A. D. 446. 217 



of Africa, he equipped eleven hundred large fliips, with a proportional 

 army, to ad in conjundion with the weftern forces. But this prodigious 

 armament only proceeded as far as Sicily, and performed nothing. 



446 — Though the unfortunate Britons had almoft a certainty of be- 

 ing refufed, they were again driven by the cruel oppreflion of their 

 northern neighbours to implore the pi-oteclion of ^tius, who then go- 

 verned the weftern empire in the name of Valentinian. But the Ro- 

 mans, who at this time dreaded the lofs of Italy itfelf, had given up all 

 pretenfions to the protedion of diftant fubjeds or allies. 



449 — In a few years (for the precife date is uncertain *) the affift- 

 ance, which the Romans were incapable of giving, was afforded by a 

 party of Yutes, or Geats, who, arriving on the coaft of Kent in a fleet, 

 confifting of only three long fliips, under the command of two brothers 

 called Hengift and Horfa, and immediately joining the Britons, march- 

 ed againft the invaders, whom they encountered and defeated (accord- 

 ing to the old Englifli authors, at Stanford in the fouth corner of Lin- 

 coln-fliire). The feafonable relief was rewarded with a grant of the 

 ifland of Thanet, wherein the Yutes fettled. They immediately tranf- 

 mitted a flattering account of their fuccefs to their friends on the con- 

 tinent, which procured a reinforcement of five thoufand men in feven- 

 teen fliips f . 



So great an acceflion of followers enabled Hengift to become the 

 mafter, inftead of the mercenary ally, of the unhappy Britons. He 

 foon found an opportunity of quarreling with them, and, ftriking up 

 a peace with the Pichts, bent his whole force againft his late friends. 

 He and his fucceflbrs, and the chiefs of the numerous fwarms of the 

 Saxons, whom Zofimus diftinguifties as the braveft of the Germans, with 

 other bold adventurers from the continent, who, with their wives and 

 children, crowded over to fliare the fertile lands of Britain, in the courfe 

 of about a century and a half made themfelves mafters of the beft part 

 of the country from the Channel on the fouth to the Firth of Forth on 

 the north. Such of the furviving natives of the conquered country as 

 did not fubniit to live under them, were obliged to retire before them 

 to the weft fide of the ifland, of which, from the Lands-end to the Firths 

 of Clyde and Forth, they maintained the poflellion for many ages, till 

 they were gradually fubdued, and annexed to the more powerful mo- 

 narchies of England and Scotland. 



* It is impoffible to fix the piecife date of the f If thefe numbers are nearly accurate, (for tlic 



memorable arrival of Hengift and Horfa. Beds different accounts vary from fixteen to eigj-.teen 



afTnmcs the year 449, as appears by King Alfred's fliips) the German rovers, befides their leather 



Saxon tranllation, as well as the Latin original ; boats and large canoes, muft have had very re- 



and he is followed by the Saxon Chronicle and the fpeclable vefiVls, properly and ftrongly conllruci- 



fueceeding writers. But the various dates and facts ed, to be capable of carrying about three iumdred 



ftated by Camden rBrilaiinia, p. 94, ed. 1607] men each, btfides women and children, even for a 



deftrrve the attention of the critical reader. fliort paflage. 



Vol. I. ' E e 



