69 



ful winds that delayed the coming Saxon."* It is to the period of 

 destruction mentioned in the first hne of this metrical flattery, that 

 Nennius alludes, where he seems to hint a projected settlement from 

 Ireland among the Welsh. "Mailcunius, a great king of the ancient 

 Britons, expelled the Scots with prodigious slaughter from those parts, 

 and never did they return to seek habitations there. "-f* 



Another desolating campaign is referred by Zosimus, the Chroni- 

 con Saxonum and Ethelwerdus, to the year 418 ; while the last of the 

 sufferings of the Britons, detailed in the book of Lecanj: and by 

 Gildas, must be referred to about A. D. 426, " when," exclaims the 

 historian with highly exasperated feelings, " foul bands of Scots and 

 Picts, partly differing in manners but agreeing in one and the same 

 thirst for blood, and rather covering their faces with beards than their 

 bodies with garments, * * * seized from the natives with more than 

 their usual boldness, all the northern parts and the marches of the land 

 even to the wall."§ The depredators were, however, at last repelled. 



* " Me quoque vicinis pereuntem gentibus, inquit. 

 Me juvit StUicho; totam cum Scotus Temen 

 Movit, et infesto spumavit remige Tethys ; 

 Illius efFectum curis ne tela timerem 

 Scotica, ne Pictum tremerem, ne littore toto 

 Prospicerem dubiis venturum Saxona ventis." 



Claudian. Carm. 22. 1. 230, &c. 



f " Mailcunius m^nus Rex apud Britones ***** Scotos cum ingentissima 

 clade expulerat ab istis regionibus, et nunquam reversi fuerunt iteium ad habitandum." — Hist. 

 Brit. c. 64. 



t Cited Ogyg. Vindic p. 44. 



§ " Tetri Scotorum Pictorumque greges, moribus ex parte dissidentes at una eademque 

 sanguinis fundendi aviditate Concordes, furciferosque magis vultus pilis quam corporum 

 pudenda pudendisque proxima vestibus tegentes, « * * * solitoconfidentius, omnem 

 Aquilonarem extremamque terrse partem pro indigenis muro tenus capessunt." — Hist. 

 GUd. c. 15. 



