　adventure　and　daring　alone　that　makes　a　nation。　Rome　rose　to　say　that　it　must　have　the　spirit　of　order　and　law　too。　It　rose　in　the　path　of　the　nations；　it　built　the　walls　of　its　empire；　guarded　by　the　camps　of　its　legions；　right　across　it。　　For　four　hundred　years　the　wandering　of　nations　ceased；　the　nations　stopped　and　they　began　to　till　the　ground；　to　live　in　cities；　to　form　states。　The　hush　of　this　peace　did　not　last；　but　the　memory　of　it　remained　in　the　life　of　every　nation　that　felt　it。　　Unity　and　law　tempered　freedom　and　change。

The　name　of　Rome　was　made　known；　and　made　terrible；　through　Wales　by　a　great　battle　fought　on　the　eastern　slopes　of　the　Berwyn。　　The　Romans　had　conquered　the　lands　beyond　the　Severn；　and　had　placed　themselves　firmly　near　the　banks　of　that　river　at　Glevum　and　Uriconium。　　Glevum　is　our　Gloucester；　and　its　streets　are　still　as　the　Roman　architect　planned　them。　　Uriconium　is　the　burnt　and　buried　city　beyond　Shrewsbury；　the　skulls　found　in　it；　and　its　implements　of　industry；　and　the　toys　of　its　children；　you　can　see　in　the　Shrewsbury　Museum。

The　British　leader　in　the　great　battle　was　Caratacus；　the　general　who　had　fought　the　Romans　step　by　step　until　he　had　come　to　the　borders　of　Wales；　to　summon　the　warlike　Silures　to　save　their　country。　　We　do　not　know　the　site　of　the　great　battle；　though　the　Roman　historian　Tacitus　gives　a　graphic　description　of　it。　　The　Britons　were　on　a　hill　side　sloping　down　to　a　river；　and　the　Romans　could　only　attack　them　in　front。　　The　enemy　waded　the　river；　however；　and　scaled　the　wall　on　its　further　bank；　and　in　the　fierce　lance　and　sword　fight　the　host　of　Caratacus　lost　the　day。　　He　fled；　but　was　afterwards　handed　over　to　the　Romans；　and　taken　to　Rome；　to　grace　the　triumphal　procession　of　the　victors。

The　battle　only　roused　the　Silures　to　a　more　fierce　resistance；　and　it　cost　the　Romans　many　lives；　and　it　took　them　many　years；　to　break　their　power。　　The　strangest　sight　that　met　the　invaders　was　in　Anglesey；　after　they　had　crossed　the　Menai　on　horses　or　on　rafts。　The　druids　tried　to　terrify　them　by　the　rites　of　their　religion。　　The　dark　groves；　the　women　dressed　in　black　and　carrying　flaming　torches；　the　aged　prieststhe　sight　paralysed　the　Roman　soldiers；　but　only　for　a　moment。

Vespasianit　was　he　who　sent　his　son　Titus　to　besiege　Jerusalem　became　emperor　in　69。　　The　war　was　carried　on　with　great　energy；　and　by　78　Wales　was　entirely　conquered。

Then　Agricola；　a　wise　ruler；　came。　　The　peace　of　Rome　was　left　in　the　land；　and　the　Welshman　took　the　Roman；　not　willingly　at　first；　as　his　teacher　and　ruler　instead　of　as　his　enemy。　　Towns　were　built；　the　two　Chesters　or　Caerlleons　（Castra　Legionum）；　on　the　Dee　and　the　Usk；　being　the　most　important　from　a　military　point　of　view。　　Roads　were　made；　two　along　the　north　and　south　coasts；　to　Carmarthen　and　Carnarvon；　two　others　ran　parallel　along　the　length　of　Wales；　to　connect　their　ends。　　On　these　roads　towns　rose；　and　some；　like　Caerwent；　were　self…governing　communities　of　prosperous　people。　Agriculture　flourished；　the　Welsh　words　for　〃plough〃　and　〃cheese〃　are　〃aradr〃　and　〃caws〃the　Latin　aratrum　and　caseus。　　The　mineral　wealth　of　the　country　was　discovered；　and　copper　mines　and　lead　mines；　silver　mines　and　gold　mines；　were　worked。　　The　〃aur〃　（gold）　and　〃arian〃　（silver）　and　〃plwm〃　（lead）　of　the　Welshman　are　the　Latin　aurum；　argentum；　and　plumbum。

The　Romans　allowed　the　Welsh　families　and　tribes　to　remain　as　before；　and　to　be　ruled　by　their　own　kings　and　chiefs。　　But　they　kept　the　defence　of　the　countrythe　manning　of　the　great　wall　in　the　north　of　Roman　Britain；　the　garrisoning　of　the　legion　towns；　and　the　holding　of　the　western　seain　their　own　hand。

Gradually　the　power　of　Rome　began　to　wane；　and　its　hold　on　distant　countries　like　Britain　began　to　relax。　　The　wandering　nations　were　gathering　on　its　eastern　and　northern　borders；　and　its　walls　and　legions　at　last　gave　way。　　It　had　not　been　a　kind　mother　to　the　nations　it　had　conqueredin　war　it　had　been　cruel；　and　in　peace　it　had　been　selfish　and　stern。　　The　lust　of　rule　became　stronger　as　its　arm　became　weaker。　　The　degradation　of　slavery　and　the　heavy　hand　of　the　tax…gatherer　were　extending　even　to　Wales。　　The　barbarian　invader　found　the　effeminate；　luxurious　empire　an　easy　prey。　　In　410　Alaric　and　his　host　of　Goths　appeared　before　the　city　of　Rome　itself；　and　a　horde　of　barbarians；　thirsting　for　blood　and　spoil；　surged　into　it。　The　fall　of　the　great　city　was　a　shock　to　the　whole　world；　the　end　of　the　world　must　be　near；　for　how　could　it　stand　without　Rome？　　Jerome　could　hardly　sob　the　strange　news：　　〃Rome；　which　enslaved　the　whole　world；　has　itself　been　taken。〃

Rome　had　taken　the　yoke　of　Christ；　and　many　said　that　it　fell　because　it　had　spurned　the　gods　that　had　given　it　victory。　　Three　years　after　Alaric　had　sacked　it；　Augustine　wrote　a　book　to　prove　that　it　was　not　the　city　of　God　that　had　fallen；　and　that　the　heathen　gods　could　neither　have　built　Rome　in　their　love　nor　destroyed　it　in　their　anger。　　He　then　describes　the　rise　of　the　real　〃City　of　God；〃　in　the　midst　of　which　is　the　God　of　justice　and　mercy；　and　〃she　shall　not　be　moved。〃



CHAPTER　IVTHE　NAME　OF　CHRIST



The　name　of　Christ　had　been　heard　in　Britain　during　the　period　of　Roman　rule；　but　we　do　not　know　who　first　sounded　it。　　There　are　many　beautiful　legendsthat　the　great　apostle　of　the　Gentiles　himself　came　to　Britain；　that　Joseph　of　Arimathea；　having　been　placed　by　the　Jews　in　an　open　boat；　at　the　mercy　of　wind　and　wave；　landed　in　Britain；　that　some　of　the　captives　taken　to　Rome　with　Caratacus　brought　back　the　tidings　of　great　joy。

We　know　that　the　name　of　Christ；　between　200　and　300　years　after　His　death；　was　well　known　in　Britain；　and　that　churches　had　been　built　for　His　worship。　　Between　300　and　400　we　have　an　organised　church　and　a　settled　creed。　　Between　400　and　500　there　was　searching　of　heart　and　creed；　and　heresiesa　sure　sign　that　the　people　were　alive　to　religion。　　Between　500　and　600　there　was　a　translation　of　the　Bible　from　Hebrew　and　Greek　into　the　better…known　Latin。　　The　whole　of　Wales　becomes　Christian；　and　probably　St　David　converted　the　last　pagans；　and　built　his　church　among　them。

Between　450　and　500　a　stream　of　pagan　Teutons　flowed　over　the　east　of　Britain；　and　the　British　Church　was　separated　from　the　Roman　Church。　By　664　British　and　Roman　missionaries　had　converted　the　English；　and　the　two　Churches　of　Rome　and　Britain；　once　united；　were　face　to　face　again。　　But　they　had　grown　in　different　ways；　and　refused　to　know　each　other。　　Their　Easter　came　on　different　days；　they　did　not　baptize　in　the　same　way；　the　tonsure　was　differenta　crescent　on　the　forehead　of　the　British　monk；　and　a　crown　on　the　pate　of　the　Roman　monk。　　In　the　Roman　Church　there　was　rigid　unity　and　system；　in　the　British　Church　there　was　much　room　for　self…government。　　The　newly　converted　English　chose　the　Roman　way；　because　they　were　told　that　St　Peter；　whose　see　Rome　was；　held　the　keys　of　heaven。　　Between　700　and　800　the　Welsh　gradually　gave　up　their　religious　independence；　and　joined　the　Roman　Church。

But　there　was　another　dispute。　　Were　the　four　old　Welsh　bishoprics　Bangor；　St　Asaph；　St　David's；　Llandaffto　be　subject　to　the　English　archbishop　of　Canterbury；　or　to　have　an　archbishopric　of　their　own　at　St　David's？　　By　1200　the　Welsh　bishoprics　were　subject　to　the　English　archbishop；　and　Giraldus　Cambrensis　came　too　late　to　save　them。

But　through　all　these　disputes　the　Church　was　gaining　strength。　Churches　were　being　built　everywhere。　　Up　to　700　they　were　called　after　the　name　of　their　founder；　between　700　and　1000　they　were　generally　dedicated　to　the　archangel　Michaelthere　are　several　Llanvihangels　｛1｝　in　Wales；　after　1000　new　churches　were　dedicated　to　Mary；　the　Mother　of　Christwe　have　many　Llanvairs。　｛2｝

Times　of　civil　strife；　or　of　popular　indifference；　came　over　and　over　again；　and　the　old　paganism　tried　to　reassert　itself。　　And　time　after　time　the　name　of　Christ　was　sounded　again　by　men　who