EARTHWORKS NEAR BRUTON. 43 



I have visited. Now, it can hardly be, that if once ob- 

 served, this peculiarity should not excite our curiosity as 

 to who were the constructors and occupiers of tbese works, 

 what people were the inbabitants of tbis district, and, if 

 anything, what is known as to their babits and bistory ; 

 and the answer which would rnost likely be given to the 

 enquiry would be, they are probably the vestiges of British 

 occupation ; and, as far as it goes, the answer is perhaps 

 correct ; for with a few exceptions of Roman and Saxon 

 date, there can be little doubt that most of these eartb- 

 works were constructed and used by our British predeces- 

 sors. But still it is a most vague and unsatisfactory answer, 

 for perhaps there is no subject on which ideas less defined 

 and more erroneous prevail, with the generality even of well 

 informed persons, than the bistory of the inhabitants of 

 tbese islands, down to the time of the completion of the 

 Saxon Conquest ; which, as it relates to this part of Eng- 

 land, niay be fixed as the year 702, when Ina founded the 

 frontier Castle of Taunton, as a defence to bis Western 

 border against the Bretwallas of Devon and Cornwall who, 

 under command of their Prince or Begulus, Geraint, still 

 held the heights of Quantock, Brendon, and Blackdown, 

 backed by the fastnesses of Exmoor against the power of 

 the Teutonic invaders. It is, of course, impossible to fix 

 the beginning of tbis period with anything like accuracy ; 

 but the fact that, from the first dawn of the probable 

 history of this country, to the year 702, is certainly not less 

 than 1000 years, is enough to sbow that the idea usually 

 formed of an ancient Briton — that is to say, a mere savage 

 painted blue, and scantily clothed in skins, can hardly be 

 a correct one during the whole of tbis period. Indeed I be- 

 be ve it would hardly apply to the last half of it at all, and 

 would probably admit of great modification even in the 



