to their natural ferocity; partly, to the obstinate resistance 

 of the Britons.* Thus the beautiful country, which the 

 one struggled to conquer, the other to defend, was strip- 

 ped of all its ornaments. When the Saxons obtained quiet 

 possession of the finest provinces of Britain, by the ex- 

 tirpation of their ancient inhabitants, they were really a 

 barbarous and miserable people, destitute of the most de- 

 sii'able accommodations, and of the arts by which they 

 are procured; without models to imitate, or masters to 

 teach them these arts. Thus were the arts, both useful 

 and ornamental, in a very rude imperfect state. We find 

 architecturef at the lowest ebb. Painting, for a reason 

 which will be mentioned hereafter, seems to have been 

 brought to a greater perfection, at this period, than many 

 of the other arts. Poetry and poets were much admired, 

 and treated with an high degree of respect. 



The 



* Gildas, wlio was an eye-witness of these scenes of derastation, paints 

 them thus: " A fire was kindled, by the sacrilegious hand of the Saxons, 

 •' which spread from city to city, and never ceased, till it had burned up 

 •' the whole surface of the island, from sea to sea. The walls of all the co- 

 " lonies were beaten down, and their inhabitants were slain with the point 

 " of the sword. Nothing was to be seen, in the streets, but fragments of 

 " ruined walls, towers, and temples, fallen from their lofty seats, besprinkled 

 " with blood, and mixed with mangled carcases." 



t See Henry's History of England. There does not seem to have been 

 one church of stone, nor any artist who could build one, in all Scotland, at 

 the beginning of the eighth century. And, in England, stone buildings were 

 very rare, during the eighth and ninth centuries; and, where such buildings 

 xTere erected, they were the objects of much admiration. 



