AT THE CONQUEST. 9*f 



fiome of foot, and exhibited in all a multitude so 

 vast as hitherto was not paralleled ! In conclu- 

 sion, he says, * signal was the glory gained that 

 day, and equal to the victories of the ancient 

 Romans, for there are a\ithors who record that 

 of the Britons were slain almost 80,000.* 



In this, as in former instances, the Romans 

 were indebted to their superior skill and dis- 

 cipline for their victory, but, though the Britons 

 knew not how to marshal large armies, it does 

 not follow that they were barbarians, much less 

 that they were few in number. The immense 

 army of Boadicea was collected from a part only 

 of the island, and as it was kept together for 

 some time, we must believe that the country 

 was very populous and had abundance of sup- 

 plies. And does not the language of the historian 

 shew that he thought it so ? He speaks of the 

 number of the British army as being * hitherto 

 unparalleled ;' — and he pronounces the glory 

 obtained to be * equal to the ancient Romans,' 

 meaning of course, that it was superior to that 

 obtained by any of the modern Romans. And 

 are we to look upon these people as being in a 

 state similar to the savages of North America ? ^ 



But what was the fruit of this victory ? Did 

 the whole island submit to the Roman arms after 



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