A. D. 296. 205 



A body of Franks, who had efcaped, or withdrawn, from the battle, 

 haftened to London, intending to pillage it, and then to retreat to their 

 own country with the plunder by feizing the vefTels in the Thames. 

 But a part of the Roman fleet, which had been driven into the river, 

 came very opportunely to protect the city, and drove off the intended 

 plunderers with great flaughter. 



Thus a fingle battle, fimilar in feveral of its circumftances, and in 

 its decifive confequence, to that which was fought near the fame place 

 between Harold king of England and William duke of Normandy 

 fevcn hundred and feventy years afterwards, reunited the Britifli domi- 

 nions of Caraufius to the Roman empire, after a feparation of about 

 ten years. 



It is remarked by Eutnenius in his panegyric upon Conftantius, that 

 Britain produced fuch abundance of corn, that it was fufficient to fup- 

 ply not only bread, but alfo a drink which was comparable to wine *. 

 He alfo remarks the innumerable multitude of tame animals, fome with 

 their udders diflended with milk, and others loaded with fleeces of 

 wool. From him alfo we learn, that the artificers of Britain in the 

 reign of Caraufius were efteemed excellent in their profeflions, and were 

 therefor employed by Conftantius, in preference to thofe on the con- 

 tinent, in rebuilding the city of Auguflodunum in Gaul. 



At the fame time Diocletian re-annexed Egypt to the empire, and we 

 may believe, that the commerce of that country with India muft have 

 fuffered upon the occalion ; for he almoft depopulated Alexandria, which 

 fl:ood a fiege of eight months ; and he totally deftroyed Coptos, the 

 town at which the Oriental goods were unloaded from the backs of the 

 camels, and fhipped in boats on the Nile for Alexandria. 



The Egyptian expedition of Diocletian furniflies the earlieft notice of 

 the pretended fcience of alchymy. He found in Egypt books, faid to 

 be antient, which profefled to teach the wonderful art of making gold 

 and filver. The emperor, who appears to have formed a very proper 

 judgement of the delufion and its dangerous confequence, committed 

 the whole of them to the flames. 



306 — The emperor Conftantius, having made an expedition againft 

 the Caledonians, took up his refidence, and foon after died, in the im- 

 perial palace at Eboracum (Tbri), which was thus a fecond time diftin- 

 guiftied by the refidence, death, and deification of a Roman emperor. 

 His fon Conftantine there alfo took upon him the title of emperor as 

 colleague with Galerius. He afterwards became fo'e emperor, made 

 Chriftianity the eftabliftied religion of the Roman empire, and removed 

 the feat of the imperial government from Rome to Conftantinople. 



314 — York, London, and Colchefter, were apparently the principal cities 



» < 



Segetum tanta fxcunditas, ut munerlbus utrifque fufficiat, et Cereiis et Liberi, 



