50 PAPERS, ETC. 



Imperator (a very different person, be it remembered, from 

 the fabulous bero of tbe Morte (T Arthur), beld his courts at 

 Camelet, fought at Cathbyrig and Llongborth, died at 

 Camelford, and was buried at Glastonbury, than that 

 Napoleon reigned at Paris, fougbt at Borodino and Water- 

 loo, died at St. Helena, and now rests on tbe banks of tbe 

 Seine. 



As regards tbis part of the Island, the great landmarks 

 of this period are these. In the year 495 Cerdic and 

 Cynric his son landed with five sbips at Cerdorics ; in the 

 year 577, Ceawlin, tbe grandson of Cerdic, fought with 

 the Britons at Deorham, slew three kings, Comail, Condi- 

 dan, and Fainmail, took three cities, Gloucester, Ciren- 

 cester, and Bath, and probably extended his conquest to 

 the coast of the Bristol Channel, somewhere between Portis- 

 head and Weston-super-Mare. In the year 658, Kene- 

 walch fought the Bretwallas at Pen, and drove them 

 beyond the Parret, and in the year 702 Ina built the 

 frontier town of Taunton, and established the Western 

 boundary of his dominions, which, if not identical with, 

 was probably nearly the same as that of the Belgic tribe 

 before mentioned. 



It is a curious fact that the varieties of the Somer- 

 setshire dialect seem to be closely allied to these 

 successive waves of Saxon conquest ; for the dialect of 

 Taunton is as distinct from that of Bridgwater or Crew- 

 kerne, as that of the latter places is from the pronuncia- 

 tion of Bath or Cirencester. I have thus run througb the 

 great land-marks of the ancient history of this district, 

 because it is my cbief object in now addressing you, to 

 iuduce some local antiquaiy to undertake a systematic 

 investigation of the evidences of primeval occupation with 

 which it abounds ; and if these things are not borne in 



