250 ANGLO-SAXONS AND DANES. 



hereditary foes from the north*. The extremity of danger 

 alarmed the nobles, with Gwrtheyrn or Vortigern at their head, 

 into a decisive measure ; the Saxons were called to aid. ' The 

 blue-eyed Saxons' came; most probably they had often come 

 before without invitation. Nor can the application to them by 

 a party in Britain be thought strange. Already, 150 years be- 

 fore, Carausius had made a compact with these hardy pirates ; 

 again, A.D. 350, Magnentius had aided their progress ; and 

 now, the Romans having withdrawn, there was literally no power 

 but that of the Saxons which could be brought to fight the Picts. 

 They had risen to command a powerful confederacy of the Ger- 

 man tribes north of the Elbe, and their swords were ready for 

 every encounter. 



By universal consent Hengist stands for their leader, and his 

 place of landing with Horsa his brother is in Kent at Wippids- 

 fleetf (A.D. 449). " King Vortigern gave them land in the 

 south-east of this country, on condition that they should fight 

 against the Picts. Then they fought against the Picts, and had 

 the victory wheresoever they came." Sax. Chron. 



It is a pity that we must not believe Geoffrey when he says 

 that Vortigern, after the victory, gave Hengist lands in Lindsey, 

 as much as he could compass with a leathern thong ; that Hengist 

 thus encompassed a rocky hill, and built there his Than or Thong 

 Caster ; that there his daughter Rowena captivated the weak re- 

 presentative of Brutus, drank his health and shared his throne. 

 The kingdom of Kent was the maiden's dower. By Hengist' s 

 advice, Occa (Octa), Ebusa and Cherdich followed with 300 ships 

 and plenty of soldiers to fight the Picts, and settle themselves in 

 the provinces of Deira and Bernicia, which were afterwards united 

 into Northumberland. 



There is nothing improbable in the assertion that they did so. 



* According to Gildas aid was supplicated from the Patrician ' Mtius, 

 thrice consul ' (his third consulate was in 446) ; Bede says it was not 

 obtained ; yet Gibbon declares the independent Britons implored arid ac- 

 knowledged his salutary aid (vol. vi.). 



t Turner says, Ebb'sfleet. 



